Dynacar

[Dynapar]

1995 Impreza LX
2.2l Auto AWD


http://lh3.google.com/Dynapar/RxA92CqilJI/AAAAAAAAAJc/Fx2FNxmpAmg/s800/1.JPG

I found this car as kind of a fluke. My 1st car, a 95 Nissan pathfinder had met an untimely end. The frame rusted in half making a comfortable yet unsafe ride. Through the insistence of my parents I looked into Subaru. This just kinda popped up one day in the local paper. In 2004, I paid 2,500 out the door for this car w/ 96,000 on the clock. No rust, some minor damage from a front collision (bent bumper beam), and a dented trunk lid.

Sadly I lost many pictures of the progress this car has made due to a hard drive crash. I have some which are floating around, otherwise all the new pictures start after Oct 05.

The first mod to the car was a cone filter which yielded mixed results. It has since caused my CEL to be on permanently, even through repeated results to fix it.

The next step was suspension. R1 Racing coilovers. 450lb/in front and 400lb/in rear springs.
http://lh4.google.com/Dynapar/RxA92SqilKI/AAAAAAAAAJk/RTvLKClKQ1Y/s800/2.JPG

As I learned more about the car, and the cars heritage I longed for boost… the slow parts collection phase began.

The PP6 the greatest NA mod yet, but the worst choice to date. This is quite possibly the demise of my turbo setup.
http://lh5.google.com/Dynapar/RxA92iqilLI/AAAAAAAAAJs/uY6R5rJtL8A/s800/3.JPG

That PP6 was nothing but trouble. Many late nights working with tiny wires and hot solder.
http://lh3.google.com/Dynapar/RxA-2CqilQI/AAAAAAAAAKY/x5YGZSpabpo/s800/8.JPG

Through a group buy I snagged a great deal on some low freq. supertones. Red isn’t my thing so I painted em up.
http://lh3.google.com/Dynapar/RxA93CqilMI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/W6Z2jKt7HQo/s800/4.JPG
http://lh3.google.com/Dynapar/RxA93CqilNI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/BtNUDEHHy9Q/s800/5.JPG

With winter fast approaching I needed something to keep the salt off. Thank goodness for Fastline mudlfaps!
http://lh6.google.com/Dynapar/RxA-1yqilOI/AAAAAAAAAKI/Xwrm5I1AUBM/s800/6.JPG
http://lh3.google.com/Dynapar/RxA-2CqilPI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/cbgiZpstjQE/s800/7.JPG

Flaunting the new 01 RS headlights.
http://lh5.google.com/Dynapar/RxA-2iqilRI/AAAAAAAAAKg/X9er-0te4KM/s800/9.JPG

Had some issues with the stock exhaust system… good thing I was getting ready to upgrade.
http://lh6.google.com/Dynapar/RxA-2yqilSI/AAAAAAAAAKo/AK9HRLJ1v2I/s800/10.JPG

More parts are showing up.
http://lh5.google.com/Dynapar/RxA__iqilTI/AAAAAAAAAK0/HKavT9QLk8M/s800/11.JPG

Yikes, I am really getting some goodies now.
http://lh6.google.com/Dynapar/RxA__yqilUI/AAAAAAAAAK8/UvC_geV9h4A/s800/12.JPG

Ricer time. Figured go big or go home. 4.5” tip FTW!
http://lh3.google.com/Dynapar/RxBAACqilVI/AAAAAAAAALE/Nz10o6ycFZ0/s800/13.JPG

Getting serious now. TD04 PnPed by Deadbolt, with some custom work on the wastegate actuator. GL turbo actuator = 5psi.
http://lh5.google.com/Dynapar/RxBAAiqilWI/AAAAAAAAALM/pDW8otWlzQw/s800/14.JPG

So close I can feel the boost. Helix 3” bellmouth and a custom 2” uppipe.
http://lh6.google.com/Dynapar/RxBAAyqilXI/AAAAAAAAALU/2ZNxgR9P7yc/s800/15.JPG

[Dynapar]

Things are pretty snug in the engine bay, gotta keep that heat down. I also had this bad boy heat coated by Grimmspeed (before it was grimmspeed).
http://lh5.google.com/Dynapar/RxBBFiqilYI/AAAAAAAAALg/C2epNnkTCAo/s800/16.JPG

Tight fit indeed.
http://lh6.google.com/Dynapar/RxBBFyqilZI/AAAAAAAAALo/QBTa8ze4G8w/s800/17.JPG

Oils gotta go somewhere. The local Rally Guru is brazing it up for me, in a late night bash.
http://lh3.google.com/Dynapar/RxBBGCqilaI/AAAAAAAAALw/VtkMOCAoxaI/s800/18.JPG

Pretty ghetto huh? This could also be a reason for the failure of the turbo kit. Notice the copious amounts of JB weld, and random parts of the stock intake.
http://lh5.google.com/Dynapar/RxBBGiqilcI/AAAAAAAAAMA/7o3X-E5lb1c/s800/20.JPG

“your job is to make this (2” hose) fit over this (2” hose). Go.”
http://lh5.google.com/Dynapar/RxBBsiqildI/AAAAAAAAAMM/WJd9FJrn2k0/s800/21.jpg

After a week of running straight DP, figured I should get an exhaust made.
http://lh3.google.com/Dynapar/RxBBtCqileI/AAAAAAAAAMU/GKX5suNsOxk/s800/22.JPG
http://lh4.google.com/Dynapar/RxBBtSqilfI/AAAAAAAAAMc/o2tpDGxV-0U/s800/23.JPG

The finished product.
http://lh5.google.com/Dynapar/RxBBtiqilgI/AAAAAAAAAMk/ViQ0sZCTcxI/s800/24.JPG

A little bit of stealth.
http://lh6.google.com/Dynapar/RxBBtyqilhI/AAAAAAAAAMs/9TEzuJagvVw/s800/25.JPG

At the Original Grimmspeed HQ. right after getting the DP coated. Maybe 1 or 2 weeks before the kit is pronounced a failure and I return to the drawing board.
http://lh3.google.com/Dynapar/RxBCvCqiliI/AAAAAAAAANA/__3t3nadYAY/s800/26.jpg
http://lh4.google.com/Dynapar/RxBCvSqiljI/AAAAAAAAANI/9Q8OVDfWut0/s800/27.JPG

Gotta have some dyno plots.
http://lh5.google.com/Dynapar/RxBCviqilkI/AAAAAAAAANQ/4UALJletGPk/s800/28.JPG
http://lh6.google.com/Dynapar/RxBCvyqillI/AAAAAAAAANY/1XTPiZ28j9c/s800/29.JPG
http://lh3.google.com/Dynapar/RxBCwCqilmI/AAAAAAAAANg/B9l5mZGEbAo/s800/30.JPG

A quick clip of the car on the dyno:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=226371978927334823&hl=en

[Dynapar]

Time for some new suspension. The Super stiff coils killed the stock struts. KYB AGX and STi Pinks (v5)
http://lh6.google.com/Dynapar/RxBEJyqilnI/AAAAAAAAAP0/lTAr9xO2IH0/s800/31.JPG
http://lh3.google.com/Dynapar/RxBEKCqiloI/AAAAAAAAAN0/Q-pW1jxa1ug/s800/32.JPG

New suspension gave me a new issue….
http://lh5.google.com/Dynapar/RxBEKiqilpI/AAAAAAAAAN8/ehJsyO6ZPu8/s800/33.JPG

