I bought the RS-RA motor... PICTURES!!

Heads, valves, pistons, rods, crankshaft, etc...

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Aerotech
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Post by Aerotech »

:) +10 pts.
I'm trading in the car for a XQJ-37 Nuclear Powered Pan Sexual Roto-Plooker.

http://www.lyricsdomain.com/6/frank_zappa/

I've come to realize over the last few days that it wasn't so much the car that needs tuning, as my right foot that needed recalibration. I've been driving this car for 8 years, and in all that time, the throttle never had any effect on the engine past about 1/3 throttle...and I was continuing to drive it that way, even with the new motor. Ingrained habits, hard to break...I just discovered a vast reserve of power when I floor the pedal. Whoo Hooo! I was actually giggling as I ripped past a contingent of the Anti-Destination League. :twisted:
Jerry

'04 Passat GLS 4Motion 5MT (Subaru by VW)
'86 Vanagon Syncro Camper Garage Queen
Aerotech
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PITCHERS!!!

Post by Aerotech »

I TOOK PICTURES, I TOOK PICTURES, YAAAAAY!

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Intake was created before anyone thought of using a coffee mug...

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MMMM...golden valve covers. Factory RS-RA heads.

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Subaru Big Block

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Mechanicat searches for answers

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Early WRX intercooler...only game in town 10 years ago.

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Bumper paint trashed both ends. Paint is 4 years old.

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Pigs on the wing

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Look here for early photos, before I bought it (2001) http://legacycentral.org/centric/members/matt.htm
Jerry

'04 Passat GLS 4Motion 5MT (Subaru by VW)
'86 Vanagon Syncro Camper Garage Queen
stipro
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Post by stipro »

You read my fricken mind.........

MMMM...golden valve covers. Factory RS-RA heads.

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The hood scoop shot is awesome too!!
1994 ABM Sport Sedan-Not stock
1990 L series/turbo-Rally project
SubaruNation
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Post by SubaruNation »

......*drooling alot*

yeah wowee.. SO nice.

ugh.. im jealous that's SO sweet.
Zach - Legacy Frankenstin
93forestpearl wrote:Keep up the good work. You'll never know what you are capable of unless you push yourself.
Aerotech
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Post by Aerotech »

Thanks!

The hood scoop, by the way, is a $40 after-market fakie that I opened up with an X-acto knife. Don't tell anyone...
Jerry

'04 Passat GLS 4Motion 5MT (Subaru by VW)
'86 Vanagon Syncro Camper Garage Queen
SubaruNation
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Post by SubaruNation »

looks pretty good for a fake :-D
Zach - Legacy Frankenstin
93forestpearl wrote:Keep up the good work. You'll never know what you are capable of unless you push yourself.
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Post by BXSS »

Good to see you are having fun with your car.

ENJOY!
94 Legacy SS
96 Impreza OBS
99 Impreza OBS-T
04 Sienna XLE Limited AWD
keirnna
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Post by keirnna »

Nice car. What are you revving the engine to?
Subarus are probably the most reliable cars made – they make Hondas look like South American dictatorships." - Jeremy Clarkson
Aerotech
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Post by Aerotech »

keirnna wrote:Nice car. What are you revving the engine to?
I usually keep it under 5500...I've never been too comfortable really winding a motor out, and with the old one, it didn't accomplish much anyway... as noted, though I'm still re-learning to drive the car, so I'll explore the top end more a bit later.
Great Clarkson quote, by the way...I love Top Gear, I can't believe no one in the US has stolen the format yet.

I am the Stig....
Jerry

'04 Passat GLS 4Motion 5MT (Subaru by VW)
'86 Vanagon Syncro Camper Garage Queen
asc_up
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Post by asc_up »

Grrrr. Black looks soooo hot on these cars. Damn.

The hood scoop looks really good!!
-Aaron

2000 Audi S4 - 2.7L Twin-turbo, 6 Speed

[quote="evolutionmovement"]It was me. And those are my balls. Happy Sunday![/quote]
keirnna
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Post by keirnna »

Aerotech wrote:
keirnna wrote:Nice car. What are you revving the engine to?
I usually keep it under 5500...I've never been too comfortable really winding a motor out, and with the old one, it didn't accomplish much anyway... as noted, though I'm still re-learning to drive the car, so I'll explore the top end more a bit later.
Great Clarkson quote, by the way...I love Top Gear, I can't believe no one in the US has stolen the format yet.

I am the Stig....
Wow 5500. The stock fuel cut on the RA engine is 8,500 RPM with a redline of 7,900. From what I read the EJ257 cannot take revving to 8K, which is a shame, but 7K should be no problem. The car is made to rev high. I really think you should explore 7k :D!
Subarus are probably the most reliable cars made – they make Hondas look like South American dictatorships." - Jeremy Clarkson
smh0101
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Post by smh0101 »

Wow... Awesome!!

