Subaru WRX Forum banner

Wreckingball Man - From Rags to Race

20K views 90 replies 26 participants last post by  TownLine500 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello Everyone,
I've been a WRX owner for almost a year now. All through high school I wanted a mustang to drag race with, but then I laid my eyes on a midnight black WRX and I immediately fell in love. And as a senior I ended up buying the WRX and forgetting all about the Mustangs. The plans are to one day go around a track and race competitively in some amatuer events in the next few years through SCCA and other organizations, though that road will be long and filled with other obligations vying for my time.

The purpose of this thread is to serve as some motivation and inspiration for myself and to introduce myself. I will also be posting reviews of businesses, clubs, and parts as i encounter them. I would love everyone's input and help as i go along. Hopefully you all will be interested to see my progress and difficulties as I try to resurrect this WRX from rags to race ready.

Thread Contents:
  • Introduction.....................................................................................Page 1 Post #1
  • Day 01: The Pickup............................................................................Page 1 Post #2
  • Day 31: Transmission Woes: Part One....................................................Page 1 Post #10
  • Day 102: Getting Started: First Mods and De-Mods..................................Page 2 Post #19
  • Day 123: Gauge Setups and OEM Center Pod Modification..........................Page 2 Post #20
  • Day 160: Getting Connected: Knoxville Subaru Owners Club.......................Page 2 Post #23
  • Day 190: Recall Work: Earl Duff Subaru..................................................Page 2 Post #28
  • Day 210: Fixing Vacum Hoses, Grab Some Lube........................................Page 3 Post #35
  • Day 240: Shaking and Vibrations: New Wheels and the Firestone Store.........Page 3 Post #36
  • Day 280: Minor Details: All About CELs...................................................Page 3 Post #39
  • Day 290: Corn on the Cobb Accessport..................................................Page 3 Post #42
  • Day 310: Going Stage 2.......................................................................Page 4 Post #47
  • Day 340: Transmission Woes: Part Two...................................................Page 4 Post #48
  • Day 372: 1 Year Anniv. and Reflections................................................Page 4 Post #53
  • Day 500: Transmission Woes: Part Three.................................................Page 4 Post #54
  • Day 530: Buying and Selling Parts: New VDO Gauges..................................Page 4 Post #55
  • Day 550: Buying and Selling Parts: New JiC Exhaust...................................Page 4 Post #56
  • Day 570: 2014 RallyCross/AutoCross Prep...........................................Page 4 Post #57
  • Day 603: Bought Back My Spats and OEM Rear Diffuser...............................Page 4 Post #58
  • Day 700: 2 Year Anniv. and Reflections: Another Year in Review............Page 4 Post #59
  • Day 912: VDO Gauges and OEM Gauge Pod Installed and Review...................Page 5 Post #75
  • Day 920: New Header and a Turbo Swap.................................................Page 5 Post #80
  • Day 1000: March Cars and Coffee and Road Rally.......................................Page 6, Post #81
  • Day 1030: Time for new Brakes..............................................................Page 6, Post #84
  • 2015 RallyCross/AutoCross Prep.......................................................Page 6, Post #85
  • JiC Magic Exhaust Install and Review......................................................Page 6, Post #86
  • Day 1095: Timing Belt Headaches..........................................................Page 6, Post #87
  • Day 1121: Bye, Bye, WRX..................................................................Page 6, Post #90


KSOC: Knoxville Subaru Owners Club
Knoxville Subaru Owners Club - Home

 
See less See more
1
#2 · (Edited)
Day One: The Pickup

...Well, actually, that lasted several days, and 3 visits over the course of a month.

The day I picked up this little gem of pain and despair, it was mid summer and I was done with high school. I had sold my long-despised RSX, that's a story for another time. No one else saw what I saw in the car underneath the roof rack and dirt. It needed a wash. Well, it needed many things since we're being honest right now. I had some cash saved up and had made some money off my RSX. After making 3 visits to the seller, it was time to swoop in for the kill and pick this bad muther up.