Time to get some new wheels. 6 spokes are so much easier to clean snow and ice out of.
http://lh6.google.com/Dynapar/RxBEKyqilqI/AAAAAAAAAOE/DbL8DDhp-KQ/s800/34.JPG

But white just wont cut it.
http://lh3.google.com/Dynapar/RxBELCqilrI/AAAAAAAAAOM/7LinL3WO7JY/s800/35.JPG

In the mean time, I couldn’t pass up a awesome deal on these.
http://lh6.google.com/Dynapar/RxBFMyqilsI/AAAAAAAAAOY/oDY9xX7Hfa0/s800/36.JPG

JDM goodies just keep popping up at amazing prices.
http://lh4.google.com/Dynapar/RxBFNSqiltI/AAAAAAAAAOg/kEAhc1zR8I0/s800/37.JPG

Finally got some new rubber. Nokian Hakka RSis
http://lh6.google.com/Dynapar/RxBFNyqiluI/AAAAAAAAAOo/4rFYAL-bEuI/s800/38.JPG

Sexy time.
http://lh3.google.com/Dynapar/RxBFOCqilvI/AAAAAAAAAOw/1kQFxA4zwGU/s800/39.JPG

Got a new door, since my window track fell apart. It came of an ice racer. looks mean!
http://lh5.google.com/Dynapar/RxBFOiqilwI/AAAAAAAAAO4/5vJWe_TOQzM/s800/40.JPG

At the ice race I kinda lost P,R,N on the tranny. So I drove it ~300+ miles home, stopping on the way to get a new (V3 WRX) tranny. Got lucky I didn’t need to go backwards at all.
http://lh5.google.com/Dynapar/RxBGZiqilxI/AAAAAAAAAPE/sG_NoGIWEng/s800/41.JPG

Good thing this happened over winter break. Took 5 days to get it in and working.
http://lh3.google.com/Dynapar/RxBGaCqilyI/AAAAAAAAAPM/T6Dn1MsikG4/s800/42.JPG

Old sub died. Time for a smaller one.
http://lh5.google.com/Dynapar/RxBGaiqilzI/AAAAAAAAAPU/w3lWBv-92aM/s800/43.JPG

Gotta have some more rumble.
http://lh3.google.com/Dynapar/RxBGbCqil0I/AAAAAAAAAPc/LQI3P_uRkO4/s800/44.jpg
http://lh4.google.com/Dynapar/RxBGbSqil1I/AAAAAAAAAPk/VZQn-cQ-2tQ/s800/45.jpg

More pics as I find/take them.

[munozppk]

What is the time span of all this. I dont know if you mentioned it because honestly, I was just looking at the picture and captions. :shootsself:

[Not All There]

sweet build, so what actually failed?

[Dynapar]

well i got the car in spring of 04. i started modding it in the fall (intake/coils) then the headers went on back in august (07). so 3 years is the time span.

I am not sure what killed the turbo kit. it could have been alot of things. the ghetto intake setup had a huge leak post MAF i found after removing the kit. the PP6 would not cooperate at all with me. There were alot of possibilities.

I have no clue what went in the tranny. its still a mystery to me.

[Dynapar]

This weeks highs are in the 40s w/ lows in the 20s so its time for the Nokians to go back on. I did that today.

heres a comparison between the Nokians and my Potenzas. one might be better in the snow than the other.
http://lh6.google.com/Dynapar/Ry5UteuCymI/AAAAAAAAAUE/yxMP7jXx2ck/s800/IMG_6327.JPG

Heres a pic of the wheels on the car.
http://lh6.google.com/Dynapar/Ry5T0euCylI/AAAAAAAAAT4/6XoS02nA2L8/s800/IMG_6336.JPG

[Not All There]

that should help with this coming winter, post up some vids once you have fun int he dirt/snow

[Dynapar]

dont worry I will post up lotsa pics.

[Drew84]

Ok, so mabey I missed it, but is the car a 5 speed now?

[Dynapar]

^ nope the car is still an auto. I blew that original 4eat (dont know how) when it had ~150K miles on it at the second annual ice race. lost park, reverse, and neutral. drove it 350+ miles home like that, picked up a JDM 4eat from a V3 WRX wagon (local guy had a front clip) drove right into the garage. 4 days later i backed it out in reverse.

Its still an auto. eventually I would like to go 5spd or 6spd but i cant afford it right now. also with my pending EJ22T build i wanna have the auto for a little while so i can dominate some people from dig. brake boosting, I will probably blow the trans at this point, then its manual time.

[Blix666]

the wheels came out ballsy!

[Dynapar]

I really like the gold wheels :-)

[Dynapar]

hmm....

http://lh6.google.com/Dynapar/R0H0bw3tw7I/AAAAAAAAAW4/1uMbWoxtIOk/s800/IMG_6414.JPG

[Dynapar]

which will flow better?
http://lh6.google.com/Dynapar/R0Lqvg3tw8I/AAAAAAAAAXA/RwD70g6-A-0/s800/IMG_6417.JPG

http://lh4.google.com/Dynapar/R0LqwA3tw9I/AAAAAAAAAXI/juS9X4T2pzg/s800/IMG_6446.JPG

[409industries]

4.5" tip! thats huge! you must know that car inside and out by now. Nice documentation, keep it up! Love the wheels too, and those seats are hotness.

[Dynapar]

Thanks.

4.5" is pretty big, that muffler sounds amazing though. zero raspyness, and no high pitched wine. all low rumble :-)

I am pretty familiar with the car, doing all this work has been a huge learning experience. When I started I could barely change my own oil and now I am a master of the EJ22e.

The wheels are all about the function. the RS 6 spokes wheels are pretty much the easiest wheel to get snow and ice out of ever made which is the reason I bought them. gold + green = FTW

The seats are amazing. the V7 and below seats are awesome they hold you super snug. 1000x better than stock L seats. To think that I almost didnt buy these. I was debating between these and some E46 HID headlights for a conversion. seats are worth it. I can live w/ 01 RS headlights for a while more.

I should have ALOT more pics to put up come friday/saturday ;-)

[Dynapar]

http://lh3.google.com/Dynapar/R0oPow3txGI/AAAAAAAAAYw/XDas5pDWw4A/s800/IMG_6541.JPG
http://lh5.google.com/Dynapar/R0oPpQ3txHI/AAAAAAAAAY4/1X8GUqm-Pn8/s800/IMG_6542.JPG

[Dynapar]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5629214156374542413 Little wastegate flutter
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2135925623744872907 test

[Dynapar]

well, decided to mess around with some stuff on the kit since I am debating taking it off (rubbing on the CV). was having problems holding over .2-.3 bar. sorry for the blurry pic.

went from this:
http://lh4.google.com/Dynapar/R6OxRGecu1I/AAAAAAAAAiM/xWyYANm-ams/s800/b1.jpg

to this:
http://lh4.google.com/Dynapar/R6OxRGecu2I/AAAAAAAAAiU/MJKbhmDviO0/s800/b2.jpg

hmm... to take the kit off or wait a while???.....

[dome24]

so did you upgrade the injcetors or just leave them stock EJ22?
Ive already done the EJ18<22 swap and want a little boost but im just not quite ready to take the plunge on my DD

[Dynapar]

^ I am running completely stock EJ22E stuff. When i did this before i went over board with legacy turbo injectors, PP6 and a ton of other junk that just made the car run bad. I have discovered that the EJ22E (non interference) can take a decent amount of boost with no problems. I know 2 more people who are running stock EJ22Es with boost. From what I have gathered the stock fueling system is good to about 7 psi then it runs out of steam and needs help from a RRFPR or injectors. this car is my DD so i am keeping things on the safe side. although... i do have some 800+ cc injectors and a walboro pump sitting around.....

