Bushwick

So you are saying an EJ257 shortblock with just the heads and block can't be adapted? Are the mechanicals of these engines the same i.e. same general bolt hole locations for intake manifold, headers, etc.? (just want to know)

@ Fairtax, If you place a large enough demand on an alternator or it's getting weak, it can dip to 11-12 volts w/o throwing codes (overly demanding amplifiers can do this; as can bad wiring feeding the headlights or melted connectors, shorts, etc. lower the voltage at the head light). At that voltage, his lights will be dimmer than they'd be at 14v. It's smart to see what the charging system is doing and what voltage he's seeing at the actual bulb to rule out. Can't always expect the CEL will pop on. It's also possible for an alternator to not kick on the charging circuit at idle(alternator rebuild with incorrect pulley size, too slow of a speed to kick on). How many times have come across a car with a dead battery that you jumped, got started, but the alt. wasn't charging the battery? Did you see a CEL beforehand? I've seen this happen a lot w/o any dash warnings in plenty of cars with OBDII. Example: I had a 130 amp alt. rewound to 290 amp in my old Mark VIII as I had 120 amp draw from sub amp alone. The alt. shop never told me the alt. would be running too slow at idle to charge. So every stop light the the alt would quit charging. Voltage would drop to 12-11v. It never threw the CEL for the low voltage though. I went and had a custom one-off pulley ground from a company in Texas. They increased the the idle speed of the alternator by about 250 rpms, so it'd spin fast enough at engine idle to charge. If his alt only kicks on at 550, and the engine idled at 500, he won't get a CEL and the alt won't charge at that speed. Point is, don't discount and cover all the bases.

It's definitely NOT that light. Either they are way off and angled up into nowhere, or your alternator voltage is below 12v. Play around with the adjustments. EDIT: It might be worth taking a voltmeter and also checking voltage AT the actual light. Unplug connector, turn headlight switch ON, then probe the connector for power. Below 12v will cause the lights to be too dim.

STi are weak? I just assumed they put forged internal in being the premium version. I wasn't suggesting he use the STi ECM. If he can get the EJ257 to fit up with his sensors, he could run the engine NA after blocking looping the turbo coolant lines and block off the oil. If it was cheap enough, it might be worth the effort.

I don't think there's a cable. Should be a small rod that connects the handle to the lock mechanism. I'd try oiling the point where the handle attaches to the bracket. On either end of handle should be a rivet-like bolt holding it in place. Try oiling there. It might be rusty. Is the return spring rusted? It might just be weak. If the handle was rarely used, it might need a lot of movement to be looser.

First thing's first. 4 year bulbs with heavy on-time usage won't be as bright as new. If the suspension has been altered or the rear sits TOO low, it'll force the light pattern high or conversely too low if the rear is too high. If the previous owner tinkered with the headlight pattern (there are adjustment screws on each head light) that can cause issues as well with where the beams are focused. Try this: Wait until night. Park on a completely level section of concrete (flat driveway 20' away from garage door works). If nothing is available at your home, try a business with a big wall and flat parking lot. Adjust the headlights and use their centered beam on the wall as reference to where you want to see. Try and keep them on the pavement (barely) while not blinding oncoming traffic with too high or too far left. I personally like to center my bulbs so they are even height, skimming the road surface (no point having the beam dead center on the road as you won't see out ahead of you). I usually fan them out (left and right) a bit so there isn't a ton of cross-light which is a waste. Go drive down a dark road with heavy tree lines. The bulbs, if set correctly, will catch everything in front of you, and a decent amount of everything to each side (so children on sidewalks or deer grazing should be seen). If they are still too dim, let the engine run with headlights on (and anything else typically on) and check the voltage at the battery. If your alternator is dying, it might be too low to supply the headlights correctly. Should be around 13v running. If after all that, there are still too dim, consider replacing both bulbs. I REALLY like the Silverstar bulbs. They are *much* brighter than stock, but don't burn out as quickly as the Goldstar versions. The Silverstar are a few dollars more than the cheapest bulbs, but the amount of light they shed will be worth it. For comparison's sake, my 95' with properly adjusted Silverstars and low beams on, can light up a good 2+ blocks ahead on a completely dark road. I can also see a good 40' on each side. Love them. Have them in my other car and similar performance. High-beams on and I'm a good 4-6 blocks ahead.

