matt b.

ive just fitted a dawes boost device to my 94 wrx and am wondering if something is going wrong, as not only is it not making much of a difference (i was told that they make a huge difference on the '94) but its also causing a few niggles. after installation i slowly adjusted it one turn at a time to increase the boost, and am now reaching fractionally over 1 bar, but it really doesnt feel that it is picking up that much quicker or providing a great deal more boost ( i know i havent increased it by much yet, but i was told it would come in quicker too). i am told i should be aiming for 1.1 bar, but at this point (1 bar) my boost gauge is starting to worry me....as peak boost is reached the needle rapidly flips up and down and the car feels as if it is stuttering, albeit very slightly. i have only put it on today and only done one run so far at the higher setting, cos i really dont want to blow up. sound familiar to anyone? also, should i stretch the spring so that i have a bit more adjustment on the DD? or should i just take it off and throw it away? havent reached fuel cut out yet either, cos, well i reached underpant cut out first. if it helps (and it probably does) i have a 4" straight through exhaust from the cat back (intermediate boxes and resonators removed, it was on there when it came in to blighty) and am running a pipercross induction kit. ive read somewhere about boost spiking with a decatted or partially decatted system... do you reckon thats what it is?

[Edited by matt b. - 10/25/2002 6:40:47 PM]

Scott.T

iTrader: (2)

Depending on which part of 1994 your WRX came from, depends on what fuel-cut level the ECU is set at.

WRX 93/94 - 13.79psi
WRX 94/95 - 15.65psi

matt b.

ok i know this is a dumb question but how would i know what part of the year its from? my log book only lists when it was shipped in to the uk... either way, do you reckon that the stuttering is me getting close to the fuel cut then? have attached an air/ fuel meter today, and all seems to be as rich as is supposed to be...

thanks for your help.

matt.

jameswrx

iTrader: (4)

Is its an L reg it's(10/93 - 08/94)
If its an M reg its (09/94 - 08/95)

Don't think your stuttering is nearing fuel cut as when you hit the fuel cut it comes in hard, you'll know when this happens, there's no warning signs just the car feeling like it's got to the end of a long rope it's tied up with!
James

Katana

Meh you can easily get 20 psi safely if you've got a fuel cut defender.

matt b.

okay, its an 'l' reg. does this help with any theories? god i hope so. i was really hoping that i would get 80 thousand replies saying 'oh yeah, this happens all the time its the whaddya-mac-allit', but it looks like (yet again) ive found some new strain of impreza disease. im gonna try turning up the dawes today in the hope that i find the fuel cut and then work bank from there.am open to any other suggestions though. i had a mail from John Banks who said that putting a dawes on a wrx is as good as asking for it to blow up...anyone had any bad experiences with a dawes on the 93-94 wrx?

matt b.

okay, its an 'l' reg. does this help with any theories? god i hope so. i was really hoping that i would get 80 thousand replies saying 'oh yeah, this happens all the time its the whaddya-mac-allit', but it looks like (yet again) ive found some new strain of impreza disease. im gonna try turning up the dawes today in the hope that i find the fuel cut and then work bank from there.am open to any other suggestions though. i had a mail from John Banks who said that putting a dawes on a wrx is as good as asking for it to blow up...anyone had any bad experiences with a dawes on the 93-94 wrx?

Katana

Hows the fueling? Rich or lean? As I said before, I had my MY93 WRX run between 20-23 psi so it is possible.

matt b.

well, if my meter (dawes) and my sensor are to be believed, im on blue all of the time on full throttle. it does disco about a bit the rest of the time, but the sustained colour under acceleration is blue, which i think means rich, which is about right for scoobies huh? does this mean i can safely increase the boost? added to this mix ive now discovered that under hard acceleration my clutching is now slipping at about the 5-6000 rpm mark...part of an ongoing battle of adjustment with my pedal which wont return all the way up (master cylinder and springs replaced, made no difference, so have added a spring from the pedal itself to carry pedal back the last few cm's)... aaah the joy of subaru. wot do you reckon i should do with the boost thing then? take it apart stretch the spring and keep adjusting till i find fuel cut? thanks for your help.

matt.

jameswrx

iTrader: (4)

IMO if you've got no idea what your doing with the dawes and you are not sensitive to changes in your car and you can't watch your boost gauge like a hawk then you'll prob have trouble with your dawes, but I don't like all this 'scare mongering' about blowing your car up with a dawes, as long as your sensible and careful (you sound like you're not gonna go mad) and you know whats happening, you'll be fine!
Mines messing about a bit but i'd be happier with better pipe work! gonna get myself to Rally Design me thinks
I'm gonna have a play with mine today, got a fuel cut raiser to put on too!
I'm only aiming 1bar.
Good luck.
James

matt b.

