Chike's/ Tom's N/A performance thread
 

Okay, since people are starting threads on adding turbos and s/c to the SVX, I thought it would only be fair to the n/a lovers that I start one for n/a upgrades.

I really want to keep this focused on topic, so please no hijacking!

Note: I am sorry, Chike had rather nice pics, forsome reason I cant do pics on this site, if someone could tell me how I can have them right up!


Stage 0:
Before embarking on any upgrade path with the SVX, complete ALL necessary maintenance. Radiator flush, timing belt change, engine seals, rear wheel bearings, O2 sensors, etc. Once your car is running properly, only then are you ready to upgrade!

Stage 1:
Best upgrade when looking to make more power is to fix the tall gearing found in all awd SVXs (3.545 for US models and 3.70 for JDM/OZ/Euro models). The only trans worth putting in this car is the 4.44 trans and R160 rear diff found in the '96 through mid '98 Legacy Outbacks.



The trans typically runs $500-$600 and the rear diff another $150. The trans swap is listed as a 5.5hr job, and the rear diff swap will add at least another 3-4 hours to the tab. So this complete upgrade will run close to $1,000.00.

After the swap, I see 25-27mpg highway, and around 21-22mpg in mixed city/highway.

Your SVX now has the right gears to build serious n/a performance on!!!

Stage 2:
Now you have the right gears, let's improve the flow:

Air Filter: Green, K&N or STI panel filter (you could also go with Dayle's CAI). The cost will be anywhere between $35-$160 depending on which filter you go with.




Phenolic Spacers: From www.outlawengineering.com/. These spacers go between the intake manifold and the engine block and help reduce the rate of heat transfer which will keep your intake manifold cool. Cost is roughly $100.00.




ECUTune Stage 2v5 w/ Z32 MAF: The stage 1 package is great but if you plan on making 240+hp, you'll need to get the stage 2 from http://www.ecutune.com/svx-stage2.htm. Cost is $429 for just the software, or $647 for the software with Z32 MAF and electrical connector.



This upgrade isn't available for '96-'97 SVXs yet, however, Mychailo's MAF bypass mod will work on all SVXs:

http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/showthread.php?t=29386


Impreza FPR: This mod will definitely be needed as you start making more n/a power. Get one from a '00-'05 Impreza RS (not WRX). One from a '99-'04 Legacy GT should also be the same. This fpr ups max fuel pressure from 36psi (stock) to 43psi. Cost ~$75.
Part Number: 22670AA240



Exhaust: Go with whatever system design you like best (i.e. true duals or 2-into-1) but use the following rule-of-thumb: For a true dual go with piping no larger than 2" ID. In a 2-into-1 set-up, when the pipe comes into one, go with nothing larger than 2.5" ID.

In my set-up as I wanted to maximize flow, I removed the two primary cats, had 2" OD pipe go into a 2-into-1 high flow cat from Maganflow:



...followed by 2.5" OD pipe back to a glass-pack then to a single inlet, dual outlet camaro-style magnaflow muffler leading to the tips on each side of the car:



Expect the exhaust parts and labor to run you anywhere between $500-$1,000 (higher side if you use stainless piping and mandrel bends).

-Chike

Ground wires: These are attached to your negative battery terminal. They lead to multiple grounding points in your engine bay, the basic idea is that with the electrical system so heavily grounded the resistance is reduced. I have them on my car, I noticed something. Never had it dyno'd to prove it.

Stage 3:

The idea for upgrading the intake camshafts has been tossed around on this site for years. The specs I used were the brainchild of oab_au who based his theory off of the stock specs Wawazat measured a few years ago. Oab_au had helped his son modify his Z motor (which used similar internals to the EG33).

The stock specs are as follows:

Intake Cams: 7.0mm lift, 236 degrees duration
Exhaust Cams: 8.0mm lift, 244 degrees duration

I picked up a set of stock intake cams from TomsSVX around the end of summer and began exchanging PM's with Harvey...

Stock Cams


The ideal intake cam specs Harvey recommended for a 4EAT SVX are as follows:

8.0mm of lift, 240 degrees of duration

From here, I began speaking with several different camshaft grinders including Webcamshafts and Ram Performance. However, all roads led to www.deltacam.com in Tacoma, WA. Their sales guy Scott was very helpful and going back-n-forth with him and Harvey we settled on the following specs for the weld-n-grind on the intake cams (their machine wasn't set-up to do 240 degrees of duration):

8.0mm of lift, 247 degrees duration w/ the entire profile retarded by 7 degrees

The cost was $150.00 per cam excl/ shipping:

Modified Cams


SubaFreak and TomsSVX were very gracious to lend their assistance in the installation of these modifed cams, and on Saturday, November 5th I drove up to NJ to do the install.

