legacycentral bbs

I've got a 2000 Legacy L Sedan with the hydrolic clutch and EJ251. I've been thinking about some future power mods (once I get the small amount I owe on it paid off), mostly engine stuff. Obviously, moar power means better exhaust and intake, but this is a little ways off and I already have my exhaust and intake mods planned.

I've been looking at heads and valvetrain upgrades from Axis Racing. Of my mods, I'd like to keep this car NA. Turbo kicks butt, and it is really cool to hear it kick in and have your brains sucked out the back of your head by the sudden acceleration, but that's a little beyond me here. :p Also, I'm thinking about replacing the stock fuel rails (I've heard about problems with the third cylinder running lean, and my old Legacy L with the 2.2l did have some minor problems with Cylinder #3). I'm not sure what to do for an ECU. Most of the ECU's I've seen are designed for turbo applications. Since I not going to get a turbo, would I need to find a special ECU, or would a turbo ECU with a different map work?

Any ideas? I like having things like this planned out in advance, so if something goes wrong, it doesn't screw everything else up. :p

Well, your best bet for info like this would be NASIOC. This board is mostly geared towards the BC/BF.

That said, I always had #4 cylinder problems in my 95L. Mostly just a misfire though, nothing major.

I don't see how a standalone ECU could be Turbo Specific though. It's all dependant on the maps written for it. Maybe different sensors, but if it's a real standalone (autronic or something), I don't see why you couldn't just program it to do what you want it to do.

What kind of power are you expecting out of the N/A? You say a Turbo is out of the question, but to get even close to comprable power, you are going to spend a LOT more. For the price of a full turbo kit and correct setup, you could MAYBE get 200bhp out of the EJ251. $3k for 40bhp, hardly worth it, wouldn't you say? Stick a K&N in the stock box and de-snorkify, and you'll be just as good as an aftermarket intake, but with a non-maf-fucking panel instead of the maf-fucking cone.

I've asked at NASIOC, I was just looking for fresh perspective/opinions.

I'm not looking to make a ton of power, just a little more. I'd perfer the powerband to be larger, not just make more power. V8 performance engines typically make lots of power in a broad band, from about 2,500 up to 5,500 rpm. I'd rather make a little less power, but from 3,000 rpm to 9,000 rpm. I'd have the advantage of powerband. Not to mention, it would be a lot more fun to drive. Imagine revving at some ricer and having the RPM go up to 9,000 rpm. :p

Anyway, turbo isn't out of the question, just a bit more distant. I'd like to play around with NA before Turbo. The heads would have to be changed or new pistons, but the valvetrain would be compatable with a turbo setup. Would still have a 8k or higher redline, anyway.

I sorta wish I had a 2.2l block to play with still. D: Oh well. I can always get one from Axis or a junkyard.

This is also a way for me to tinker and to learn the intracies of the 2.5l engine. Might make a turbo setup easier to do.

ahh, I gotcha, I gotcha.

Is 9k going to be safe for engine accessories? Alternator, power steering, things like that, is that going to be safe?

Finding a turbo that can still huff at 9k is going to give you some MONSTER lag, so that's something to consider for any down-the-line plans.

A super high redline would be nice for Auto-x though, just for momentums sake. Rev at anything but an S2000 on the street.

o.O; That is a very good question, actually. Since I won't be running insane things from this, like 16v lights, or a monster sound system, an underdrive pulley kit should keep anything sensetive to high revs happy. I don't think that will be a problem, but I'll contact a rep at Axis when I decide it's time to go for upgrades if they've had any problems with that.

Turbo lag... That should be a non-issue. :p I mean, with boost that will last to 9k, that's some pretty hefty boost. Should be one hell of a kick when it does spool. I've considered a series twin turbo... The VOD is a bit daunting, though. I suppose the spool problem could be solved with a small shot if nitrous. Honestly, though, if I had a turbo, it would be making boost only at the very top end of the RPM band. :p I just want that boost at the bottom of shift points...

Actually, with a good enough valvetrain, and good heads, and forged internals, a redline at 9.5k might even be a little low. I've heard of people running upwords of 11k rpm on a pretty much stock engine with valvetrain upgrades. I wouldn't go that far, but it might be possible with the right setup.

wouldnt you want to overdrive the accessories, if you were going up in the rpms?

overdriving is the problem with higher RPMs

MK

Doesnt overdrive in the automotive terms mean less rev's per minute? When an auto shifts into overdrive the revs drop. I don't see how installing a smaller pulley (underdriving) would help the situation at all. The smaller the pulley the more it rotates right? Putting an even smaller pulley than stock would just make the acc work that much harder.

You have to consider which pulley you are talking about. Making the crankshaft pulley smaller will slow down all of the other pulleys. Making an individual pulley larger will slow down that particular accessory. Thanks goes to my understanding of gear shifting on my bike

The underdriven stuff sounds like phoenetics to me. You usually underdrive the crank pulley and "overdrive" like the alternator or a/c compressor if it spins too slow. Overdrive in this case is different from transmissions. Gotta love the english language!

yes that's what I meant, keep the crank pulley the same size and make the other pulleys larger

I can probably find an alternator that's built for higher rpm conditions.

Underdrive pullies are usually putting a smaller pulley on the crank and keeping the other's the same size. :p At least, that's how I've thought of it.