Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Subaru Crew - Modifications II

1…5556586061…106

Comments

  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Ok I may have blow a pre-cat on the SVX yesterday (I had an exhaust leak before a slight one) and now need to figure out what to do.

    I haven't gotten under the car yet to check it out so I'm not sure what's exactly the problem. If it needs to get the pre-cat replaced, I'm thinking of having 2 straight pipes made to replace them instead of spending $345 for the part. If it's just a bolt then I'll bolt it up.

    Any thoughts on getting the straight pipes made?

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I don't get it, don't you have:

    engine -> headers -> cat -> pipe -> muffler -> tip?

    A straight pipe is usually when they put a single pipe to replace the pipe -> muffler -> tip.

    You probably need headers. I could be way off, or the SVX could be unique.

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    passing emissions tests? Do you have those in NY, and if so, would you risk not passing them by modifying the exhausts, as you've suggested?

    Bob
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    They are only the pre-cats, which are for cold/startup cataylst, the regular cat is after that. So as long as you bring your car warmed up to the emissions test, it would be fine. They don't emissions test my car either way.

    The layout is this though
    engine->exhaustmanifold->pre-cat->Y-pipe/cat->pipe->muffler->tip
    Each header has it's own pre-cat before it Ys together @ the cat.

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Gotcha, those metals do have a finite lifespan so I'm not surprised.

    I'm sure you could go without the pre-cat, if that's the case.

    -juice
  • idahodougidahodoug Member Posts: 537
    Mike,

    Are there any wires on the pre cat? If so, there may be a status signal that the ECU needs in order to switch engine parameters from warmup cycle to normal, etc. If not, then it's just a heat sink device and you'll have a longer heatup cycle on the catalyst as the only downside.

    IdahoDoug
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Try disconnecting the wire and running it now. Does that trigger the CEL?

    Yours may be pre-ODB2, in fact I hope it is for your sake.

    -juice
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    uh, 1992 is definitely OBDI.

    if you know a shop personally and have cash you can probably do the straightpipe bit. otherwise it won't happen unless you have welding skills yourself.

    the other serious consideration you should make is scavenging exhaust bits from a junkyard SVX, but I bet those are hard to find considering the sales numbers.

    -Colin
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    http://www.subarusvx.com/


    There are SVX links here. It would probably be a good source for parts and SVX-specific info.


    Bob

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I didn't know it was a '92.

    OBD2 was mandated in 1997 IIRC, so I doubt the SVX was affected now that I think about it. That may have been why they made 1997 the last year, in fact.

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    In '93 they went to OBDI IIRC that is why the '92s are faster than the other years, or so I've been told. There are only O2 sensors that go into the pipe just before the pre-cats. So I would have them build in a socket for the O2 sensors as well. Would that work?

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    You sure the O2 sensor is upstream, i.e. not affected by the pre-cat?

    I'll defer, this is not at all my area of knowledge.

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I can only go by the pictures in the factory service manuals and the ones @ subaruparts.com in the SVX online catalog. I haven't gotten under there to see if it's as simple as a bolt broken or if it's actually the cat too. I did find a place in Trenton mufflex that will fab up a pipe for me with the flanges on it etc. So that is a good sign, they can't charge more than maybe $100 for it I'd think.

    -mike
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    Well if you have to come down to Trenton, look me up and we can grab a bite - I'm less than 10 minutes away. Only catch is that after tomorrow I'm out of town until the 26th.

    Ed
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    3rd time. I have a bad seat where the probe threads into the [non-permissible content removed] on the Vishnu uppipe. Shiv sent me a spacer to go onto the probe but I fumbled while putting the spacer/probe back in the hole and lost the spacer somewhere (not in the uppipe though...). I went ahead and tightened the probe back up again anyway. It should hold for awhile. Meantime I went and got a 12x120mm (the 130mm is too long, already tried)bolt and nut. I also picked up a resistor from Radio Shack. The EGT probe monitors the exhaust gas temp so the precat doesn't get too hot and disintegrate, throwing debris into the turbo. The Vishnu uppipe does away w/the precat. The probe just basically fills the hole. I mean, it still monitors temp, sending its signal to the ECU but there's no precat to protect.