Check this thread: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=881881 With those, it looks like you can unbolt the caliper, set aside carefully (support with coat hanger or rest on a tool box, etc.) gently press the brake pedal to extend the piston, remove the dust cover and seal, install new ones, then push the piston back. If they aren't threaded, a c-clamp will press back in. Bleed the air. Use a socket on the bleeder to avoid stripping.

Check this thread out: http://www.rs25.com/forums/f9/t161697-15-wheels-will-fit-over-stock-2000-2-5rs-brakes.html

Do the heated seats actually work at all (passenger and/or driver's side)? Takes 2-5 minutes to heat up WITH you sitting on them. First thing to check is if the previous owner disconnected the plugs under the seat if they aren't heating (it'll be obvious as a blue, 2 wire plug will be hanging. Often the element shorts in the heated pad. I've seen several salvage yard seats with disconnected plugs. Next up is to see if the switches are getting power. With a voltmeter (or even a 12v test light probe works fine), lift the armrest and unbolt the 2 screws. Lift the panel UP. See if the switches are still attached. Look for a lighter blue wire daisy-chained between the switches. It should have 12v+ with car running. If the 12v is there, turn a switch "on" (forward should be "high" heat) then probe each wire at the crimp. One should be 12v. Switch to "low" heat and check the other wires, the other should be 12v now. There's like 4 wires feeding the switches. 2 are for the seat heater's high/low function, light blue is 12v+ with engine running, the 4th wire is the accessory light illumination (can test it with headlights on/off). Use this link for a quick wire summary at the switch: http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f77/heated-seat-wires-need-help-identifying-370569/ If power is entering/exiting the switches, disconnect the 2 wire plug feeding the actual pads under the seat I told you check previously. You need to probe the wiring coming up from the carpet, NOT the plug attached to the seat! With a voltmeter or test light, turn the switch to "high on", then probe the connector. One of the 2 wires SHOULD be getting 12v+. Select the "low" setting and probe the second wire, it too should now have 12v+. If it doesn't, you'll have to inspect the wiring between the switches and seat (PITFA as they are all taped together and you'll need to pull the seats and fish out some wiring from under the carpet. If everything checks out, the bulbs might be bad. I retrofitted a switch cluster from a 99' and during testing, the amber "on" light burnt out in the driver switch after selecting "on" several times. BOTH switches had bad accessory light bulbs (the illumination bulbs that light the switches at night with headlights on). So 3 out of 4 bulbs were bad. They are NOT easy to replace the actual bulb as they have really long lead wires that feed through some weird rubber stand-off isolator, making the accessory lights difficult to replace with aftermarket. The amber switch on bulbs can however be replaced with RadioShack specialty bulbs that are physically identical in size and orientation, but you'll need to carefully bend the leads to work and might need to solder the connection. If everything still checks out, suspect the heater elements shorted. It's an easy fix if so. Need a soldering iron, some heat-shrink sleeving, a small wire section, and basic hand tools. Could also be a bad connection at the internal thermostats which are sandwiched at the back of the seat bottoms in the actual heating pad fabric. Confirm everything else FIRST. It's entirely possible the bulbs are out AND the heating pad is short. If the switches are getting 12v, the plugs under the seats are getting 12v. Your handle should have a return spring. Is it still there?

STi is a 2.5L? Didn't realize. Why would it not work like any other Frankenmotor with EJ22 heads? Other than cam profiles, what's exactly wrong here? It'd be bullet-proof with the STi internals. You could try and NA that engine then. I was forced to NA my Saab's 2.0L one summer when the factory turbo went and I sold my other car and was rebuilding and uprating the factory unit. Without boost, they act like a normal NA engine IF you run an NA exhaust and air filter. Timing might be a little low with the stock ECM in the higher revs. That's if it's in the STi. In yours, it'd probably make HP somewhere between what an EJ22 and a typical EJ25 makes, figure the low 130's to the upper 150's NA. Cam profile will favor the turbo; probably a little boring for NA. If you can make your sensors work with the EJ257, mount your exhaust and intake, run a coolant bypass hose to the old turbo coolant inlet/outlets, and block off the old turbo's oil inlet (it's very high pressure, a rubber hose with a bolt won't work. Needs truly blocked off at the plate), and either run an NA oil pan OR find a way to seal the drain-back tube (assuming the pan clears your exhaust), the engine will run OK if it's anything like other "turbo" engines. Don't expect to win any drag races. Bypassing ALL boost in a turbo engine is sorta the same thing, though exhaust still gets held up in the turbine housing which can parasite 15-25hp minimum and a bunch of torque, not too mention top-end hp loses and overly retarded timing.

