WRX upgrade path.....gulp
 

Hello

I have a wrx 05 UK model and I knoooooow should have bought a Sti but any hooo I'm looking to upgrade my wrx

Currently have the following:
3"magnex decat from turbo all way threw
DeatschWerks DW200 Series 255lph fuel pump
K&n typhoon filter
Ecutek remap.

My next steps are:
VF35 turbo
550 pink sti injectors
Sti up pipe
Sti tmic/undertray (already have the scoop)

Looking for 300/320bhp.

Couple questions I can fit all the mods but will I be safe enough to drive to the mapper etc?

Also is the VF35 a straight swop bolt on job from my td 04 turbo?

Any suggestions or feedback would be welcome

I have a Newage STi undertray spare. You can have it for £30 & P+P of about £5.

Drop me a PM if you want it.

Thanks anyone else with supporting mods I'd be interested too also need a 3 port solenoid

it's not so much that you need the 3port as you will get better results with it. It will help spool the turbo a little quicker so you make a little more torque/hp from it.

I think i remember reading the oil lines are different on the VF's vs the TD's but as long as they are included in your turbo then it should be a straight swap.

The injectors will make things richer than the should be without updating the map, so I would say if you have to drive on them try your best to stay out of boost

Upgrade path WRX05 got the T shirt
 

This will be fun .
How much are you spending ? ( New Turbo's are not cheap ) ,WRX06 darkblue injectors are also 560 cc . TMIC got mine from CRX racing USA with the China build TD05 turbo very good deal , but you will need to replace the actuator for a mapped car, Kinguwa do one from Taiwan which with a 0,8 bar spring will do for that . Means you get better boost build , and negates the 3 port , although if your planning to use any other turbo later is always a good idea , it allows the Map tuner a lot more control. Uppipes need a bit of research some are very wide and drop low end torque. Based on the other mods you have you should get 330-340bhp , which is about as far as you should go unless you like changing gear boxes, the MY05 WRX has the best of them but it can still be stripped by torque of engines with 350Bhp+ or by dropping the clutch at 4k at the lights. You will find the WRX is a death trap with this amount of power as the suspension and brakes are woeful , you will need either a set of Brembos or Alcon (Prodrive) AP , or similar with a good set of pads (lots to learn here)
I went for 335mm fronts discs on standard caliper from Godspeed. You should look quickly to add coilovers from maybe Tein / BCD as good priced suggestions . Do the brakes and the coil overs first and get the suspension aligned before trying to do the lanes like a Sti . :thumb: above all stay safe. Linksfahrer

Ps If you do the turbo and the Pinks , you can drive to mapper but don not let the turbo cut in above 3 k rpm otherwise the ECU will pull timing on you and it will roll to a halt , t But if you do over do it , you will get a Yellow CEL and it will be a pig to re-start. Take a 10 mm spanner and disconnect the battery , it will reset for you. ( light stays on)

Good upgrade path! I also have Rex to will be interested to see what you go with!

Have a read of my project I started off with a wrx.
The secret is never look back at the receipts.

Just drive it off boost until you get it mapped with the new parts on. Will be fine.

VF35, VF43 and VF48 all bolt on upgrades for the TD04 turbo, but VF35 probably more suited to the 2L engine.

Good luck! Nice project. I have a hawk WRX and I love every minute of it! :)

Gearbox will stay happy as long as you stay under 350 bhp

05 blob or hawk?

55 Hawk you mean?


:smug:

not sure when the first ones were around tbh

55 reg are the very early lower tax band hawk's.

Thanks I'll keep you updated its a wkd car so I can just add the bits when I get home slowly will be the key word ha

Thats what I was nervous of as scoobyclinic is about 45 min drive down the motoway for me so I can install the parts myself no problem will take few week as I work daft hours but it is possible and the cars a was car. So the VF35 just bolts on as long as I have the correct pipes from the donor car?

Are the holes/brackets the same for the sti tmic to fit the wrx?

