New job, new state, new car, flocking!

[I Like It Sideways]

11/27/2007 - Stripped Interior, Grimmspeed exhaust gasket install

3/6/2008 - DI and Redline Vinyl applied

3/10/2008 - STi drivers seat installed

3/26/2008 - Refinishing the stock 6 spokes

4/8/2008 - 2 Hella 500 driving lights installed

4/9/2008 - 4/17/2008 - Motor pull, head gasket work1, Machined Heads and Completion

7/10/2008 - Front axle replaced

12/3/2008 - It's Team Dynamics Time

3/8/2010 - Seam welding, burning lots of oil


What started out as the need for a daily driver quickly turned into a desire. I am still in the early stages of this desire, but the ball is rolling, and its not going to stop until I get there.

I received this 2004 WRB STi as a present... and I couldnt be happier with it.
I never thought I'd be so lucky to own an STi... but here it is



Well...all joking aside, I am the proud owner of a 2001 2.5RS. Have been ever since I drove it off the lot.
I didnt start out with plans for the car... All I knew is that I liked how it looked and handled. I didn't even fully appreciate how lucky I was to pick it up with low mileage (51k), and for a decent price ($9500). It wasn't until I started driving the car, posting up online (did I ever sound like a newb... I hate reading my old posts), and talking to other Subaru owners, that I realized how lucky I am to own this car.

This is how it looked when I took it off the lot.. never since then has it been so clean.


Back up a bit. My first car was a 1997 Saab 900 SE Turbo

Ignore the windshield wipers...

So stepping into the RS was a step down in torque and horsepower. The Saab was rated at 195 ft-lb of torque, at ~8psi. I was boosting ~15psi, with a catback exhaust, so I'd guess the torque was closer to 205-210. So given that, it wasn't long before I decided the RS needed something more. So I quickly found that Cobb is a name commonly used when talking about Subaru's. I opted for Stage 2 for the RS, which includes

• Equal length headers
  Free-flow test pipe
  Catback w/ resonator
  CAI
  Lightweight crank pulley

That helped out quite a bit with highend power, the engine doesn't choke itself at higher RPM's and pulled nearly all the way to redline. Lowend was just a tad better, but still a pretty flat torque curve (according to the butt dyno) up until about 4000 rpm.




Clean as can be while rallyxing... Don't know how that happens.



So fast forward a few rallyx's, a few photoshoots, and I attend my first pro-rally (LSPR '05, crewed for Matt Johnston, and spectated), and my first winter with my subaru

Sunset shot #1

Corner slide

Snow meet

Exit 2005, enter 2006

And I land in Princeton, IN for a co-op. Middle of no where, but an abundance of gravel roads.
That is where I find

this chicane

to practice the flick
and

this road

to practice a bit more.









We like snow

and Mowing grass


I went to STPR '06 (my 2nd pro-rally), and only spectated. I was quite disappointed with the experience.. I didn't bring away from it as much as I would have liked to. I didnt learn much, and didn't get to know anyone. I decided then, that if I go to any more pro rally events, I would get my hands dirty... either by crewing, co-driving, or try for a media pass.

My take at the chicane

Up until then I had been running on A/S's, which I had pushed them beyond their limits one too many times. So I pulled the trigger on a set of winterforce's, 205/60/R16s... a little too big, but they got the job done




Then I started running into problems like this:



I did some research on springs, and decided I would not be happy with springs alone. I wanted adjustability. I found Ground Control, and decided they were the best option. They were very helpful, although confused when I said I wanted taller springs, that were under 250#. Just a bit different from the norm that they get. They helped me pick the right spring length to go with a set of AGX's that I had decided on.

I was so eager to get the parts in, I modeled a few items in Inventor.




I didn't cut the perches, in case I go back to larger coils later on.




I got bored again...


I'm missing a few main components... but dang that took me long enough.



Then I hit a deer.



April '07. I have the head gaskets, timing belt, water pump, and clutch all replaced.
Early May '07 - Bend a rod. Reason to suspect a result of the maintenance performed in April, however dealership blamed it on racing.
Then a sales manager said to me before I had my car towed off their property that the failure is likely a result of their work. I'm so mad I didnt have someone with me as a witness to that statement. They quoted me $4200 for a new motor and labor. HA!
i'm never going back there again. But I digress...

I'll fast forward a few more months, to now, since the RS has seen no action since I had it delivered to its current location. It sat for so long because where I work on my co-op and where I go to school are 3 hours apart.
A friend and I pulled the radiator, disconnected all wiring harnesses, removed the pitch mount, and broke loose the transmission bolts. Now all I have to do it pull the motor. I am purchasing a '99 RS motor for $300, and a cross member and PS pump.

I'll be updating this, as progress is made on the RS
to-do
-Rebuild motor
-8 or 10 pt FIA spec roll cage
-Any used gravel tires I can get my hands on
-15" steelies for the gravel tires
-Fire extinguishing system
-Fixed-back racing seats, any that I can get my hands on
-5 pt harnesses
-Open face helmet
-2 aux driving lights
-2 aux fog lights
-Terratrip rally computer
-Fuel tank aluminum skid plate, poly underbody protection
-I-Speed reflash
There are tons more odds and ends I will have to buy.. racing suit, shoes, co-driver map light, safety triangles, first aid kit, spill kit, tow hooks, etc.