[carl]

which will flow better?
http://lh6.google.com/Dynapar/R0Lqvg3tw8I/AAAAAAAAAXA/RwD70g6-A-0/s800/IMG_6417.JPG

http://lh4.google.com/Dynapar/R0LqwA3tw9I/AAAAAAAAAXI/juS9X4T2pzg/s800/IMG_6446.JPG
the one without a rag in it! :lol:

good work on spelling your name wrong in the title martin lol, also, sweet build!

[Dynapar]

^wiseguy aye? lol.

Kit came off on saturday. there is a huge difference in power, you can feel it in how the suspension compresses under acceleration. on the plus side it is nice to have no vacuum or exhaust leaks.

[Dynapar]

more pics coming very soon. got goodies in the mail. should be here friday.

[409industries]

more pics coming very soon. got goodies in the mail. should be here friday.

I always get jealous seeing other people get goodies... but i want to know anyway! Post pics!

[Dynapar]

Sorry it took so long to get these up.

Tires came on friday :-) Thanks to Bergdh for selling me his P7s!

Falken Azenis RT-615 225/45/17
http://lh5.google.com/Dynapar/R_MCOjvjmZI/AAAAAAAAAog/vWC3dQct_p4/s800/IMG_7515.JPG.jpg

Drove out to a friend shop in a snow storm to have them mounted
http://lh6.google.com/Dynapar/R_MCOzvjmaI/AAAAAAAAAoo/Whzd0b6Vgkw/s800/IMG_7518.JPG.jpg

I cant wait for it to get warm!
http://lh4.google.com/Dynapar/R_MCPTvjmbI/AAAAAAAAAow/uQKbzN3vvRQ/s800/IMG_7527.JPG.jpg

[Dynapar]

still have snow in the forecast but here is a teaser

http://lh6.google.com/Dynapar/R_v1Czvjm6I/AAAAAAAAAto/8ONR39YfMGo/s800/IMG_7634.JPG

[Dynapar]

its been nice here. I have been way to busy to take any good photos so here are just a couple rough ones to get the idea.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/Dynapar/SAzRSUddr0I/AAAAAAAAAuM/5YUi5G9uDek/s800/IMG_7745.JPG
http://lh5.ggpht.com/Dynapar/SAzRS0ddr1I/AAAAAAAAAuU/O5aicEh8eJU/s800/IMG_7743.JPG

These fit pretty well. They rub on the mud flaps in the front when turning sharp. The fender liner also rubs on the tire under very hard cornering/braking but thats nothing major. the only real concern is that under extremely hard cornering the rear tires (driver side mostly) will rub on the inside of the 1/4 panel. I think I can fix this w/ a hammer so I am not too concerned.

[Dynapar]

I havent been on here much. expect a big update in the near future. heres a hint..... moar gears.

[409industries]

woot! STi drivetrain swap! :)

[Galen]

update update update please!!!!!

[Dynapar]

woot! STi drivetrain swap! :)

lol, I wish, having 6 gears would be awesome. Alas I am now at 5 gears, up from 4. My car was a 4EAT. The trans was making some death noises (even though it was a beefed up JDM 4EAT) so I went ahead with the 5 spd conversion.

The parts car.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/Dynapar/SMA3gD7ZgWI/AAAAAAAAAzI/0FaPP8idMHI/s800/IMG_8000.JPG

The parts car in parts.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/Dynapar/SMA3giPnbTI/AAAAAAAAAzQ/7oMJOO2qPRk/s800/IMG_8203.JPG

Starting the project.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/Dynapar/SMA3hAP_WSI/AAAAAAAAAzg/GTffJ5jNcck/s800/IMG_8239.JPG

Dropping the entire exhuast.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/Dynapar/SMA3hfNJZ6I/AAAAAAAAAzo/wwZf10LWyAA/s800/IMG_8243.JPG

Dinner.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/Dynapar/SMA4Af2J24I/AAAAAAAAAz0/3uY50WliZnk/s800/IMG_8246.JPG

The old cracked flywheel, which was light wieght, compared to the new one.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/Dynapar/SMA4DsVp_QI/AAAAAAAAAz8/RE35dYHmjKw/s800/IMG_8258.JPG

Where did it go?

http://lh5.ggpht.com/Dynapar/SMA4F62dJfI/AAAAAAAAA0E/bKFzO8lKCkg/s800/IMG_8262.JPG

I think I am missing a piece.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/Dynapar/SMA4GP8-HuI/AAAAAAAAA0M/aVe2alvs35I/s800/IMG_8266.JPG

[Dynapar]

New medal monster. ( I got a wicked blood blister from the stupid clutch pedal )

http://lh5.ggpht.com/Dynapar/SMA5jL0gs8I/AAAAAAAAA0Y/BXyvorPMFJ8/s800/IMG_8294.JPG

YAY! for ratchet straps.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/Dynapar/SMA5j9I6Z2I/AAAAAAAAA0g/ruvCwhpEBSg/s800/IMG_8297.JPG

Something is different.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/Dynapar/SMA5kGeDiPI/AAAAAAAAA0o/9UzFtugXi9M/s800/IMG_8299.JPG

Diff protector is alittle beat up....

http://lh5.ggpht.com/Dynapar/SMA5kWkrRzI/AAAAAAAAA0w/i__spA_jwNo/s800/IMG_8300.JPG

Whats in your diff protector?

http://lh4.ggpht.com/Dynapar/SMA5lF7TTlI/AAAAAAAAA04/pQNFDNyUWis/s800/IMG_8254.JPG


I have more pics to throw up from when I did the WRX brake upgrade. Stay tuned.

[Dynapar]

Pics from the WRX brake upgrade, sorry for some of pics being blurry.

The front rotors and calipers are way bigger. as you can see in the pictures the rears are identical, so I did not change them.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/Dynapar/SNvRLMBXnGI/AAAAAAAAA14/uyeLSQMjT64/s800/IMG_8621.JPG
http://lh5.ggpht.com/Dynapar/SNvRLjYbOiI/AAAAAAAAA2A/f9iAgdBKCMo/s800/IMG_8624.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/Dynapar/SNvRL5vZaYI/AAAAAAAAA2I/yb4cTE0cEWU/s800/IMG_8625.JPG


Before:
http://lh4.ggpht.com/Dynapar/SNvSn9RtatI/AAAAAAAAA2c/dhNHiMfcxGY/s800/IMG_8316.JPG
After
http://lh5.ggpht.com/Dynapar/SNvRMfVsYzI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/-jfk0tq5XV4/s800/IMG_8676.JPG

Hopefully my next update has something to do with Turbo Kit V 3.0

[Dynapar]

A friend of mine made this compilation video of subaru clips he took. The green impreza w/ gold wheels is mine. and yes I was the guy with his window down. My car makes appearances in both NA and turbo form in this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Nuv0fQ_bDI

[Galen]

ugggggg, i need to do some more snow driving! where you on studed tires?

[Dynapar]

Nope all of my winter driving is on normal rubber. Potenza G009s the first 2 years I owned it and since them Nokian Hakka RSIs. the nokians are AWESOME!

[Dynapar]

woot! STi drivetrain swap! :)

There is truth to this now.