Inspect and see if it runs. It might smoke a bit. Any engine smoke (as long as not from gas) is probably going to be normal. Listen for knocks or noise that don't exists on yours. If the exhaust is disconnected, it'll be extremely difficult to detect some noises. Be suspect if they disconnected the exhaust. If they pulled the battery and say "we can't start it because no battery", offer to bring a battery with you. If they are OK with that, probably have nothing to hide if all the car did was tip over. If they stammer and do everything possible to prevent you from trying to start, then be suspicious. I'm guessing the money they area asking is within your "acceptable" range to be worth the effort. If it doesn't work out, consider one from a Pull-A-Part and set a side a day on the weekend to go get it. For $150 (roughly) plus a tank of gas, it might be worth it to you to grab one, though hearing it run probably won't happen.

Sorry on quality as it was don'e quickly on the phone. Other camera isn't much better. I upconverted and that was best it got. But gives you the idea on what needs done. I wouldn't use a dremel. Stick with a mill file. The ground strap isn't hardened steel. You can knock a corner down with 5-6 strike with the file. From there, it's just blending the contour and evening out. Think of it as filing a fingernail. The same exposed area of the fingernail is what gets removed. Also, a dremel with a grindstone or even a sand drum will eat the material WAY too fast and will be very hard to control, and you'll still need to go back over it with a file or buffing wheel in the dremel to remove all the grind marks. The file keeps the surface smooth enough you don't need to rehit it. Most mileage I put on a set of modded plugs was 40k. They looked as if they were factory, even after all that time, but the electrode had normal wear. Don't want to leave deep scratches that can build up carbon deposits. If your plug's strap is the variety that hangs out 1/16" past the center of the electrode, just knock the flat edge down to the right length, then round the corners. G/L EDIT: Careful how much pressure you apply with the file (especially in a vice) as you can force the ground strap into the electrode or close the gap beyond what it'd take to get the gapper in there. The 5-6 strikes to knock the edge off is with a new file and light pressure. Usually I'll hold plug in one hand, then file in other. Very easy filing work and the 5 minute I suggested is a first timer. Takes me 2-3 minutes a plug with the NGK V Power with the shorter strap. But yeah, the other benefit is getting more from your normal style plugs for less money. I suppose if NGK and the like did this with their entry to mid level plugs, no one would buy the overpriced ones, unless they were looking for some sort of extra long life-span.

Yeah, I always suggest rinsing the radiator out as it's a "free" procedure if you have a hose and takes 5 minutes. Can do with everything in place by cleaning from the engine compartment side, which can sometimes dislodge tiny pebbles.

One other thing, this compliments a freer flowing exhaust and intake design nicely.

Filing back the grounding strap to the anode tip, or going even further by 10% then rounding the edges to loosely match the anode's outer circle is what I'm doing. Wear is the same as the stock plug. Biggest benefit is unshrouding the ground strap and reducing how far out the spark has to travel before grounding out i.e. the corners extend the possible reach of the arc. Never heard about the #7 drill bit. Suppose you have drill through the ground strap to get there? Dunno if bending it back to drill a hole in the center of the anode is worth it, but very cool idea nonetheless.

The 2.2L heads on the 2.5L block raise the compression. The STi has a 2.0L, correct? You'd probably go backwards with lower compression to a lazy 8 something to 1, which isn't good. Although, if the 2.2L heads had larger valves and flowed more, top-end might be better. But low-end would probably suffer from lowered velocity. If you could get the 2.0L pistons to around a still street-friendly 10:1, it'd probably make decent NA power. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will pipe up as you might have intake or EGR issues. A 2.5L block most definitely still be better as the extra .5 L will make more torque, which is a must for the AWD cars.

If you have the money, they make an aluminum end links (wish they factory with all as plastic makes ZERO sense) that the WRX guys/gals use which would a solid upgrade as you could change out the bushings after they wear and even run urethane in them for extra rigidity. They aren't cheap though

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/150194-spark-plug-mod-to-eliminate-hesitation-free-a-hp-or-2-quicker-rev/ Sorry, it's a long post. The link to the vid is around the middle. It won't allow it to be embedded for whatever reason, but the link should work.