Soo... Hows she handle?
~Spencer
94 Legacy Turbo (550 Robtune/ej20h v2 Sti RA drivetrain)
94 Legacy Ti Wagon (5mt ej22e)
91 rhd Legacy GT Wagon (factory 5mt, ej20g)
93 rhd Legacy GT type S2 Sedan (4eat, ej20g)
91 rhd Legacy Ti Type S 1.8
03 Lincoln LS V8 Sport
08 300 SRT8
Aerotech
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Post by Aerotech »

The handling freakin' rocks. Even with the rear sway bar disconnected! The front 22mm WL is incorrect for the car, it's for an NA car, so it rubs on the crossmember, but it works great. Basically zero body roll, the car turns like it's on rails. The only bummer is the creaks & groans from the front end, which are really pronounced when it's wet.

The rear suspension was totally out of whack when I got the car, looked like at least 3-4 deg. of toe-out (on the REAR wheels :roll: ) Looked like I was drunk going down the road, the car was bump-steering all over the place. I had to do a field surgery alignment with my adjustable wrench and a tape measure. Got it pretty damn close to neutral, too.

I still need new tie-rod ends, it's got a bit too much play in the steering. The 2.5RS steering rack is quicker, but feels heavier. I like the way it feels, but two-fingering it into a parking spot is out.

I want to fit (or try to, anyway) the 17" Prodrive P1s next week, to check out the clearances. I should be OK, they're 7.5 wide and +53 offset.
Jerry

'04 Passat GLS 4Motion 5MT (Subaru by VW)
'86 Vanagon Syncro Camper Garage Queen
Aerotech
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Post by Aerotech »

The Prodrives fit great. But the BFG KDWs are noisy as hell... they are only about 1/2 worn, from what I can tell from looking at them. But that follows what I read about the tires when researching them. They came with the rims. 215/45 17.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp ... %2FA+KDW+2

High-speed noise is tolerable, a medium pitch whine, probably about 1Khz, blends in with wind and motor, but below 20mph, they sound disturbingly similar to the mudders I have on my van, and as I approach a stop, I can actually feel the car vibrating as the tread blocks hit the pavement. Sheesh, didn't they bother testing these tires? Apparently, they are very quiet when new, and grip like glue, but start howling as they age. Not pleasant...

Guess I'll have to try my hardest to wear them out, as quickly as possible... :twisted:
Jerry

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Post by Arctic Assassian »

sooooo.... taken the tach up the range a bit more? I'd kill for a 7500 redline.
Kickin' it old-school.
keirnna
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Post by keirnna »

Aerotech wrote:The Prodrives fit great. But the BFG KDWs are noisy as hell... they are only about 1/2 worn, from what I can tell from looking at them. But that follows what I read about the tires when researching them. They came with the rims. 215/45 17.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp ... %2FA+KDW+2

High-speed noise is tolerable, a medium pitch whine, probably about 1Khz, blends in with wind and motor, but below 20mph, they sound disturbingly similar to the mudders I have on my van, and as I approach a stop, I can actually feel the car vibrating as the tread blocks hit the pavement. Sheesh, didn't they bother testing these tires? Apparently, they are very quiet when new, and grip like glue, but start howling as they age. Not pleasant...

Guess I'll have to try my hardest to wear them out, as quickly as possible... :twisted:
Why buy a performance car and tires and then complain about them being load? Give some RE-01Rs or Z1 Star Specs a try if you want loud tires :D. Neovas AD07's on the other hand are so quiet they don't even squeak when sliding sideways at 100 km/h.
Subarus are probably the most reliable cars made – they make Hondas look like South American dictatorships." - Jeremy Clarkson
Aerotech
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Post by Aerotech »

Arctic Assassian wrote:sooooo.... taken the tach up the range a bit more? I'd kill for a 7500 redline.
Yep... and then the turbo outlet hose popped. As in broke. Not really supprised, it's a coolant hose out of the Vanagon that happened to fit perfectly, but it's probably older than the car is. I need a 90 deg silicone elbow for the connection, but one end needs to be larger than the other; the inlet of the I/C is smaller than the outlet of the turbo. I guess I can clamp down extra on the smaller side to keep it in place.
Limping around with duct tape on the hose now, can't really boost it too much.

On a brighter note, I tried some really hard cornering the past few days. Wow, this thing just hangs on, especially with the KDWs on it now. No squealing, and it's very neutral in turns, doesn't push or try to rotate at all. The right front tire is rubbing on something when in extreme compression, sounds like the inner liner. Left is not touching at all.

