[apletan27]

I threw a rod on the passenger side of the motor. Obviously I'm not pumped about it lol anyways, I just got this car 2 months ago and dealership won't help. I have a Cobb intake, process west intercooler, Invidia Catless downpipe (I want to change that bc I know that is bad for the motor) and an Invidia exhaust. No tune (hence why I threw a rod). Essentially stage 2 minus the tune. Well I am rebuilding the motor. I need help for a few things. I have $2500. I want to be close to 375hp.
1) rebuild kits. Has anyone bought one? If so, which one? And your thoughts of them?
2) while I'm inside this motor, what upgrades should I do? I want to do forged pistons however I'm worried about piston slap and the proper compression ratio. The closest I can find is 8.5:1 and stock is typically 9.5:1. That worries me. Greater the compression ratio the better.
3) I'm replacing the crank. What, in yalls opinion, is the best crank on the market?
4) cams? Thoughts?
5) any advice would be greatly needed..

 

[irickchad]

I can't tell if this is a troll post or not?

a catless downpipe isn't bad for the car, a LACK OF A TUNE is what was bad for the car.

For $2500 you can't even get an OEM shortblock.

 

[WVRex2010]

375whp? because to reach that you'll need far more than 2500, as already stated you cant even get an OEM shortblock for that price. Maybe you could find one used, but then its hard to tell if its a healthy motor or if it would also just explode on you as well. To rebuild the way your post is talking and to hit the whp mark youre shooting for expect 10k at least.

 

[WRX-maniac]

2500 dollar budget? you are talking about completely building the motor here. Have you ever built a motor yourself? if so, a budget that small will not be enough. You will need a larger turbo to make that kind of power. There is 1-2k in itself. Not including supports mods such as injectors, fuel pump, protune, etc. And that is not even adding in the cost of building a motor, buying a built motor, or paying a shop to do the work for you. We are talking 10k range here if not more.

 

[WRX-maniac]

not to mention upgrading your clutch to handle the power....... Too many variables/options here... not nearly enough money. This could have probably been avoided if the car was tuned properly.

 

[irickchad]

A block to hold the power safely will be roughly 4K. that's JUST for the block, not gasket kits, tools, etc.

Add in TGV Deletes, Air pump deletes, turbo, fueling upgrades, clutch, tuning......

In the end, it doesn't matter if you're shooting for a reliable 350, or a reliable 500, you're still going to essentially be in for at least 8G's and that's if you do EVERYTHING yourself.

 

[sypher9]

This could help give you an idea of price if you are thinking short blocks :

Subaru OEM EJ255 Shortblock

IAG Stage 1 2.5L Short Block For Subaru WRX, STI, Legacy and Forester XT (Built Engine Power Output Rating: 475BHP)

 

[apletan27]

So I'm trying to EVENTUALLY get to 375.. not right away.. the tune will come just after the build. Replacing the downpipe after the build. I recently got out of the Navy and am transitioning into a new career so I'm gonna take my time with this build so when cash starts flowing in. Please no negativity. I don't need it. I've rebuild an SRT4 before by myself.. it's a pain and meticulous as he'll but I can do it. Please give me positive feedback. Thanks

 

[apletan27]

Advice on cranks, pistons, cams, and rebuild kits to include the gasket kit..

 

[apletan27]

Obviously not having the tune is the problem but like I said, I JUST bought this car and I haven't done anything to it. Everything that is in the car was the way I bought it. Personally I wouldn't have gone Invidia anything but that is just my opinion.

 

[irickchad]

Why do people cry about negativity? I don't think anyone is being negative with you, just real.

A boxer engine is very different from an SRT-4 engine. Different build, different tools, different design entirely, but you can probably do it if you take your time.

Again, you are not going to build this engine on a 2500 budget other than a stock replacement.

I understand that this is the way you bought the car, but if you're running a stage 2 setup, you'll need to run a tune for that from the second the engine is started. You're not going to be able to break it in on a stock tune. so "tuned shortly after" isn't going to cut it.

As far as a rebuild kit, if you threw a rod you're going to need a shortblock, no way around it. There's no saving it. Flat Irons tuning is a great place to get an idea of what all you're going to need.

Invidia is an astounding brand, so with the proper tuning, etc. I'd hold onto it and save yourself some cash.

Good luck with your build!!!!!

 

[SD_GR]

Either find a good used motor or buy a short block.

Forget the cams, use what you have. Send the heads to a shop, buy a full gasket kit, buy pumps, buy a timing kit, and put everything back together. Then either revert the car to fully stock and forget the 375HP stuff, or use your existing parts, have someone remap the car immediately upon assembly, and see where that gets you -- but at the potential expense of longevity.

If you go for a "built" motor it will be less reliable than a factory motor with authentic Subaru parts.

 

[MainFrame]

I threw a rod on the passenger side of the motor. Obviously I'm not pumped about it lol anyways, I just got this car 2 months ago and dealership won't help. I have a Cobb intake, process west intercooler, Invidia Catless downpipe (I want to change that bc I know that is bad for the motor) and an Invidia exhaust. No tune (hence why I threw a rod). Essentially stage 2 minus the tune. Well I am rebuilding the motor. I need help for a few things. I have $2500. I want to be close to 375hp.
1) rebuild kits. Has anyone bought one? If so, which one? And your thoughts of them?
2) while I'm inside this motor, what upgrades should I do? I want to do forged pistons however I'm worried about piston slap and the proper compression ratio. The closest I can find is 8.5:1 and stock is typically 9.5:1. That worries me. Greater the compression ratio the better.
3) I'm replacing the crank. What, in yalls opinion, is the best crank on the market?
4) cams? Thoughts?
5) any advice would be greatly needed..

1) If you threw a rod I don't know what good a rebuild kit will do you, you're going to need whole new case halves, not a rebuild.
2) With your listed budget you don't have enough money to upgrade anything inside the motor. I'm not sure why you say the stock compression ratio is typically 9.5:1. Stock compression ratio for your engine (ej255) is 8.4:1.
3) I would say the best crankshaft on the market is the cross drilled Cosworth billet crankshaft. It costs $3,800.
4) Cam choice depends entirely on your goals with the car and the other work done to the car, turbo kit/size especially.
5) You haven't stated any goals for the car, so it's hard to give advice to get there.. my best advice at this point is to start saving up, because the budget you listed isn't enough to get the car running again, let alone upgrade a bunch of stuff.

 

[WRX-maniac]

Most definitely was not trying to be negative towards you in any way. But you are listing off an entire engine build including cams, cranks, etc. But leaving out important things that are needed for reassembly. And then you say your budget is only 2500. We were simply giving you the cold hard facts. We aren't in rainbow unicorn land full of bronies watching reruns of my little pony where you can make 500whp with the sprinkle of fairy dust. These things cost money, and lots of it. Especially going down the road you are thinking about going down with built motors and such. Just trying to lend you a helping hand in realizing that you need much more than you thought, and help you prepare for it.

 

[SD_GR]

I really don't think I'd want to own a built motor. That's just me. I love driving them but they're not inexpensive and there may be maintenance costs along the way that a stock motor may not face. I've got tremendous respect for those that build them DIY -- my garage is so disorganized I can't find the hammer, let alone assemble anything complex, plus I lack the skillset anyway -- but ultimately it's not for me I don't think.

OP: consider your realistic budget and get the car back on the road with as little fanfare as possible IMO. Stock parts; fix the ECU map; replace all gaskets/pumps/belts/hoses/timing components and anything in the bottom end (with stock...) and go from there. Just IMO.