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I have a problem... Bought a used STi Shortblock

73K views 433 replies 17 participants last post by  ericwudi0830 
#1 · (Edited)
The Ricer-mobile Gets Built!

So this had snowballed into an all out engine build. I'm going to maintain this thread as my build, albeit a slow process.

My goal for the car is pretty simple, make me grin uncontrollably every time I push the skinny petal.

I'll keep this first post updated as things change and try to add in an index at a later time.

For now I'll leave you with the overall build list and progress to date. I'm also going to include my costs since a lot of people underestimate the cost of big power on the Subaru platform.

If it has been purchased that's the actual price including tax/shipping/etc.

Purchased:
Block/Crank - $300.00
Machine Work - $272.46
Wiseco Pistons (100mm)/Manley Rods - $769.99
Main and Rod Bearings - ACL Race Std. Size - $138.83
OEM Gasket Kit/Case Bolts - $254.07
P&L High Flow Pump - $319.49
ARP Head Studs - $162.94
Gates Timing Belt/OEM Tensioner/Gates Water Pump/All Cogs/Pulleys - $289.97
Rota Torque 5x100 - 17x8 et48 - $300.00
Dunlop Direzza Z1 Sport Star Specs 235/40/17 - $673.94

These are all budgeted prices below

Next Up:
Dome Coating on Pistons - $125.00
Group N Engine Mounts (need four nuts for plates) - $135.00
Injectors - 1000cc ID's w/pigtails - $427.50
Deatschwerks 300lph Fuel Pump w/install kit - $170.00
Cast Turbo Inlet - Brand TBD - $250.00
KS Tech Big MAF CAI - 73mm - $230.00
Brian Crower Valve Springs/Ti Retainers - $204.25
Supertech Valve Guides and Seals - $114.98
Brian Crower Stage II Cams - $586.00
Killer B Optimal Oil Pan & Ultimate Pickup & Baffle - $689.48
FMIC Brand TBD- $800
Carbonetic Pro-Blade Clutch/Fly ABS23132-16 - $1,349.00
Blouch dom3xt-r (not sure new or used) - $1,200.00-$1,800
Heads - MA Stage III or EQ Stage II Head Job -$950.00

Valves - Not sure on brand or size. Looking at ferrera, supertech. Std or +1mm. Not sure yet.


INDEX:

Main Bearings: http://www.wrxtuners.com/forums/f10...d-sti-shortblock-29055/index2.html#post254384
Oil Pump, Rods, Pistons, Rod Bearings: http://www.wrxtuners.com/forums/f10...d-sti-shortblock-29055/index2.html#post254902
ARP Head Studs: http://www.wrxtuners.com/forums/f10...d-sti-shortblock-29055/index3.html#post256378
Master Gasket Kit: http://www.wrxtuners.com/forums/f10...d-sti-shortblock-29055/index3.html#post256884
Teaser of the New Wheels: http://www.wrxtuners.com/forums/f10...d-sti-shortblock-29055/index4.html#post257136
New Tires: http://www.wrxtuners.com/forums/f10...d-sti-shortblock-29055/index4.html#post257290
Block Back from Machine Shop: http://www.wrxtuners.com/forums/f10...d-sti-shortblock-29055/index4.html#post257475
 
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#336 ·
Meh, I'm king at screwing something up at least once enough for it to come back and bite me in the arse. So, I'm hoping to eliminate my mistakes by eliminating myself for manufacturing any performance parts. More power to Chris for doing stuff with his own hands.
 
#339 ·
Over the weekend I basically got the hot side pipe done aka the easy pipe done:



It has one more piece on it than in the picture, and there is one more piece to go. I'll get to that this weekend, as well as starting the cold side piping aka the hard side.

After this weekend I'll be in Newfinland for nine days so no progress for a little while.... Also flying back to MI this friday to interview for a new jerb back in the motherland.
 
#340 ·
Looks good....I should've got pictures of my pipes. Doah...I just looked at it about a hour ago and forgot to get pictures. FMIC set-up is basically done....just waiting on a coupler to connect the last hot side pipe connection. They also had to eliminate the radiator reservoir and made a new metal one that will be located near the radiator. Are you having any problems with that on your FMIC set-up yet? Also, my hotside pipes run over the top of the turbo and the cold side come back on the drivers side....away from the heat. They also kept my APS CAI for now....kind of interesting to be able to do somethings better than most kits.
 
#341 ·
We'll see about the rad overflow bottle. I don't expect to have to move or modify it. Cold side piping isn't 100% yet but I still want to see if it's even feasible to go under the headlight. The pipe fits, but I don't think the pipe and v-band will fit through that hole.

As for the pipe routing, the way the VF52 is, the hot side hooks in right by the turbo coolant reservoir, and heads straight back to the intake area from there, so it never is even over the turbo (well it's over the compressor), then down do the core, and back up the driver's side for the cold pipe. I'll either go through the washer reservoir area, or between the timing cover and rad fans. Then it'll go along the top of the driver's side head between the battery/engine and then curve into the throttle body hose.

I may need to do something at that spot since the TB hose seems to be about 2.75" and my pipe is 2.5". I can probably just order a 2.75 -> 2.5" silicon hose and build the pipe to fit where the hose will end at. I don't need to waste money on the AVO one designed to fit the stock TMIC location.
 
#342 ·
True, your turbo layout is a little different. I keep forgetting...I should've took some pictures. :( Well, theres always next time. Yeah, they choose to run it through the radiator reservoir area for the hot pipes and I'm thinking my cold pipe is coming up between the battery and engine.
 
#343 ·
Sooooo.... Probably not making any progress on the car for a while.

