I know that my view/path of upgrading is not the usual. I'll try to keep it short. Brakes. Those are always my first item to upgrade, this includes tires as brakes & tires work together for the same goal - reducing speed when brake force is applied. Cooling is next, again still on stock power. Get the largest radiator you can and try to make the flow in/out of the radiator as least restrictive as you can. Suspension/handling. This is not just struts, springs, anti-roll bars, etc. We're also talking chassis bracing and custom alignments to suit the attitude change of the vehicle in question. Engine oiling and engine oil cooling. That dry sump, is without a doubt, one of the best things you can do for a race car. Depending on your engine oil temps, get an aftermarket engine oil cooler kit. Once I've gotten to this point, I go back to brakes/tires and cooling. I evaluate if they're holding up to what level of stress I'm putting on them, and upgrade accordingly. Once I find myself at what I think is a 'limit' of power, then I'll approach developing more power (ie. more torque across a wide RPM range). My driving nature is that the focus on response is 1000 times more important than the peak power. I see no logic in having a racing engine that only develops good power in the last 2000rpms if its rev range. I will gladly opt for a setup that has 100hp less if the power developed by the engine is much broader. That said, with your group staying with a stock bottom end, I believe was a really smart choice. As you noted, it kept costs down overall and that allowed you to invest in reliability. You can't win a race if you don't finish.
Great post and great comments. Thanks for that! Totally agree with you on everything you said. And you are right, the Dry Sump is a game changer for sure. Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!
I'm 30 seconds in... my first mod - tyres and brakes running D2 big brakes on my wrx wagon... 356mm all round with 6pot up front and 4pot rear. She stops hehe. Yeah a bit of extra weight in the larger disks all round but i wanted it to look good parked as well as be able to go an stop lol STI bottom end with STI injectors and turbo... BC racing coilover suspension, some other stuff like upgraded engine mounts and i had a fully rebuilt STI 6 speed put in last month so thats transformed the cars driving. I learned the info from your videos in the past so thankyou for that. I got a workshop to sort it. Next step is the 2015 upgrade to 13:1 steering rack - if i can get that lot sourced! I'm still on 5x100 hubs setup but tbh i'm happy on it - altho if money allows i'll go to 5x114 with wider body down the line i reckon.l drives nice tho - upsets a few cars as ppl just see a WRX wagon heh but its pretty zippy and responsive now love your vids btw :) ant UK
That $50 build consultation call is a good concept. People tend to under-value advice & experience. When my 2.5L needed a rebuild I hunted around for advice a fair bit before doing a deal with a local tuning shop. The deal was that I would buy the parts through them and they would give advice as to what was needed (and crucially, NOT needed) for my intended use of the car. Very useful.
Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment! We have found that scheduling and planning an organized conversation about a build or a set of questions can be much more helpful than the more random calls and questions that come in. And since the cost of the consult goes back to your account for your next purchase, it is a great way to make sure that you have all the information that you need to get your project moving in the right direction. Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!
It’s awesome info that if you had those mods your stock block would live along time under normal driving conditions and track the car as well. And you know all the mods will work on a built Subaru engine. And you can put whatever motor in that car in about3-4 hrs tops and tune and be making x hp depending on budget, and know your mods are keeping it safe with all the data to prove.
Big 6 piston brakes up front bigger rear calipers back end, carbon ceramic rotors, light weight 18's that are wide, 265 and beyond with good semi slicks or slicks depending on restrictions. High end coilovers set up for the track. V-mount setup, dry sump setup and acculator. Mid rpm range turbo, strict e85 or race fuel diet, parallel fuel setup with surge tank, holy headers, remote oil cooler. I could go on haha
for competition use especially pikes peak, i think u would like to plumb back your BOV to the intake side... that would help alot to gain back turbo spool in between gear changes..which is alot throughout the course of pikes peak... wouldnt it?
Thanks for the question Amir. We haven't had any issues spooling the turbo between shifts to date. The main issue when a BOV/BPV opens is all the pressure that is released that needs to build up again to get back to full power. That will be the case even with a recirculating BOV as you aren't holding that pressure. But... We have thought about trying to use some type of anti-lag to keep the power up between shifts, and that could certainly make a difference. It is just a complicated system to add so we haven't done it yet 🙂 Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!
I would also argue that on top of the good reasons already stated, if you run the factory block for long enough you will learn to maximize the car for what its worth that way when you upgrade in power you can transfer your skills and control the car better/safer than you would otherwise.
The content has definitely been useful, especially regarding the cooling system, as the nuances of the cooling system were not particularly well explained in Subaru workshop manuals.