I havent been keeping up with my journal over here. I have been updating mine over on RS25. However I will be filling everyone in over here very soon.

A great deal has changed since my last post. The things have have remained the same are: its the same chasis, with most of the same body panels.


This past summer (July or so) my motor started blowing alot of blue smoke. I attribute this to the piston rings going bad, as they had not been touch since the motor was made 10yrs & 196k rough miles ago. At this point I was ready to throw together my EJ22T block and drop it in. However CP made a big mistake on my custom pistons and delayed me indefinitely. So I slapped together a EJ205 which I had picked up for extra parts and dropped it in with a lot of help from Chux and Numchux conversions.

So now I am running a Stage 2 2002 WRX Swap with TGV deletes and modded injectors. During the road tune (pretty much the first time I drove it on the road with the new motor) the clutch would slip at 1/2 boost in 3rd gear. So we tuned in 2nd and according to the road dyno put down 199WHP and 199WTQ in 2nd gear.

I have been running like this since August. Just in the last few weeks my transmission has taken a turn for the worse. Since this Legacy 5spd has about 280k+ on it at the moment it wasnt the greatest to start with. As of now it wont stay in 4th gear (bent shift fork I think), also it is making some terrible squeeking noises while under load. I am assuming this is the input shaft bearing.

I had been tempted to upgrade to an 06 WRX clutch (works with the cable style if you use a spacer ring on the flywheel). but this tranny is pretty much doneskies now. So I am getting ready to start in on another large project... 6spd time. I am hoping that by x-mas I will be rocking an 04 STi 6spd and R180 rear end.

I have a bunch of pics from the engine swap but not the time to upload them to my host. I will at some point.

BTW: Snows went on yesterday w/ newly painted wheels.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxWeavabBII/AAAAAAAABZ0/PhqNmufRuhU/s800/IMG_12088_Edited_Resized.jpg

[Dynapar]

Here is a before engine bay shot:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxgRfKOhclI/AAAAAAAABbA/YkCiGajhDOk/s800/IMG_6715_Resized.jpg

Well here is the after shot:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/Sxg2s5WxbeI/AAAAAAAABbk/1ubMs6ZV8hI/s800/IMG_11285.jpg

[Dynapar]

Before I started in, still running the EJ22E w/ blue smoke galore.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/Sxg5CJHcU3I/AAAAAAAABbo/1XxbB-16JRk/s800/IMG_6705_resized.jpg

Started stripping the interior to get a head start. It is fun driving around w/o the interior.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/Sxg5CYpC7VI/AAAAAAAABbs/QfD0_PndnGQ/s800/IMG_6723_resized.jpg

2002 WRX Wiring harness, ready for the slaughter.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/Sxg5CXC1iII/AAAAAAAABbw/OdPr-r-k-_g/s800/IMG_6817_resized.jpg

Motor, Trans, x-members, suspension all coming out the bottom.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/Sxg5Cpk3CyI/AAAAAAAABb0/oHr_zhNSzSw/s800/IMG_6851_resized.jpg

NumbChux Conversions!
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/Sxg5Ctga7dI/AAAAAAAABb4/vmvqpEWjuvw/s800/IMG_6872_resized.jpg

Wiring inside the car.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/Sxg6WkMQacI/AAAAAAAABb8/W6eZBI90R98/s800/IMG_6879_Resized.jpg

There is a big piece missing.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/Sxg6Ww1i_tI/AAAAAAAABcA/1uOh981rsRE/s800/IMG_6883_resized.jpg

There is the missing piece.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/Sxg6WwRu34I/AAAAAAAABcE/Ov_a9J8LyKo/s800/IMG_6885_resized.jpg

Obligatory, me in the engine bay shot.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/Sxg6XNguM4I/AAAAAAAABcI/PF5q-gRVW8s/s800/IMG_6891_resized.jpg

Chux playing with the wires, in the messy work area. You never would think how much space all those parts take up when they aren't in the car.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/Sxg6XFEysII/AAAAAAAABcM/y2HOtQO7bZg/s800/IMG_6893_resized.jpg

[Dynapar]

This is what the condensed WRX wiring harness looks like. It is alot smaller now!
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxicJCTiV8I/AAAAAAAABcs/Y-VcPODyfuA/s800/IMG_6912_resized.jpg

Aerial view of the work area.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxicJen5GII/AAAAAAAABcw/5QnhjK9RxWs/s800/IMG_6920_resized.jpg

Second aerial view.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxicJcyYDYI/AAAAAAAABc0/kHOqbY3BVE4/s800/IMG_6922_resized.jpg

Polished and ready to go from EJ22E to the next motor
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxicJq1yptI/AAAAAAAABc4/QqXtuBo01-w/s800/IMG_6935_resized.jpg

95LXs dont have all of the mounting points for fender braces.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxicJsTuLSI/AAAAAAAABc8/TD7zp6ktjK8/s800/IMG_6987_resized.jpg

Now mine does. Finally get to put on my JNorth85 Fender Braces!
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxicX8Jn_HI/AAAAAAAABdA/_yQlH2nndZE/s800/IMG_6992_resized.jpg

[Dynapar]

Bulkhead harness, trans, suspension and x-members all back in.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxicYBcfIYI/AAAAAAAABdE/DL6DqVqs4hk/s800/IMG_7026_Resized.jpg

Getting close to ready.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxicYLp5OpI/AAAAAAAABdI/JI-4UDfcvLI/s800/IMG_7086_resized.jpg

So this is the point in the process where I was expecting to have some custom pistons arrive so that I could throw together my new EJ22 bottom end. However that did not happen. So my car sat like this for about a month until I figured out what I was going to do. My pistons were delayed a couple of months and I was stuck driving my dads car.

At this point I looked around and decided to fix up the EJ205 I had bought for parts. The motor had <30k on it and was a 2002. The car had hit a bridge abutment and broke the timing belt, which in turn led to 6 bent valves and 2 messed up pistons. This motor will only be temporary, until I get around to finishing my EJ22 build. So I picked up an extra set of heads and 2 used pistons and set to putting the 2.0l WRX motor in. Most of the parts I had purchased for the EJ22 I could use right on the EJ205 to get it running.

Low miles show good x-hatching.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/Sxiebljkp4I/AAAAAAAABeo/qwkPxLQM6cY/s800/IMG_9502_resized.jpg

Low miles pistons in the back, higher miles in the front.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/Sxiehl38anI/AAAAAAAABes/0OXztPRvXzs/s800/IMG_9508_resized.jpg

TGV gotta go.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxicYRfyXII/AAAAAAAABdM/AxKZ5PDZDMk/s800/IMG_7132_resized.jpg

Had the holes filled at the local welding shop.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxicYYN3klI/AAAAAAAABdQ/wRwgCITPxMA/s800/IMG_7371_resized.jpg

Can't even tell there was a hole there.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxicmRkuaMI/AAAAAAAABdY/mR9TvNGnygE/s800/IMG_7390_resized.jpg

This is why you check every part you buy. Someone may have dropped something heavy onto a cam journal...
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxicmvilIPI/AAAAAAAABdc/tyZIfrmIsbU/s800/IMG_7440_resized.jpg

2.0L going together. FYI the front cam caps tq to 7.5ft-lbs not 14. 1 Helicoil later...
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxicmjsucQI/AAAAAAAABdg/XmkN_nw8Uzs/s800/IMG_7748_resized.jpg

Damaged journal after lapping it in. not perfect but good enough.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/Sxicm7iQOLI/AAAAAAAABdk/sVH1P8QQU_8/s800/IMG_7752_resized.jpg

