Max Capacity of EJ22T Turbo, Forbidden Reading etc.

[William D. Robinson]

I respectfully suggest that Adam at Z-1 Performance might be taking himself
too seriously. Adam, you are certainly entitled to your opinion and it is
within the bounds of reasonable discourse for you to suggest that readers
not follow my advice, but your warning to not even read what I submit sounds
a bit like censorship or possibly the rantings of a would-be cult leader. I
suggest that list subscribers feel free to read whatever you write, but not
to assume that you are the only authority on EJ22T mild performance tweaks.

The fuel pump upgrade and the rising rate fuel pressure regulator were
recommended by the now defunct JC Sports. While the boys at JC Sports were
a bit flaky and a bit rough around the edges, they did have considerable
EJ22T experience and they produced some very fast cars.

My stock fuel pump was a JECS A-42 646055 2224T. Is that the same as a JDM
or 2002 WRX fuel pump? I don't know. I have two stock fuel pumps and
although I have never done a scientific flow test, by visual inspection they
appear to flow exactly the same. Unless both of my stock pumps were equally
worn out, I doubt if there was anything wrong with my stock pump.

The pump was installed by Subaru parts man and rally crew chief Richard
Buckner. He has built a number of rally engines and did not appear to think
that my desire for a bigger pump was ill-advised.

I run an air/fuel ratio gauge and after the pump was installed, it showed a
richer mixture at high revs and heavy loads than it did before.

I know that I'm not terribly bright, but please try to help me understand
why a higher flowing (not higher pressure) fuel pump in a bypass type fuel
system would require an aftermarket fuel controller. You clearly stated
that a fuel controller would be necessary in your admonishment to never read
what I write, so please enlighten us cretins. My simple mind would assume
that as long as the fuel flow was adequate or above, then the ecu would
still only allow the same injector duty cycle and the stock injectors would
still spray the same, irrespective of the amount of fuel available. Please
tell us (without using any big words) exactly what laws of physics come into
play that would require the new fuel controller?

As for the hood scoop, the intercooled Legacies that used the miniscule
Legacy scoop were all of the air-to-water variety. If that tiny unobtrusive
slit was adequate for an air-to-air intercooler, then why would Subaru have
gone to the much bigger scoop on thair air-to-air intercooled cars? When my
hand-built scoop got broken in a car break-in, I put the stock scoop back
on. The intercooler was noticably hotter to the touch than with either an
Impreza scoop or my hand-sculpted scoop. I don't know very much, but
somewhere I got the idea that a colder intercooler generally works better
than an hotter one and that air flow had something to do with that
phenomenon. I am so damn dumb that I thought that a bigger scoop positioned
more in the airstream would catch more air. As much as an intercooler costs
and as difficult as most a adapt to a Legacy, I (erroneously of course)
believe that the few minutes of modification and hundred bucks or so to add
a much bigger wrecking yard hood scoop might provide reasonable power
increases and engine longevity for the buck.

I admitted at the onset that my 4/1 rising rate fuel pressure regulator was
overkill for a mildly modified EJ22T, but last I knew, increasing the fuel
pressure at higher levels of boost was a common method of slightly
increasing the output of stock injectors that might be approaching the
limits of their duty cycle. I own two sets of EJ20 injectors, but I thought
it would be more prudent to keep the 380cc/min injectors for nice idling
with my stock ECU and try to squeeze just a pinch more flow and perhaps a
less turbulent spray pattern with the higher pressure. At idle, my Vortech
unit makes no difference at all in the fuel pressure. It piggybacks on the
stock regulator, between the stock regulator and the return line to the fuel
tank. Please explain to us how a rising rate piggyback fuel regulator
operating at idle with manifold vacuum (not boost) over-pressurizes the fuel
system.


I have been driving my car in the configuration described for over a year.
Maybe I blew my engine months ago and I am so thick headed I haven't
noticed.

Bill Robinson
92 Legacy Turbo EJ22T with a few mild street modifications

NOTICE TO READERS: If you read the posting above, you have violated Adam's
admonition and you may have come into contact with forbidden thought. Go
immediately to your nearest hospital emergency room and have yourself
injected wit-h an amnesia drug.