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My 2002 WRX to EJ257 Swap!

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user098123
Posts: 6072 - Karma: 18
Alright so this is somewhat of a /claim thread, and also I know a lot of people on here are interested in Subaru's and WRX/STi's and all that good stuff.  This is what is known on most auto forums as a "Build Thread"

Basically a couple of months ago my A/C Idler pulley failed while I was driving...it ended up seizing, snapping off and shredding in to my timing belt cover.  This caused my belt to shred, skip teeth and then my pistons hit all of my valves.  Nothing like catastrophic engine failure in your beloved car to end your summer.

So, where does that leave us?  Decided that I was going to do what is known as a Hybrid swap.  I am getting pretty proficient with engines, and decided this would be my best bet.  So, I contacted Ron at Raw Performance in St. Louis and using my old 2.0L EJ20 WRX heads he built me a longblock containing a EJ257 2.5L STi shortblock.  So essentially I am running an STi engine with no AVCS and a slightly smaller head combustion chamber.  This is remedied though by an increase in compression ratio.

Well I just got the car back, and it is FAST!  It pulls hard, despite only having mostly stock WRX parts.  Right now I am probably pushing about 325-350 bhp, once I get done breaking in my new engine and do some OpenSource Tuning and see where I am at.  Below are my current mods and future mods, as well as my long term goals:

Hybrid EJ257/EJ205 Head Swap with +1mm Oversized Valves
Lightened Unorthodox Racing Pulley
Iridium Plugs
Cobb Downpipe
Borla Hush Catback Exhuast
Grimmspeed Ceramic Coated Catless Uppipe
Snorkus Delete and Modded Intake
Grimmspeed Thermometer
Opensource Tuning with Wideband O2


To Do:
Fuel Injectors
Walbro Fuel Pump
Blouch 18G-TD05 8cm^2
Grimmspeed EBCS
Tranny Cooler
Valvebody Modification
Front Mount Intercooler
TGV Deletes
Phenolic Spacers

Target Power:  350 whp(450-475 bhp)/330 wtq

Currently saving up for Injectors, Fuel Pump, EBCS, VF39 and that will hold me off until the Blouch 18G, which is a pretty big turbo and will really up the power.

So without further ado, some pictures for anyone who is interested:
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Needs cleaning haha...

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Notice the shiny block and timing belt cover!

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Tuning and logging OpenSource with ECUFlash and RomRaider.

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Old engine, going to be split and rebuilt.  I will then swap this shortblock in to a GC8 (1999-2001 RS) body and turn it in to a track car.

Anyway if anyone has any thoughts, suggestions or comments feel free to post!  Hope you enjoy and I will keep this thread updated as I continue the build!
Oct 14 2009 11:17PM
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ShredTheGnarnia
Posts: 2544 - Karma: 79
you sir are a douche. obviously most of us prefer driving manuals, we all realize that they are more fun and offer more control. if you had actually been intelligent enough to read the thread before posting, you would know that a) he has an auto because he couldnt find a manual when he was in the market b) the 4EAT comes with the best awd system subaru has ever made c) the 2002 5spd was the glass tranny, and it broke all the time and d) he is saving up to do an sti 6-speed swap. i also thought it was weak that its an auto at first, BUT I actually took the time to read the thread, and now its understandable.

so get off your damn high horse
Feb 21 2010 1:49PM
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powday
Posts: 3055 - Karma: 326
Naa, I actually read the whole thing and I saw that hes gonna do a manual swap and blah blah blah. I don't give a fuck. Sucks he has an auto....sucks even more that hes gotta spend hella time and money to convert the tranny....after its all said and done he coulda got an 03 STI or something.