Getting closer. It just looks shiny new.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/Sxicm15KKcI/AAAAAAAABdo/H9V9L1jwPPg/s800/IMG_7754_Resized.jpg

[Dynapar]

It is getting bigger.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxidhK-rCxI/AAAAAAAABds/1EDrMLau6QA/s800/IMG_7761_resized.jpg

In it goes. I have now successfully put an engine in by myself.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxidhXs3AEI/AAAAAAAABdw/Gh4UIYBp6TA/s800/IMG_7825_resized.jpg

A make shift throttle cable bracket, until the new one came in.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/Sxidhh3bnPI/AAAAAAAABd0/tLD0pzCTP4M/s800/IMG_7851_Resized.jpg

Accidentally overfilled the trans and had to suck some out using a suction pump. I dont think the fluid was this color when I changed the fluid a year ago.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxieJpnGGdI/AAAAAAAABeA/sojQ5Xj1RHw/s800/IMG_7887_resized.jpg

04 STi radiator would not fit because the car was in an acident, before I got it, which pushed the frame rails in and down. Its loaded up to visit the frame rack. Notice how the bumper angles down.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxidhzDfkvI/AAAAAAAABd4/0xB7sKzJjnE/s800/IMG_7862_resized.jpg

Notice the gap under the headlight
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/Sxidh20F4yI/AAAAAAAABd8/FtsMet8LNxQ/s800/IMG_7881_resized.jpg

Car coming back from the body shop. Notice the bumper alignment is much better.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxieJ8RIjKI/AAAAAAAABeE/MgFFelsdgYw/s800/IMG_7895_resized.jpg

Also no more gap under the headlights. And now the radiator fits perfectly!
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxieKtlufsI/AAAAAAAABeM/h33OLFulmc4/s800/IMG_7900_resized.jpg

hmm... an issue with the harness merge. The gauge on my GC must not be calibrated to the WRXs temp sensor. This was freaking me out for a while, but it was really no big deal.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxieLKShakI/AAAAAAAABeQ/84pCzIMC0e0/s800/IMG_8619_resized.jpg

Solution: Install an aftermarket coolant temp gauge.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxieajUhxFI/AAAAAAAABeY/wcFZMyJ3n6Q/s800/IMG_8623_resized.jpg

Installed in upper radiator hose. Dont have any pics of the gauge at the moment. Will later though.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxieaiSp_WI/AAAAAAAABec/uRD5dhK1jMU/s800/IMG_8634_resized.jpg

At this point I got it running and tuned. The road dyno stated 199whp/199wtq in 2nd gear. Since I am running the stock EJ22E clutch it would not hold at full boost in 3rd gear and would just slip like mad.

Well it turns out when I replaced the boots on the steering rack, while it was out, I had not gotten my toe alignment right. So I kind of wore through my front tires in a month. All 4 had the same tread as the on the left, now I have 2 of each. All due to toe adjustment.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxiebG8Fo8I/AAAAAAAABeg/B3pKuYB8yug/s800/IMG_8793_resized.jpg

Threw some 06 WRX wheels on w/ new tires for my trek out to Montana. These tires did not make it back from that trip. I will elaborate later.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxiebAHmSeI/AAAAAAAABek/I1zqPyToLx4/s800/IMG_8815_resized.jpg

[Dynapar]

These tires did not make it back from that trip. I will elaborate later.

I will make this the short version of the story. Pretty much hit some bruttle road construction coming into Montana from Wyoming. The big 1-2" vertical gaps from gravel to concrete bridges. So hitting about 5 of those going the posted road work speed (45mph) did a HUGE number on the tires. After the construction I checked and I have bubbles and blisters on all 4 tires along with some cracks in the sidewall and seams.

Here is a pic of one of the tires. The blisters and cracks are circled. Where it eventually popped has the X on it.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxisFiR-uTI/AAAAAAAABe0/68tMPiKR9as/s800/tire%20go%20flat.jpg

So they made it to Glacier National Park, where I did a week long backcountry trip. The even held air until I got back to the car and was just getting out of the park. I was in the north western section of the park and the road/trails were terrible. Kind of like a mix between an off-road park and a gravel rally stage. So pretty much as soon as I got out of that mess one of the tires gave up the ghost.

Me on the donut at the first Walmart tire center (only one open on Sunday) where they failed to mount tires for me and I had to continue on to another.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxisF3fRGtI/AAAAAAAABe4/7tAeR9h73fE/s800/donut.jpg

So I ended up driving WAY WAY WAY x500 miles too far on the doughnut (BTW: I got my best mileage of the trip on the doughnut, which I think is related to me only going 60mph), until I was able to get a set of 4 tires. So anyway I made it home safe. Te situation ends like this: The tranny I am using came out of an abused 94 Legacy wagon with 250k miles on it. It had a very noisey 5th gear when I got it, and since then have put ~30k or more miles on it. For the last few month I have been feeding ~200whp/tq through it. It has now developed a squeeking sound (input shaft bearing or other internal bearing?) and will not stay in 4th gear w/o some persuasion (bent shift fork?).

Stay tuned to see what happens next ;-)

[Dynapar]

Got a dusting of snow today. So this a just a teaser for how much contrast the new wheel color will have in the powder ;-)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/SxixfJBgb8I/AAAAAAAABe8/TPM7O_931Gg/s800/IMG_12091_Edited_Resized.jpg

[Dynapar]

Here is a recent video:

GF753OXaQ3o



Sadly today something bad happened. Although I was expecting this I was hoping it wouldnt happen until I got my replacement parts in. My clutch completely ate itself while I was out running an errand today.

I was driving up a hill in 2nd gear and gave it a little gas to get up to 35mph then shifted into 3rd gear and right when I shifted I herd a POP from the trans area. Now a little background on this. I put in this 5 speed transmission from a 94 legacy about 1.5 years ago after my second 4EAT was dieing. This transmission had been abused for a good while before I got it and it had ~250k miles on it. Upon putting it in w/ a new OEM clutch kit the transmission sounded rough like there were some small rocks in it, and 5th gear made a loud noise while cruising in it.

So I put on maybe 20k miles, about 1 year, with the 5 speed under normal 2.2l NA power and it worked great. Then I used the 2.2l OEM clutch and the same 5speed when I dropped the stage 2 EJ205 motor in. I had figured that I would use the softer clutch to prevent damaging the transmission with the extra power (just about double the HP and TQ as before). This worked pretty well, whenever I would hit a decent amount of boost in 3rd,4th,or 5th gear the clutch would slip like made. Sometimes it would even slip in 2nd gear while I was on the gas.

Just recently the clutch/trans started making some wierd squeeking noises, which I presumed were the input shaft bearings since I thought those were on their way out when I put this trans in. It may have been the clutch now that I think about it. Still not sure, and probably wont be for a while. Also I think I bent a shift fork becuase it would not stay in 4th gear. At first it would if I held it in, but in the last week or so it wouldnt stay in even if I put pressure on it. It also started making some grinding noises going into 5th. So I pretty much new it was going to go out soon. And I have already started sourcing parts to replace it.

So after it died I coasted to a stop on a side street and messed around with it to see what happened. There was a tremendous racket coming from the belhousing area of teh trans when the clutch pedal was out. I also could put it into gear (any gear) and regardless fo teh clutch being in or out it would not move. So I got a hand and flat towed it out to my work area. I will find out once I drop the trans how bad the clutch really was and if that truly is the problem.