Thanks Dave Y going to have a look now

05 blob wrx still only 21k miles on it lol

Here she is having a health check at scooby clinic lol

Attachment 46351

So long as the VF35 comes with the metal oil feed pipe and banjo bolt then you are good to go! It will bolt straight on to your up pipe with a new gasket set. You will probably need to change the intercooler hoses too at that point as the new turbo is bigger and the WRX intercooler flexi pipes are not up to the job.

Also worth considering changing the up pipe to a de-catted version like the STI or later imprezas as this will massively help turbo spool up.

Lovely looking blob. :thumb:

Thats great cheers I'll make sure they are included with the turbo and I'll purchase a uprated silicone pipe too kerching haha, as the famous 3 wise men of W R X said "don't look at the receipts" haha

The WRX 05 has a mounting bracket that fits both sizes , over the turbo side.

ahh, I saw that on my 05 WRX and wondered if that was the case.

cheers :thumb:

Personally I would go straight to 18g and avoid vf35.
I've run two, one on a bug WRX and another on my current STI before I went to 20g and later (still running) an SC42.

I "upgraded" from a TD04 to a vf35 on my bugeye but to be honest I regretted doing it, I never felt the vf35 offered much more punch than my original TD04; the car gained around 40 horsepower (ran 281 on its TD04 with a prodrive sports cat and decat centre with STI up pipe, then 323 on the vf35) but not much additional torque and continued to lack the midrange and top end pull I was looking for.
The late great Simon got 300bhp out of my friend's blob WRX on its original TD04 - the hawk WRX TD04's in particular always seem to make very good figures so if 300's your aim why change without giving your current turbo a go?

A decent billet 18g (or even an SC36) will be a cracking turbo and give you decent spool with more punch, midrange and top end than a vf35, and won't be crone to the penny valve cracking most of those turbos suffer from. They're a bit more slap you in the back in terms of power delivery but I personally think it makes the car more fun to drive.
My friend's blob WRX ran one and his was easily as fast as mine up to around 60-70mph, really was rapid.

BUT....before you do all that, like someone above said, fit better brakes because if you go 300+ on 4 pots you'll likely end up in a wall or ditch somewhere as they're only good for a couple of hard stops before you cook them, regardless of what pad, disc and fluid combo you use - fine on a lighter classic, rubbish for heavier newage.

P.S. just to clarify one other point above, disconnecting the battery does not reset your ECU on a newage

^^^ Good advice.

If you can afford it, go billet. The VF range of turbos are all prone to wastegate cracks, but they don't effect performance. My later vf48 has a crack and still makes 334/380 happily. figures will vary from car to car but a lot of people have got on well with the vf turbo and if you are on a budget it's fine.

Sound advice to upgrade brakes too. First thing I did once I'd upgraded my WRX. A good used set of brembo's will set you back £400 plus new discs and pads. BUT it's certainly worth doing.

Ahaaa so a billet td05 18g is that the one id want? If not could you post which one or best place to get one. Id rather do it right do it once. Brakes are without a doubt up there and would be next I'm just doing the engine as the days are longer and will take more time, once the engine is done I'll be striaght onto the brakes keeping a look out for a set of brembos herd the fronts go on no problem but the rears require a fitting kit?

DOn't bother with the rear brembo upgrade, they don't offer much benefit over the WRX rear brakes at only 350bhp. Fronts very much upgrade though asap.

VF34 gets my vote for around 350 bhp, if you can find one...I ran the following on my old blob wrx,

VF34
550 Injectors
Walbro Fuel Pump
STI TMIC
Full 2.5 Decat inc Uppipe
APS CAI
Simtek ECU

Figures achieved,

346.9 BHP with 340 ftlbs

Felt more than quick enough for road use, the VF34 gets on boost nice and early to so lag wasn't really an issue. Ran like this for years with no issues. All about how you treat the car though, the box would have been the next thing to change if I had kept it.

Good luck.

I'd rather have an old 16G over a VF35.