Bushwick

What's your idea of "fast"? Basically any NA EJ2x swap will be heaps more power over whatever is already there. A bone stock STi engine with 300hp (or whatever they have) might be enough, but you'll need all the electronics from the donor to make it easier. Similar years to what you already have would be easier too. Best bet is Google your year Impreza and look at videos of what others have done to theirs, as you can do the same with yours. If you want really fast for little money, do a V8 Chevy swap. If you can live with a carb instead of fuel injection, your costs will be significantly LESS, not to mention your options will be greatly improved. Hell, you could buy a Chevy Van with a 350 and stick that in. Put some newer model factory heads on it and you'll have more power than most modded WRX. Could even grab a 351W or 302 Ford and swap that. Run a 5 speed trans to a solid rear. Either of those engines will go as fast as you want them to go.

Your truly best bet is to go to the auto auctions and purchase a wrecked STi that only has exterior damage. People seem to wreck them left and right because they watch F&F movies and don't realize it's all CGI and their WRX can't fall out of an airplane and still drive They can't run that much in the auctions as I see people buying a bunch of them for the purpose of parting out rather than fixing. Figure $3k-8k depending on condition. A flood car might be ideal as the parts that got wet won't matter, and as long as it wasn't started since the flood nor have standing water in the engine. ECM may or may not work depending how wet everything got. A replacement ECM would be cheap anyways, but the flood car shouldn't have the physical damage and most people shy away from them as rebuild candidates anyway as used lots won't bother with them.

If the engine cools while moving but not at idle, and it's not the fans like Gloyale stated, it might be clogged radiator fins. If you live in, or drive through constantly dusty roads or live in the desert, go offroading a LOT, or drive FAST down a long gravel road, the dirt/dust will start coating the exterior radiator fins. Over time, it can completely block air flow. Try this: Take a garden hose, remove the nozzle sprayer so water is coming straight out. Hold it up to the radiator fins starting at the top in one corner (careful as the hose end will scratch/bend the fins if it touches) and just hold it there. You'll see really dirty water come out the other side of the radiator. That's the impacted dirt. Hold in place until water flow is CLEAR on other side. Do this for every row, ESPECIALLY in the corners and up top. Do NOT use a high pressure spray as it will destroy the aluminum fins. Should do this about once a year. In high dust areas, 2-4 times a year might be better.

The only people that need to "upgrade" their injectors are those that have exceeded the hp capability of their current motor and need more fuel. When you have a 200 hp turbo'd 4 cyl. and upgrade to a 400 hp capable turbo, the stock injectors won't cut it, so you'll need an upgrade and also a higher flow fuel pump.

That really stinks. The closest Pull-A-Part to you would probably be in Texas (they are the cheap source of used EJ's around here) which may or may not be that bad of a drive for you if desperate. Wish we access to the rust-free cars you guys are used to. Probably why you are having a tough time since they don't have the road salt killing the bodies? Or do you get lots of snow in Kansas?

OK, good news and bad news. Went to Auto Zone and looked at the "V Power" NGK and the Autolites. BOTH have shorter ground strap than what I've seen in the past. The NGK "V" is closer to what I was talking about as they actually terminate the strap about 80% of the way over the electrode. From a side profile, you can see it clearly where the round electrode doesn't have the ground strap overhang at all. The Autolite however has a little more length and the edge of the grounding strap stops in-line with the electrode exterior. The NGK however has a shorter exposed electrode than the Autolite, and they notched a very tiny groove into the center of the electrode, which may or may not be beneficial. Unfortunately, both plugs still have a squared tip. For a near no-fuss approach, I went ahead and got the NGK "V" Power plugs. I'll knock the corners off the ground strap anyways to focus the spark more and in theory reduce turbulence around the tip (squared edges are never aerodynamic). I'll take some pics later on as a video won't be warranted since most of the work has already been done by NGK The other plugs with the obtrusive 4-way grond straps are the ones I was referring to as being gimmicky since they actually shroud the electrode a bit and are WAY overpriced. The NKG V Power is about as smart as it gets with a copper plug. YMMV with them with when they'll need replaced in the future, but several years of normal driving should be norm.