The thing that really blows is that 95 Imprezas had a recall on the front tow hooks (set off the air bags) so I wrapped my strap around the front support (thing that the hood latch attaches too) down by the bottom of the bumper. In the process of towing it, mainly those lovely rough starts and quick snaps that piece has now broken off. I think it just tacks on so it might be an easy fix, I havent looked yet.

I put 11,100 miles on this clutch since I did the swap, about 6 months and I am guessing that it is completely gone. like no disc left, gone. I will make sure and take alot of pics when I get in there.

[Dynapar]

Progress has been made. I did find out what broke. The clutch died completely on me. The disc itself was in decent shape but the center piece with the springs tore through the metal and seperated itself. Its kind of neat looking. Here is a picture of the clutch.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/Sy8LW2sM6UI/AAAAAAAABjo/ugN66zvl60k/s800/IMG_12343.jpg

[Dynapar]

Ok. Car is almost back together. I hope to post a bunch of pics up this weekend. As of now the car is sitting with pretty much everything except for the rear drivers axle. I am waiting on 2 boot kits (CV and DOJ) for the back drivers axle, that is the last part I should need and they will show up on monday (bummer I couldnt get them before the new year).

So here is list:
2004 STi 6 speed 45k miles (no DCCD controller yet)
STi Driveshaft
2004 STi R180 Rear Diff
2004 STi axles
2004 STi rear hubs and knuckles
2006 WRX rear 2 pot calipers w/ Hawk pads
DBA rear gravel spec rotors for an STi (fits 2 pots but still has room for 190mm e-brake)

[Dynapar]

Ultra picture update! I have been very busy lately with the holidays and working on the car. I got it back on the road right after christmas, at which point I had a severe clunk from the back drivers corner and my speedo was not working. I remedied those issues yesterday and now all that I need to do is get an alignment which should hopefully happen tomorrow.

As a note for anyone that under takes the 6 speed swap in to a car with a mechanical speedo. (you can run the stock mechanical speedo cable to the 6 speed bu just removing the electronic sender from the trans and screwing your cable in) Make sure to route the speedo cable underneath the pitch stop mount. I did not do this and it caused issues. first being that the TMIC pinched it against the pitch stopper and caused it to pull out of the guage cluster, secondly the cable became pinched and would not rotate which lead to the little metal tab part at the end of the speedo cable (tranny end) getting sheered off. Another note of interest, I picked up a 2 piece speedo cable from the dealer (universal for all mechanical speedo cars) and it was about 6 inches longer than my stock one which is great because it is so much easier to connect to the back of the gauge cluster.

so onto the pictures. (chronological order)

Here we have the interior of my car before the swap.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bT44TrM0I/AAAAAAAABkg/Ey7W7vtAFJ4/s800/IMG_12263.jpg

The good ole 5 speed. Pictured with around 280,000 miles.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bT5OSnNWI/AAAAAAAABkk/1RigTy6dw_0/s800/IMG_12264.jpg

Getting ready to pull the trans out. So much easier to take it out than put it in.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bT5OD6vNI/AAAAAAAABko/zIWNpE7fANA/s800/IMG_12265.jpg

The new trans to put in. late 2004 STi 6 speed. The early 04s had stubs for the front axles, the late 04s did not.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bT5Si9cPI/AAAAAAAABks/Z7twODesIuo/s800/IMG_12347.jpg

Some more swap parts.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bT5hGVQfI/AAAAAAAABkw/DeyEXiJLwy8/s800/IMG_12348.jpg

This is the rear drivers axle CV. This is why you should be wary buying parts sight unseen over the internet. This axle was saved but it took AGES!!! to get a pair of boot kits for it as they were special order through the dealership.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bVXGi7WKI/AAAAAAAABk4/3IyO_j3a3DM/s800/IMG_12349.jpg

The 94 Legacy cable pedal box compared to a WRX (GD) Hydraulic pedal box. Notice the large piece which extends to the right... this makes this box a huge PITA to install. However it is possible to install it into a car without removing the dash or anything. It takes some extra special persuasion to get it over the steering column in those tight places. I think it took me about 7 hours to get this in, that is the same amount of time it takes me to install an entire turbo kit on my car including time to swap the oil pan and fabricate/ghetto-rig some parts.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bVXQPSKqI/AAAAAAAABk8/HdG0bQb5vjI/s800/IMG_12351.jpg

Here is the GC throttle cable next to the WRX throttle cable. Huge difference, I personally prefer the short cable but it is a huge pain to swap the short cable over to the WRX pedal. (An after thought is that I could have just put the WRX pedal cover on to my stock pedal, but that would make it too easy)
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bVXuEYJcI/AAAAAAAABlA/GxIzUoHZIfs/s800/IMG_12352.jpg

This is bushing for the rear lateral link on the passenger side. As you can see the adjustment bolt has become one with the bushing. Both of the rear adjustment bolts were like this. They both had to be removed via Sawz-all, which was annoying do to the limited working area. The new bolts are now thoroughly coated in anti-seize.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bVX7fuVPI/AAAAAAAABlE/gU8o_EqxogM/s800/IMG_12367.jpg

Rear passenger corner with the hub/knuckle and lateral links gone.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bVYLfvzzI/AAAAAAAABlI/L8EpwCVA4GE/s800/IMG_12369.jpg

New (used) flywheel. This is the flywheel which comes with the exedy hyper single clutch kit for the 04 STi 6 speed. This one has 5k on it (same with clutch and PP). I know I should have had it re-surfaced but I am planning on having the motor out within a year so I will do it than. BTW: my stock 94 legacy 5 speed starter worked perfect with this.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bVphxeU8I/AAAAAAAABlM/oFjMInFlGEI/s800/IMG_12386.jpg

clutch/PP/flywheel all installed. very shiny.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bVpt8FW-I/AAAAAAAABlQ/4QHOrM22D-o/s800/IMG_12409.jpg

I deiced it would probably be a good idea to upgrade from my oem 4EAT pitch stopper to the Group N one while I had the TMIC out. Now as an after thought, having taken the TMIC out a few times now, it isnt that hard to pull/install the TMIC and this wasnt that big of a deal.)
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bVp8qGDgI/AAAAAAAABlU/1Ab5bBMbuIc/s800/IMG_12413.jpg

Bunch of parts sitting around. mainly the old rear hubs/knuckles, lateral links, and axles. The long lateral link bolts would not come out so I opted to just remove it all as one unit and get new lateral links. (FYI: you can get the pink STi pillowball lateral links from rallispec for about $100 more than the oem ones new from Subaru, had I had the time to spare (they are special order for the GC) I would have gone that route; even though I have heard there is very little noticeable gain from this upgrade on the GC without severe chassis reinforcement).
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bVqBnNOiI/AAAAAAAABlY/7-UgyEJfybQ/s800/IMG_12424.jpg

The rear drivers corner with just the trailing arm, brake caliper and sway bar in it. I had to remove the strut with the hub/knuckle and lateral links since I could not get the strut bolts out in the confined space of the wheel well. (Note: check strut top bolts when ever you have the strut out, mine magically came loose!)
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bVqOI3msI/AAAAAAAABlc/G9TrYHWJNcE/s800/IMG_12426.jpg

My original 4.11 diff on top compared to the newer STi R180 diff. Note the larger front flange plate and the shorter mounting stubs on the R180. You need to have the long studs to mount the R180 into a GC. Although you cannot see it in the pic, the R180 is slightly taller and as such means my Primitive Racing rear diff protector will not fit any more :-(.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bV1pQiHGI/AAAAAAAABlo/Hb_4bVKkXBw/s800/IMG_12429.jpg