Because I'm moving back to Michigan (home state)! I found a job back there that pays an extra $10k and is where we want to be so win win. The next three weeks are going to be hectic as I'm starting on the 27th and we need to move out there by then.

I have the next two weeks off, so I may be able to spend some time on the FMIC, but I'm not sure. If I don't, we're getting an apartment for six months and then finally buying ourselves a house. After that, it's game on for sure. I may even have a company car by then so I'll really be able to go without the car.
 
#346 ·
I have to venture into my tuner and find out what the deal is. Its supposedly all set-up, but not dyno tuned yet. I'm wondering why its not dyno tuned and what the hold up is. Grrr...but, we'll see what happens.

Good luck on moving to MI and you keep moving more and more east ward. Move any more east and you'll be close enough for me to venture out to. ;) LOL, but I'm sure your not planning on moving from MI any time soon.
 
#348 ·
Got the hot side done today. I'll get going on the cold side tomorrow.

I have the next two weeks off since my last day at my old job was Friday. Hopefully I'll get the thing done before we move. I may not run it just to be safe since I probably won't be able to work on the car/troubleshoot anything for a while.











I have a feeling I'm eventually going to either:

Buy a tig welder and teach myself how to weld
or
Take the pipes to a shop to have them professionally welded up now that I'll have them all cut and ready to go.

The brazing is just so sloppy it's making even me feel ocd about how it looks. I am wrinkle coating the pipes as well as painting the IC itself black so hopefully that will hide the joints a bit.
 
#349 ·
Made a tiny bit more progress today. I have the piece that will go into the throttle body pretty much done, I just need to braze a bead rolled edge onto it for the throttle body hose to clamp on to. From there I figured out that I will be able to run a pipe with a v-band under the headlight between the washer bottle filler neck, frame, and headlight. I had to cut a little bit off the washer reservoir (just some flashing on a piece of support) but other than that it will be in the stock location and everything.

I have stuff to do around the house today so I figure tomorrow I'll get back on it, I should be able to get the hot side mostly done tomorrow, if not 100%.

The only things I need to finish are an adaptor for the bpv hose (TiAL flange is too big, which I figured but the mfr said to get the bigger one anyways), coupler for the hot side pipe/turbo connection, and maybe a new hose for the throttle body as the 2.5" piping is quite loose in the throttle body hose. I think that hose is more like 2.75". If it is too big I'll just buy a 45* 2.75 to 2.5" reducer and it should be all set.
 
#350 ·
Looks great Chris...actually your turbo layout kind of makes the hot side pipe bend so much smoother than mine. I hope to get my pictures up this week....I've been on the run for 4 straight days.
 
#351 ·
Danke. I've hit a bit of a roadblock now that I'm starting to pack for my move. I'm going to get what I can done on the car today, then put it back together and shelve the project until further notice. It depends if we rent a house or apt for a few months, but it could be until fall that I have the space to really work on the car again.

As for progress, I had to cut off the bend by the fog light on the passenger side. The pipe was hitting the lamp housing and wouldn't let the bumper back on all the way. I have to finish that piece, but only having two hands is seriously killing me. I have to hold a torch, brazing rod, and two pieces of pipe at the right orientation and I just can't do it. I know for a fact I would be done by now if I had a welder.

Driver's side I'm about 75% done. I have the pipe running from the intercooler, under the headlight, and popping out in front of the battery with a v-band. I have the bend from the throttle body done, I just need to make the piece in between the two and braze on the flange for the BPV. I lubed up the bpv hose and was able to fit the TiAL on the stock hose so that's good.
 
#352 ·
Well I'm going to be pretty absent on the boards for a while. I just don't have too much time to poke around with the new job, moved back to MI, starting a house hunt, etc...

I will say I have my clutch and Killer B oil pan/pickup/baffle ordered and will be putting that all in sometime in April. Luckly I'm an hour from my Uncle and can use his garage and helping hands to do the clutch swap. I'll probably do the oil pan while the engine is out.

Other than that, no plans on the car until we find a house and I have a space to work in. Once the clutch is done, I'll be hitting up the local 1/4 mile since MI actually believes in them, unlike Nebraska.
 
#353 ·
Your not the only one. Warm air hits and summer time plans pull us from the forums. We'll be here waiting to hear how your car performs on the strip. :)

Mean while get the whole home thing taken care of Chris.
 
#354 ·
Got the clutch yesterday. I've been talking with my uncle on a good weekend to take care of it. Hopefully sometime in April will still work, and we should be able to knock it out in a day. Worst case it'll take two days.

Oil pan wasn't able to be ordered as my guy can't get KillerB anymore, so I'll have to order that straight through them in a week or two... I should have it before I do the clutch and if we have time I'll take care of it while the engine is out... I honestly don't know if it's worth putting on though. I may do the pickup and just put the oem pan back on. I don't see the benefit of the KillerB pan/baffle while the car is daily driven. All it does is add another quart to my oil change cost and I don't need the higher capacity since I don't have the extra power and track days that I figured I would want the capacity for.

Anywho, clutch and flywheel hopefully in the next month, maybe do the oil pan too. Stay tuned as I'll have pictures galore of the engine pull and clutch replacement.
 
#356 ·
ACT HD Clutch and Streetlight Flywheel Assembled Pictures

Was bored today so I decided to put the clutch assembly together... Plus it was in three boxes and now that it's together it fits in one. Space is quite limited in my apartment lol.

Oil pan should be here next week, just need to find time to drive over and get it after work. A performance shop that isn't open on weekends? C'mon.

Whole thing


Sprung, full face disc:


Back of the streetlight flywheel with clutch installed:
 
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