boost junky 1

Hi all, went for a road test yeserday in a lovely v5 STI type R that id looked at on saturday. WOW acceleration blew me away, found it more laggy and later to come on boost than my own 97 uk turbo. Mayby down to bigger turbo on STI, but when it starts IT REALLY does go. I posted saturday about it and got some helpful replys thanks. I said about being really worryed about the engine blowing on STI's, thing is i really fancy getting it because its a beast but dont want to be paying for a rebuild soon after. Its just had a rebuild because of a past blow up. It has done no miles since build, but it was rebuilt to standard spec by a subaru dealer. Would i be looking at a defo engine desaster or is it just bad luck or neglect when they go bang? Sorry for boring you all but i love the reliable uk model i have now but iv ALWAYS wanted an STI type R. If the safer option is to keep mine then what sort of real world power upgrades can i do, and what sort of power/torque limits do the uk turbo's have safley??? Thanks in advance for any replys.

Playsatan

iTrader: (2)

The most common problems with this model are maf failure (same as any 99/00) and det issues due to UK fuel not having the same properties as the fuel available in Japan (same as any import).

But don't let it put you off.

As longs as you're aware of the issues and their symptoms and take measure to prevent them it should prove as reliable as a UK car. Just a lot faster and IMHO better looking.

boost junky 1

Thanks playsatan, is there a way or ways to get around these MAF/DET problems ? I always use optimax in mine but would the sti need octane booster or remap urgent ? Plus if worst happens how much for a proper rebuild so it didnt happen again???

fatmanscooby

Get it mapped asap. Better safe than sorry

boost junky 1

If i got it remapped would it really be safe and as relisble as mine is ?

briforbes

Just use octane booster with optimax and you needn't bother with a remap right away unless you want to.

It's a good thing that it's just had a rebuild as you now no longer need to worry about it being a potential timebomb. Ideally the oil pump would have been changed for an uprated one as this is often the cause of failures.

If the engine has done zero miles after the rebuild you shouldn't have been thrashing it though - should be kept at under 3500revs for the first 1000 miles. If it has been driven hard straight after a rebuild I personally wouldn't touch it. Also would question why Subaru did the work - they generally don't do work on the imports and have trouble sourcing the parts that other non-main dealer specialists have readily available.

boost junky 1

Also does this engine damage only occour when thrashing it?? Or would it still pop if i drove like miss dasy ? (not that u would in an R)

boost junky 1

Cheers briforbes, only found out about zero miles after id blasted a road test in it, dam it. I dont think i went any higher than 5k rpm, but thats just me dont no if any other test pilots have though. Would that cause any damage though?

briforbes

Can do if things aren't bedded in properly. My '97 STI had a rebuild in February, and I was advised to keep revs under 3000 for the first 1000 miles, 3500 at an absolute maximum.

It's not necessarily thrashing the cars that causes them to fail. My car shook itself to bits at 20mph due to oil pump failure, hence why I mentioned the uprated oil pump.

If I was buying again I'd look for one which has recently had a rebuild, but that has been genuinely well looked after and properly run in after the rebuild. I also find it a bit odd that Subaru did the rebuild - it's not the norm. When mine went I was quoted £3000 by my local dealer for the work, a lot more than it ended up costing me. Does the seller have receipts etc for the work done?

Did the seller not stop you from revving the car or were you on the test drive alone?

boost junky 1

I was on my own on the test. The owner has all the rescepts for the work done at the subaru dealer. It had a short block, standard pistons, std rods,crank, fly wheel, clutch and brakes all done at once. In total it cost him a tad over 4k. Did u get a std rebuild or uprated ? If u dont mind my asking how much of your hard earned did i cost you ? Mybey if its half the price of his build i wouldnt b as worryed.

briforbes

My car was rebuilt with new conrods, sti 9 bearings and modified main bearings, RCM modified oil pump, new crank, all seals and gaskets and came with new oil - all for £1800.

When you're talking about the rebuild the type R had, when you say standard pistons etc I presume you mean STI parts?