Front drivers corner. Notice my hitch hiker? I believe I picked this rock up on the road from hell in Glacier national park in Sept, since the road was about 40-50 miles each way of that kind of rock (this would be a small one) it probably got tossed up there by the tire.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bV18gJLiI/AAAAAAAABls/SzLzZOfGPk8/s800/IMG_12444.jpg

New bolts!!! If you ever wondered what $100 in bolts looks like, here you go. This is pretty much every bolt for the rear suspension, and some misc others. Not pictured are the huge lateral link bolts which I purchased earlier, with hopes that all of the other would come out. A very important note for you GC owners looking to buy new rear alignment bolts: At some point Subaru switched the rear bolts out from 2 per side (individual bolts for the front and rear inner lateral link bolts) to one huge ass one which goes through both lateral links. I do not think that this will work on some cars since there is insufficient room for this huge bolt to clear the axle boot at the DOJ cup. Also of importance is that when they changed over to this bolt the superseded the nuts for the smaller(older style) bolts for that of the new one. The new nut has a larger diameter (same as nuts for lower strut bolts) than the old ones (same as nuts for diff carrier/studs) and will not work on the old style bolts, and since the part number for the nuts was superseded they can no longer be ordered from the dealership.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bV2I0UbaI/AAAAAAAABlw/beSvwSrqt5w/s800/IMG_12450.jpg

Driveshafts. Top to bottom: 04 STi, 95 GM4 4EAT, and 98 GF4 Impreza 5 speed. There are some minor differences, most notable being length. The 5 speed shaft is longer, while the 6spd and 4eat are the same length. The 5 speed is one piece while the other can be dissembled just past the carrier bearing.The STi and 5 speed shaft have that large round thing just infront of the carrier bearing, I dont know why. Finally the flanges on the STi shaft are bigger than the others. Tidbit: This 5 speed driveshaft is the stock one from FujiK's car.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bV2X_kQGI/AAAAAAAABl0/9iCCUJV7sdg/s800/IMG_12455.jpg

This is the stock ebrake from my 95 taken apart. You can see all of the parts and kind of how they go together. Having never touched ebrakes or drums before I was very intimidated but in reality they are very easy to work on. All you need is a screw diver and some needle nose pliers.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bV2r4BQ3I/AAAAAAAABl4/jc4coTuui54/s800/IMG_12480.jpg

Comparison shot of the 190mm STi ebrake shoe vs. the 170mm standard ebrake shoe.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bWBREgylI/AAAAAAAABl8/vXM9LY7YsHA/s800/IMG_12486.jpg

New DBA 4000 Series blank rotors. These are the STi gravel rotors which allow the use of rear 2 pot brakes with the larger 190mm STi ebrake. The only other option I am aware of to do this is to get the 04/05 STi Spec C grave rotors from Japan, as those models came with the 4/2pot rally setup from the factory. I am pretty sure that the DBAs are cheaper and more readily available than than the Spec C ones, although they dont sport the same level of Suby-Rally Bling.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bWBdQqkKI/AAAAAAAABmA/X7CbI5-yp4o/s800/IMG_12488.jpg

Comparison shot of the DBA rotors to my stock rear discs. FYI: my stock rear discs and calipers (95 Impreza LX) are the same as all of the RS and 02-05 WRX rears.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bWBo1wquI/AAAAAAAABmE/r6Bewnq8njg/s800/IMG_12489.jpg

This is kind of neat. Here I have placed my new rear rotors onto the front lug studs for a size comparison to the 2003 WRX front brakes. Yeah, that is pretty sweet. I did not upgrade to front 4 pots at this time because I didnt have the money. I will at some point in the future though. Until than.... rear brake bias? I decided to not go with the Brembos for a couple reasons: 1.) w/ 4/2 pots I can use all my current wheel/tire setups. 2.) I still have the option of running a 15" rally wheel. 3.) Cost. 4.) If they are good enough to stop a 22B they are good enough for me ;-)
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bWB13DAoI/AAAAAAAABmI/Gj3pzyc4ATI/s800/IMG_12500.jpg

Front shot. Had to remove the bumper to fix the center core support piece. The 95s had a recall on the front tow hooks (set off airbags if hit) so when I flat towed the car, after the clutch broke, I had to go off of the center support. It wasn't happy about it, but it worked.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bWB4abRjI/AAAAAAAABmM/0LdwzrOrRW8/s800/IMG_12504.jpg

close up of the mangled piece. I am pretty sure that the bumper skin was the only thing holding it from completely giving out on me.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bWLOLWJpI/AAAAAAAABmQ/HXiAos0vVyA/s800/IMG_12510.jpg

Some quick work with the vice grips and hammers later and it is almost as good as new :shifty:. I then welded the piece back down. I do intend to have the replaced when I switch up to the RS front bumper, so this is just a temporary measure.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bWLc27GVI/AAAAAAAABmU/XxDDpeBf0QQ/s800/IMG_12512.jpg

I tore apart the STi axle with the torn boot. Here are all of the parts in the DOJ cup (inner joint). The outer joint does not come apart so you need to take the DOJ apart to get the new boot on.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bWLRPMTfI/AAAAAAAABmY/hw2XJAmr9UE/s800/IMG_12536.jpg

I could not get the diff studs out of my old diff so I got some new ones from the dealer. remember this part number if you want to drop an R180 into your GC.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bWLtCfj9I/AAAAAAAABmc/qEFW43sv-z4/s800/IMG_12546.jpg

Rear end coming together.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bWLnJJ-VI/AAAAAAAABmg/-ULUCEgcVDM/s800/IMG_12549.jpg

Rear pass corner all assembled. Shiny 2006 WRX 2 pot rear caliper.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bWX4IfM2I/AAAAAAAABmo/JbIzpcq80y4/s800/IMG_12553.jpg

Interior after the swap. The shift knob that was supposed to come with the swap was ganked in transit :GRRRR!!!!!!: So I had to order another one, which just came in today. Although I was getting used to shifting by the threads.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bWX2Y-iZI/AAAAAAAABms/o9HUIdyvMdg/s800/IMG_12556.jpg

The axle boots were the last parts to come in. I was waiting for these for what seemed like a couple of weeks. This set me at stand still from new years eve to the 4th.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bWYLUYpSI/AAAAAAAABmw/qQgWJh-7HEk/s800/IMG_12557.jpg

Got the R180 in. Note the broken temp sensor, another joy of ordering parts online. At least I dont need that (yet).
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bWYCV4qmI/AAAAAAAABm0/pv3jbGGGW4E/s800/IMG_12615.jpg

I was actually planning on removing the temp sensor anyway as I was not sure it would clear my diff cover. So I ordered these fancy blue diff plugs for some extra (flush) bling. Now I just need to find a way to make my diff cover fit again.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S0bWYWCRhdI/AAAAAAAABm4/4Doe8Ij2On8/s800/IMG_12620.jpg

I will be taking more pics in the near future. This was a long project, i think that it could be more time consuming than doing the EJ205 swap. but they happened under different circumstances.