[size = 6]Update 9/12/2007[/size]
-Purchased 1999 EJ251.


Updated 9/24/07
Finally picked up and delivered the replacement motor to my new residence. The car sits, ready to be worked on. Work will begin this week. I want to pull the motor this week, and then replace the head gaskets/head studs, water pump, and timing belt on the new motor next week. We'll see how that goes.
I should mention that two people can man handle an EJ251 longblock. Just for reference.

I borrowed my friend's Honda Fit, and picked up my motor along with an extra x-member, PS assembly, WRX sway bars, and some other odds and ends



Updated 10/3/07
Well I saw these cobwebs, and decided it was time to get to work


Finished up everything in the engine bay that needs to be taken care of in order to pull the motor. I got bored and yanked the alternator, PS reservoir, and AC compressor. All coolant hoses/lines, throttle cable, gas lines, have all been removed. Pulled the starter out as well. All bolts are broken loose on the transmission, so once I secure a hoist, its getting pulled. Someone suggested that I just disassemble it down to the short block, and take it out with the help of a few people. hmm...










Updated 10/23/07

The swap is finished.
I worked last week on Tuesday to remove the engine. With the help of PAPA, we were able to remove the engine in 1.5 hours. Separating the engine from the transmission took the most time. 2 pry bars, 2 screw drivers, one 8 pound hammer, and one 250lb "deadweight" standing on the transmission finally got the two separated.

Worked Thursday/Friday (6pm till 4am) to swap over the clutch/flywheel/pressure plate to the new motor, swap intake manifolds, and install/hookup the motor.
With the help of several people from the car club at Purdue (PAPA), we got it done in 10 hours. One of my friends even made a custom clutch alignment tool, since no parts store had one at the time.
Which I later purchased one from Autozone for $.01. Booyah!!
What an experience. I learned quite a bit
and it is good to be back in my Subaru. I drove it around a bit on Friday, 10/19/2007. Put some gas in it.
Did it ever feel good.
I still can't believe it is finally fixed.


Turned the key at 4am, and it fired right up, almost.

Removal:






"What do we do now?"




Aligning the clutch

















The success shot, at 4am


And video evidence of success!!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=pUmMJ-tRFYI

There is much more to do. Head gaskets are a possibility. Water pump and timing belt will be this winter.

Now I have two motors. And I think we discovered what happened to my old motor. I hope to begin tearing into that tomorrow.


Updated 10/24/07

So after finishing the swap into my RS, we decided to tear into my old motor to see what was really wrong with it. The dealership that worked on it said that I bent a rod. Well the engine did sound like rod knock, but also sounded like something was tapping inside. Like piston slap.

Well when we took the head off, this is what we found





After examination, general consensus led us to believe it is a drill bit. Left in there by the dealership that replaced my head gaskets, water pump, timing belt, clutch, and a few other things.
It took a chunk out of the piston, scored the cylinder wall, and ruined the head.

Who the hell leaves a drill bit in an engine? And what were they doing with a drill bit near my engine?!

I can't fathom how I was able to drive the car for a little over a week without anything happening. There is no way that thing slipped thru the intake valves at the speed they move at. It had to have been sitting in there somehow.

Or maybe it fell thru when I turned off the car, and the intake valve was open enough that it could slip through.

Either way. I am taking it to the dealership tomorrow, and asking them who is missing a drill bit.

[409industries]

Thats quite the write up! I hope the RS gets back in action soon...

[zebrasinamerica]

looks good man, watch out for the trees

Zebra

[pakeharugger]

Awesome videos, I am going to review your videos and take notes so I learn how to drive like that.

[Not All There]

pretty sweet man, good luck with the rest of it.

[I Like It Sideways]

Originally Posted by pakeharugger

Awesome videos, I am going to review your videos and take notes so I learn how to drive like that.

Right on thanks! Once the RS is back in action, you're more than welcome to ride along. kreitz3 comes out for a drive every now and then too.

Originally Posted by Not All There

pretty sweet man, good luck with the rest of it.

Thanks!! I'm gonna need it. The road is paved for this project... but I don't know how much I will get done before winter. Caged at the most. But I have a lot of work to do, even before that.

[409industries]

Yeah just take it one step at a time... I find that the project car gets overwhelming if i think about it too much. Its best to focus on one thing and see it through, then keep going!

[BlueRu]

Very nice man! I hope to hear that she is back on the road soon.

[JacksonRally]

Looks good...Definetly get that cage in there.

[GrimmSpeed]

damn these vids make me soo jealous that i dont have a running subaru right now ARGH. sweet vids though

[kreitz3]

I miss your car man. When are we rebuilding the 99 motor?

Oh yeah, and I'm keeping the tires.

[I Like It Sideways]

Updated Finally bought a motor. And the car is finally in the garage, waiting to be worked on. Oh how I missed it. I continually have dreams about it...

[Not All There]

nice man! keep it up!

[I Like It Sideways]

Thanks!!
Updated

Originally Posted by GrimmSpeed

damn these vids make me soo jealous that i dont have a running subaru right now ARGH. sweet vids though

I know how you feel... I love and hate watching videos... just makes me miss driving my subaru that much more.

[I Like It Sideways]

Updated... Getting closer...