The car came with some decent mods. And it drove and ran phenomenal with a completely rebuilt and machined engine. It had been completely gone through. I even called up the mechanic who did the work to confirm it. It had new oil, shocks and the works. Only catch was that it needed a transmission and the engine mysteriously bogged down when the car was in neutral. Nothing that cant be fixed I thought. I would be in for some headaches, or so they say, "Impreza: welcome to the world of funny noises and boost leaks." I picked it up for a little over $3k. I joined this Forum shortly after.

First Post

http://www.clubwrx.net/forums/builds/134360350-wreckingball-mans-2002-wrx.html

Links
Subaru WRX - First Day of Ownership

Pictures
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Rim Alloy wheel








 
#3 ·
Cool thread idea. Interested in seeing how it pans out! Get some pics up there!
 
#4 ·
Welcome and looking forward to future updates! Marching band, eh? What instrument??
 
#7 ·
Cool! I was too elitest to do marching band ;) , but in my defense the tuba parts in pretty much anything you would play for a marching band are extremely boring.
 
#8 ·
Go Vols!!!

I'm a huge Tennessee football fan! My dad went to college there (he's from Kingsport, TN).
 
#10 · (Edited)
Day 31: Transmission Woes

Problems
First thing's first. Tackle the transmission problem. Second gear was shot, but unfortunately the fragments had damaged almost every other gear in the transmission. Not bad, I had planned for the worse case and we ordered a new transmission from an indoor yard in Indiana. Second, "Why is it bogging down during idle?" the engine is completely rebuilt and no CELs. So we figured it was the clutch grabbing the engine. Bad clutch, bad TOB?...We assumed it was in the clutch assembly and ordered a new OEM replacement clutch kit, which we would need anyway. And here's why.

The transmission is from a 05 "Non-Sports" package RS. To justify my transmission decision: it was significantly cheaper with very few actual miles and had the same final drive ratio as the 02 WRX. Hp levels were not going to be very high. Also, I only needed something to get me through the next few years until I could go full race car and save enough money comfortably. I decided this to be the best choice based on actual needs and the best choice financially. STi six speed in the distant future.

Sending it Off
I sent the car to the mechanic who did all the work for the previous owner since I was starting school and would have no time to work on it. He did the whole swap.

Unforeseen Issue
Here's where the headaches came in. We kept losing clutch pedal pressure after about 50mi of driving. Of course, becoming stranded several times irritated the girlfriend and to this day I cant play it down. Every time we go somewhere she says, "Hope we don't break down." I just look at her and say, "265,000 miles and still going strong, how's that mustang treating you?" Oddly enough, pressure would return to the clutch pedal the day after losing it. It would work for another 50mi and then proceed to lose pressure again. We then swapped to an 05 RS slave cylinder, however problem persisted. We swapped to an 05 RS master cylinder, problem persisted. We even thought of changing out pedal assemblies...c'mon, we were desperate. Finally we checked the clutch hose (something we should have done first).

Swap Complete
Come to find out it was rotted out. Problem solved; air in hydraulic systems don't end well. We ordered a new clutch hose. About 30 days after I picked the car up I was driving it confidently. It was beautiful. A big swap to start out our time together.

Swap List
  • 05 5MT transmission
  • 05 RS flywheel and clutch assembly
  • 05 RS master and Slave Cylinder
  • Clutch Hose
  • 05 Front Axles
Links
http://www.clubwrx.net/forums/transmission-awd/134360096-02-5mt-07-5mt-clutch-system-woes.html
Driving Around - After Transmission Swap

Pictures
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Subaru Rim
 
#11 · (Edited)
Can a brother get a comment? I thought for sure the RS trans would ruffle some feathers, guess I've been on NASIOC too much haha. New updates frequently. The story gets better, I promise :joke:
 
#13 · (Edited)
Essentially....But not exactly.
The 05 2.5RS has different ratios for every gear including final drive. However, the "Non-Sports" package RS, instead of having the 4.11 gears has the 3.90 gears like the 02 WRX. Luckily the yard had a very low mileage Non-Sports package RS trans in their warehouse. Aside from that everything's the same except for the clutch style (Pull vs Push) and axles, both of which needed replacing anyway. At 65mph in 5th the engine speed sits at 2500rpm.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Its the end of the semester and im on vacation and you're not. What's up. Anyway, hope you all had a good week. Subscribe for updates if you're interested in the build. Or comment if you have a question.
Seagull Couple

Beach Chairs
 
#16 · (Edited)
Car is in the shop...Yes, again!! Why? you ask. Well, I did too much pedestrian driving at speeds of 55mph apparently. In other words, I didnt do a damn thing!
The final section of the journal is added, stay tuned for updates and the ending..with a new twist: My Devious Master Plan. muhaha..ha :pedobear:
 
#18 ·
In time sir, it will all be posted. No pics of the girlfriend sorry, I know i just lost all interest in this thread by saying that. BUTT seriously, this is like the third major repair in a short time.
 
