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Looking at turbo upgrade 06 Baja


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Hey. Long time, no see. Everything looks different here.

 

So got a buddy with an 06 Baja and he has decided to do some preventative maintenance and replace the​ turbo. So if he decided to upgrade, what's the way to go with a mild upgrade without needing to do more work like a clutch or BOV or anything silly like that? I found a TD05-16G but I don't​ really know if that would fit the bill.

 

What he would be looking for is maybe a bit more fun out of the car, but maybe the stock turbo would be fine if the price got out of hand with an upgrade.

 

Are there any recommendations on where to buy?

 

Thanks.

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Hi,

First - any turbo upgrade requires a new tune of the ECU. There may be opensource options such as RomRaider and ECUFlash  - w/the Tactrix cable - and requires someone skilled to use them, or COBB may make an AP  tuner that'll work. Otherwise it's risky to put on any bigger turbo. Price really depends on the path chosen. $150 on low end; $500+ is easy if you get on a dyno and have it pro-tuned.

 

Personally, I always suggest people get a tune  - even on a stock turbo car - to get better performance AND reliability/longevity out of the engine.

 

The stock TD04 is a good turbo if you want to keep the turbo lag @ minimum - it's not as bad w/a 5-speed - as it'll pull from 2500K RPM. You can run them up to 16-17PSI before they're just blowing hot air. Stock is about 12psi, IIRC. So that's another 40-50HP/torque (potentially).

 

And yes, turbos are a maintenance item  - like a timing belt, tune up, etc. - as they'll fall apart and send bad stuff INTO the engine.

 

Another common upgrade is an STI turbo: VF39/43/48 - will all bolt on and should fit the TMIC w/slight modifications. Baja's HAVE THE SAME INJECTORS as AN STI from '04-'07, so you're good there...but as stated YOU'LL NEED A TUNE.

 

I would definitely consider replacing the stock turbo inlet pipe, too. Yes, it's PITA to replace. The Aftermarket - name brands - w/silicone hose are better.

 

It's very important to be changing the oil regularly @ 3500 mile or less w/ synthetic, remove/replace the turbo and oil line filter / screens, and keep the other maintenance items up to date. 

 

I'm not a big fan of used/higher-mileage Subaru turbo engines, as they just don't hold up, but maybe that's due to the fact that peeps treat them like any old NA engine and they get neglected???

 

NASIOC is still a good resource for used parts, as is Ebait.. VERY important to take heed of a Seller's Feedback to ensure some level of buyer confidence. 

 

BTW< the Baja uses the same turbo as the '04-'08 Forester XT, and '02-'07 WRX - TD04 (I'd reuse your stock wastegate as there were some changes thru the years)....even though the Baja is more like a Legacy GT/Outback XT - they used a different style turbo flange and TMIC and aren't easily compatible.

 

GL,

TD

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Thanks for the info. He said he just uses the car to haul his kayaks and to fool around in. I told him I don't care where he fools around.

 

Anyway, the information you guys gave, helped us decide it's just not the right idea him to upgrade the turbo.

 

So, is there a preferred place to get a stock turbo?

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Besides what I stated above:

 

NASIOC is still a good resource for used parts, as is Ebait.. VERY important to take heed of a Seller's Feedback to ensure some level of buyer confidence.

 

New is going to be from a Subaru dealer for OEM......but some mark-up parts A LOT, others actually discount, or online like rallysportdirect. 

 

I's give this guy a call as his boss - Jason Douglas- always gave me the best online prices:

Mike Weber
Certified Parts Advisor
Mike Scarff Subaru of Auburn
3025 Auburn Way N
Auburn, WA 98002
866-528-5282 toll free

 

Beware the cheap turbo. New turbos cost BIG $$ if genuine.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Let me know if you think I should start a new thread here...

 

Got the car here and it is throwing a P0011 code for bank 1 intake timing over advanced.

 

And it has a high frequency rattle once you get into a bit of boost.

 

He is convinced that he wants me to put a turbo on it and since the noise only comes on when boost is climbing, I think he is right.

 

But what about the code? I took it for a short drive after saving and clearing the code and it didn't come back. I don't know his oil change history, but do these things like to throw cam timing codes with dirty oil? And could the rattle have to do with cam timing? And what should I expect to see for boost?

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Replace the banjo bolt on the oil feed. They have a small filter screen that becomes clogged over time, the filter can be removed from the banjo bolt or replaced with a new bolt with filter. The turbo sounds like it is about to fail catastrophically, change it before it does or the Baja will need a new engine as well.

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I don't see how to post a picture of the money shot, but the compressor side was starting to hit. Good call on that. I pulled out the banjo bolt that screws through the oil feed into the turbo and nothing is there. I assume that it has been removed already? The intake hose mentioned, is that the one from the air filter that connects to the turbo?

 

I only broke two bolts. One was one of the top nut/bolts so that will be easy. The other was a heatshield bolt that may cause some heartache, but not too bad.

 

I need to pull that intake hose all the way out for inspection. TMIC hoses all looked good from what I can see. The oil drain line looks like it will be an adventure. Any tips there? I was able to just pull up hard and it came out. I'm doubtful it will go back together as easy. Maybe I will pull the bottom clamp and put the hose on the turbo for installation?

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WT, I'm still unsure about that P0011 code. That thread that you linked is about P0011 AND P0021. The thing is, he's just getting the P0011 code and what I read there, the root cause was related to something common to both banks. But maybe that's how this starts: bank 1 is the first to have troubles because of the way the oil flows then if you ignore it long enough,it eventually starts failing in the other bank.

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It would be worth your time to check the banjos on both avcs oil control valves. I've seen filters in them drop out and make the valves stick in the advanced position. This was on an 05 legacy gt, but the longblock is the same as the Baja you're working on.

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06 Baja do not have those filters in the AVCS solenoids. I know both from experience and studying the tsb to fix an issue on my dads 06 turbo Baja. The filters were only in the Baja's from 04-05 (maybe on the NA too, but i don't remember)

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So golucky, the filter could be on either end of the oil feed line? There was nothing at the turbo end. Unless I hear otherwise I think I may, possibly look at the ACVS banjo bolts as well, just to be sure. If nothing else, it will be some training for me.

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I don't remember which side of the line it's on for the turbo feed, sorry.

 

And i ended up checking on my dad 06 for them after i removed them from my 04 (they were destroyed and in pieces) but his car didn't have them. I checked anyways, peace of mind. If you check yours. Don't lose the two copper washers.

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