nwsurfwakeskate Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Hey everyone, trying to decide if I should dive in to some preventative maintenance soon and hoping to get some good unbiased advice here. So I have a 2005 RBP Legacy GT Wagon 5MT. I have owned the car since it was a lease return with 38k miles on it. I have done oil changes religiously every 3000-3700 miles always using full synthetic either Mobil 1 5w30 or Castrol 5w30 No tune or accessport mods of any kind. I still have screens on the oil feed line and return lines banjo bolts for my turbo. I have a Perrin catless up pipe and an Invidia Q300 CBE. Most of my driving is highway mileage since I live out in the country but I do like to drive spirited. That is the point of owning a turbo isn't it? Anyway, I've noticed I do have a very slow oil leak coming from around my turbo. There doesn't seem to be much of a leak but I can tell on long trips that there is enough for it to drip on the exhaust and I can smell it when i'm stopped after a long trip. I'm on my 2nd clutch and probably not far away from a 3rd clutch or at least a flywheel resurface. I'm also due for new struts as well. Money is tight so I'm kinda wondering what I should dive into first as far as maintenance. This car is my daily driver and I plan to keep it running for a long time. Also I generally tend to go to PIA in Tacoma for all my major service needs but I'm open to suggestions from other shops that would also do good work. I'm in the North Kitsap area of Washington, It seems like all the good shops are at least an hours drive away so it would be nice to find a shop that will also provide a loaner car. Lastly, I'd appreciate any advice you guys can offer on turbo replacement options. I want to stick with something reliable so I'm not looking for performance upgrades. My car has a VF40 currently. Is there any value in going with something different? Is there any other options that wouldn't require a tune? Thanks, CJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-lo Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 probably wouldn't hurt. I changed mine out at around 90k for the same reason. I'm near 200k now and will be looking at mine to see how it is. oh....and when I took my original off it had just a little bit of shaft play in it. not too bad. I'm still glad I removed it though. 258k miles - Stock engine/minor suspension upgrades/original shocks/rear struts replaced at 222k/4 passenger side wheel bearings/3 clutches/1 radiator/3 turbos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robitrice Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 search for turbo replacement you will find your answer. My vf40, didnt blow up but i had a similar issue with a leak around the seal, so i replaced it with a VF52. If you are planning on staying with the setup you have stay stock. Remove your banjo bolts. IIRC any other turbo but a vf40 will require a tune and since you said money is tight buy a new vf40. If you are worried about the turbo change that first. A clutch wont cause as many headaches if its slipping other than you can drive hard. A blown turbo can and will blow your motor up too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muajg Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 IF money is really tight: VF40 is your best bet, for a non-tuned option. If you do the work yourself though, use the money you save you could get some struts on here or from a store. I would get a used VF40, just put a WTB post up in the classified. There are enough used ones on this site to get a good one, since so many people do upgrades. I'm about to do the same, so I guess I'm competing for a good turbo with you. I'm at 120k as well. My turbo is fine righ now, but I'm wanting to replace it this summer. To replace your VF40 with a used one (around $350), and a new gasket kit from Infamous Performance ($136), oil and coolant ($45). You're looking at $531. For the clutch, $300. You could do it in a weekend all at once. Hopefully you have a friend that can pick you up (you did day that you live in the country though). There are plenty of old threads on here that show the processes to do the clutch and turbo, and it would be easier to replace the turbo with the tranny out for the clutch, for getting the DP bolts. If you do the work yourself, you could save about a grand in labor. It would take a weekeend +. As for the struts, if you are tight on money, there are some on the parting out threads on here with struts. VF40 is your best bet, for a non-tuned option. If you do the work yourself though, use the money you save. IF you do the labor yourself and save the money, go ahead and get a BNR 16G for $725 (search 16G on the forum). Then get it tuned, and be prepared for spirited driving. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nwsurfwakeskate Posted March 26, 2012 Author Share Posted March 26, 2012 slight curve ball here. what about the BNR 16G or Blouch 16G or Blouch EVOIII 16G (not sure if they are the same thing?) and doing a conservative tune? from what I can tell the 16G would require a tune but is cheaper and supposedly is more reliable by design (in theory) I'm not sure what a tune costs these days but a $700 BNR 16G vs a $1090 VF40 gets me wondering a little bit. Looks like new access ports have dropped in price a little bit too since I last looked at them. maybe this is crazy but I'm wondering if I can drop in a different "better" turbo and get mainly better reliability and maybe fuel economy without any negative performance impact. