EJ20 N/A to T?!

**zeepey** · June 18th, 2010 02:10 PM

guys, you think it's safe? nanghihinayang ako sa warranty ng car pero my GH8 serves as my 3rd car. speedlab turbo package is P180k and dyno proven to add 60-70hp. if only i can sell my car then get a bug-eye wrx or an evo 4 or 5 instead but i can't :rained_down: unless i can sell it atleast P900k which is a far cry! bnew 2.0R m/t is P1.128 btw.

my main concern with the turbo conversion is reliability. what if the engine and/or tranny can't sustain the additional power? hello motor image

!!!

engine swap is risky unless galing sa same era ang engine w/c will cost me an arm and a leg. our 320i and 325i feels torquey compared with the impreza due mainly to it's AWD system.

**niky** · June 18th, 2010 05:31 PM

Your transmission can take the power... and a 70 hp boost is rather mild, so the NA engine should take it, as long as you tune it for lower-octane fuel and take care of it well. What I'd worry about most is your clutch.

**zeepey** · June 18th, 2010 06:31 PM

ok. Atleast clutches are no biggie to replace. is there a shop here where i can buy turbo parts that i need for the project? I'll be going in the states next month also.

**foresterx** · June 19th, 2010 10:30 AM

no it's not safe, subaru is a totally differnet car when it comes to mods compared to other japanes cars. if you're planning to keep the car longer than just 2-3 years don't do it. my suggestion is to do a full engine swap, if you really want a turbo car. trust me i've owned subaru's for 6 years now, i'm no car expert but i know some thing when it comes to subaru's. i've seen people in the philippines put aftermarket bov

(bad for a subaru) and turbo timer(waste of money since subaru turbo is water cooled not oil cooled).

if you really want to mod your subaru this is a good read.
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=533787

**zeepey** · June 20th, 2010 01:36 PM

Very nice infos there! May i know why bov's are bad?

**zeepey** · June 20th, 2010 02:39 PM

also, can you add some more problems that you can see and encountered before? Might as well go for the chip and intake upgrade 1st.

**niky** · June 20th, 2010 07:16 PM

Why would it not be safe to turbocharge a naturally aspirated EJ?

The naturally aspirated EJ is no STi mill... hell... it's not even close to the WRX mill... but a low-boost set-up with about 7-8 psi is relatively safe on that motor.

Speedlab has aftermarket manifolds built to bolt up to the engine already. All you need is to source a turbo and the other parts.

The only problem with turbocharging an NA Impreza is that you will never get the same amount of power as a stock WRX reliably without spending a lot on internals. The N/A Impreza has a higher compression ratio, weaker engine internals and a weaker transmission. If you boost it to the same 14 psi as a stock WRX, expect stuff to break.

At the 8 psi you can run, expect to have around 20 horses less than a stock WRX.

If you want more power, you'll be buying new pistons, new connecting rods (around 100-200k pesos, I believe)... perhaps a reinforced gearbox or a gearbox swap from a WRX or WRX STi... actually... you might just want to buy a WRX engine secondhand and swap it in... or better... swap your car for a WRX.

But if you don't mind being "slow", turbocharging your stock engine is fine.

Sayang nga lang pera... you need around 200+k for the base turbokit... then you'll spend another 200k reinforcing everything... might as well just trade-in.

-

N/A mods... full IHE and chip... will probably get you the same WHP as a stock Lancer...

...problem is the AWD is a big drag on the engine... which is why the Impreza really needs a turbo to come alive.

-

Suggestion: Why not trade in for an older Forester XT (the boxy one)? Comes with a stock turbo, a huge trunk, a double sunroof and an automatic. The four-speed AT and stock bottom-end can take 400 hp.

**zeepey** · June 21st, 2010 07:46 AM

i wish it's that easy but it was purchased that involved a lot of considerations. I have my reasons why i went for the n/a ONLY. I have two other cars that i use regularly so now i decided to upgrade the car bit-by-bit just for occassional funruns and trackdays until i can finally afford my target car in two years sana

. I can't say if i made the wrong purchase but i'm still happy that my business grew since i purchased this car.

**niky** · June 21st, 2010 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by zeepey

i wish it's that easy but it was purchased that involved a lot of considerations. I have my reasons why i went for the n/a ONLY. I have two other cars that i use regularly so now i decided to upgrade the car bit-by-bit just for occassional funruns and trackdays until i can finally afford my target car in two years sana

. I can't say if i made the wrong purchase but i'm still happy that my business grew since i purchased this car.

Ah. Then stick to the N/A route. If you will turbo the car and take it on trackdays, the transmission and drivetrain will receive a pounding. Plus, sobrang limited yung potential compared to a turbo Subie... which is what you're getting in 2 years?

The stock engine (manual ba?) is pretty strong at 150 hp... with a Unichip and a full IHE build, you should be able to get relatively decent power out of it. Again, it probably won't be as fast as, say, a Lancer EX with the same mods in the straights (high drivetrain losses with AWD), but the balance is good, and the sins of the suspension (a bit too soft) are easy to cure.

That's a car just crying for an exhaust, to uncork the 'boxer burble'...

**foresterx** · June 21st, 2010 01:33 PM

bov is bad for the subie because you don't just lose hp, the bov also makes you run rich. you only need a bov in a subie if you're boosting more than 20psi.

it will be much cheaper and safer to get a full engine swap in the long run.

create an account at nasioc.com and ask around they'll be glad to help you. and they'll know much more about subaru's than anyone in the philippines.