Been looking for an impreza for a while, but one thing bugs me. Why have so many of them had engine rebuilds? I can understand the odd few and at high mileage but more imprezas have them than any other even at relatively low mileages. Is it just limited to imports as some owners dont put super unleaded in them - surely it cant be that simple. Theres also poorly modded cars and really thrashed ones but i still dont get why there are so many.

cheers in advance

 

Depends which Impreza you refer to ?
There are more Jap imports than UK cars that have had engine rebuilds, but generally that will be down to either, incorrect fuel being used or poor/none servicing or abused by their owners and also modifications that stress the engine to failure.

Get a good one in any guise, treat it well and it should treat you well, in return.

 

As a very broad generalisation - it tends to be the JDM Stis that let go.
Steve

 

and P1's at 40,000 miles

 

I think it was dave from API who said a lot of the engines that they rebuild the car was very low on fuel which ends up in fuel starvation and melted pistons or had been thrashed down the motorway at high speeds for long periods and then its blows up when they pull off on to the slip road at a much lower speed, apparently the top mount intercoooler becomes ineffective at high speeds.


You have to careful when changing your oil as well, some people's bottom ends have let go after changing the oil. You need to turn the engine over with no spark to get the oil pressure up again, a certain SN member with say this is rubbish but the last time I changed mine it took a good minute of 10 second turn overs to get the oil light to go out.

If you look after the engine it will fine, just don't go fitting silly £3.50 boost chips/resisters off ebay etc.

 

and lets not forget theres loads with make believe mileages

 

this applys really to any performance car. Treat it well and it will be kind.

At the end of the day if you want performance on a budget I'd stick with a hot hatch.

 

Please stop this nonsense! Turning over the car without starting it is BAD! The forces applied to your ends, whether they are big or little, are greater than if you actually started the engine. At low engine speeds oil pressure is proportional to engine speed, so cranking at a relatively low speed is doing your engine no good whatsoever, for these two reasons.

 

The reason fairly simple, people buy 12+ year old cars with 70-80k miles on the clock, then think it's a good idea to stress the engine further by modding it, then you get the silly 'I can't believe my engine blew up' threads on here

 

Then why Pete, it is you isn't it? do engine builders recommend you turn the engine over till you get pressure, I know what I would rather do for the sake of 2 mins.

 

agreed its lewis but i've never known of anyone break an engine by not following this advice...an urban myth perhaps?

 

Im with Kerfuffle on this one, on all the changes I have done on my scoob I have always started the engine. I do prefill the filter though. Touch wood engine still going whilst knocking on 140K

My reasoning is there will still be a coat of oil on the bearings if doing the job straight away and one quick start in my opinion is better than lots of turning over.

 

The vast majority of Subaru engines that exprire in an untimely fashion are JDM imports. With the latter ones it's because they were designed to run on 100ron fuel and till recently SUL in this country wasn't nearly good enough. With the earlier one's it's a combination of age, sometimes neglect or bad mods (it can be difficult to trace their history).

Get a well maintained JDM or UK car though and you're laughing. The stuff about subaru engine being weak, chocolate pistons etc... is utter nonsense!

Ns04

 

Driver and owner ,

Mick

 

I am not alone and it IS rubbish!!

An Oil Change without the removal of crankshaft sensor and spark plugs - never - repeat - never destroys an engine!!

If it did all the Subaru Main Dealers would be up in the small claioms court!

 

Thats after a REBUILD ..... NOT a simple Oil change!

And, no, it is NOT me!

 

After another infraction?

 

What for?

Spelling CLAIMS wrong?

 

Methinks Pete makes a fair point here.

(Hope I'm not fractioned for that ! )

 

For not adhering to Subaru's oil change procedure!!

Pete, you're usually the first one to say that Subaru designed the car and know best, so where's the love here?

PS If anyone's reading this contemplating doing their own oil change, disconnecting the crank sensor and turning the engine over might be a matter of debate but YOU MUST pre-fill the filter!!! Be warned this takes longer and more oil than you might think!!!

Ns04

 

Luckily, engine rebuilds are made much more bearable by API.

My big end went (MY99 WRX - ie import 276bhp) but I believe I can relate it to a lack of oil at some stage not too many miles before it went. The reason for lack of oil is more difficult to come to a conclusion on.

 

I'm not sure how API make a rebuild more bearable?? If I had to rebuild mine I wouldn't be thinking of thanking anyone as I stood in the middle of Boxer Engine bits!

You think your Big-End went due to a lack of oil?? Well, yes, I would agree .... bearings without oil don't last long.

But, I can assure everyone reading this, changing your Oil and starting it without fannying about will NOT destroy your engine at all .......

 

No, I am not Pete.

You said yourself, it took a good minute of 10 second turn overs before the oil light went out, are you feckin crazy? The reason why it won't go out is because the oil pump isn't very efficient at building proessure at the low cranking speed.

Start the car, the oil light will go out in less than 2 seconds. Lo + Behold, you have high oil pressure and lower forces on the bearing surfaces.

 

The problem occurred near where I used to have the car serviced and drove it straight there where they sucked in a lot of breath and said something along the lines of “That’s flipping (not exactly!) broke mate – it’ll cost yer about £4-5 grand to put it right” and I drove off in their courtesy car thinking oh dear!

When I got home, I had recovered my senses slightly and did a search on the net to come up with David at API who I contacted and, if I recall quoted £2.5k. When I asked if he could pick up he advised that would be tricky as he does all their engines!! So I returned their courtesy car, said thankyou very much and drove home in my rattly car.

In the end, I had the rebuild, new clutch, new disks and the 90k service for around £3k. So, as someone who’s wine glass is always half full, when you subtract the costs of the clutch, disks and 90k service which would have been required anyway the engine rebuild effectively cost around £1,200 – “a bargain” I told my company!

PS the oil issue is a longer even more boring story - so I won't go there.
PPS I rebuilt a Rover V8 once and it cost a fortune and a lot of time.