As for a review. 6 speed is about 10000000000x quieter than my old 5 speed which sounded like a metal box of rocks dropped into a blender. Not only is the box quieter but it makes my car seem quieter on the inside. I am attributing this to 2 things. 1.) the 6spd is huge and allows less room for sound to travel in the tranny tunnel and come into the cabin. 2.) switching to the hydraulic clutch closed up the large hole in the fire wall where I was running all of my misc wire (gauges/stereo) with a clutch master cylinder. All of these wires were rerouted (huge PITA, esp. the hard-wired AFR gauge) through the old and now unused clutch cable hole. It is going to take some getting used to the shorter gears. I was a huge fan of being able to pull 60mph in 2nd gear with the 4.11 5 spd. But now being able to cruise at 70mph and be under 3k rpms will be awesome.

I do not yet have a DCCD controller so I am rocking the default 35/65 split. It is very noticeably. Applying power (roads are slick and snowy up here now) will get the back end to slide out with ease. The car seems much touchier in this regard now. I cant wait until I can get a controller (DCCDPro most likely) and can play with the power split to get it to 50/50 to get a good comparison to a 5speed.

The exedy clutch really grabs! It will take some getting used to driving it smooth. It holds every drop of power my motor makes and will hold plenty more (guessing 2x). With practice I could see it not being too bad in stop/go traffic the biggest thing is getting used to the sweet spot (1500 rpms i think) where the clutch will engage smoothly and not chatter/shudder. Letting the clutch out fast and not having your revs matched perfect is very noticeable. Just need to work on getting the feel for RPMs and speed with the gears.

The rear 2 pots are dope. There is a huge difference in my brake feel now. I am running Hawk HPS pads back there. I also removed the rear wheel speed sensors (no more ABS) since my old ones had become one with my old hubs.

Damage report:
6 broken ratchets (5 3/8" and 1 1/2")
1 broken socket (1/2" drive 19mm)
3 broken wrenches (10mm ratchet wrench, 17mm ratchet wrench and 17mm 6pt box end)
2 broken reducers (1/2" -> 3/8")
1 broken fingernail (left index finger, crushed w/ 3lb maul trying to put in shift linkage roll pin)

[Dynapar]

mini update: got an alignment yesterday. as expected my rear toe was all wacky. oddly enough the rear pass side could only be brought 1/32 of 0 toe, while the rear drivers had plenty of room to go beyond that.

Also I have determined that the 35/65 split of the 04 STi w/o dccd is insane. paired with the LSD is making for a white knuckle experience when both back wheels hit a slick spot. Oddly enough I ended up spinning out yesterday (no one around) while giving it too much skinny pedal in a left hand turn from a stop. this is going to take some getting used to, as it is a whole different animal than the 50/50 5 speeds I am used to.

I know have over 800 miles on the 6speed over 50 of which are on ice/snow. so alittle more of a review. The 6 speed rules for highway cruising. I was pulling almost 30mpgs at 3k-3.25k rpms. On the ice I was happy with how the power was delivered. I was able to hook up alot more than I expected and the car would haul ass! The one thing which I was not so happy with was the amount of front grip in the slick spots, this is most likely due to not yet haing a DCCD controller and the center being open. This also became an issue when I would get stuck ( mainly from going to slow and sliding into a snow bacnk and getting high centered). I know atleast once if I had all 4 wheels spinning, instead of 3, I could have gotten out easily. Either way it was a great time and I am already looking forward to next time.

I have given more thought to the design and purpose of the 6 speed vs. the 5 speed. I have concluded that the 5spd is better for daily use as you are able to comforatly sit and accelerate out of normal speeds (ie speed limits) and not having to shift a bunch to do it. I see the 6 speed as this: a worthless first gear which allows you to get into boost/peak power ASAP and the gears are spaced to keep you in that power band / turbo spooled all the time. The transmission have completely different designs behind the gearing which took me awhile to catch onto. Now that I know it, I love it; i just which I had a track so that I could use the 6 speeds gear to their full potential.

As for the next update: it is snowing out and I am hoping to get another video up sometime. It will probably involve me spinning out a bunch trying to figure out how to control the rear bias effectively lol.

[Dynapar]

Well I should be getting my tax money back in the near future so I will be buying some more parts.

Heres what on the to buy list:
Front SS brake lines: My stock ones arent looking the greatest
TIC/Kartboy clunk killer kit: I got the clunk and bad w/ the 6speed and my L bushings
New summer tires: 2 of my RT-615s are dead from my bad alignment after the swap
DCCDPro Diff Controller: New wisdom has noted that by running w/o a controller the diff is open which will wear the clutch plates faster.

So it should be an interesting month of April for my car. I also might through in some Group N strut tops for the front to try and raise it up a hair since I am rubbing now on the 225/45/17s

[Dynapar]

This is a follow up video from the one that was previously posted

This was filmed in our last big snow storm. Let me know what you think.

z2xZOd_vy-k

[Dynapar]

Some goodies came in the mail.

RE070's are not pictured but have been mounted on my P7s and are awesome.

DCCDPro center diff controller.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S8eUk2gZD1I/AAAAAAAABrM/RbsWZm6Kzy8/s800/IMG_6407.JPG

New Exhaust: STi Genome Axleback.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S8eUmLGPLiI/AAAAAAAABrQ/Ez7zrAqb0BA/s800/IMG_6426.JPG

Exhaust on the car
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S8eUmxi7atI/AAAAAAAABrU/HxQXpuiAYV8/s800/IMG_6432_resized.jpg

So far I am really liking the exhaust. The tip is huge wheich I am not a fan of, I like the look of the stock STi exhaust. However the Genome sounds amazing. Quite at low throttle, good for driving around town, but when you get on it it sounds perfect. IMO all Subarus should come with this axle back from the factory it is awesome.

I havent had a chance to tear into the DCCD controller yet. I am hoping to get a chance to do that next week.

[Dynapar]

A couple weeks ago I found time to tackle the DCCD controller. The install was pretty straight forward. The hardest part was finding which wires I needed to tap into on the transmission harness since they are all pretty much the same color and are in a rough spot to reach. Otherwise the DCCD switches dropped almost right into the stock Impreza L center console, just a tiny bit of sanding was needed. The G-sensor was super easy to attach by just using some PVC Cement. I have not hooked up the e-brake wire yet since it requires a resistor to work in combination with the stock ebrake light. This is rather low on my priority list but it will get done some time.

Here is a pic of where I mounted the G sensor and DCCD controls.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_j5COI8WvJaU/S-h2IGB_j6I/AAAAAAAABr8/g4ahm7nfuHQ/s800/dccd.jpg

I love it, you cant even tell the controller is in the car and the DCCD buttons look factory ;-) I am finding this to be a reoccuring instance that my upgrades just seem to blend in as stock features (ie upgrading to the hydraulic clutch setup for the 6spd.)

So far it is an interesting experience driving with the DCCD. Driving in manual mode is very nice, and it is very evident when the center diff is locked up. There is some serious clamping force there. In automatic it is something else. The DCCD control knob an be used to select how aggressive the automatic mode is. I havent had a whole lot of time to play around with it, but the change in aggressiveness is very noticeable in wet conditions. Also an FYI: the controller defaults to automatic mode if the car is shut off.

I am planning on entering a local rally-x this coming weekend so I will have a bunch more work to do on the car this week. Hopefully I can get another update in before the rally-x. I have a set of rear diff bushings, outrigger bushing, a valve cover gasket and some other odds and ends to install.

[Dynapar]

The last year or so has been very productive for my car. There are still plans in the making for it, it is an on going project. Hope you enjoyed the reading.

[RS MN]

just read the whole thing, and its awesome to see this thing through all its different stages!

what was the mileage through the different turbo kits before you finally swapped it?