motorbreath Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 (edited) Prior to me buying it in October 2020, this was a one-owner daily-driven completely stock car with all service records provided. It is not a rust-bucket, but it has been through a decade of Canadian winters, so before I build I restore... Note, I have lots of tools but little mechanical skill, ergo "The Hard Way." Everything listed was repaired or installed by me, unless otherwise indicated. Part I - The Restoration - Oil pan (previous owner prior to sale) - Serpentine belt, timing belt, tensioner, and pulleys - Spark plugs and coil packs - Turbo coolant lines and outlet studs/bolts - Nameless BPV - Invidia Q300 Catback Exhaust - Engine cradle (mechanic, $$$) - Front calipers, front and rear brake lines, pads, and rotors (mechanic) - Front control arms and ball joints (mechanic) - Front/rear coil springs, dampers, and mounts - rear lower links (camber adjustable) - 1" "Saggy Butt" rear lift (?!?!) - Windshield (previous owner prior to sale) - Minor body repair and full paint job (body shop, $$$) - Drawtite hitch with 2" receiver - Primitive Racing skid plate - Removal of engine shroud (?!?!) - Drivers seat leather repair (interior specialist) - Kenwood DMX9707s with iDatalink (steering wheel controls, OBD2 gauges) Part II - The Build - New OEM exhaust manifold - Used OEM turbo and wastegate actuator (with lots of new bits and pieces!) - Tactrix 3-port boost control solenoid Grimmspeed 3-port BCS - Invidia catted downpipe/j-pipe/whatever-you-call-it - ACT HD Performance Street Clutch Kit, SB11-HDSS - Clutch damper delete - ShinjiTuned Opensource e-tune (see 3rd gear WOT boost plot for versions 2-5 of the tune!) Need to do: - Engine mounts, transmission mount, and pitch stop - Low/high tone horns - a sh*t-ton superficial rust removal, undercoating, and rust-proofing Edited April 3, 2023 by motorbreath Updating to reflect my failure with the twin scroll kit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scubaboo Posted February 1, 2021 Share Posted February 1, 2021 Nice! If I could go back in time I wouldnt want to go back to March 2020 though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motorbreath Posted February 1, 2021 Author Share Posted February 1, 2021 Nice! If I could go back in time I wouldnt want to go back to March 2020 though Ouch, corrected, sorry to bring up any bad memories! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creep_nu Posted February 1, 2021 Share Posted February 1, 2021 man gonna be a fun build...good luck learning everything along the way, no better way to learn than to just jump on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandborn Posted February 1, 2021 Share Posted February 1, 2021 Hope you read up on the old people stuff. Lots of how to, oops, mistakes, and quick fixes. But, finding people who know the platform (not just subarus) can be tough as the tuning is vital. The car is quite a unicorn out in the wild - we get lots of attention, especially when you start building it up. Good luck! I've had my fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motorbreath Posted February 2, 2021 Author Share Posted February 2, 2021 Hope you read up on the old people stuff. Lots of how to, oops, mistakes, and quick fixes. But, finding people who know the platform (not just subarus) can be tough as the tuning is vital. The car is quite a unicorn out in the wild - we get lots of attention, especially when you start building it up. Good luck! I've had my fun! I have been doing my reading, slowly learning, and hopefully I'll find someone around Toronto who has tuned their gen5 so I can get some recommendations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco26 Posted February 2, 2021 Share Posted February 2, 2021 I have been doing my reading, slowly learning, and hopefully I'll find someone around Toronto who has tuned their gen5 so I can get some recommendations. I did my remote tuning with XRT while I was on a trip in Toronto... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phillbert Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 Neetronics in Oakville is a tuning shop that specializes in tuning Subarus. Heard really good things about them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgoodhue Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 I would use a tuner who has experience with tuning 5th Gen. Our engine is the only EJ255 with 9.5:1 CR and a low mount VF54 turbo. It also has the dual AVCS that the STI have but with a smaller exhaust camshaft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motorbreath Posted February 24, 2021 Author Share Posted February 24, 2021 I would use a tuner who has experience with tuning 5th Gen. Our engine is the only EJ255 with 9.5:1 CR and a low mount VF54 turbo. It also has the dual AVCS that the STI have but with a smaller exhaust camshaft. I'll do my best and check with the tuners in my area, there are a few Subaru specialists. Do you think I should consider e-tuning so I can get access to some of the tuning specialists in the US? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motorbreath Posted February 24, 2021 Author Share Posted February 24, 2021 Neetronics in Oakville is a tuning shop that specializes in tuning Subarus. Heard really good things about them. I was not aware of them, so I'll check them out. In my area there is Touge, NVAuto, and Autologix in Kitchener. I'll have look more once I make more progress, I need to order coolant lines and work-out how to use the ones supplied with the kit. IQPerformance strongly suggested I add an oil pressure regulator since the EFR series has a 40psi upper limit (from what I have read) and the stock oil pump can exceed that substantially. I'll start posting some images and more details about my plans once I get my garage heater installed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
