bossej3 Posted October 28 Share Posted October 28 Hello all! I have a 2007 Legacy GT Spec.B that needs some TLC. At some point in the past a whole EJ257 was swapped in, then modded. I've owned the car for the last 4-5 months and have been enjoying it immensely till it started leaking oil. The oil is coming from the VF-39 turbo shaft seal. This, unfortunately, opened up a can of worms. The cost to replace the turbo with a stock replacement is similar to getting the Blouch 1.5XT-R. At the same time I need to address the fact that the factory splitter for the hood scoop does not line up very well with the 257s TMIC. This leads down the path of either modding the scoop or a FMIC. I know on IAG's site they call for a FMIC with the 1.5XT-R Either way this leads down the road of needing to re-tune the car. Problem is the car was tuned with an AccessPort. Since they've been fined by the EPA any re-tune will throw a CEL, which I don't want. In order to be emissions compliant, I need to put a catted DP and the TGVs back on. I live in a county that currently doesn't require emissions testing, but I may be moving in the future. Any recommendations on where to go from here would be greatly appreciated! Are there any FMIC kits that work with the fog lights still installed? Any recommendations on a catted DP? Should I just throw out the AccessPort and get it tuned a different way? I've really enjoyed having this car as a daily, and really want to get it back on the road. Known Mod List Cobb catless downpipe 'Custom' catback Perrin turbo inlet Cobb intake GS 3 port boost controller GS air oil separator (probably gonna swap it out with one from IAG) IAG TGV deletes and top feed injectors (looks like stock top feed injectors) VF39 (the PO replaced the internals with a oem style billet...wonder if this is why it's puking oil) Cobb AccessPort Cobb short throw shifter STI shocks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GearJamr Posted Monday at 09:07 PM Share Posted Monday at 09:07 PM Yes, unmarry the AP and get open-sourced tuning or e-tuning. That way you don't have to worry about the tgv deletes (would be very hard pressed for someone to casually visually inspect and see they were deleted). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KZJonny Posted Monday at 10:46 PM Share Posted Monday at 10:46 PM Reach out to member @JmP6889928 and ask about rebuilding the VF39. He is the forum guru for all things VF turbo. May depend on what nonsense the PO installed into the housing, but if it can be fixed, John can do it, and his work is excellent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bossej3 Posted Monday at 11:11 PM Author Share Posted Monday at 11:11 PM 1 hour ago, GearJamr said: Yes, unmarry the AP and get open-sourced tuning or e-tuning. That way you don't have to worry about the tgv deletes (would be very hard pressed for someone to casually visually inspect and see they were deleted). Definitely looking into this as the way to go. 7 minutes ago, KZJonny said: Reach out to member @JmP6889928 and ask about rebuilding the VF39. He is the forum guru for all things VF turbo. May depend on what nonsense the PO installed into the housing, but if it can be fixed, John can do it, and his work is excellent. Thanks for that! I'm between getting the VF39 repaired, and just saying screw it and going for a 1.5XT-R. One is more budget friendly for certain. That or go for a VF48... Discussing options with one of the tuners, I've sourced a plastic intake manifold, and I'm planning on using a GS top mount and making it work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KZJonny Posted Monday at 11:23 PM Share Posted Monday at 11:23 PM 10 minutes ago, bossej3 said: using a GS top mount and making it work. Probably plenty of cooling unless you really hoon on the thing regularly. FMIC is definitely optimal, but based on your mods list, not really needed. You won't get 100% of what a 1.5XT can do, but it's always better for component life if you're running at 80% of capacity anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bossej3 Posted Monday at 11:41 PM Author Share Posted Monday at 11:41 PM 11 minutes ago, KZJonny said: Probably plenty of cooling unless you really hoon on the thing regularly. FMIC is definitely optimal, but based on your mods list, not really needed. You won't get 100% of what a 1.5XT can do, but it's always better for component life if you're running at 80% of capacity anyway. Kinda what I was thinking as well. Spend the money once. This car is in pretty decent shape, and I really want to do it right. Just don't know how far down the bottomless rabbit hole to go...turbo, injectors (ID1050s), flex fuel....where do you stop? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underdog Posted Tuesday at 12:33 PM Share Posted Tuesday at 12:33 PM I’ve been running a twinscroll 1.5XTR through an OEM STI TMIC since 2015 and there is still plenty to enjoy. The OEM TMIC will suffer a greater pressure loss at the upper end, but it is more thermally efficient for normal street driving. I DIY’d a splitter from the original scoop and some aluminum sheet metal. I chased down so many boost leaks on customers’ FMIC piping, and really dislike how it makes working in the already-cramped engine bay even less pleasant. 1 The Crimson Dynamo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now