Thanks. That's where it's usually set. Guess I'll leave the compressor disconnected then during the winter to prevent the extra MPG or Idle per gallon drain. Just need to remember to plug it back in every so often to keep the compressor clutch happy

Is this not covered under warranty? Let Subaru fix it. I avoid "oil change" shops like the plague. They often strip out or over tighten the oil pan bolt. Forget to put the copper crush washer on, cross thread the pan bolt, put the cheapest of cheap oil in, etc. I saw an investigative report where a company would "pretend" to change the oil, air filter, etc. I mean, that's REALLY bad.

I'll see about making one. Hadn't bothered doing it with the Subaru last year and it could use it. I'll grab some plugs tomorrow and do a video of the filling, and everything suggested. And to any potential nay-sayers, no it won't blow the spark out. That's rubbish. I think .044 is the most it can be gapped. Look in your owners manual, or pop the hood and look at the little diagram. It'll state "plug gap 0.xxx". If it gives a range of the gap, stay on the larger side i.e. 0.043

Yup, really. Back in the 70's when you had to squeeze every last bit from a small block Ford to get that extra tenth of a second and turbo's and superchargers weren't popular with carbs nor was the science, you had to make due with what was there. I followed a story from an old mid 70's mag (it was given to me about 15 years ago, not that old ) where a guy was using a 65'? Mustang to drag race with, and every "mod" he did was backed up with a 1/4" mile run. The mod he did that stuck out was the spark plugs. Basically, when looking at a normal plug from a side profile the electrode is facing "up". The ground strap extends beyond the center "up" point, sometimes by as much as 1/16th" and looks like an overhang. Using a fine mill file and cardboard (1st timers need to be careful), insert the thin card board between the center electrode and ground strap, then bend the card board down a little so as to not be in the way. Carefully work the overhang back to roughly the center of the electrode like you were filling a fingernail. I usually start with knocking the square edges off 1st so it looks like this /```\ rather than this [````] (that's a finger nail view from top-down electrode top) . Then slowly round that further. Then start on the next plug, using the 1st as the template so no major variations occur. Once all done, clean any metal debris from the plugs. The card board is two-fold, it'll prevent accidental slipping and electrode or ceramic damage, and it keeps most shavings from entering around the electrode. Blow any out with compressed air or rinse thoroughly. The benefit from doing this is it centers the spark, shortens it's travel, and it's more consistent where it lands. The extra long ground strap forces the spark all over, and it shrouds the incoming charge a bit, which can/will delay spark time from further, irregular travel and cause hesitation, even on new plugs. By grinding the strap back, it forces the spark to hit the incoming charge dead on and apparently is more accurate and consistent. I've been doing this in my cars for about 15 years on basic copper plugs and it works great. They last as long as they normally do, but you'll get bet responsiveness. Maybe I'll do a video on it in case anyone is interested in trying. Might only add 1-2 hp in a 4 banger, but MPG will be a touch better and the engine won't hesitate as much. Engine sound will be slightly different as well from before when hesitating to after when just firing more. I have done this in my Mustangs, 96' Mark VIII, 92' SHO, to the turbo'd the Saab in the sig (it has basic NGK plugs) with 20 psi. The V8's REALLY liked it.

Same deal. Anytime an engine is run in a position not intended, you run risks. Anytime an engine is in an accident, you run risks. Years ago I went and looked at an 88' GT Mustang with a 302 that was T-boned from a police cruiser. The yard had a gas tank on a dolly and brought it out to me. They had a little rig with the fuel pump so the engine could run off their home made fuel tank set up. It ran, but I passed on it as the trans casing had a huge crack on it. That means the force of the impact was so strong, it put a 12"+ crack in the bellhousing on the side. My thought was if it did that while it was moving, the internal shock the crank, connecting rods, pistons, etc. were exposed to, had to be many many G's and it wasn't worth the risk to me to install it my car, only to have an unseen hairline crack split the block at a later date. Point is, there's no magical definitive "yes or no" here. You run a risk if you want to use the engine as-is for something else. On the other hand, it makes for an exceptional bargaining point to get the engine cheaper. But do NOT use the engine w/o tearing it apart and inspecting everything. Around here in N/E OH, I can get EJ22 and EJ25 all day everyday from early 90's to early 00's for under $150. Those are running cars w/o accidents. Offer him $75 to $100 or pass and find something w/o the questionable history.

