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Now that i have pics.... USDM WRX IC in my legacy turbo

Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2003 2:18 am
by NuwanD
I finished the project a while back and finally got some pictures to post. It really isn't a bad install despite what ppl say, but invloves some trial and error. I plan to put a step by step writeup on how to do it.

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Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2003 6:14 am
by legacy92ej22t
step by step would be cool.looks like its packed in pretty tight.think its reasonable on a daily driver?

Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2003 6:24 am
by subiekid
did you just clock the turbo? i was thinking about doing this. once the oulet onthe turbo is the same angle as the wrx turbo then everything shoudl bolt on. nice install


you running more boost?

Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2003 7:25 am
by NuwanD
subiekid: didn't change the clocking on the stock turbo; had to piece together hosing from the turbo to the intercooler.. was the only tricky bit. I've run 13 pounds on it, but i keep it around 10 when i'm not racing.


legacy92ej22t: it is a reasonably tight fit but works out well in the end. This is my only car, and i drive it to work/school everyday.

Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2003 7:42 am
by subiekid
pics woudl be way cool. of the hose that is

Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2003 3:58 pm
by vrg3
Interesting... you got rid of your air conditioning and moved the coolant bottle to where the compressor usually sits.

Very cool; I'm impressed by the neatness of the whole installation.

Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2003 5:49 pm
by subiekid
i made a little conector that let me put the wrx ic on but it was just a serise of bends and i thought it would be way to restrictive.


you need to wash that motor :shock:

Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2003 3:48 am
by NuwanD
found this pic on another friends site...

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it's not the best angle but it gets the basic idea across. I used a single piece of hosing from a parts shop with one end flared and several pre-molded bends in it. Cut it in half and put a coupling in the joint so that i could get some sort of range of motion out of it and avoid kinking. Works very well as far as i know. I can get you a part number if you want.

I'm the first to admit she's a bit dirty... good thing i didn't post pics of the wheels and caked up brake dust :shock: ..... what do you do to clean up the engine?

Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2003 3:55 am
by Aaron's ej22t
cool. i might still go with a saab 900 setup.
what is up with your bov? is that duct tape? :?

Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2003 5:52 pm
by subiekid
do you know what size of house they are? best thing for a motor is to go down and have it power washed. they do a good job and get all the dirt and gunk off.

do you have any pics of before you installed?

Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2003 4:13 am
by NuwanD
Aaron's ej22t: duct tape was on there so i wouldn't scrape off the pretty anodizing on the bov... also cops around here are being a$$es so i don't wanna have too many things that look like mods under my hood.

subiekid: i plan on taking the IC back out so i can make a new chimney for the turbo... i'll be taking lots of pics then... not sure on hose sizes, they let me wonder around the back of the store, and i tried out a bunch of hoses before i found one that looked like it will work. You'' just have to measure both ends. I can get the part number of the hose i used if you want.

Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2003 4:20 am
by subiekid
part numbers would be great.

Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2003 8:43 pm
by Vostok 7
Is taking the A/C out required to fit the WRX intercooler?

Vostok 7

Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2003 5:02 am
by rsstiboy
now that you have the top mount interheater you will have to make the scoop bigger to get even remotely enough air in there to make it efficient, personally i would have kept my money and put it towards the std rs water/air setup or a fmic.

Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2003 8:08 pm
by subiekid
i think this would have been a cheaper project then the rs water ic. i was quoted 350 shipped from nz for all the parts. i got my wrx ic with bov for 120 shipped. then maybe 30 bucks for pipes and its less then half the price of the water ic. plus their is a great deal of weight saving by using the air to air rather then the water ic. yes it will get heat soaked in stop and go trafic, but a water spray kit can cure that. and getting air to the ic is not a problem, just order a version 2 wrx hood scoop. these scoops were made to be put on a hood that didnt come with a hole premade for them. i think it was the wersoin 2.

there are good reasons for going with a air to water ic, and good reasons for going with an air to air ic.

Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2003 9:24 pm
by NuwanD
Vostok 7: removing ac is not mandatory, but makes things easier. In order to keep the ac you will have to band the ac line that goes along the firewall down a couple of inches... for some reason that stupid line bends up and then down. Aside from that you will have to leave the coolant tank somewhereclose to it's stock location. Heatsoak to the intercooler will occur easier.

rsstiboy: Yep you are right. that's why i have a wrx hoodscoop mounted over the stock hole in the hood. No cutting required. I also built an aluminum air splitter which might be visible in my pics. I have a temp sensor mounted on my IC, the temps dropped 15 degrees Celcius after putting the wrx scoop on, and it cools down much faster when moving around town after sitting still. Also read below...

subiekid: yep, you're right too... i have a water spray as well... just a $10CDN windshield washer sprayer tank/pump mounted in the trunk with a fine mist nozzle from a spray gun from the dollar store. Gonna add 2 more nozzles soon to cover the entire IC properly.

*once again if i had a digital camera i would have all these comments/questions answered by some close up pictures.... in due time however

take care

Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2003 9:31 pm
by NuwanD
one more thing.... i know the entire installation came to under $500 canadian. This includes the following:

USDM WRX IC & Manual Boost controller with shipping
Turbosmart BOV
All tubing, misc hoses and clamps
Rubber coupling between IC and throttle body from dealership
Water spray
WRX hoodscoop

best sub $500 CDN i have ever spent......mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm boost :lol:

Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2003 11:19 pm
by ciper
NuwanD: You know, many NA Legacy AC lines dont have the bend! It would be possible to swap them.

Is it possible for an AC shop to evacuate the system and put the old gas back in?

Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2003 12:35 am
by NuwanD
ciper: thanks for the info, i should have just looked at my moms 91 na legacy.... kinda feel dumber now :roll: ... i planned on taking the ac out anyways so it's no difference with me

I think they may be able to use you "old gas" and recharge the system with that but i doubt it would cost any less than getting it filled. They charge to evacuate the system as well.

Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2003 1:45 am
by Legacy777
expect to pay about 50-75+ bucks US to refill your system with r12. If they do evacutate it, they can put it back in. Which will save you some money. But IMO, you're better off just converting. It'll just cost you a new reciever dryer, 134a refridge, esther oil, time to do work, and cost to have shop evacuate the system.

Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2003 3:17 am
by subiekid
can you tell me more about how you got the wrx scoop on? did you have to drill a few holes? mod the scoop at all?

Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2003 7:26 am
by vrg3
I think that air conditioning pipe bends that way to avoid getting too close to the turbo or the turbo heat shield.

Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2003 8:44 pm
by NuwanD
i attached my hoodscoop on so i can easily switch between stock and wrx scoops. So nothing permanent was done to the hood skin.

the wrx hood scoop uses 3 bolts in the front and 3 in the back, 6 in total as our cars but with a diferent spacing. It also has 4 screw points; 2 on each side. I used the front 3 bolts and 1 screw on each side. This is the most amount of stock attachment points you can use without adding holes to the "visible skin" of the hood. The only mod necessary to the hood was to make two notches to accept the 2 outer bolts on the front side of the scoop. They are spaced closer together than our stock scoop. I also made an aluminum air splitter which the 2 screws go through to clamp the scoop to the hood. Kinda hard to explain this but i'll try and get more pics up sometime.

* the hoodscoop hasn't come off at 180km/h, after that i have no idea .... as of yet:)

also there is a slight gap at the back of the scoop where it rests on the windshield washer nozzles. Still gotta figure out something for that. Of course you can always cut a proper hole in the hood if you want.

Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2003 2:11 am
by czo79
I'm sorry...I'm kinda slow... :shock: Could you clarify what type of wrx scoop we need to do this? Any ideas where to get it? Thanks....sweet setup by the way!
Micum

Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2003 10:16 pm
by rsstiboy
each to their own... but i prefer my RS to look like a RS not like a halfbreed wrx, I like nothing better that lining up next to a wrx and blowing his doors off!! I don't know about over there but over here wrx's are a dime a dozen, and most of the drivers are too ignorant to even realise the potential of the RS, thats the reasoning for me to keep my car (my preference) looking standard and either upgrade to fmic or keep the std water/air.