These guys are at the cutting edge of tuning and modifying Subaru's. They get into the stuff that I find fascinating but alot of other Subaru channels gloss over because its "boring" but realistically this is the kind of data we need. Now only if they would do this with the modern Subaru platforms instead of a 30year old one where tons of data already exists. Hell, Im sure the Australians propably could come over and have a master class on tuning and racing EJ Subarus. I love my EJ STI but we are desperately missing the data for FA24 Turbo and the Subaru Global Platform.
In your guy's builds, for track use, what brand radiator have you guys used and had good results with? I have a 20 STI and want to buy a better than stock radiator. Recommendations?
Thanks for your question. I'd strongly recommend the Koyo radiator. We are using the Killer-B radiator now, but I'd say that is overkill for most applications. Koyo makes great radiators, and that is what we use on our street cars. Hope that helps and Stay Tuned!
Thanks for the question. The first engine was the one the car came with, EJ255. That one started to lose a bearing. The second was also an EJ255 which had an overheating issue, as did the 3rd which was an RA block. So we are on the second RA block, and so far so good 🙂 Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!
Thanks for the question. The short answer is that we were using the incorrect configuration of radiator caps, which was most likely causing all of our cooling issues. So we removed one of them: ruclips.net/video/RWZUdHRHkeI/видео.htmlsi=wDT6btts9M7DevBc ruclips.net/video/HzjBJz1Zdmw/видео.htmlsi=kCblNDjbszSg0HcN Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!
Would you start again with WRX when you had to swap to whole STI drivetrain, front knuckles, rear brembos, DCCD controller etc? Also considering the cost of work to swap all the stuff?
That is a good question, but also a difficult one. I would say that knowing what we know now, it would be pretty close to a wash either way. For a fully built Race Car, a standalone ECU is really a game changer. And if you are going to jump to that level, it matters less whether you start with a WRX or an STI. And you'd likely be pulling the brakes off and going bigger any way. So the cost difference between the two platforms would get a lot closer that you might think. But for an entry level car, there are definitely advantages to starting with an STI. Hope that helps and Stay Tuned!
I just did that to my WRX, i weighed the options and because my wrx was in such good shape i decided to keep it... could always get an sti but can come with a world of differnt problems...
So I have a question, how would you comare a RA short block to something like an IAG 550. Assuming we kill a rod bearing or whatever, I'd love to see a comparison between those, and matbe an EJ20x?
The RA block is a stock block with stock internals. The 550 is a simple set of forged pistons and rods added to a stock block. From my understanding if you want to run the RA block at higher boost levels you'll want to pull the pistons out and adjust the ring end gap.
@@TDT0188 I understand the actual differences, I'm just interested in a comparison of their utility by application. Like forged components get unhappy with street use, built blocks don't last as long, etc, and a lot of people used to use the 550 block as the go to swap after a failure, but at what point should you consider that over a 20x or RA yaknow?
First off, I'd strongly caution against the EJ20X. The high compression and lack of availability of parts make those engines fairly challenging. You can get a lot of use and mileage out of an RA block (and we absolutely have), but you have to keep the power level reasonable. The main decision that would push the needle towards a built block would be a power target that is beyond where the RA block would be reliable. But that is a slippery slope that can escalate quickly. In our case, sticking with a stock block, making power decisions around that, and then focusing on developing the performance and reliability of the car around that has been helpful. It all depends on your goals, and where you want to put your development energy. Hope that helps and Stay Tuned!
I have a 2011 WRX and my engine is going to need replacing soon , and was really thinking of going with an RA block. I like the subtle changes subaru did to the casing and piston design. Is there anything I would need to do to drop an RA block into a WRX ? Only goals are 300whp for daily use.
Why do the 250 cc motocrossers beat the 450 class times. Less wheel spin and you have to carry momentum on a 250. Same with your car you don’t need 600 hp I can beat. 600 hp car in my 400hp Subie with no problem. Every corner I pull away. Less wheel spin.
I know that my view/path of upgrading is not the usual. I'll try to keep it short.
Brakes. Those are always my first item to upgrade, this includes tires as brakes & tires work together for the same goal - reducing speed when brake force is applied.
Cooling is next, again still on stock power. Get the largest radiator you can and try to make the flow in/out of the radiator as least restrictive as you can.
Suspension/handling. This is not just struts, springs, anti-roll bars, etc. We're also talking chassis bracing and custom alignments to suit the attitude change of the vehicle in question.
Engine oiling and engine oil cooling. That dry sump, is without a doubt, one of the best things you can do for a race car. Depending on your engine oil temps, get an aftermarket engine oil cooler kit.