Just get the basic plug and MANUALLY gap yourself as none of the lower grade plugs come pre-gapped since they fit a plethora of different cars. If the engine is turbo'd, then get EXACTLY what it calls for. Only plugs that I think are worth a damn are the plugs that have the ground strap exactly cut to sit over the center electrode and no further. Really cheap plugs can have the electrode overhang past the center, which causes hesitation, ping, and lugging on hills. An old drag racing tip I learned many years ago was to file the ground strap back on those and round it's square edge to match the electrode's. On a V8 engine, it adds roughly 5hp, and eliminates hesitation. Pulling hills it's a much stronger spark and the engine will respond better. I've done this on everything from single piston 4 stroke lawnmowers to motor cycles to cars. Every single one of them benefited. The lawn mower wasn't as quick to bog on high grass and 91 octane like it had before. The bike was more responsive. Thankfully, plug companies like Champion finally caught on and started shortening the electrode strap,but they still leave the tip square rather than rounded. All those "V" "X" etc. shaped plugs are overpriced gimmicks. Any benefit from those I think is from all the added material being forced into the piston chamber and slightly altering the compression ration artificially.

Been meaning to ask this one for awhile. I know some cars will cycle the AC compressor when the A/C is NOT set to "on" and the heater is going to help remove humidity from the air and prevent window fogging. But being a 95' with a manual climate control center, w/o the winter package, I was surprised to see this happening almost constantly with the heat running as it's hurting MPG and robbing some HP. The compressor is cycling on......off......on. Normal? Or do I have a bad sensor somewhere? Also, both fans are kicking at the same time with the heater running, which is redundant in colder weather. Engine is NOT overheating and always stays at the 1/2 mark, which takes about 10 minutes or so to reach from a cold start. I suspect this is because the A/C compressor kicking on. All this sound normal? Only solution I have at the moment is to disconnect the A/C compressor "on" wire right at the compressor to stop the compressor from forcing on. I've tried turning the heater recirculation button OFF thinking it was linked to that as usually that feature is tied into preventing window fog, but it didn't affect the compressor.

If the previous owner was saying the radiator was bad, then why didn't you replace it? If the previous owner used tap water (a BIG NO NO), it will over time clog the radiator cores with lime or deposits. Basically the same thing that happens to a shower head. Need to use distilled water to prevent. Next question is did you reuse the old coolant thermostat? Cheap ones will fail in the closed "shut" position. This means coolant won't flow. Check your lower radiator hose. Is it cooler than the upper hose at the 1/2 way temp mark? Is so, the thermostat isn't opening. Lower hose will be a few degrees cooler than upper once the thermostat opens. It'll remain MUCH colder than upper hose until it opens. If it were me, I'd remove the thermostat and put it in a boiling pot of water. Does it open eventually or stay shut? If it never opens, replace it. If it does open (I'd replace anyways as they are like a $7 part), pull the upper radiator hose and inspect the actual cores to the radiator. There should be NO deposits on the core ends. If there are, then the radiator is clogging. Is the engine fan kicking on?

Oil pools in the oil pan, and the oil pump needs the returning oil to pump back into the engine. When an engine goes upside down, all the oil is not where it's supposed to be and the oil pump can get starved. If it happened quickly, hopefully it shut off right away or stalled. Dunno if those have a fuel pump cut or not. I'd inspect the engine for any oil that might have leaked. Clean as needed. Whether it'll still run OK depends how long it was upside down and running, and whether the force of the accident caused any stress cracks or internal damage. If you are looking for a cheap engine, there are probably better candidates. If the engine is low mileage and everything checks out physically, only way you'll know is if you try and start it. My ex crashed a low mileage V6 Honda Accord spinning out coming down a hill in the snow. Car wasn't exactly totaled, but it got written off. At the wrecker yard while cleaning out personal effects, I tried starting it and it was toast despite nothing in the engine being damaged physically, which was a shame as it had been methodically taken care of. It never flipped over....