    Anyhow, the bolt gets threaded into the [non-permissible content removed] and the nut comes down the bolt and tightens it to the uppipe. The resistor goes into the ECU to fool it. I don't want a 4th time of the EGT probe popping out. This procedure has been documented over on the i-club several times. It was done because folks were having the same problem as I.

    Saga continues...After coming out of the movies last night I discovered someone had scraped the right front corner of my plastic bumper. There's about a 4x4" tag of green paint and two fairly deep horizontal gouges. I thought about just having it sanded and buffed out but I don't feel confident that it will ever be quite the same. So...I called Carter Subaru and got a new bumper cover for $160. It's in the back of my wagon now. The drawback is that I have to get it painted. There's a gentleman that does Subiegal's painting and comes highly recommended. Turns out he's right near where I work. It will probably cost me about $300 but I haven't talked to him yet, so I don't know for sure. My insurance deductible is $500 (of course!)

    Yesterday wasn't the best time I've had!

    Stephen
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Stephen,

    Ouch! I hear and feel your pain. Think of it this way -- at least it was just the bumper and not a side panel.

    Ken
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    That's exactly the direction my mind went after the initial shock. It was like "automatic" comfort mode. :-)

    Stephen
  • strider98strider98 Member Posts: 89
    Are you sure that your insurance deductible is $500? I don't know how they do it in WA, but down here (TX) a lot of people have Uninsured motorist property damage coverage that carries an automatic $250 deduc. If the person that hit you left the scene, this would be one of those types of claims and you would have the lower deduc. More importantly it would also be a not-at-fault accident claim. I happen to sell and service insurance so we see this multiple times every day.

    Hope this gives you some ideas...

    Seth
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    I will look into it. :-)

    Stephen
  • strider98strider98 Member Posts: 89
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Lost a spacer? That'll turn into a rattle 3 years from now. ;-)

    Your insurance deductible is usually the exact cost of the average repair! It's Murphy's Law.

    Yeah, that would fall under Comprehensive, not Collision Insurance, so do check. But a small claim may not be worth it - your rates will go up for 3 full years.

    -juice
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    I agree, an insurance claim may not be worth it (this time..).

    I've been researching the EGT probe dealie a lot recently. It seems that several mfgs of aftermarket uppipes have a EGT [non-permissible content removed] that doesn't seat well w/the stock EGT probe, causing the probe to work itself loose, finally popping out. One guy had this happen 10x's w/his Perrin uppipe. Perrin now makes an uppipe w/o the [non-permissible content removed] and supplies a 2.2ohm resistor to fool the ECU with. Interestingly, the EGT probe didn't exist on the previous generation Impreza (not sure if it's on the new ones w/2.5 motor). It was incorporated into the WRX's uppipe to monitor high exhaust temps that might damage the precat. If the temps get too high, the probe sends the signal to the ECU which in turn puts the WRX in limp-mode. An aftermarket uppipe does away w/the precat. Another problem with the probe popping out is that over time it gets weaker, running the risk of breaking the tip off and having it sucked up into the turbo possibly damaging one of the turbo blades. The 2.2 ohm resistor sends the signal to the ECU that the exhaust gas temp is about 1400c which is in the safe range. I will be getting a real EGT probe w/an EGT gauge in the near future. The probe will be tapped in elsewhere.

    I will be doing the bolt in the [non-permissible content removed] and resistor mod this weekend.

    Stephen
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    When you find a fix, share some pics?

    Hey, I'm a poet, and I didn't even know it!

    -juice
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    (I feel like Beavis when I say that.)
    Is this a problem in most aftermarket uppipes, or just a few? Ever happen in an STi uppipe?

    -Dennis
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    I know, I crack-up every time I type it! I haven't heard a problem w/Godspeed or STi uppipes but have heard w/Vishnu & Perrin.

    I have the heatshield that's around the turbo off now so it's easier to get to the uppipe b-hole (tee hee) and probe (ok...that's almost as bad, LOL). Anyhow, I'll do the bolt to plug the hole and resistor to the ECU this weekend.

