Boost Addict's 08 WRX Project - 233whp/334wtq - Pics, Vids, Dyno
#92
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 846
Car Info: 08 WRX - 401whp/408wtq
#93
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iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: mobile home
Posts: 3,781
Car Info: Porsche 911 GT3
if you can get to 60 in 4.13 seconds.. you better be able to stop as fast if not faster. love your car. what coilovers will you be going with? will you be doing the bumpsteer and anti-lift kit as well?
#94
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Charleston, SC
Posts: 414
Car Info: WRB '08 WRX 5 Door
ok man. finally got to see pics. fap fap... just kidding. an 08 wrx from hell, with my paint i will fill those shoes one day! lol. not for faint of heart, but i am used to working on my 51 ford victoria! its not chop cut rebuild easy... but kicka$$ rewards. amazing build or should i say learning experience!
#95
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 846
Car Info: 08 WRX - 401whp/408wtq
Oh and my 4th attempt at 0-60 tonight... 4.11 I'm getting quicker and trying to learn to manage that torque at launch with the stock clutch
Thanks for all the compliments man!
Last edited by Boost Addict; 01-29-2009 at 06:46 PM.
#96
VIP Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 846
Car Info: 08 WRX - 401whp/408wtq
ok man. finally got to see pics. fap fap... just kidding. an 08 wrx from hell, with my paint i will fill those shoes one day! lol. not for faint of heart, but i am used to working on my 51 ford victoria! its not chop cut rebuild easy... but kicka$$ rewards. amazing build or should i say learning experience!
#97
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Charleston, SC
Posts: 414
Car Info: WRB '08 WRX 5 Door
Look on my garage. Working on getting better, more recent pics of it. It isn't a subaru, but I'm not tearing down an '08 WRX just yet. The ford required the strip. Had a 2 inch deep section of bondo on left rear quarter panel...never know what you'll find on something that old. Keep us posted on when you get closer to a 4 flat 0-60 out of that beast WRX you have!
#98
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Half-way South
Posts: 4
Car Info: 2007 unmotored 2-wheel
Man, I'm amazed. Not only because of the project development itself, but also because my ambitions seem to be almost exactly what you've got with your Stage 2: i aim at about 240whp/400Nm (294 lb.ft) wtq, but with a flatter torque curve. I thought it would require a little more work, nice to see it'll probably not even require a new fuel line. Getting a WRX is quite a hard work by itself here where I live, what to say about this kind of parts. And i don't even have my wrx yet.
However, by reading all this topic, some questions arose, if you don't mind me asking. I'm still a bit at trouble with technical terms (but learning), so any correction will be welcome.
First (and longest), about the CAI, it's a pitty I wasn't here to ask it in time, but it bugs me... you must know that on N/A cars a front snorkel like Subies' can make a small difference over some inside CAIs (except real good ones) in real world, but not truly perceived in dinos. That's because air pressure into the snorkel, specially over 50mph, helps driving the air through the filter up to the cylinder, not only engine-generated vacuum. Custom CAIs like the one you're using, on the other hand, sometimes generate turbulence that lessens this effect. While turbos are a mostly different story, wouldn't that hold true for them too so it would be better to preserve the original intake?
Well, sorry if it's too dumb a question, as I believe you have taken it into account, but turbos are still a new world for me, so I just wish to know your thoughts on this.
Second one, rexers often talk about IHI turbos, but seldom about Garrett, KKK and others... I know there's subtleties such as project goals and such, but is there a particular reason for you to choose the vf52 instead of, say, a Garrett GT2876R or GT3076R? Do you have any hint on pros/cons of each one?
Last one, I see you want to modify your suspension, but at the same time not alter the car too much... wouldn't the stiffer/lower 2009 original parts do the job?
Congratulations for your hard work and nice results, and good luck with the forecoming mods. Also, thanks in advance for your attention and for sharing all this info.
However, by reading all this topic, some questions arose, if you don't mind me asking. I'm still a bit at trouble with technical terms (but learning), so any correction will be welcome.
First (and longest), about the CAI, it's a pitty I wasn't here to ask it in time, but it bugs me... you must know that on N/A cars a front snorkel like Subies' can make a small difference over some inside CAIs (except real good ones) in real world, but not truly perceived in dinos. That's because air pressure into the snorkel, specially over 50mph, helps driving the air through the filter up to the cylinder, not only engine-generated vacuum. Custom CAIs like the one you're using, on the other hand, sometimes generate turbulence that lessens this effect. While turbos are a mostly different story, wouldn't that hold true for them too so it would be better to preserve the original intake?
Well, sorry if it's too dumb a question, as I believe you have taken it into account, but turbos are still a new world for me, so I just wish to know your thoughts on this.
Second one, rexers often talk about IHI turbos, but seldom about Garrett, KKK and others... I know there's subtleties such as project goals and such, but is there a particular reason for you to choose the vf52 instead of, say, a Garrett GT2876R or GT3076R? Do you have any hint on pros/cons of each one?
Last one, I see you want to modify your suspension, but at the same time not alter the car too much... wouldn't the stiffer/lower 2009 original parts do the job?
