[XJman]

Not a build thread exactly but a thread to contain everything going on with my car so I can keep questions organized and to the point, and people have an idea what I'm doing.

History on the car its a 2011 WRX I purchased in Feb 2015 with 75k. The car has only had one owner besides myself. When I got the car it had a 1" puck lift from Subtle 16" wheels and geolander AT's, it also had a problem with the drivers side window and its auto up and down, and a massive exhaust leak. Its currently back to stock suspension setup, the exhaust is repaired, but the window is still fubar. I'll update this first post at some point with any pictures I have but for now its time to get to the point.

As some of you have known I've had some various things going on with my car. I had gotten a few misfires so I decided to take the first step to solve that and change the plugs. Plugs solved the misfire events, and in general looked good. Green shows up in pictures taken with my camera phone, however the plugs have zero green tint to them in person. I didn't drive the car after this besides to do a test and find I had a boost leak somewhere.

I'll add what pictures I have of each event shortly. Right now this is a text based adventure.

Next I went on to the boost leak issue. I had found that a common place for boost leak to occur is around the intercooler boot. After that went tragically wrong and I got it repaired my low boost got better, but still shy of targets. I took some data logs and will post them here for you folks, and hopefully someone can stop in and lend a hand or idea whats going on. I don't have anywhere I can pull all the way to redline right now. The private road I was using no longer is available for me to run it out. I went as far as I could with them. If you need a longer harder pull I'll go find what I can.

Datalog 1 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15bVAaYheHRJj9J2deP2iwuLDyg6GyB5XebGNmt5n9Ls/edit?usp=sharing

Datalog 2 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wqo0sewzpDumb82Sf4CTTcouw3XPwai1J-9iSQcgspY/edit?usp=sharing


The car as I bought it.

This is the exhaust that was leaking. It is fixed now thanks to a grimspeed adapter and proper gasketing.

This is the puck lift that was on the car when I purchased it.

I'm sure you all know what they look like stock so we can just ignore that. This is the rewired d6 connector for the power window. That wiring is wrong, don't trust it. I've got a simple diagram in another thread I started if you need it.

This is with the 1" lift factory wheels and snow tires just moments before the gentlemen at TiC fix the suspension, the exhaust, and put on my mpss

A picture of the plug post change. They all look the exact same. Any opinions on it I'll be glad to listen. I'm not a pro at reading them.

How my day started Friday morning.

And how I started it today.

 

[Sasquatch]

The spark plugs - what was the gap of the old ones?

They look pretty good to me ...

If you had not seen this one: http://www.clubwrx.net/forums/gener...lling-ngk-iridium-plugs-check-gap-really.html

 

[XJman]

I gap with shims, and I also have one of the wire type. The old ones were all about .3, one was under and my .030 shim wouldn't go but .025 would. .035 wouldn't go in any.

Yeah I don't think they are too bad. The camera just makes them look green. I think it's a mix of flash and hdr mode.

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[mycologist]

Don't see a lifted WRX every day.

 

[XJman]

I'm not going to lie to you. I didn't mind the lift as much as how improperly it was done. Needed LCA bad. The camber was goofed and the wheel placement was forward in the wheel wells.

Instead of double posting just adding to this. My AFR gauge is on the way. I've still not decided on a pod yet, but I wondered if anyone here had wired one up? Was it difficult to do? For the ones with the logging capabilities did you wire a usb dongle somewhere so you could plug into it? I'm sure they all may be a little different, but this is what I ordered. Its also got a built in boost gauge I'll have to plumb, but it has both.

http://www.aemelectronics.com/products/wideband-uego-air-fuel-controllers/wideband-failsafe-gauge

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[XJman]

Updating this with more questions.

Has anyone seen a good guide on a wide band install on our cars? I'm looking for the best ideas for routing wires through the firewall. Also the same for the vacuum line for the boost gauge.

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[XJman]

Afternoon folks. Hopefully this question gets some views.

I currently have a DC sports 2pc dp. I don't k ow what happened over the weekend but I managed to blow the gasket at the adapter to the factory midpipe as well as the adapter to the actual down pipe and the pre mid pipe pipe.

What are some possible causes of this. It was extremely hot and humid out, I was running about 70mph on the highway steadily for a little over an hour. I could actually hear the exhaust suddenly get loud. I didn't hit anything, and it was fine before I left my house. What's your opinion on this matter?

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[Steemax]

Afternoon folks. Hopefully this question gets some views.

I currently have a DC sports 2pc dp. I don't k ow what happened over the weekend but I managed to blow the gasket at the adapter to the factory midpipe as well as the adapter to the actual down pipe and the pre mid pipe pipe.

What are some possible causes of this. It was extremely hot and humid out, I was running about 70mph on the highway steadily for a little over an hour. I could actually hear the exhaust suddenly get loud. I didn't hit anything, and it was fine before I left my house. What's your opinion on this matter?

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How old is the gasket? Has it been removed and reused before?
Those gaskets are indeed considered wear and tear items that eventually fail.

 

[XJman]

Well the rear one is less than 4 months or about 4 months. The front one not exactly sure. It strikes me odd literally both at once.
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[XJman]

I'm wondering if the bottleneck to the 2.5" midpipe is causin excessive pressure in the downpipe.

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[irickchad]

Are the bolts tight?

 

[XJman]

Lol, probably not now it blew the gaskets completely out the bottom but when I had the work done I checked everything a few weeks after and it was tight. I can't imagine it loosening that much.

 

[EJ257]

What hardware did you use to secure the downpipe / adapter / catback? Did you reuse the spring bolts?

 

[XJman]

They are just standard bolts that I know of and the down pipe to mid pipe are spring bolts. Its 2 pieces so the first one is solid bolted just after the down part of the pipe where it straightens out.

 

[XJman]

Well now I'm getting a rear o2 code. I didn't think about it but my leak is pre sensor so after today the war wagon goes back on standby until I get the gaskets in.

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[McBill]

XJ, check out the last post on page 4 of my build thread: http://www.clubwrx.net/forums/builds/134384762-billys-2011-wrx-build-thread-optimus-4.html

 

[XJman]

Exhaust gaskets installed today and leak 99% solved. I need to fiddle with the rear donut gasket as I have a very tiny leak there. This completely solved the rear o2 sensor problem as I suspected it would.

The entire ordeal was a pain. I ordered the wrong gasket, the bolt pattern was too narrow, hunted down another gasket and the bolt pattern was too wide. So I just filed out the holes on the grimmspeed gasket and fit it up. The thicker gasket required longer hardware, took forever to hunt it down. All and all, don't buy a cheap downpipe.

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[Whitefang]

Xj! any update on your build?

 

[XJman]

Blew the exhaust gasket again. It's about to get dumped out the side of the car post downpipe.

No major updates. I do need to buy a new drivers side window switch unit, gonna be picking up winter tires in a few weeks, timing belts are coming up in a few thousand miles, and I think I'm getting a new exhaust because I'm sick of this gasket fiasco

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[McBill]

Blew the exhaust gasket again. It's about to get dumped out the side of the car post downpipe.

No major updates. I do need to buy a new drivers side window switch unit, gonna be picking up winter tires in a few weeks, timing belts are coming up in a few thousand miles, and I think I'm getting a new exhaust because I'm sick of this gasket fiasco

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Just weld a straight pipe to it. Problems solved.