    Totally Beavis in Seattle,
    Stephen
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Looks like it is the flanges from the ends of the 1st cats that are rusted and leaking where they go into the 2nd cat/Y pipe. My shop is gonna cut the pipes and weld in a new set of flanges for me. But unfortunately they can't do it til the end of next week. Oh well... at least it will be cheap.

    -mike
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    It's good they isolated the problem and better that it won't be expensive.

    Stephen
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I didn't want to blow $ on it. Cause next year we're gonna elinate the 2nd cat which is the Y-pipe and just have each exhaust manifold go into the cats that are there (or replace them with hi-flow ones) and then have 2 distinct pipes lead back to 2 mufflers in place of the stock setup.

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Always nice to find a fix for less than you thought you'd spend.

    -juice
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    regarding aftermarket power upgrades. Check out the pic they used for the article! Thought it was funny since the title referred to Civics pumpin' up or something like that. :-)


    http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2002-09-18-compacts_x.htm


    Stephen

  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Hope that guy doesn't get any [non-permissible content removed] problems. :-)

    -Dennis
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    heh, heh...

    Stephen
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    $18 grand of bling-bling on an Eclipse. A fool and his money will soon part.

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Well looks like this week I'll be getting or doing the following on the SVX:

    o Hella Dual Trumpet Air Horns
    o 30% or 35% tint on the side and rear windows
    o FMATFC- Front Mounted ATF Cooler
    o ATF External Filter
    o Exhaust leak fixed
    o Possibly ATF temp guage

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    What's your budget for each? Just curious.

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    The horns are $30
    Tint is a special deal @ $50
    The ATF Cooler is $50
    Exhaust leak unsure, but ~$100 hopefully
    ATF Filter ~$50

    My buddy will probably install the atf cooler and filter for like $50 so ~$300

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    $50 for tint? I paid $170 for the Forester. Even our old sedan was $140. That's a steal.

    You sure about that ATF cooler? Is it a universal one?

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    The Cooler is a B&W unit I believe rated for something like 30,000lbs GVWR basically the biggest one we can get that physically fits in there. :)

    -mike
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    The tint is a special deal cause I've done some work for the tint guy on the arm, so he's just charging me for the materials I think.

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I trust you'll get lots of pics?

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    My buddy will try to snap some off for me.

    -mike
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    I started a discussion in N&V a couple of months ago, Stars, Cars, and Movie/TV Trivia, that was kind of fun. Unfortunately, looks like it's been archived.
  • bsvollerbsvoller Member Posts: 528
    So I emailed Liberty Subaru for a quote on the front strut tower bar and the 18mm rear sway bar. They tell me Subaru "only makes a 13mm bar", and that they "checked with their warehouse" which "said the same thing".

    Comments ?

    Isn't the 18mm bar available for the Impreza since forever ?

    Thanks in advance,

    -brianV
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    Brian--

    yes, but not as a stock part in the US. the 18mm and 20mm rear bars that fit your Forester come from Japanese-market Imprezas.

    so you need to find a dealer that knows not to look at the Forester's part lists...

    -Colin
  • bsvollerbsvoller Member Posts: 528
    Thanks, that clears up my confusion.

    I was under the impression that juice had bought his from Liberty Subaru for a very competitive price, which is why I contacted them. My local dealer can source them for me, but they price them as if they're gold plated. I'd prefer to go through a dealer so that I can use my Subaru bucks, although neither of these goodies is so expensive that I'd have to go that way...

    Pardon my ramblings... thanks again.
  • lakepoplakepop Member Posts: 221
    Brian...for some help with the sway bars try mike@ exeter.com or call 1-877-782-2789.

    The bars are made by FHI and I'd be pretty sure mike could fix you up.
  • bsvollerbsvoller Member Posts: 528
    Thanks, I'll try him.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yeah, all US Foresters had the 13mm bar, though I think the 2003 model went to 15mm (not sure).

    Darlene (from what was QSubaru) got me the sways. Part numbers came from Ken IIRC. I ordered other stuff, for our Legacy, from Liberty.

    -juice
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Their price is $79 for the 18mm.

    http://www.subaruwrxparts.com/per-gc8.html


    -Dennis

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I paid $82, so that's a deal. Though my price included free shipping.

    -juice
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles