It seems i will own the scoob until the day it dies so in its final years it will end up on the track so with this in mind, what would need to be done to get a reliable, long lasting engine.

As it stands it's running around 300bhp and that is plenty for the road and should be plenty for the track so i am not looking for big power but i want the car to live a long life and its bound to be a hard one in the later years.

This is something for down the road but thought i would ask now since i am sitting in front of the computer trying to look busy
Ian

 

First thing to do is replace the oil pump for an uprated item. And since you'd be taking the belt off may as well go for a cosworth timing belt kit.

 

That's without taking the block apart

 

Take it to Roger Clarke Motorport.

 

Along with a kidney doesn't matter whose

 

I guess we are talking many thousands of pounds then to get a bullet proof engine even if i don't need extra power.

Merv, you have probably not got a spare one but if i could borrow a kidney from you you could have it back ASAP

 

Ian, have an engine rebuild but overspecify everything so that the engine can be run safely at higher output with issue.

Just like someone had done recently.

 

Maybe i should wait for that someone to sell their car

 

 

Speak to EngineTuner Ian! Alan will talk through your options with you there's lots of different builds that won't cost you, or me a kidney

 

Well, just gave Roger Clark a quick bell and for a basic build its looking like 6k!!!!!
I would have to sell the car to pay for it

The guy on the phone did suggest just letting the engine die one day and then re-build it after that!

 

Too True!! LOL.

 

If it an't broke don't fix it.
Keep it well serviced with quality oils, warm up and cool down after every run nothing stupid and it should last for years.

 

Too True!! LOL.

 

i agree with kev that you should just use good oils and regular changes and service

IMOA there is no bullet proof engine as they all can blow its just a matter of time as some builds last along time some dont like some people are lucky and some are not

leave it and enjoy it you will be shocked on how much the standard engine can take or last as i have seen some engines go mega miles and some take mega power and refuse to break

hope this helps

 

That's the easy way

 

You could always start buying uprated/forged parts now bit by bit and if the standard ones break then you already have the parts to strengthen it.

 

Good idea Calv - get an uprated "Parts Bin" going You won't get hit with a big bill when she goes pop then

 

Good advice there Calv

 

One thing to make sure is that you don't have anything rubbing on your radiator hoses

 

buy an evo

 

I second that. My WRX had done over 100,000 when I popped a head gasket. Spoke to Alan and ended up with a 2.1 Stroker which is good for 500bhp but I'm running at 345 which is nice and safe. Also great on the road and track.

 

yeah and keep replacing the gearbox's, clutches and transfer boxes!!!

Oh and of course the engines don't break on them either

 

ok and you never need to replace any of them parts on subarus

you cant ansure this Q its all about how its drove

 

Ye, i guess that does sound like the way forward since i am not looking for big power. Who knows, it could cover 200k before giving up the ghost, it is well looked after. Fingers crossed!!

 

LOL... Evo's seem to go bang just as much as Subaru's just more scoobies on the road, so u hear about them more...

As lee said think u just got to be lucky, the number of newly forged engines i've heard/read of going bang (subaru & Evo), makes me wonder if u should just take ur chances with the standard one...

 

My car is now 12 years old with 108K+ miles, I bought it with 96K and history from the day it was imported "as a new grey import". As you know I am making all the old bits better and replacing as much as I can on the "non oily bits". That will come later.

It had an engine rebuild at 86K with receipts for over £3.5k. Hopefully it has a few more years of life in it but you never know. I would love to give it to the Lee and the lads at Old School Engineering but like you I value my kidneys.

The point I am making is it's up to you what you want to do in the future and if buying bits now may save in the long run. You hear of cars that have been around the moon and back and only needed the usual consumables, even when treated like sh*t. It will become a classic one day and worth a lot if it's been looked after and only had the one owner.

Having said that I wonder if my daughter would miss the grand children

 

I don't think there can be any guarantees on the standard engine once you start uprating the engine performance.

My car has had a quite extensive uprate after the issue that I had, and the JDM twin scroll engine can/should be able to take it according to the general consensus amongst the Impreza community. I didn't go to extremes on the standard engine and it still had a major failure - ok the internals didn't fail but when the head gaskets/bolts failed it warped the crankcase and cylinder head.

I think the only foolproof option once a failure does happen is to uprate nearly everything possible, I hope in doing this when the engine is running 450-470bhp that it will cope well as the engine should be capable of a lot more.

 

Thanks for the advice gents, i will just continue to look after it and see where she goes

 

Would be nice if this was the case... but like i said u heard of sooo many forged engines letting go running well within what they're built to handle