gra2730

iTrader: (1)

Hello people.

Just wondering why so many scoobs need/have had rebuilds or have gone pop, I for one have had a my99 sinc febuary, 2 weeks later an exhaust valve in cylinder number have had a peice disintegrate leaving no comprssion in that cylinder. I had a 70k mileage engine fitted as I could not afford a rebuild, this still cost over £1k.

My question is I always warm up/cool down th car & rarely go over 6k or take it to the redline, I always cruise about 80/90mph on the motorway as been told iat get very hot due to air going over the scoop rather than in & in hot weather or at a standstill/jam I always gt a bit of cool air running over the engine to get the iat down. I also run t99.

What else can I do to protect my car apart from not driving it

I know big end is the main worry, not sure how I can protect from this, ben told by a very reputable engine builder on here that subaru engins rarely last past 100/110k

Whats everyones experince? Car is my99 with 124k & now 70k on engine fitted.

Thanks in advance

Myles

iTrader: (40)

History is the enemy. You have to hope the previous owners have looked after the car, not meaning oil changes every 3k but sensible consumable replacement at least at the manufacturers recommended periods, and sympathetic driving, ie. allowing oil to warm and cool sufficiently before booting it or stopping.
I have a friend running a classic wagon on well past the 200k mileage. I know this is the exception more than the rule but it illustrates how a well looked after engine can thrive.

Mr moff

iTrader: (1)

This is something that's always on my mind as well.
My type R my99 is out of warranty now and I'm always listening for noises.It's done around 59000 and is completely standard and mint.
In Japan since new it's had oil changes every 5000 kms and has been looked after the same way I'll look after it.
I think a lot depends also on mods and how much they get thrashed.

The more I read about engines going pop the closer I come to consider going back to an Evo.My last one I had for 5 years and it was absolutely bomb proof so I expected the scooby to be the same,although it hasn't done anything wrong yet.Thing is I love this car and don't want to get rid,but it is hard to relax with it.

One of my mates has just decided to get a late classic sti but after reading on here for the last few weeks he's changed his mind because of all the engines going pop.

Are the phase 2 engines really as crap as everyone says.

53

iTrader: (41)

Simples, many are owned by bell-ends that can't afford them but still rag the **** out of them with the poorest fluids available and no consideration for mod implications.

Things break for a reason, that reason usually being the cross threaded nut infront of the wheel

Myles

iTrader: (40)

....and there is no tool to deal with that problem.

tubbytommy

iTrader: (20)

but how many percentage wise pop before say 90K???
i bet its not that many (2.5 ringland fault apart)
your on a forum and so if you search for whatever problem no doubt someone else will have had it, but that doesnt mean its common.
nearly every post on here where someone says i can hear a rattle from my engine, gets the reply big end bearing going, when it could be 100's of things.

tubbytommy

iTrader: (20)

also in regards to thrashed, if you buy a second hand subaru at some point it will have been thrashed, its what they are for.
i bet every owner on here has revved up to 6k in every gear, but regular servicing is a must on these cars.

andy97

iTrader: (1)

Keep them standard and fully serviced, they are very reliable.

Modify, dont service properly, thrash around=unreliable

Doobs Scoob

iTrader: (2)

Thrashing them isn't the problem, thats what they are made for... Its the servicing that kills engines.. Lack of, cheap or old oil will cause you problems. Service it regularly and they fairly bullet proof.

tubbytommy

iTrader: (20)

what do people mean by thrash??
using the rev range when the car is fully warm shouldnt harm the engines at all.
you cant drive these cars flat out everywhere like your local chav does in his corsa they are too fast.

Myles

iTrader: (40)

I'd say thrash is get in it, drive to the redline from cold in all gears then stop and get out. Unsympathetic driving.

Myles

iTrader: (40)

Andy, do you mean all three in unison, because I see you have a lightly fettled motor!

Doobs Scoob

iTrader: (2)

By thrash i mean using the entire rev range when warm and some hard cornering.
Doing that when cold i call stupidity!

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

As someone who owned a MY99 with 350bhp without issue for 5 years, I always offer the same advice

1) Service on time and in accordance with Subaru guidelines
2) Use the best quality consumables (fuel and oil)
3) If you're gonna modify it, do it properly and in consulation with experts (cheap and fast do not happy bedfellows make). You play, you pay!
4) Warm up, cool down. Generally, don't drive it like a tool! There is a difference between using a car's performance and showing it no mechanical sympathy

The problem with getting one with some miles and a few previous owners is that you don't know how well they have adhered to the above!! The more owners it's had the greater the chances one of them will have been a bit of a ....well!