I'm gonna continue on my high horse, peace
Feb 21 2010 1:55PM
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ShredTheGnarnia
Posts: 2544 - Karma: 79
haha you just totally and completely switched your viewpoint. the previous post was, "fuck you, you idiot, you are a dumb piece of shit driving auto" and now this one is "i feel bad for you for having to drive auto, man, i feel your pain." make up your mind!

and beyond that, you are a total idiot. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN 03 USDM STI, they didnt make it until 04 hahahahaha
Feb 21 2010 1:58PM
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powday
Posts: 3055 - Karma: 326
Oh, and most of that rant was directed twords inbreed_redneck anyways....

lets go drag race our autotragic muscle cars bro!
Feb 21 2010 2:00PM
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powday
Posts: 3055 - Karma: 326
My rant was at inbreed redneck you dumbass, not the guy with the wrx (even tho he has an auto wrx hahahahahah sucks!). And my friends dad got an STI right when they came out at the end of 03, so I dont know what your talking about....granted he got one of the first ones in northern california and had it ordered since before they released....but if you got a laugh just because the might have been fully released in 04 then cool.

Giddy up!
Feb 21 2010 2:06PM
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ShredTheGnarnia
Posts: 2544 - Karma: 79
inbred_redneck said nothing about preferring to drive auto or anything of the like. he simply stated that auto's do better in drag racing, which is a true fact. soooo, you have no reason to hate on him for that. maybe you should switch who your comment was targeted at again? lol

it's funny that you don't realize that MY's (model years, in case you didn't know) generally come out at the end of the previous year. The first MY that the STI was produced here is MY04. don't try to play it off like you meant the year they came out, not the model year, because you said 03 sti (directly referring to model year)
Feb 21 2010 2:20PM
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powday
Posts: 3055 - Karma: 326
dude, stop throwing out terms like you know it all.

My friends dad purchased and drove a STI in 2003...so it might have been an 04 model i dont give a fuck, congrats you called me out because its a 2004MY even tho they came out in 03 and you can drive them in 03.


Feb 21 2010 2:28PM
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ShredTheGnarnia
Posts: 2544 - Karma: 79
ok sure, whatever, ill let this slide. now let's go back to the statement that started all this 03/04 stuff. you said that he might as well just buy an 03 sti. even if you had said 04, like it should be, your statement still doesnt make sense. again, if you'd read the whole thread, you would see that a) his wrx will be making WAY more power than an sti and b) for people like GLrunner13 who actually know about engines and cars, half the fun is in working on the car and building it to your exact personal specs
Feb 21 2010 2:38PM
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OMGWTFBBQ
Posts: 954 - Karma: 208
no such thing as a 03 sti? in america. and he has a hybrid swap in it. stis can put out the same power with the simple drop in of pistons?
Feb 21 2010 2:42PM
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powday
Posts: 3055 - Karma: 326
Well I read the whole entire thread and I know exactly what hes doing/done so just relax buddy. I know a decent amount about cars/engines and I know working on a car is half the fun. (I've owned 3 BMW's an Audi a4 and now an Outback) and I rebuilt my 1990 e30 into a sweet little driving machine. My buddy has a 1974(?) BMW 2002 that he turbo'd and I helped him out a lot on the project. Okay, I should have said 2004 STI, whatever....I was typing fast and didn't think I was gonna be called out on it. I'm just saying, he blew his engine, has an automatic and is throwing thousands of dollars into his car....maybe I came off like a dick, I just don't see the point in modding an automatic...doing a MT swap just doe's not seem worth it to me....I just don't see the reasoning in buying an auto WRX. I don't care if he said he couldn't "find" one, thats bullshit. If you really want a manual you are patient and wait until one comes along....never settle for a pice of shit autotragic


Feb 21 2010 2:46PM
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OMGWTFBBQ
Posts: 954 - Karma: 208
this
Feb 21 2010 2:49PM
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ShredTheGnarnia
Posts: 2544 - Karma: 79
now that you've come down off your high horse, i do agree with you. sorry i was an ass.
Feb 21 2010 5:35PM
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Steeze_Cake
Posts: 613 - Karma: 16
It's is not of any such a shitty neon. I had one and the only similarity you based your assumption on is the headlights. Not a Neon "Bro".
Feb 21 2010 5:39PM
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