If the starter is working but clicks, and the battery is good, check your grounds from the engine to battery, AND the grounds from engine to body. My 79' Mustang had a V8 transplant from a turbo 4 my step dad did. When I got the car, it'd click. He didn't add enough ground wires and it caused the main ground to overheat. I jumped the block to the chassis with a 4-way tire iron and it started, so that was an easy fix. Try this: Take some heavy gauge jumper cables. Jump the NEGATIVE terminal at the battery (make SURE the battery post clamps are TIGHT and clean and still connected) and ground the other end at the alternator (casing tab on exterior or anywhere a clean ground exists on alternator; stay away from the alternator charge bolt). Take the 2nd cable and ground the engine block to a clean metal body panel. Try cranking. If it starts, then you have some bad grounds. Easiest fix is to buy some pre-made braided steel neg. cables and ground the block to chassis, and REPLACE the factory neg. cable running from the battery. I'd also inspect the actual clamps feeding the battery as they can, overtime, corrode internally within the crimp and cause issues. Next, check the positive cable that feeds the starter. They can corrode over time as well. If any main battery cable is hardened into position, that means it's overheated to the point that it hardened like that. Overheating happens when there aren't enough grounds to support the current flow (poor neg. wire) or the positive wire has corrosion or is weak (positive wire bad). Replace as needed. Also, if your car has one, check the fusible link under the hood. My 95' has one in the underhood fuse box by the battery. Was at grocery store a few months back, parked car, went it, came back, and a no start. Knowing it had no prior symptoms, I suspected a wire and checked. The fusible link (basically a wire that looks like a small jumper) had a burn spot in the center, and was corroded. I wiggled it and the car started. I had to reuse the heavy duty, high quality spade connectors and bought the "grey" fusible link wire Auto Zone sells. I tried the "black" wire first, but it got too warm from normal engine running so it was beyond the current rating. The factory connectors were very carefully pried open at the crimps with a pick and needle nose pliers, then grey wire was fed through. I recrimped then soldered the fusible wire to the connectors for added sealing and to limit any possible arcing from a stray wire. The "grey" link has yet to get warm.

One other thing with the brake booster grommet that seals the check valve. Be careful with the grommet if you try removing it for a thorough inspection and/or replace. It's possible the new/old one can get pushed into the canister when trying to reseat against the lip. If that happens, it'll be a PITA to get it back out. A fish hook bonded to a magnetic wand might be enough to lift it to the hole where needle nose pliers could grab. Also, if the grommet is rotted on the inside, it'll shed it's debris in the canister which can be problematic as well. If you replace the main vacuum hose going to the booster from the engine, make SURE it can handle several BAR as a flimsy hose won't cut it.