Looked after properly they're very reliable!

RSF1

I find many of what you guys are saying hard to believe as its clear the engine cant handle much more bhp/torque as every one is getting bigger turbos/injectors/clutches and rebuilds for 300bhp!! which I would of thought a impreza would handle no probs..

Servicing will prolong parts yes but prolong is all,they still have to be replaced some time and will go bang eventually..

If mine goes bang il never buy another,I dont drive it that hard,if ever 5k rpm max in 2-3.

If major things are changed at the right time,we could save damaging other things but how do we know when certain parts are almost broke and need replacing is another matter..

Owned many Turbo cars and subaru is the only one ive worried about..And because of this reason ive only recently bought my 1st scooby when I could of had one years ago..

While I luv the spool an cornering its not that fast a car in a straight line (stanard)

tubbytommy

iTrader: (20)

agreed this is a bad way to treat a car, but i have an 04 sti and it does 0-60 in 5 secs for arguments sake.
so there is nowhere i could possibly drive like this and live or not be arrested.
these cars cannot be driven like this they are simply too fast.

Myles

iTrader: (40)

People do though, dont they!

tubbytommy

iTrader: (20)

no they may thrash them sometimes but no all the time, for instance you couldnt do it in built up areas as you would be doing 80 mph in 8 or 9 secs,
also the fuel factor if you thrash these cars all the time you would be getting 10 or 12 mpg!
you cannot drive these like you local corsa,saxo boys

Myles

iTrader: (40)

I agree, I suppose wide open throttle everywhere is a recipe for death or prison.

KrisBuc

iTrader: (2)

I service mine regular and check weekly let it warm up and cool down but also drive it hard when i have it out suppose its the only thing you can do if it breaks sh*t you tried

MaDaSS

In my case, no mechanical expense spared ever and I treat with respect and mechanical sympathy. For 8 yrs, never ragged whilst oil cold and never allowed to stop when it aint been 'cooled down' for 2 miles, BUT, on my normal drive home it never gets on boost or over hot so normal home and off. When i'm on the motorway and know I am gonna pull in to services, I still spend the 2 miles before not using any boost or high revs before I even stop! LOL. Seems to work for me.

JohnD

iTrader: (5)

According to what you described, it didn't actually go pop in the accepted sense?
Losing a piece of valve is pretty uncommon and as likely in a BMW, Ford, EVO etc as it is in a Scoob!

JohnD

gra2730

iTrader: (1)

No you are right John and there is no explanation from the machine shop who inspected it apart from mileage and age, to be fair they do seem a bit delicate even when treated right, I am always on edge although as I paid a lot of money to drive, tax and insure tue car I will drive it how it's meant to be, not like a Chav but definately on boost because of the point above, mpg etc.

A friend who does the work on my car is a tech in a scooby main dealer and has seen brand new cars with only 3k on he clock come back with a engine blown, would a new owner really take as little care on his new car, maybe, it's only through my mechanic and his site I have really begun to understand how you have to treat your scooby...but no guarantee with the age and money I have to buy at.

When all is well great car though.

howes124

iTrader: (11)

It all in how you drive it, Trash it and it will go bang, I drove my 1993 wrx at 310/300 for 3yrs, On the same clutch and only ever changed the plugs and oil once, And yes i did it abuse it on private roads now and then .

SouthWalesSam

iTrader: (1)

I've driven my '99 Turbo Classic hard (though safely and considerately, I'd like to think) for all apart from the first 9,000 of it's 150,000 miles.

I'm on my 4th clutch (2 replaced by Subaru under warranty) so I can't claim that it's had a gentle life here on our (fairly) empty Welsh roads.

Over time several of the engine's horses escaped so at 100k I had it lightly fettled with a freer flowing air filter, boost solenoid and a remap to add some of them back.

It hasn't been cheap to run; but it has been fun, fun, fun! It's had a hard life but my view is: why own a car of this type if you're not going to use it and enjoy it?

I believe that the thing that's kept it going on the original engine, gearbox and running gear is the 18 stamps in the service book (20 from Subaru and 1 from Powerstation).

Sam

SouthWalesSam

iTrader: (1)

Maths!! That should have read 21 service stamps. (I actually scheduled 18 of the services that the car's had).
Sam