Congratulations for your hard work and nice results, and good luck with the forecoming mods. Also, thanks in advance for your attention and for sharing all this info.
#99
VIP Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 846
Car Info: 08 WRX - 401whp/408wtq
So we spent several hours on Church's dyno yesterday, testing over and over to discover what was causing the intermittent boost cut I was hitting at the top of 4th gear. And why was I hitting 19-20 psi when the tune called for 15 at that rpm? It seemed the first run after each test was helping, then after a few more runs, it was the same issue again. We tried swapping pills from the boost line and the wastegate line, as the boost line appeared to be machined out slightly larger: no dice. We tried running no pill on the wastegate side, again... no fix. Then we thought, let's just remove both pills altogether. Again, same issue! It was starting to get pretty frustrating as nothing would fix the issue, and it was consistently just overboosting over 4500 rpm. Shawn's right hand man even suggested shimming the wastegate assembly closer to the turbo with 3 little washers... roughly forcing the gate open an additional 1/4 inch. Again, no fix.
However, we did notice a rattle develop after the shims were put in place. Initially we thought it was a heat shield, and after careful inspection... it wasn't. We then realized that as the wastegate was "fully" opening, it really WASN'T. The arm would only turn about 15 degrees, as opposed to a full 90 degrees. Ok, I think we're on to something now.
My buddy and I were racing around the web on our phones looking for answers... Does the WG really need to be bored out? It's not the boost solenoid, as that's responding perfectly well. It's not the pills at this point preventing the bleed out. So what is it? Finally, the right question was asked... "What downpipe are you running?" A friend of my friend had known someone with the same issue.
So here's what we know, and here's what we think:
We know, the Invidia DP was designed for the '08's without any anticipation that in '09, Subaru would put in a turbo with a larger wastegate. Fact.
We know, there's a plate built into the Invidia bellmouth collector that divides the exhaust and wastegate gases.
We know, there's an internal rattling sound during idle and deceleration coming from the back of the turbocharger, on the turbine side. This rattling sound was introduced when we shimmed the wastegate assembly closer to the turbo.
We know, by observation, that the wastegate is not opening fully.
We know, through dyno data, that the hotter it gets, the issue gets worse and we see increased overboosting.
We know, as heat increases, metal expands.
So here's what we think: The plate dividing the exhaust and wastegate side of the bellmouth on the Invidia collector is preventing the wastegate from fully opening. Considering all the observations and facts above, we're left with no other conclusion. We all nodded in agreement and I scooted off as Shawn had several appointments waiting (we were supposed to only be there for an hour, the favors this guy does for us ).
Afterwards, I made a quick call to Invidia to inquire whether or not they are aware of this probable issue. Sure enough, without denial, the rep admitted that it has been an issue in some applications. Apparently, it has not been consistent enough to yield a redesign... Or, not enough end-users meticulously tune their cars and monitor it's parameters the way I do. His suggestions? Just grind some of the plate off. Normally, I'd expect a manufacturer to fix the issue for me, but given the circumstances and time constraints, I was thankful enough that he openly admitted that it may be the cause. So this Sunday, we're hoping to take some pictures for you guys while we grind the divider plate, install the injectors and new fuel pump. Then it's off to the dyno again on Tuesday to see what this thing is really made of.
FOR REFERENCE, HERE'S A PICTURE OF THE DP. Notice the separating plate? That's what we need to grind down.
However, we did notice a rattle develop after the shims were put in place. Initially we thought it was a heat shield, and after careful inspection... it wasn't. We then realized that as the wastegate was "fully" opening, it really WASN'T. The arm would only turn about 15 degrees, as opposed to a full 90 degrees. Ok, I think we're on to something now.
My buddy and I were racing around the web on our phones looking for answers... Does the WG really need to be bored out? It's not the boost solenoid, as that's responding perfectly well. It's not the pills at this point preventing the bleed out. So what is it? Finally, the right question was asked... "What downpipe are you running?" A friend of my friend had known someone with the same issue.
So here's what we know, and here's what we think:
We know, the Invidia DP was designed for the '08's without any anticipation that in '09, Subaru would put in a turbo with a larger wastegate. Fact.
We know, there's a plate built into the Invidia bellmouth collector that divides the exhaust and wastegate gases.
We know, there's an internal rattling sound during idle and deceleration coming from the back of the turbocharger, on the turbine side. This rattling sound was introduced when we shimmed the wastegate assembly closer to the turbo.
We know, by observation, that the wastegate is not opening fully.
We know, through dyno data, that the hotter it gets, the issue gets worse and we see increased overboosting.
We know, as heat increases, metal expands.
So here's what we think: The plate dividing the exhaust and wastegate side of the bellmouth on the Invidia collector is preventing the wastegate from fully opening. Considering all the observations and facts above, we're left with no other conclusion. We all nodded in agreement and I scooted off as Shawn had several appointments waiting (we were supposed to only be there for an hour, the favors this guy does for us ).