902Legacy Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 I was not aware of them, so I'll check them out. In my area there is Touge, NVAuto, and Autologix in Kitchener. I'll have look more once I make more progress, I need to order coolant lines and work-out how to use the ones supplied with the kit. IQPerformance strongly suggested I add an oil pressure regulator since the EFR series has a 40psi upper limit (from what I have read) and the stock oil pump can exceed that substantially. I'll start posting some images and more details about my plans once I get my garage heater installed I’m in Waterloo! We should get southern Ontario legacy cruise set up for sometime this summer! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motorbreath Posted March 8, 2021 Author Share Posted March 8, 2021 I work in Waterloo! A cruise sounds good once the weather warms up! On another note, do you have any experience with Autologix in Kitchener? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motorbreath Posted June 11, 2021 Author Share Posted June 11, 2021 So I have finally gotten around to starting on stage 1 of the build. However, given all that is going on in my life and my experiences doing relatively simple stuff with the car, I am looking into having a local shop specializing in Subarus do most of this work. I have contacted several local shops, one of which responded immediately that they could not help me because I prefer an open source tune and they only deal with Cobb APs...is that normal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moral hazard Posted June 13, 2021 Share Posted June 13, 2021 Sounds like they want to have the option to reach out to Cobb if they have trouble with the tune. Open source requires not only tuning knowledge, but also a deeper understanding of the ecu logic and likely takes more troubleshooting + time. Do you have the option of letting the shop do the install and then decide on the tuner later ? Simply asking for mechanical work to be completed shouldn't need you to commit to one specific ecu or tuner etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motorbreath Posted June 13, 2021 Author Share Posted June 13, 2021 I contacted several shops that specialize in Subarus within 100km of Toronto. So far two of them are willing to do the mechanical work if I can find a tuner. I am looking into getting a safe low boost e-tune from one of the open source tuners active on this forum, which I would use to drive to them for a OS dyno tune. I wouldn't mind a road trip and the extra cost so that I get the best open source tune. The question is if it's feasible to get a safe e-tune for this customized setup. I've never gotten an e-tune or dyno tune, but I have used the Tactrix OpenPort to reflash my ECU to update to the latest OEM ROM revision. I am very set on OS. Sounds like they want to have the option to reach out to Cobb if they have trouble with the tune. Open source requires not only tuning knowledge, but also a deeper understanding of the ecu logic and likely takes more troubleshooting + time. Do you have the option of letting the shop do the install and then decide on the tuner later ? Simply asking for mechanical work to be completed shouldn't need you to commit to one specific ecu or tuner etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moral hazard Posted June 13, 2021 Share Posted June 13, 2021 Since there's no mention of you changing the intake, the MAF scaling should not be thrown off and that would make an etune easier I believe. I see no reason why the etune with a slightly rich map and lower timing + lower wastegate duty would cause any drama getting you safely to a dyno. My understanding is that would be very feasible. Particularly if you try to stay in closed loop as much as possible on your trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motorbreath Posted June 13, 2021 Author Share Posted June 13, 2021 The kit came with a custom bellmouth intake, but I am going to stick with the stock one since I will be driving this in all weather conditions and not planning to ever push past 350WHP. This is great news, I contacted Cryo Tune Performance in Colorado, I have found that they have done some fifth gen tunes for a few forum members. I'll have to find an OS tuner in NY or PA that is reputable, but I'll have plenty of time to do that. I am really looking forward to getting this work done! Since there's no mention of you changing the intake, the MAF scaling should not be thrown off and that would make an etune easier I believe. I see no reason why the etune with a slightly rich map and lower timing + lower wastegate duty would cause any drama getting you safely to a dyno. My understanding is that would be very feasible. Particularly if you try to stay in closed loop as much as possible on your trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motorbreath Posted June 14, 2021 Author Share Posted June 14, 2021 This is definitely what I am going to do, I was originally going to have this work done by my friend who has alot of experience with STIs and building Subarus for performance rally racing. He was not available up until recently, but I just found out today that he will have