This mod isn't exactly "new", but it was never embraced initially by the plug companies until more recently, but they still leave some on the plate in the less expensive plugs and aren't exactly doing it correctly. This mod works on ANY standard plug. History: About 15 years ago I was reading through a vintage (mid 1970's) drag racing magazine where the writer was trying to get his 65'-66' Mustang with a 289 to run as fast as possible in the 1/4 mile. He did a series of mods, 1 at a time, then did several runs to see if an improvement occurred or not. Being the the 70's with manual fuel pumps and carbs, getting an extra 1-2 sec in the 1/4 wasn't easy w/o engine swaps, etc. A mod that stuck out was this plug mod. I think he picked up a 1/10th of a second in the 1/4 or thereabouts with the V8. This mod can free up around 5hp on an 8 cylinder engine, so figure roughly half that on an NA 4 cyl. engine that's running correctly and in good tune. MPG is a touch better as is throttle response. Engine will just climb through the revs as it's getting quicker access to the spark. Hardcore racers will index their plugs so they all sit exactly the same way and face the incoming charge, this is essentially the same effect in that the charge has direct access to the spark w/o trying to get around the bulky ground strap. I've done this in all my cars since, from a 10:1 compression 306 Ford, to more modern DOHC 4.6L Ford, to 20+ psi in my Saab, to lawn mowers and my Legacy. Spark never "blew out" so to answer the thought, the spark won't get "blown out". Interestingly enough in the 4.5hp push mower with a new blade, it'd bog on 6" to 10" of high grass (even with 93 octane). The plug mod in that allowed it to cut right through the grass, every time, which backs-up my real world driving experiences. It's like removing clogs from a water line where the water can flow correctly or like giving the engine caffeine to where it's just more alive. This also works on motorcycles. Basically, the ground strap the electrode arcs against is often too long and bulky and shrouds the spark heavily. When the incoming charge hits the plug, it has to go around this large obstacle before firing. This causes a minuscule delay with the combustion event from having to get around it, and the square edges of the ground strap cause small amounts of turbulence, which can also hinder the time it takes to fire off the combustion event. Newer plugs like the stock NGK, Autolite, etc. that are meant for our Exxx series, have finally shortened the plug's ground strap, much like how the "mod" from the 70's was done. Autolite terminates the grounding strap a little long. I found on the NGK "V Power" plug, they shortened the grounding strap even further, by about 10%, BUT they still leave the squared edges on the ground strap. The "V Power" also has a small "V" channel groove in the electrode tip, that runs through the center and in the direction of the grounding strap. After using this NGK "V Power" plug with the corners manually filed off the grounding strap and the strap overhang brought back from 10% to roughly 15%, the improvement was night and day with my EJ22. Even with a bunch of weight in the car (talking 200 pounds throughout plus another 165 for me), the car just pulled. No hesitation. I originally hadn't bothered doing this with the Legacy Wagon as it was just a no-power commuter. I promised to do a quick video for a member and went ahead and got another set of plugs and decided to replace them. The results were so positive I figured I'd share considering a free hp or 2+ the complimentary MPG bump were worth spreading. And the fact the engine is climbing quicker than previously, it's worth passing along. I'm very happy with the results from this engine. http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc425/Ryan__Smith/Sparkplug%20Mod.mp4 (sorry, it won't embed the link as a pop up) Take a fine mill file (couple bucks at parts store) and carefully round the edges OFF the ground strap edges. Think of it as filing a fingernail. Make sure the angles are smooth and flowing and even. Consistency counts! Try and leave the flat edge alone and focus on the edges. No need for heavy force either as the metal is mild steel. I suggest inserting a small section of cardboard like in the video in between the gap to protect accidentally slipping and nicking the electrode. Once the plug's ground strap is "rounded" like in the video, move on the next plug, using the 1st one as a template. If you want to shorten the strap a tad more, focus on the edge I told you to leave alone. From aside profile, I suggest making sure the strap covers at least 75% of electrode. The NGK V's I mentioned are already at about 90% coverage. Plugs like copper Champion, I've see the ground strap go BEYOND the electrode by as much as a 1/4" in the past. Most extend by at least 1/16"- none of which helps the engine run better. Any questions, just ask. Slipping the cardboard between the gap will also help keep shavings off the ceramic. Remember to clean/blow off before installing. Also, any ridges on the bottom-side of the groundstrap that occur from the filing, need to be knocked down. You can do this when gapping the plug as it'll clean that off. It's worth the the 5 minute per plug time to try. Do NOT bend the ground strap or weaken it by constantly regapping and closing. Yes this will help and work on turbo'd cars. Running 91 octane will net best results, but 87-89 is fine too. Post your results as I'd like to hear your reaction.