#19 · (Edited)
Day 102 Getting Started: First Mods and De-Mods

“Time to see what’s on this thing.” I thought. So I wrote down everything that did not appear stock and I did my research. I came up with a mod list.

Mods That Came With Car
Suspension
  • 17x9 +30 Rota Torque
  • Lightweight Lug Nuts
  • KYB GR-2 Struts
  • STi Pink Springs
Power
  • Borla UEL Headers
  • Perrin Catless Up-Pipe
  • HKS Catless Downpipe
  • Samco Sport Ancillary Hoses
  • Samco Sport Radiator Hoses
  • Injen Intercooler and Throttle Body Hoses
Interior
  • Air Freshener

My First Mods
My first goals were to replace all the worn and broken parts in the interior and clean up the exterior. Then I read a few “first mod stickies” and decided it would be wise to buy a boost gauge. And who doesn’t want a cool gauge? I bought the boost gauge for the whole “safety” blah blah opinion…made sense to me. I wasn’t happy with the exhaust note either so I bought a new to me muffler. I knew these would do nothing for performance, but it wouldn’t make a difference anyway. “I was driving an un-tuned Subaru!!” :eek::eek::eek: the thought came to me. After reading and researching further I concluded I would survive until I could get a tune, seeing as the 02-03 ECU’s were fairly adaptable. :cool:

  • Wash, Clay, Compound, Polish and Wax
  • Blue STi Carpet
  • Black STi Floor Mats
  • Kartboy Black Aluminum Shift Knob
  • 04 STi Headunit
  • Prosport Mechanical Boost
  • TurboXS 2.5" Axleback
Problems Already
After Installing the boost gauge, I realized I had a problem. “7psi?” I thought to myself. Good thing I installed it. Henceforth I became one of those, “I installed a boost gauge on a stock engine and realized I wasn’t hitting target boost” people they speak of on the FAQ stickies. Ok, I can handle this. About this time I also started to get connected with local Subaru owners. I would get help in solving this problem. What an interesting night I would soon have with a few guys from KSOC.

Links
Subaru WRX Open Downpipe

Pictures





Land vehicle Vehicle Car Subaru Snow






Land vehicle Vehicle Car Hatchback Family car
 
#20 · (Edited)
Day 123: Gauge Setups and OEM Center Pod Modification

On an un-interesting side note: My gauge setup saw regular changes, and continues to change even to this day. I’ve had three different setups so far, number 2 being the most recent. In all cases I’ve had to perform some modification to make it all work. Very simple work and could be done by almost anyone.

First Setup
I bought my first boost gauge, unfortunately it was an amber backlight and not a green backlight like my stock instruments, but I would not realize how much I would prefer the amber backlight until it was gone. Prosport 52mm mechanical. It’s a very solid gauge and performs very well and reads accurately with a moderate build quality. Looks similar to Defi and has a tinted face. I rate it 7.5/10

Second Setup
I finally installed my AEM UEGO Wideband kit when I went stage 2. This kit came with a sensor, wiring, gauge, built in controller, weld-in bung, and wiring accessories. The quality is excellent and it looks very sharp. It has auto-dimming LED’s and is accurate to within .1 AFR value. It performs very well. Wiring and setup was a breeze. I rate it 9.5/10

Third Setup
I added an oil pressure gauge. However, the intensity of the light and glare from the two gauges in my center pod became too much for night driving. It hurt my eyes. The amber backlight was not near as intense as the green backlight. The Wideband being in front of the cluster also made it hard to focus, them being at two different distances. In the end it all hurt my eyes and I ditched the oil pressure gauge, and went back to setup number 2. Included: AEM UEGO Digital Wideband, Prosport Mechanical Boost, Prosport Electric Oil Press. – Green Backlight


