Kenny.S

Hi All

Looking for some opinions,
As some of you might have seen i got an Sti V2 RA on Monday.
The car is generally very clean and original but cant help worrying about what's lurking in that block!!
It sounds ok to me otherwise i wouldn't have bought it and when Andy.F listened to it he didn't seem to think there was much amis appart from the afore mentioned det on full chat in 5th at 5k,(optimax and booster) the usual valvetrain noise, and clicky injectors.
I am in no way doubting Andy's experise, i would like nothing more than to believe it'll be ok but the concern i have is that i know the previous owner only ran it on Optimax, NO booster. When i went to see it i asked the guy wether or not he'd had it flat out and he addmitted he had once without really noticing and then once more out of curiousity but both times were only very brief.
Without booster the thing must have been detting so the question is what damage are the big ends likely to have suffered from the resulting shock loads and if so will this result in a subsequent failure? Even though it sounds ok now? Something i have noticed, the ticking etc doesn't seem as bad when it's cold, once it's hot the ticking noises are much more noticeable. I'm quite prepared to stip it down and check if need be but am i wasting my time?

Kenny

VWscooby

Don't panic so much!!!

These cars do have knock sensors and optimax seems to be ok for everyday use. Some cars are run on normal unleaded and have no problems.

I think people expect too much of these cars, they get revved hard all the time and people blame the car when it blows up.

Any high power car makes you paranoid but if it ain't broke..........

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

The ticking noise is very common on classic scoobies mate. IIRC its often just the boost soleniod making a bit of a row and Andy has already commented on the injectors being a bit clicky. Personally if someone of his knowledge and experience isn't worried, I wouldn't be.

I know what it's like though, I was always convinced I was hearing strange noises with mine when it was new! :-)

NS04

StickyMicky

he has allready said that andy f has looked at it and its detting WITH BOOSTER

you numpty

VWscooby

Bugger, damn my scan reading!!

Whats that then? bout 110 mph? (5k in fifth)

GC8

Id think about an A'Pexi PowerFC from Andy Forrest, you can trim each cylinder and itll be safe on UK fuel and probably a nicer drive too.

Simon

Kenny.S

Thanks for the replys,

Just got back from the Jim Clark Rally, anybody that was there will know it was bloody hot and as such i now look like a lobster!
Brilliant weekend saw some really nice scoobs both rally and road ones, which did pi** me off a little because i decided to take my old cavy instead just so i could abandon it anywhere and not give a s**t which had its advantages!

Anyway back to the point!

I'm definately going to get an Apexi from Andy.F it's just a case of do i do it now the way it is or as mentioned do an overhaul first? Like i said i do respect Andy's advice and have found him to be a very helpful guy always happy to explain things and not just trying to take money off you like some tuners do.

I am very tempted now to leave it as is and see what happens but my concern is that if the engine has suffered as a result of being run on lower grade fuel than it should ie bearing damage and i then get it re-mapped so it's safe on 97-98, procede to drive the thing like it should be (not trying to break it though, treat it properly warm up/ down, good oil etc) and break the bloody thing i would have no way of knowing if it was due do damage that was done before i got it or if it was down to how i was driving it?

Another point to add, im going to do an oil change as soon as i can and this issue may sort it's self out but the general ticking which appears to be coming from the heads gets slightly louder as the engine warms up? I know these engines are never that quiet but if anything i would have expected it to be the opposite? Going to use Silkolene 10w 50 just to leave the door open for yet another oil debate!

Oh and as far as i can remember 5k in 5th is around 90mph, didn't pass a ton when out for the test run with Andy.

Kenny

GC8

Perhaps consider a pre-emptive strike. If its possible on this car, remove the sump and fit a set of new carefully sized main and big end bearings (buy several sets to get the best match -a decent engineer should be able to do this for you, not necessarily a Subaru specialist-). Itll be almost like new, assuming that the journals arent out of round at all.....

Simon

StickyMicky

you cant fit the mains and shells with the sump off

the engine needs to come out?

i would think of this
it will be far cheaper to have it stripped down and checked/rebuilt as needed
rather then have it pop and have to actually replace everything because it compleatly exploded

if its detting with booster and you know the previos bloke ran without booster, you know its been damaged

FWIW my car runs fine without booster, no det, although i have just had a rebuild as it spat a shell and bent a comrod pistons were checked and there was no trace of det

which is extreme IMO when you consider how its been run
276bhp wrx which was ran at 1.4 bar on a dawse device with no remapping at all on the standerd ecu LOL

160miles done on the new rebuild, 840 to go

bigsinky

1.4 bar are you sure mate? i am assuming you have a boost cut and fuel cut defender as well as a knocklink in her. i thought boost cut came in around 1.1 - 1.15 bar on wrx. did on mine with dawes before my first big engine conversion. had to blip the throttel in fifth as flat to the map gave me the "stutters" as boost was cut.

highlander68k

What did Andy F think was causing det? Fuelling, ignition, mechanical or electric problem?

If there is a problem which isn't a mechanical problem in the engine, it will need to be fixed before doing anything else. If it's the ECU, then buying a Power FC and mapping session will allow andy to adjust it so it doesn't det, and of course it can be mapped for UK fuel along with a suitable safety margin.

Are you sure the ticking noise isn't just the injectors? Mine are louder when the engine is warmer.

As for a rebuild. I wouldn't bother unless you were positive that there was some damage. Do an oil change and check for anything suspicious in there.

TBH, I would go with what Andy says. Just don't take too much of his time - he's got to be ready for TOTB4

Kenny.S

As far as he could make out there were no problems to speak of, the det was almost certainly down to lack of octane. The ecu does correct it when under less load so the knock sensor/ecu are doing what they should but once flat in 5th it can't correct the problem. I know that getting Andy to do an Apexi for it will sort this and it's what i intend to do as soon as i decide whether or not to leave the engine alone.
The guy i bought it from didn't come across as someone who drove the thing like he stole it, he's got a group n RA that he competes in so he's not daft.
The fact he ran it without booster is a bit of a worry but the ecu is doing what it should and Andy said it should be fine up through the gears just not 5th and going by where the guy lives, the smallest village i've been in! With loads of windy roads there's not many places you could really nail it 5th and after all it's only done about 700-800 miles since it came into the country, all the paper work from the importers, mot's etc support this.

As for the ticking it could well be coming from the injectors, kinda hard to tell though, not got anything else to compare it with. My mates car is a 99my uk car which has the different fuel rail/injectors which appear quieter?

Kenny

C 8HEP

i have a v2 ltd RA. i have boost creep in 5th gear only. boost cuts at 1.2 everytime from 0.8 standard. i have a faulty 02 sensor but prob wont cure fault. did you put it on diagnostic machine? whats standard boost at the moment? whats the mileage?

StickyMicky

of course im sure

mine has a fuel cut of 1.45 bar
its nippy

most cars do have a low fuel cut but mine does not

i dont have a knocklink, fuel cut defender or any of them pansey mods

Kenny.S

The car is totally standard so what ever the boost should be i assume thats what it'll be 0.8 bar? Doesn't have a boost gauge in it at the moment (on my list of things to do) so i couldn't say what it is actually boosting to.
It's done 108km about 67k miles and doesn't look like it's ever been touched. Hasn't been on a diagnostic machine, going to get an Apexi so that'll all be done through the comander or a laptop i asume?

Kenny