BTW, the tires came with the rims...I didn't pick 'em out. :wink: But really, damn, the All-Terrain TAs on my van are quieter.
Jerry

'04 Passat GLS 4Motion 5MT (Subaru by VW)
'86 Vanagon Syncro Camper Garage Queen
keirnna
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Post by keirnna »

These guys can take care of all of your hose needs and they are cheap: http://www.siliconeintakes.com/
Subarus are probably the most reliable cars made – they make Hondas look like South American dictatorships." - Jeremy Clarkson
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Post by SubaruNation »

keirnna wrote:These guys can take care of all of your hose needs and they are cheap: http://www.siliconeintakes.com/
and they send you a sticker :D
Zach - Legacy Frankenstin
93forestpearl wrote:Keep up the good work. You'll never know what you are capable of unless you push yourself.
Aerotech
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Post by Aerotech »

Thanks!! :-D Great site!

I love getting packages in the mail 8)
Jerry

'04 Passat GLS 4Motion 5MT (Subaru by VW)
'86 Vanagon Syncro Camper Garage Queen
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Post by Matt Monson »

Haven't been around much recently. I am really glad to see this all sorted out and the car back on the road.

The pictures make me sad. My '91 SS that I sold at Christmas was black. Or I should say is black. Jeff, I hope you love that car as much as I did. That reminds me, I owe a guy a steering wheel still. I better get on that...
1974 Porsche 914 Cam Am Limted Edition AKA the Bumble Bee
1973 Porsche 914 2.0 l -Suby swap pending
1968 Porsche 911t survivor 47k original miles
2000 2.5RS daily driver.
1999 2.5RS w/ 50+ extra whp
Suby Hai!
Aerotech
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Post by Aerotech »

Got a silicone hose for the turbo outlet, on Ebay from a guy in Hong Kong. They didn't have one small enough on siliconeintakes, I had to go down to 1.75" on the I/C inlet side. Works like a charm.

I found the cold start problem. Took me all of 15 minutes, and 5 of that was removing the alternator. First I shot the wires to the main engine disconnects (the big grey plugs down by the battery); one temp sense wire had continuity, the other did not. I unwrapped the wires for the temp sensor, exposed the splices ECS did (had to use the original connector)...no problem there. Unwrapped a few more inches, gave a little tug, *pop* out comes the broken wire from under the coolant manifold. I wrapped up two new wires and made a new run from the disconnect to the temp sensor. Sweet, instant starting goodness in the cold light of dawn is now mine!
I figure this one broken wire cost me an extra 2 months without my car...those clowns swore they checked the wiring, but the car just would not start. Then, one day when the temp got above 40deg., the car miraculously begins to run. Praise Jesus.

Got the new carpet in...that was some work, but it looks great vs the syphillitic grey rag that was in there. http://aaaautocarpet.com/ the Impreza carpet kit.
AND... got the front seats done up in the new WRX black leather kit. Did that myself, replaced the metal hogrings with zip-ties. Took all day for both seats, but they look HOT! I have to take the rears to an upholstery shop to get modified, as a WRX doesn't have split fold-downs like us.
Put in a WRX red-stitched handbrake handle while the console was out...*Looked* identical to the old one, but the mount holes were a bit off, had to Dremel the holes elongated to fit.

On the down side, (always!) the sunroof motor died. Even w/ 12v applied right to the plug, no action. Does not look pretty to replace! I'm thinking sliding canvas sunroof, like on old Beetles. Webasto makes one, and a few other companies.
Jerry

'04 Passat GLS 4Motion 5MT (Subaru by VW)
'86 Vanagon Syncro Camper Garage Queen
SubaruNation
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Post by SubaruNation »

or you could do the pop-up kind.

some subies had those i think... like my infamous L wagon... duh..duh DUH
Last edited by SubaruNation on Fri May 16, 2008 11:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Zach - Legacy Frankenstin
93forestpearl wrote:Keep up the good work. You'll never know what you are capable of unless you push yourself.
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Post by evolutionmovement »

I got a pop-up for $150 installed when I got the car. Never leaks, weighs very little, pops up pretty high (2-level), pops out completely in seconds and stows in the rear footwell at any traffic light. I like it better than the power unit in my Mazda3.
Midnight in a Perfect World on Amazon or order anywhere. The first book in a quartet chronicling the rise of a man from angry criminal to philanthropist. Midnight... is a distopic noirish novel featuring 'Duchess', a modified 1990 Subaru Legacy wagon.
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Post by SubaruNation »

until people break into your car while you are folfing and steal your 1K woth of car audio + ipod + existance.

Ugh!
Zach - Legacy Frankenstin
93forestpearl wrote:Keep up the good work. You'll never know what you are capable of unless you push yourself.
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