One


Two






Three
(No Picture Available)
 
#23 · (Edited)
Day 160 Getting Connected: Knoxville Subaru Owners Club

I showed up in west knoxville around 7pm, the usual meeting time. By the end of the night my car had become the joking point for all. In good fun that is. After some talking and fellowship around delicious food we proceeded to the parking lot to see this, "black bugeye" that i had brought. I'm sure they were all very dissappointed when they saw my car. It was beat up, the engine leaked gas fumes everywhere, I think one of them even got high from all the gas fumes spewing from my engine. That's where my car's nickname started. "skunky."

They helped me diagnose several problems and were some of the friendliest and most recieving guys I've met. We even went back to one member's house where he helped me with one of the problems I was having. Although it was just a loose vacuum line, I couldnt help but notice the warm welcome and enthusiasm this group had.

Things Needing Attention

  • No Battery Tie-Down
  • No WG Arm Clamp
  • Fuel Leak Somewhere
  • Car Not Boosting Correctly
  • No Tune
  • A couple CELs
  • High fuel trims
This would be where I would begin to fix the minor problems my car was having...time to get to work.

I would suggest anyone to get involved in their local club. The amount of knowledge they possessed between themselves and a support group to fall back on would prove very valuable. I dont have any pictures of that cold winter night, but if you want to check them out here are some links. They're a fairly new club. They have been informal for awhile but are now trying to get started as an official club.

Links
Knoxville Subaru Owners Club - Home
Knoxville Subaru Owners Club Forums Index Page

Photo Credits: http://designedbyethr.com/#/local-car-meets-ksoc/

 
#26 ·
#27 ·
The fix for the fuel smell is coming in the next "installment"...lol :baaa:, I dont know what to call it.

No, I never thought about using the dimmer wire. That's a good idea, I might try that. Although, I did get the oil pressure gauge on the cheap and couldn't pass up the deal. I had thought about reselling it and turning a small profit..small profit lol. I had only planned on running boost and AFR. I like to keep it simple and basic. But it looks like you might see a re-install in the future :thumbup:
 
#28 · (Edited)
Day 190 Recall Work: Earl Duff Subaru

Problems
So after the car sitting and only being able to drive it on the weekends because of University and the Marching band, I started thinking about working out some of these problems. The first on the list obviously would be the fuel smell. Second, the boosting issue. After talking with the guys in the Knoxville Subaru Club, I decided to take my car to Earl-Duff Subaru in Harriman, Tenn. Or rather, the "Hairy-Man" Tenn. The guy who started the club is actually a salesman there. To sum up my experience, just go. Don't think about it. I have been treated so well and so fairly it's honestly beyond belief. They might as well be my good 'ole mechanic. If you live in the knoxville area, this should be one of your go-to places for anything Subaru. They really do care about you.

Solution
After doing some research I decided my fuel problem was the fuel lines, for which there was a SOA recall.
http://www.clubwrx.net/forums/general-maintenance-troubleshooting-accidents/134288153-i-smell-raw-gas-my-wrx-its-cold-outside-thread-tsb-inside.html

Minor Setback
I dropped my car off at Grayson Subaru in Knoxville. The next morning I picked up the car up and took it to Earl-Duff. Grayson gave me too much hassle, they charge you for anything and everything and they were a real pain and resistant.

Resolution
Earl-Duff got the job done quickly and afterwards there was no fuel smell. Oddly enough my car has always been a Tennessee car, and the recall was just for northern states, but regardless it fixed my problem! Check that off the list for FREE!!, I couldn't be happier. :D

The mechanics also took a look at what could be causing my boosting issues, turns out the boost control lines were all plumbed incorrectly and I was missing the restrictor pill, My crankcase was also receiving positive pressure on the passenger side due to another out of place line, the crank breather hose was actually torn and went no where but to the atmoshpere. They provided me with a full list of OEM parts and I placed an order. Check, second item sorted out. :cool:

At this time I would also be searching for those smaller items like the WG arm clip and battery tie down. All the little things were starting to come together as well. Which is good for a detail oriented, analytical person like me.

Photo Credits: http://designedbyethr.com/#/earl-duff-meet-2013/





 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top