Once I've gotten to this point, I go back to brakes/tires and cooling. I evaluate if they're holding up to what level of stress I'm putting on them, and upgrade accordingly. Once I find myself at what I think is a 'limit' of power, then I'll approach developing more power (ie. more torque across a wide RPM range). My driving nature is that the focus on response is 1000 times more important than the peak power. I see no logic in having a racing engine that only develops good power in the last 2000rpms if its rev range. I will gladly opt for a setup that has 100hp less if the power developed by the engine is much broader.
That said, with your group staying with a stock bottom end, I believe was a really smart choice. As you noted, it kept costs down overall and that allowed you to invest in reliability.
You can't win a race if you don't finish.
Great post and great comments. Thanks for that!
Totally agree with you on everything you said. And you are right, the Dry Sump is a game changer for sure.
Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!
I'm 30 seconds in... my first mod - tyres and brakes
running D2 big brakes on my wrx wagon... 356mm all round with 6pot up front and 4pot rear. She stops hehe. Yeah a bit of extra weight in the larger disks all round but i wanted it to look good parked as well as be able to go an stop lol
STI bottom end with STI injectors and turbo... BC racing coilover suspension, some other stuff like upgraded engine mounts and i had a fully rebuilt STI 6 speed put in last month so thats transformed the cars driving. I learned the info from your videos in the past so thankyou for that. I got a workshop to sort it.
Next step is the 2015 upgrade to 13:1 steering rack - if i can get that lot sourced!
I'm still on 5x100 hubs setup but tbh i'm happy on it - altho if money allows i'll go to 5x114 with wider body down the line i reckon.l
drives nice tho - upsets a few cars as ppl just see a WRX wagon heh but its pretty zippy and responsive now
love your vids btw :)
ant
UK
Nice!
Stay Tuned!
That $50 build consultation call is a good concept. People tend to under-value advice & experience.
When my 2.5L needed a rebuild I hunted around for advice a fair bit before doing a deal with a local tuning shop. The deal was that I would buy the parts through them and they would give advice as to what was needed (and crucially, NOT needed) for my intended use of the car.
Very useful.
Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment!
We have found that scheduling and planning an organized conversation about a build or a set of questions can be much more helpful than the more random calls and questions that come in. And since the cost of the consult goes back to your account for your next purchase, it is a great way to make sure that you have all the information that you need to get your project moving in the right direction.
Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!
It’s awesome info that if you had those mods your stock block would live along time under normal driving conditions and track the car as well. And you know all the mods will work on a built Subaru engine. And you can put whatever motor in that car in about3-4 hrs tops and tune and be making x hp depending on budget, and know your mods are keeping it safe with all the data to prove.
Brakes, tires and roll cage. Safety first!!
That is always a great way to start.
Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!
Awesome video
Thanks very much for watching and thanks for the comment.
Stay Tuned Sawyer!
Big 6 piston brakes up front bigger rear calipers back end, carbon ceramic rotors, light weight 18's that are wide, 265 and beyond with good semi slicks or slicks depending on restrictions.
High end coilovers set up for the track. V-mount setup, dry sump setup and acculator.
Mid rpm range turbo, strict e85 or race fuel diet, parallel fuel setup with surge tank, holy headers, remote oil cooler.
I could go on haha
Those are all great places to start for sure. And we've followed a number of them :-)
Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!
for competition use especially pikes peak, i think u would like to plumb back your BOV to the intake side... that would help alot to gain back turbo spool in between gear changes..which is alot throughout the course of pikes peak...
wouldnt it?
Thanks for the question Amir. We haven't had any issues spooling the turbo between shifts to date. The main issue when a BOV/BPV opens is all the pressure that is released that needs to build up again to get back to full power. That will be the case even with a recirculating BOV as you aren't holding that pressure.
But... We have thought about trying to use some type of anti-lag to keep the power up between shifts, and that could certainly make a difference. It is just a complicated system to add so we haven't done it yet 🙂
Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!
I would also argue that on top of the good reasons already stated, if you run the factory block for long enough you will learn to maximize the car for what its worth that way when you upgrade in power you can transfer your skills and control the car better/safer than you would otherwise.
I completely agree. Great point.
Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!
The content has definitely been useful, especially regarding the cooling system, as the nuances of the cooling system were not particularly well explained in Subaru workshop manuals.
Thanks very much and glad to hear that they were helpful.
Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!
You get 3 things and only get 2 of the 3. Cheap … reliable…. And fast…. Pick your two favorites
Headers, up-pipe, bigger injectors, Flex Fuel kit, Tune, bigger wheels and a slightly better clutch... done edit: oh... electronic boost solenoid too
That is definitely a good place to start. Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!
Performance is more than just engine and transmission.
