Cheers Andy, if I go down the sleeve route I’ll most likely stick to 2.5 displacement as there’s no need to de-stroke to 2.2, that new sleeves will be much thicker than the original 2.5 liners and it would be good to keep the extra capacity for torque benefits. I am certainly leaning towards sleeving the block, I know there’s always the risk of a dropped sleeve, but a 2.35 isn’t totally risk free either, it can come with its own set of issues. I like the idea of being able to replace a sleeve should anything untoward happen.

 

Thanks bud 👍🏻

 

Just a little update, the engine has been stripped by Enginetuner and the block and crank are all serviceable so will be re-used. I’ve decided to stick with a forged 2.5, rather than go down the liner or 2.35 route. I’d like to build another drag car at some point soon, so will leave the big power route until then and leave the 2015+ as a fast road car. No point trying to chase massive power in a car that has a weight deficit, and I don’t want to start pulling the interior out as it’ll spoil a nice car.

So, the spec lost will be as follows:

EJ25 with closed deck conversion
2618 pistons
Forged rods
ACL bearings
14mm head studs
Cosworth stopper gaskets
Dual AVCS heads
Supertech nitrided inlet valves
Supertech inconel exhaust valves
Supertech double valve springs
Supertech titanium retainers
Supertech valve seats
Supertech viton valve stem seals
Brian Crower Stage 2 cams
Killer B oil oickip
Killer B oil baffle plate
RCM timing belt kit
Emtron standalone ECU
Stage 3 clutch
1000cc injectors

With the above and the rest of the bits already installed (precision turbo, FMIC, parallel fuel system etc) I’m hoping it’ll crack 500 which should make it a nice powerful road car.

 

Good lad

What forged pistons and rods are you going for. How much headroom will you have. Can see you upping the power again loooool.

 

That’s the last piece of the puzzle, ET have created a build sheet which I should have just after the new year and I’m happy to leave it to them, but yes I do want some headroom as I’m sure I’ll want some more power eventually. I know I’m always going to be limited by the block, but having the headroom for an extra 100bhp would be useful, particularly as I would like to go rotated on this car at some point for a more efficient setup.

 

Just a friendly suggestion mate, you'll want more than 100bhp of head room. Stock location turbos are getting better and better. Way back when you couldn't get 500bhp without going rotated, now you can. So if you want to go rotated then you're chasing a very high bhp number and I don't think 100bhp will cut it.

Might be worth shopping around for pistons and con rods because yes they will be more expensive the higher rated you go but its cheaper than having to open up the block again. Time is money so garages don't have the time searching the internet for hours on end to find the best possible price and thats totally understandable. Make sure you get the exact size you need lol before you buy.

 

Sorry mate, to clarify, ET have specced pistons and rods, I’m waiting to find out their suggestions, they’ve been busy over the Christmas period so I’m not pushing for info until the nee year. I have my own preferences, but happy to hear ET’s recommendations first. I’ve built many engines myself, I just don’t have the time or space at the moment so have entrusted the build to ET. Most tuners have their preferred suppliers, once I find out what they recommend I’ll make my decision, or will recommend what I’d prefer to use.

With regards to the 100bhp ceiling, that’s not the ceiling for the rods and pistons, it’s for the block. Getting past 500bhp isn’t very easy on an internally gated turbo in stock location, so going past that point really needs a rotated setup. I wouldn’t want to go too far past 600 on an EJ25 block though, they tend to become a bit of a lottery past that point and I don’t want to be splitting liners. If I wanted 700bhp+ Then it will be sleeved block or 2.35, but I don’t want fo go that far with this car now.

 

That explains it

Some times you just got to send it. Like the Russian from Rocky would say "If the block breaks, it breaks"

You have deffo done your homework though

 

Definitely!! I’m hoping the Emtron will help me not to break it with some of the engine protection features built in, but the block is on the lap of the gods!! It will definitely be getting sent regularly!!

 

worth to read about supertech valves and double valve springs etc if You plan to rise revs and bhp on 2.5l
https://www.scoobynet.com/general-te...e-springs.html

 

Thanks, I am aware of that thread but, as far as I’m aware, the cause of the failure was incorrect piston to valve clearance so not a hardware issue.

I have seen Supertech failures from incorrect installation, but I’ve used them in the past in race cars and know many people using them with great results. It’s like anything though, they are not bullet proof. I used to run a big power R32 GTR that was running Tomei cams that had a reputation for breaking, but this was almost always down to incorrect installation.

Enginetuner will be more than capable of ensuring all valve train and cams are correctly installed, lash adjust correctly and a proper cam break-in so I’m happy to have them do that work.

 

One other small update I forgot to post was the new suspension that I fitted just before the car went off to Enginetuner. I had previously been running Tein Flex Z’s which were ok, but they struggled on really bumpy backroads. The shocks bodies are quite short on them so you either had to run them rock hard or you were constantly hitting the bump stops. I missed the feel of the stock suspension which Subaru really got right on these, with their only flaw being their low speed ride quality.

I decided to invest in some H&R Coilovers which use Bilstein shock bodies and H&R springs (with helper springs on the front). These are designed as a fast road setup, the shocks have much more travel so should keep the car more controlled on rough roads. I haven’t had the chance to try them out yet, but reviews on them are very good. I decide to buy new standard front and rear strut tops and conical washers, along with new rear bump stops. This should help keep NVH to a minimum.

 

Think i will go rotated on that stage

 

That’s definitely the plan, I just had to draw a line in the sand when it came to budget currently. Within the next 6 months I will be looking at going down that route with something like a G30-660 or 770.