Afterwards, I made a quick call to Invidia to inquire whether or not they are aware of this probable issue. Sure enough, without denial, the rep admitted that it has been an issue in some applications. Apparently, it has not been consistent enough to yield a redesign... Or, not enough end-users meticulously tune their cars and monitor it's parameters the way I do. His suggestions? Just grind some of the plate off. Normally, I'd expect a manufacturer to fix the issue for me, but given the circumstances and time constraints, I was thankful enough that he openly admitted that it may be the cause. So this Sunday, we're hoping to take some pictures for you guys while we grind the divider plate, install the injectors and new fuel pump. Then it's off to the dyno again on Tuesday to see what this thing is really made of.
FOR REFERENCE, HERE'S A PICTURE OF THE DP. Notice the separating plate? That's what we need to grind down.
#100
VIP Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 846
Car Info: 08 WRX - 401whp/408wtq
Man, I'm amazed. Not only because of the project development itself, but also because my ambitions seem to be almost exactly what you've got with your Stage 2: i aim at about 240whp/400Nm (294 lb.ft) wtq, but with a flatter torque curve. I thought it would require a little more work, nice to see it'll probably not even require a new fuel line. Getting a WRX is quite a hard work by itself here where I live, what to say about this kind of parts. And i don't even have my wrx yet.
However, by reading all this topic, some questions arose, if you don't mind me asking. I'm still a bit at trouble with technical terms (but learning), so any correction will be welcome.
First (and longest), about the CAI, it's a pitty I wasn't here to ask it in time, but it bugs me... you must know that on N/A cars a front snorkel like Subies' can make a small difference over some inside CAIs (except real good ones) in real world, but not truly perceived in dinos. That's because air pressure into the snorkel, specially over 50mph, helps driving the air through the filter up to the cylinder, not only engine-generated vacuum. Custom CAIs like the one you're using, on the other hand, sometimes generate turbulence that lessens this effect. While turbos are a mostly different story, wouldn't that hold true for them too so it would be better to preserve the original intake?
Well, sorry if it's too dumb a question, as I believe you have taken it into account, but turbos are still a new world for me, so I just wish to know your thoughts on this.
Second one, rexers often talk about IHI turbos, but seldom about Garrett, KKK and others... I know there's subtleties such as project goals and such, but is there a particular reason for you to choose the vf52 instead of, say, a Garrett GT2876R or GT3076R? Do you have any hint on pros/cons of each one?
Last one, I see you want to modify your suspension, but at the same time not alter the car too much... wouldn't the stiffer/lower 2009 original parts do the job?
Congratulations for your hard work and nice results, and good luck with the forecoming mods. Also, thanks in advance for your attention and for sharing all this info.
However, by reading all this topic, some questions arose, if you don't mind me asking. I'm still a bit at trouble with technical terms (but learning), so any correction will be welcome.
First (and longest), about the CAI, it's a pitty I wasn't here to ask it in time, but it bugs me... you must know that on N/A cars a front snorkel like Subies' can make a small difference over some inside CAIs (except real good ones) in real world, but not truly perceived in dinos. That's because air pressure into the snorkel, specially over 50mph, helps driving the air through the filter up to the cylinder, not only engine-generated vacuum. Custom CAIs like the one you're using, on the other hand, sometimes generate turbulence that lessens this effect. While turbos are a mostly different story, wouldn't that hold true for them too so it would be better to preserve the original intake?
Well, sorry if it's too dumb a question, as I believe you have taken it into account, but turbos are still a new world for me, so I just wish to know your thoughts on this.
Second one, rexers often talk about IHI turbos, but seldom about Garrett, KKK and others... I know there's subtleties such as project goals and such, but is there a particular reason for you to choose the vf52 instead of, say, a Garrett GT2876R or GT3076R? Do you have any hint on pros/cons of each one?
Last one, I see you want to modify your suspension, but at the same time not alter the car too much... wouldn't the stiffer/lower 2009 original parts do the job?
Congratulations for your hard work and nice results, and good luck with the forecoming mods. Also, thanks in advance for your attention and for sharing all this info.
However, to keep things running safe, I went with the K&N because the MAF housing was identical to the factory unit, and it even incorporated a velocity stack which certainly aides in straightening the air flow and reducing turbulence. This all happens on a very small scale, the idea is simply to obtain consistent MAF readings so that the car is easier to tune.
I chose the VF52, because its capabilities fell right in line with the horsepower numbers I was looking to obtain at this point. It spools up fairly quick and makes big power to red-line.
Suspension: The '09 suspension updates will not suffice with what I'm looking for. I'm looking to address the springs, shocks, sways, endlinks, etc...
You have no reason to apologize for your questions. This is a forum, and it's here for that very reason. The majority of things I've learned along the years about Subies has been straight from this board
#104
VIP Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 846
Car Info: 08 WRX - 401whp/408wtq
I have the Walbro 255lph Fuel Pump and the Deatschwerks 750cc injectors.
Things are going great. Just got back from out of town. We put about 800 miles on the car and only hit boost cut once.
Last edited by Boost Addict; 02-17-2009 at 11:10 PM.