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nwsurfwakeskate Posted March 26, 2012 Author Share Posted March 26, 2012 I plan on calling PIA tomorrow to discuss the options with them as well. They generally have really good insight on these types of matters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators BarManBean Posted March 26, 2012 Moderators Share Posted March 26, 2012 If you have a laptop and are computer savvy you can buy a vag-com cable from amazon ($12) to use for tuning. You could get an etune from Infamous for $150, or even $100 for an OTS tune which would likely fit your needs perfectly. Way cheaper than an AP and it would be a custom tune for your car. "Bullet-proof" your OEM TMIC! <<Buy your kit here>> Not currently in stock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nwsurfwakeskate Posted March 26, 2012 Author Share Posted March 26, 2012 I know PIA can do a tune as they have a dyno in their shop and that's one of their specialties. I'm not looking for any kind of a peak boost tune. just something conservative to make sure the car doesn't run lean. I'm thinking I may be able to talk them into giving me a package deal considering I'm a long term customer and may just buy the parts through them. I'm not real thrilled with the idea of an etune or off the shelf tune because I don't know a lot about them other then that they are kind of a cheap alternative or temporary solution to getting a proper tune. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Capacity Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 It must be just me but why do you need struts ? My wagon has 152,000+ miles on the OEM suspension and I think its fine. There is a which turbo sticky at the top of one of the forums here, check it out. The dyno time and tune should be less then $500 My Tuner charged me $300 but I have been with him for a a while now. Oh STOP using that Mobil1 5w-30 it's crap oil. use a 5w-40 even theirs is much better then their 5w-30. 305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD). CHECK your oil, these cars use it. Engine Build - Click Here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank_ster Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 i am hesitant in running thicker oils in cars, what it typically ends up doing is reducing flow and more oil simply being bypassed and put back into the oil pan isntead of circulating and cooling. as for mobil-1 being crap.. my neighbour has been running that for 250 000 km in a spiritued driven 04 wrx only ching changed on that car is one ign coil and brakes. so i don't buy into that. Now that's thinking out of the boxer! fyi all 05 + legacy's have built in code reader Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-lo Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 It must be just me but why do you need struts ? My wagon has 152,000+ miles on the OEM suspension and I think its fine. There is a which turbo sticky at the top of one of the forums here, check it out. The dyno time and tune should be less then $500 My Tuner charged me $300 but I have been with him for a a while now. Oh STOP using that Mobil1 5w-30 it's crap oil. use a 5w-40 even theirs is much better then their 5w-30. 194k on my original suspension and it's fine too. I've been using high mileage 5w30 in my car and I've not had problems. 258k miles - Stock engine/minor suspension upgrades/original shocks/rear struts replaced at 222k/4 passenger side wheel bearings/3 clutches/1 radiator/3 turbos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Capacity Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 other 5w-30's are good, Mobil1 5w-30 has been shown to break down to a 5w-20 quicker then some other oils. There has been a few post about it. My 05 has spent most of its life on 5w-30 dino oil, I just started using 10w-30 in it to hopefully make up for some wear in the bearings. Its still quiet when I start it after sitting for 3 day's. 305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD). CHECK your oil, these cars use it. Engine Build - Click Here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-lo Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I use Castrol High mileage. I'll maybe loose 1/4-1/2 container of oil by the time I hit 3k miles. when I ran synthetic I would loose alot more before I hit 3k miles. I've never gone back. 258k miles - Stock engine/minor suspension upgrades/original shocks/rear struts replaced at 222k/4 passenger side wheel bearings/3 clutches/1 radiator/3 turbos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nwsurfwakeskate Posted March 26, 2012 Author Share Posted March 26, 2012 5w30 Mobil 1 full syn works great for me for daily driving. Only tend to lose 1-1/2 quarts between oil changes which the car has done since day one. If I was racing or lived in a hotter