time in the next few weeks. I need to start buying additional parts, I am using fabsx's build as a rough guide. He is making far more power than I plan to, so I am about to order, - ACT HD Performance Street Clutch Kit, SB11-HDSS - DW300 fuel pump with install kit waiting for a tuner to confirm the following, - 06-07 STI FPR - Injector Dynamics ID1050X Do you have the option of letting the shop do the install and then decide on the tuner later ? Simply asking for mechanical work to be completed shouldn't need you to commit to one specific ecu or tuner etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motorbreath Posted June 23, 2021 Author Share Posted June 23, 2021 So I have ordered most of what I need and will have to wait for a few weeks for things to trickle in. I am going to go with the AEM inline wideband controller with the wideband in the downstream O2 sensor location for the tune. I'll do the fuel pump this weekend since it should not be that bad and the existing one is whining like crazy. The stock exhaust manifold is rusting away and there is a small leak either where the tube meets the flange for cylinders 1 or 3, I cannot tell which one. I am going to keep driving with this leak until the build next month, I cannot tow my dirtbike with my other car and I want to get some riding in before the build starts. I found two tuners willing to e-tune this setup, CryoTune Performance and ShinjiTuned. Dave from CryoTune seems to have the most experience based on searching forum posts, so I am going to go with him. I am disassembling the used turbo and FMIC kit from IQPerformance and replacing/rebuilding what I can. The wastegate actuator has a set of springs for 14psi, which is waaaay too stiff for my stage 2 goal. My understanding is that the stock block can handle up to 18psi, but I am thinking 14-16psi makes sense until I upgrade to forged internals etc. So either I pull out one of the 7psi springs or buy a 10psi spring, there is no way an 8psi configuration from TurboSmart spring chart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewdogg Posted June 23, 2021 Share Posted June 23, 2021 Might as well put a new fuel filter in while you're in there... https://parts.wildesubaru.com/p/Subaru_2010_Legacy-25L-TURBO-6MT-4WD-GT-Limited-Sedan/Fuel-Filter-Filter-Fuel-Pump/49249675/42072AJ070.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motorbreath Posted June 23, 2021 Author Share Posted June 23, 2021 Is the picture for that part correct? My understanding is that the fuel filter is the fine mesh attachment at the bottom of the pump. I bought a kit which included this, does the plastic assembly have another filter inside of it? I also notice there is a driver side filter as well, I have not seen anyone replace that before, but it seems like a good idea. I was planning to follow the instructions and this thread, https://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/deatschwerks-dw300-fuel-pump-install-181399.html Might as well put a new fuel filter in while you're in there... https://parts.wildesubaru.com/p/Subaru_2010_Legacy-25L-TURBO-6MT-4WD-GT-Limited-Sedan/Fuel-Filter-Filter-Fuel-Pump/49249675/42072AJ070.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewdogg Posted June 23, 2021 Share Posted June 23, 2021 Yes, the picture of the filter is correct. The filter you're talking about is the pick up filter for the fuel pump that every fuel pump has. The one I listed is a separate filter that is unique to this Subaru. Where is the filter on the driver's side that you're talking about located? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgoodhue Posted June 23, 2021 Share Posted June 23, 2021 The plastic assembly does a have fuel filter in it. It has a maintenance interval of every 60k miles, unsuspecting the vast majority of 5th Gen’s have never changed this part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motorbreath Posted July 1, 2021 Author Share Posted July 1, 2021 After much discussion with my friend+mechanic and rumination regarding this build, I am strongly considering bailing on the twin scroll kit and doing something more traditional/reliable. My friend+mechanic wants me to keep it closer to stock so that it is somewhat reliable. He works on alot of custom builds of performance rally cars and is all about reliability, especially given that I do not have the skills to diagnose and fix many of the issues that inevitably will arise with a build like this. While I did spend alot of $$$ on this kit, I am 99% sure I am going to send the stock turbo to BNR for their hybrid TD05H-18G upgrade, which seems like the most tried-and-true option out their for fifth gens. I already have all of the parts needed for this alternate build, except for the turbo being rebuilt and a few gaskets, and can always sit on the twin scroll kit for a few years if I get the urge to make more power (baby!). Thoughts? Criticisms? Ridicule? Part II - The Build Stage 1 (planned for July 2021) - Tactrix 3-port boost control solenoid - Invidia catted downpipe/j-pipe/whatever-you-call-it (modified for v-band) - IQ Performance custom twin scroll header - BW EFR7163 turbo with custom oil sump and Turbosmart adjustable wastegate actuater - IQ Performance custom FMIC kit with HKS R-type intercooler - ACT HD Performance Street Clutch Kit, SB11-HDSS - DW300 fuel pump with install kit - 06-07 STI FPR - Injector Dynamics ID1050X - Tune for safe power/torque level for stock engine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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