Your gas tank should be under vacuum. The "whoosh" you should hear at the pump is air entering the gas tank. The immediate fuel vapors you smell being released every time the gas cap is removed, is what the evap system is supposed to be pulling into the charcoal canister, then under certain circumstances, pulling that into the combustion chamber so it's gets burnt off rather than being allowed to escape into the atmosphere. If the vapor fume concentration gets REALLY high in the tank, it'll pour out the gas filler opening. This is what shuts the pump off, as the nozzles have a detection device to detect the vapors being forced out, and is how automatic pumps work. On really hot days, when warnings go out, this is the vapors they are talking about. Sounds like your evap system isn't holding vacuum. When you reset your codes, the ECM is starting from a day 1 scenario (I believe) where it should be "thinking" there is no vacuum in the tank, so it goes through whatever parameters Subaru has set up on how long it should run before trying to burn off the stored fumes in the canister. Once it's ready to do so, I believe (in your situation) it's not detecting the correct vacuum or vapor presence (unsure exactly what yours is checking), and it's throwing the code. You definitely sound as though you have an air leak somewhere. Read this for a quick understanding on evap systems and their functions: http://www.greatautohelp.com/operation/EVAP-System-Codes-Tests.html A brake booster canister is essentially a large vacuum can with a check valve feeding into it, with a diaphragm inside that's manipulated when you press you brake pedal. Not sure how you determined it's not "working" correctly, but the canister itself should be air tight. The rubber grommet the check valve feeds into shouldn't be dry rotted (or missing). And the actual hose feeding the check valve shouldn't be leaking either. Can use sprays to detect leaks on vacuum hoses. If the engine surges, you found the leak. Test leaks on a cool engine to prevent flash fires and don't use heavy oil products that can sit or soak and cause fires. Also, moving the vacuum hoses/lines while spraying is better as you might have a small crack or leak that's not evident if the hose is in it's natural, hardened position as it can seal minor leaks. Any hoses after 10 years or so typically need replaced anyways, so dropping $10 on new vacuum lines is smarter than ignoring them as vacuum leaks can lean out the AF mixture which isn't good. They can also let minute amounts of dirt enter the engine. Evap issues can cause all sort of drivability problems, but the car can at least still run. If you have emissions testing in your state, it'll most likely fail the inspection. I was surprised my check valve was seized up as it didn't throw ANY codes and never would have known had it not been physically checked. But at least the idle is more stable in gear at a stop light and isn't surging or dropping below 500 rpm now. Also, check the rubber hose that runs just below the gas filler tube to see if it's ripped (look under the car, you should see it running off the actual filler tube).

Thanks for the verification, John. It only came on once, then immediately reset, so hoping it's just excess mud on a sensor or something that blocked off the signal temporarily. Just wanted the verification before anything gets grounded out.

Thanks for posting that! The abridged version for anyone stumbling into this is "ground pin #3 on connector B82". Another site http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1336307 (post #2) states pin #6 needs grounded as well. Can anyone confirm? It also states pin #6 is needed to erase the stored codes. Does that apply with my Legacy? Here's a crude illustration I found that shows what the connector looks like as it's facing you with the pins numbered:

Yeah, if you truly want to capture the full sound, it's best to use a separate dedicated audio recorder with dual higher-end mics (placed a several feet apart for stereo ) that cover as much of the audio spectrum as possible (even below 20hz as you can either feel it with woofers or a little distortion makes it a touch more audible lower down), then dub that over the video's audio and listen to it on a decent stereo running from the PC.

I thought OBDII allowed stored ABS codes to get pulled if the scanner was capable? I don't mind doing the old fashioned way with the ABS light, but I need concrete advice on what pin and what plug before messing with it. It's not in the kick panel.

Next time I'm out for a drive, I'll rig my voltmeter up to a cig lighter socket and see if the volts drop. Alt is from a lower mileage 11' Tribecca, so I doubt it's bad yet but I'll watch it.

You mean to redirect the sound? I don't have anything that'd be loud enough for that. Plus the pipe pointing straight back is better looking Although, my old 79' Mustang Cobra with a mildly built 306 with 74' heads, small, tight cam with 10:1 had them and they dumped right before the axle and pointed down and little towards the wheels. Same Summit Racing Turbo mufflers and it sounded mean as hell with the acoustics bouncing off the road. EDIT: Just saw your clip. That's a good sound, but too much rasp for my tastes. I prefer more mellow FWIW. The actual muffler I'm referring to isn't loud, unless you go with the fully welded version which is basically a 40 series Flowmaster which is too much rasp and drone. The ones I like sound like this:

Was leaving a CVS a mile from home and while making a turn I thought I felt the car surge slightly or something. Looked down and the ABS light was on. Got home, shut it off, then restarted to see if it'd come back. It didn't. Anyways, I'm trying to figure out the best approach to read whatever code it likely stored, though there's too much irrelevant "ABS" crap in the google searches along with contradicting statements, so figured asking was the best bet. Being a 95', can Auto Zone pull the code with their scanner? Or do I have to do some archaic ground connector 6 with key off grumble grumble? If the latter, where is the connector exactly and what pin gets grounded? Does the ABS light flash still initiate with an "11", followed by the code? Thanks.