climate I may consider a thicker oil but agree a thicker oil may create problems with various oil filter bypass springs. Besides 5w40 is hard to find locally when I can easily get a 5qt 5w30 at wally world. To be fair, if I find a good source for 5w40 I'll probably use it during the summer months when it gets all the way up to 75 degrees. hahah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nwsurfwakeskate Posted March 26, 2012 Author Share Posted March 26, 2012 btw. I would recommend staying away from oils marketed as high mileage. They use seal conditioners that cause your seals to swell (temporarily stopping some leaks) but in the long run this breaks down your seals much faster. Learned this the hard way on my last car (1998 Legacy GT wagon) I'm pretty sure every gasket on that engine leaked by the time I hit 150k miles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FJuan Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Not to change this into another oil thread, but I have recently switched from Rotella 5w40 to Mobil 1 10w40. Since then, I haven't seen much oil loss at all. I do live in a warmer climate, so I don't see the need for the lower weight. My wife's balls are delicious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nwsurfwakeskate Posted March 26, 2012 Author Share Posted March 26, 2012 Agree'd my oil seems to be working out just fine for me considering my lack of problems and high mileage. I need help with turbo advice. Plenty of oil threads out there please so lets get back on topic. I found a new in box BNR EVOIII 16G for $725 from a private seller. tempting...so tempting... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FJuan Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 ^^ I'll be in the same boat with you later this year. I'm currently at 108k on my original stock turbo. I too, am looking at the BNR 16g or possible 18g for my future replacement. My wife's balls are delicious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captainobvious Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I bought the BNR 16g Turbo from Bryan on the board. Great Turbo, fast spool and its perfect for the price he offers it at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nwsurfwakeskate Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 Spoke with my mechanic today. I'm going to stick with the VF40 for now. If there was more long term reports on the BNR I would be more interested but currently I know that based on my driving habits a VF40 will still be working after 120k miles which is pretty damn hard to say about most aftermarket turbos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captainobvious Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 This is what my turbo looked like after 110,000 miles. http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x478/gmatera/IMG_20120212_135010.jpg http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x478/gmatera/IMG_20120212_134405.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RabidWombat Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Spoke with my mechanic today. I'm going to stick with the VF40 for now. If there was more long term reports on the BNR I would be more interested but currently I know that based on my driving habits a VF40 will still be working after 120k miles which is pretty damn hard to say about most aftermarket turbos. What about a VF46? That's the stock turbo on the 07-09, if I recall there's almost no difference. Cost wise, it'd be similar to a VF40, but might be a hair more reliable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captainobvious Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 How much did you budget for a new turbo? Have you looked at a VF52 or maybe a hybrid from BNR like a 16g or 18g. I think i paid about 750 for my 16g Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nwsurfwakeskate Posted April 1, 2012 Author Share Posted April 1, 2012 i strongly considered the BNR 16g but the problem with these is that they are a remanufactured VF40 that has been modded. remfgd turbos never last as long as new ones. besides that there is very little info on the BNR 16g other then a few praises on here. I'd feel much more confident buying a BNR if there was tons of people using them well over 100K miles on them without issue. my VF40 has lasted great over the last 122k miles. Its enough power for me and to replace it I don't have to do a tune. VF46 requires a tune which means I'd also need an access port which I don't have yet and don't want to buy if I can avoid it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowwill Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Just changed out my turbo from turbokits.com located here in CT. Ran me a hell of a deal cause they used my car for a turbo fitment. $500 cash out of door. VF40 with billet wheels. Seems to spool faster and requires no tune. Simple family wagon where reliability is the key. Not too sure if Im staying with the 5w-40 syn. Car seems to leak and burn the oil up more than the dino. But thats another thread. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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