thanks. im only aiming for about 1 bar too. also, think i might know what the problem might be now, have tried adjusting the boost and when i reduce it the clutch ceases to slip, so im guessing my clutch (its the original one and im now on about 70km's) is on its way out, which i was suspicious of anyway. reckon the stuttering (although it was only slight) was the clutch fighting to stay engaged. have now reduced to .9 bar and am not getting anymore clutch slip. its a shame though cos this has been a 'big buy something to do keep me out of trouble and/or nagging' holiday week (dawes, air/fuel meter, boost gauge)and now i cant run any higher than before. as a wise man once said d'oh. so it looks like the clutch will have to be replaced before any further boost hikes can be experimented with. will a standard subaru clutch cope with the higher boost or do i need to go for something beefier? any suggestions would be appreciated.

Katana

My only advice is to do it gradually then mate. Remember, just because its okay for like 16 psi, doesn't mean that its okay for 20. I took mine up gradually and in the end, peaked at 23 psi*. But see if you can get yourself an uprated fuel pump while you're at it. Better be safe than sorry.




*Don't try this unless you know what you're doing. You've got to be "in tune" with your car to try this.

matt b.

thanks you lot, your advice has been really helpful. cant believe that a 50 quid mod has turned into a 200 quid for metering and precaution mod, which has turned into a need a new clutch and only ap will do mod. sheesh. i hope my bank mager is in a good mood on monday. anybody kinow the best place to get a good price on a good clutch? have just gone through all the threads and about twenty web places (tsl, jw etc) but there all mega money.. plus theres fitting. anyone know anywhere good in the norfolk/suffolk area? (bearing in mind i cant barter with pigs or anything. not since the court injunction anyway) anyone want to buy a kidney? one careful owner.. mileage not guarenteed. why dont i ever learn to leave well alone?

Katana

Heh it doesn't end up there mate. You forgot the amount of gearboxes that you have to change.

matt b.

god. cant tell you how much im looking forward to that. moral of story: never do anything. ever.

thanks matey.
Matt.

matt b.

what clutch do you recommend?

Katana

AP paddle clutch. But then you'll also need a few gearboxes afterwards ( I found this out the hard way in Santa Pod).

matt b.

blimey. according to your profile youre a student, how on earth can you afford any gearboxes let alone a few?! what on earth are you studying, safebreaking? what about the ap orgasmic clutch? do they chew gearboxes too?

Katana

One thing I don't mention to people a lot is that I'm a 25 year old mech eng student. I saved up my money the honest way. I've just sold my WRX and I'm waiting to clear the rest of my money to get a type RA. But remember, if any girls asks, I'm only 19.

matt b.

ive just done the same thing at the tender age of twenty nine. a four year B. Eng hon's degree, followed by another year of M.A, all out of my own pocket. however unlike you, my money wasnt honest, i was on the game for the entire time. im sore but i need the money. just ask darren lloyd. he gets a regular user discount and ***** miles. in fact Dal is single handedly (so to speak) paying off my graduate and career development loans.

thanks for your help bud.
Matt.

Katana

So how do I get into this "game"?

jameswrx

iTrader: (4)

Hi Matt
I went through exactly the same when I put the dawes on!
I've just had a clutch fitted, got it from Mark at Lateral Performance, I'll get his email if you want?, it is stronger than an AP clutch and is cheaper.
Cost me £200 for fitting but that included fitting the lightened billet flywheel I had put on at the same time
On that note thought i'd remind you your flywheel is prob cracked from heat (mine was, similar mileage)
James

matt b.

thanks james, glad to know that for once my scooby isnt the host for a new strain of deadly virus. that email address would be really appreciated.. whereabouts are they in the world? i take it i could just buy the clutch and have fitted it nearer to home? also, is it odds on that im going to need a new flywheel and release bearing? (whatever that is) shall i assume that these are more than a tenner? thought so. anything you could share would be appreciated.

and Katana, if you really want to know how to get into the industry, i publish a pamphlet entitled 'So You Want To Be a Hooker?' or a more indepth guide called 'Hoaring for Dummies', but your extremities need to be compatible with Windows Xp to fully appreciate the 'drop-down' menus.

matt.

Katana

jameswrx

iTrader: (4)

Yeah course you just buy it off him (if you want) and he'll send it out and you can get it fitted local to you. You should be looking at around £150 - £200 for fitting, prob nearer £200 if you get a flywheel too.
You could allways get your original flywheel skimmed!
Or a skimmed standard one will be about £100 I think, mine was a bit dearer
As I said the clutch Mark does is stronger than AP comes with cover, plate and release bearing (£75) for £434 delivered, I'm pretty sure this is bout the same as AP without release bearing!

His email is m@rk-a.com
Hope this helps
James

matt b.

thanks james. ill drop him a line now.

Matt B.