Just replace the hose with another. It's not under pressure and is designed to transport crankcase fumes. I did the plugs yesterday and the end result has me floored. The little EJ22 really liked having these plugs modded than it did with the normal NGK un-modded, thinking the head design where the air enters is hitting the plug just right (real hardcore racers will index their sparkplugs, buying as many as needed to get the final resting position fully-threaded to stop at an exact spot to the incoming charge; figure this is doing a similar thing). Noticed running through the rev range it was quicker and cleaner (like giving the engine caffeine). Not in the "more hp" sense, but in the hit the gas and it just climbs from a strong spark. I noticed in forced FWD with the fuse in (before), it'd always run through the revs a tad quicker and AWD was putting more strain to get the revs going. Now it's through the revs in AWD like FWD was before. Seriously, no BS. Worth the $2.30 plug price IMHO. I'll post a quick thread for you TK with what the final plug looks like if you want to try. All you need to do with the NGK V's is knock the edges of the square ground tips to match a fingernail tip, so it mirrors the electrode's outline.

The heat coming from the dash vents is enough to make my hand uncomfortable 5" away like scalding water. My tweeter amp is an older class "T" amplifier Blaupunkt PA2150 that borders on rare as they were made in a short run, not in it's plastic case. Any heat getting thrown directly onto it can/will cause issues like wearing the caps out prematurely and can quite possibly fool the internal temp sensors to shut it off if it thinks it's running hotter than it really it is. Class "T" is basically a hybrid of class A-like sound quality, with a class D-like power supply. It's technically an inexpensive amp, but not easy to find one someone didn't toast trying to run subs at wrong impedance. Did I mention it fits perfectly under the seat

Clogged fins can happen just like it was described. At idle, the fan won't be enough to keep cool as the dirt will hold too much heat in, plus whatever the fan can't breathe through. Once moving, the air on, through patches, or getting around the radiator will be enough to bring the temps down. I drove semis for about a decade. I had one that started getting hot at idle, but it'd cool once moving. They have mechanical fans that are huge. Called the boss to let him know and he was like "when you bring back, come find me in the shop". He had me pull up, and we did the thing with the water hose. Sure enough, dark, dirty water spilled out of every inch of the fins. Once all that was changed to clean water coming out the other side, it quit overheating. I understand the skepticism, but's based on fact. Also, a semi radiator is about the size of a Legacy hood and is around 3" to 4" thick. The fact something that big was overheating from dust in the rows was a feat in and of itself. FWIW, salt and road dust are just as bad. And intercoolers can suffer the same issues. People think because they drive in the rain the fins will be "clean", but it's untrue for the most part, especially if you drive in heavily dusted areas or construction sites.

Well, I'd LOVE to be that close to Texas for their salt-free stuff. My aunt lives in Pearland, TX. and I spent some time there many years ago. I remember being in awe seeing all the older vehicles, some you NEVER see around here, still on the road and putzing along with Z-E-R-O rust. Keep an engine in it and running they seem to stay on the road forever. Would love to get an export salvage company going You are definitely fortunate that a day's worth of driving could net you an ultra clean body of your choosing.

Thanks for the tip John. To be honest, I don't use the floor setting plus I have a tweeter amplifier under the seat that would get too hot if I did. Suppose I could block the under-the-seat floor ducting, but the defrost is always on anyways. The plug takes 2 seconds to unclip and lets the defroster run w/o the rapid on/off of the fans and AC. Last year I didn't have the AC working and the belt was pulled, so none of this was realized. No biggie. Main reasoning for the question was to make sure their wasn't some A/C pressure switch going wonky or something funky with the climate control. I don't mind unplugging as 130 CHP - 40 CHP (4EAT ) - another 5hp for the A/C kicking on is too much