 

Only a very small update, but I picked up a Perrin strut brace for the car over the Xmas break. It should finish off the engine bay nicely, although admittedly I’m doing it more as an engine bay dress up exercise than anything else, I’m not convinced they do much on these. I’ll get it bolted on once the car is back from Enginetuner.

 

I have to admit the perrin gear does look smart buddy

 

Thanks mate, there’s no doubt it’s a tad overpriced, but the quality is decent and the red matches well with the crackle finish on the inlet manifold.

 

I haven’t update this thread for some time now as my car has been with Enginetuner through the winter months. They have been flat out busy and my car is normally garaged over winter, so I was in no rush to have it back.

After a number of conversations about the final spec, we had decided to upgrade from Manley H Beam rods to the Turbo Tuff rods as I like to drag race the car, along with Mahle Motorsport 2618 pistons. I have also purchased a set of Supertech Cam Followers to complete the heads. I also decided to go down the flex fuel route so that I can run a meth mix, with the Precision turbo that should see me in the region of around 550bhp with ID1050 injectors providing the fuel, all managed by the Emtron ECU.

That brings me to this point…





Enginetuner had assembled the short block and the heads were nearly ready to go. However, I decided to put a spanner in the world, big time!

having had various chats with owners who had suffered liner failures on the EJ25, I decided to ask ET to strip the short block down again and send it off to Alyn at AS Performance to have the block sleeved with HD Iron Ductile liners, while keeping the closed deck conversion. This is going to allow me to push the build north of 700bhp. The car will be run in for me on the existing turbo and fuelling so I can enjoy it for a while, before the final push later in the year which will consist of a rotated turbo and more capable fuelling. Full spec for this stage of the build is below:

-EJ257 block
-Closed deck conversion
-HD Ductile Iron sleeves
-Mahle mororsport 2618 pistons
-Manley turbo tuff conrods
-APR 2000 rod bolts
-EJ25 nitrided crank
-ACL bearings
-Balanced rotating assembly
-14mm RCM head stud conversion
-RCM stopper head gaskets
-RCM timing belt kit
-Uprated 11mm oil pump
-BC stage 2 camshafts
-Supertech cam followers
-Supertech double valve springs
-Supertech titanium retainers
-Supertech nitrided inlet valves
-Supertech inconel exhaust valves
-Supertech valve seats
-Supertech viton valve stem seals
-Supertech cam followers
-KillerB windage tray
-KillerB oil baffle plate
-KillerB oil pickup pipe
-Competition Clutch Stage 3 clutch
-New OEM flywheel
-Emtron standalone ECU
-Flex fuel sensor
-Genuine STI TGV deletes
-10mm Thermal inlet spacers
-Fuji parallel fuel rails
-Fuji parallel fuel lines
-Fuji adjustable FPR
-Injector Dynamics 1050 injectors
-RCM 340lph fuel pump
-Precision 5530 ball bearing turbo
-Precision turbo inlet
-RCM equal length headers (Wrapped)
-RCM up-pipe (ceramic coated)
-Invidia 3” decat downpipe
-Milltek 3” exhaust system
-Perrin AOS (vented to atmosphere)
-PCV deleted
-Process West front mount intercooler
-GFB response blow off valve
-Perrin intake
-3 port boost solenoid
-3 bar map sensor
-Secondary air pump deleted
-Evap system deleted and vented to atmosphere
-STI group n engine, pitch stop and gearbox mounts

 

Fantastic, can’t wait to see the final outcome 👍✌️

 

Thanks mate 👍🏻

 

Somewhere, earlier I vaguely remember saying 1000bhp build and you were like no just more power. Something, something I told you so

 

Yeah I vaguely remember something about me trying to be keep it sensible, 500bhp will be enough, don’t want to go silly blah blah haha!! I clearly have issues! Ah well, you only live once hey! Prices on these cars are getting silly so I’m going to keep this forever, might as well make it something I’m not going to get bored with!

 

So the car is due back to me in a few weeks. The combination of a Covid epidemic and Ukrainian War has meant that things have been a lot harder to source than usual, so this build has taken longer than originally planned.

I have invested in a rotated setup for the car which I will be fitting over the winter months. It’s an RCM inconel rotated kit with a Precision 6262 Gen 2 bb turbo (rated for 700bhp) and Tial 45mm wastegate that vents back in to the exhaust to keep things a little more civilised.






Ive also invested in a new exhaust. The Milltek has a number of slip joints that I can see blowing apart as soon as the anti lag is used, so I’ve gone for an Invidia R400 that bolts together at every joint but should still flow well on this setup.

 

Mate you must have seriously deep pockets

 

With the build taking the best part of a year, it’s given me the opportunity to save more

 

The block is now back at Enginetuner and going through the final build phase. Massive thanks to Alyn at AS Performance for sorting out the HD Ductile Iron sleeves, the block looks like a work of art now. The rotating assembly has been balanced and fitted and the lash is being set on the heads, then it’s all together and back in the engine bay for base map and then running in.

I have also decided to have an engine bay mounted fuel surge tank with twin fuel pumps fitted in place of the battery, with the battery being relocated to the boot.

 

👍👍👍

How much longer before it’s back with you for the running in miles?

 

not too sure how comfortable i would be with a fuel surge tank in what is a very exposed area (in crash situation) in a very hot engine bay. Having it in boot would be a safer option and would also keep the fuel a lot cooler

 

It should be back with me in the next couple of weeks. I’d like to try and get the running in done in two or three weeks if I can.

 

Yep that’s a very fair comment and something f that did cross my mind, however after a chat today we have decided to go down the route of a radium dual pump hanger. I’m not going to be tracking this car really, so it’s a little overkill to have a surge tank.