Absolutely. It is all about balance.
Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!
These guys are at the cutting edge of tuning and modifying Subaru's. They get into the stuff that I find fascinating but alot of other Subaru channels gloss over because its "boring" but realistically this is the kind of data we need. Now only if they would do this with the modern Subaru platforms instead of a 30year old one where tons of data already exists. Hell, Im sure the Australians propably could come over and have a master class on tuning and racing EJ Subarus. I love my EJ STI but we are desperately missing the data for FA24 Turbo and the Subaru Global Platform.
Ob1, i tried to watch a lap vid the other day. It wouldnt allow it, are some vids pay to watch?
Thanks for reaching out. Which video? I'll have to look into it.
What sequential gearbox will you be purchasing ?
Stay Tuned. That is the next installment :-)
In your guy's builds, for track use, what brand radiator have you guys used and had good results with? I have a 20 STI and want to buy a better than stock radiator. Recommendations?
Thanks for your question. I'd strongly recommend the Koyo radiator. We are using the Killer-B radiator now, but I'd say that is overkill for most applications.
Koyo makes great radiators, and that is what we use on our street cars.
Hope that helps and Stay Tuned!
So this is the fourth block and is an RA block, but were the previous three blocks also RA blocks?
Thanks for the question. The first engine was the one the car came with, EJ255. That one started to lose a bearing. The second was also an EJ255 which had an overheating issue, as did the 3rd which was an RA block. So we are on the second RA block, and so far so good 🙂
Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!
@@FlatironsTuning thanks for the detailed response!
First thing is tires
Great place to start for sure :-)
Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!
What happened with the radiator cap again?
Thanks for the question. The short answer is that we were using the incorrect configuration of radiator caps, which was most likely causing all of our cooling issues.
So we removed one of them:
ruclips.net/video/RWZUdHRHkeI/видео.htmlsi=wDT6btts9M7DevBc
ruclips.net/video/HzjBJz1Zdmw/видео.htmlsi=kCblNDjbszSg0HcN
Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!
Would you start again with WRX when you had to swap to whole STI drivetrain, front knuckles, rear brembos, DCCD controller etc? Also considering the cost of work to swap all the stuff?
That is a good question, but also a difficult one. I would say that knowing what we know now, it would be pretty close to a wash either way. For a fully built Race Car, a standalone ECU is really a game changer. And if you are going to jump to that level, it matters less whether you start with a WRX or an STI.
And you'd likely be pulling the brakes off and going bigger any way. So the cost difference between the two platforms would get a lot closer that you might think.
But for an entry level car, there are definitely advantages to starting with an STI.
Hope that helps and Stay Tuned!
I just did that to my WRX, i weighed the options and because my wrx was in such good shape i decided to keep it... could always get an sti but can come with a world of differnt problems...
So I have a question, how would you comare a RA short block to something like an IAG 550. Assuming we kill a rod bearing or whatever, I'd love to see a comparison between those, and matbe an EJ20x?
The RA block is a stock block with stock internals. The 550 is a simple set of forged pistons and rods added to a stock block. From my understanding if you want to run the RA block at higher boost levels you'll want to pull the pistons out and adjust the ring end gap.
@@TDT0188 I understand the actual differences, I'm just interested in a comparison of their utility by application. Like forged components get unhappy with street use, built blocks don't last as long, etc, and a lot of people used to use the 550 block as the go to swap after a failure, but at what point should you consider that over a 20x or RA yaknow?
First off, I'd strongly caution against the EJ20X. The high compression and lack of availability of parts make those engines fairly challenging.
You can get a lot of use and mileage out of an RA block (and we absolutely have), but you have to keep the power level reasonable. The main decision that would push the needle towards a built block would be a power target that is beyond where the RA block would be reliable.
But that is a slippery slope that can escalate quickly. In our case, sticking with a stock block, making power decisions around that, and then focusing on developing the performance and reliability of the car around that has been helpful.
It all depends on your goals, and where you want to put your development energy.
Hope that helps and Stay Tuned!
I have a 2011 WRX and my engine is going to need replacing soon , and was really thinking of going with an RA block. I like the subtle changes subaru did to the casing and piston design. Is there anything I would need to do to drop an RA block into a WRX ? Only goals are 300whp for daily use.
Why do the 250 cc motocrossers beat the 450 class times. Less wheel spin and you have to carry momentum on a 250. Same with your car you don’t need 600 hp I can beat. 600 hp car in my 400hp Subie with no problem. Every corner I pull away. Less wheel spin.
SUSPENSION
Excellent.
Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!
Comment.
Indeed :-)
Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!
EJ207...
I'll see that, and raise you EJ235 :-)
Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!