We decided to pull my engine, even though it wasn't necessary, as it would give us extra working room on this install:





The valve covers were pulled, and while I replaced the seals, TomsSVX and SubaFreak installed the performance intake cams:



The Ride & Drive
As lift was increased by 1.0mm, there's more power throughout the rev band w/o a noticeable reduction in low-end power despite the slight increase in duration. My stall speed is still 2,500rpms and launches are still quick but w/o the excessive wheelspin and axle hop I experienced before (i.e. only slightly less torque down low).

As the rpms rise, the power comes on with a rush between 3,500-4,000rpms and from there it's a really quick blast to redline!

I can't say how much extra power these cams make as the stock MAF is maxed out between 240-250hp (per Mychailo's extensive testing with his wide-band and MAF voltage reader). I would make a conservative estimate of between 10-15hp, but to fully realize the performance potential of this upgrade the ECUTune Stage 2v5 w/ the Z32 MAF is a necessity!


Chike, Tom, Anyone else, please, add to this, I know there is more. I will add to it as I find good stuff on the network.
-Black Beast

Stage 4: -

MSD Stacker: Dayle sells it, it is $550 there, and it requires NO cutting.

Ported/Polished/Thermally coated intake and injector stacks. This can be done at just about any performance shop that I have ever gone to. They can either do it themselves OR send it out to a guy they know that does a good job. Ceramic coatings are a great way to do this, and if you want a shinning manifold, there is a way they can make it a shinny finish.
Cost comes out to about $350 for the intake manifold. $175 per header (stock)

Blueprinted injectors and fuel rails.

The tranmission swap is a great bang for the buck modification but I think it is a little much to start with. Where does the ECU Tune Stage 1 fit in?

Went to Outlaw's site - they don't even have a Subaru section listed, much less SVX - how does one actually obtain those spacers?

Email Sean of Outlaw Engineering directly through the sales email address contact.

just call them and order it... get the 5 piece set and it should be $107 including shipping

Only get the 5 piece set if you are going to install all 5 pieces.
You can get the MUCH less labor intensive, 3 piece set for less money.;)
Read up on the install before you decide.

...why make a new thread when you couldve bumped the old one?

Im gonna have to disagree with the 4.44 being the best trans...Mabey for the money, yes, but I think a wrx 5 speed would be a much better canidate

Why did I make a new one? Because the old one was too much talk. This one I want to keep so that it is only things that a person could do. The other one, i am sure you notices had four pages of chit chat and only a page and 1/2 of real info. Please dont comment on this, asking where to buy stuff is great, and that would be good, but dont post idle chit chat.

Thanks!

Black Beast

And yes, i think the 5 spd is a much better idea. However we dont have a real long term test going on. Mine is about 1 and 1/2 years old (summer makes 2) and still going good. I say go for it! It is a great performance mod, and it makes it feel so much faster.

Note:
As one of the few folks who have done the Stacker mod, to do it right does require cutting and soldering (I wouldn't trust 3M wire splices over time/vibrations). There are multiple pics in my "old locker" on this mod.

On the exhaust system issue, do not, I repeat, do not just remove the primary cats and replace them with regular pipe. You will, I repeat, will get wicked resonance at 2.5-3k rpms. The best bet is to replace the cats with SS resonators (do not use anything with "packing" in it, as it will eventually foul up the secondary cat) to allow the exhaust gas to expand prior to proceeding down the exhaust system.
-Bill

Long term test?? I know people who go through auto's faster than old high mileage legacy 5mt.... A firefighter comes to mind... Sorry Steve. Anyway, there is a lot in this thread that has been superseded and outdated.

Basically you have to ask yourself, what do I want to do with this car??

1. Keep it stock, I like it stock-
- Don't do anything, you like it that way and thats cool.

2. Its my daily driver but I want it Fast4r than teh uB3r c00l srt-4
- Seriously... find the nearest overpass and just think it over

3. I just want some more perk out of the car.
- If you want to keep it automatic, I would highly suggest a 4.44 swap to help with acceleration.

4. I really want to be able to control the car and have more acceleration.
- The 5mt has great acceleration compared to the automatic. When driven properly will be able to out accelerate not only from a standstill but also while moving already. Also the std trans will allow you to be more "connected" to the driveline... Hard to explain it any other way. This is a pricey modification because the swap is very labor intensive but if you do the swap yourself it can save you some money.

5. I want to be able to race the car yet still keep it as a daily driver.
- this is a dillema that plagues all car enthusiasts. The best thing to do here is seriously think about getting a second car to drive daily. If you cannot do so, pick one of the transmission options above. Then I would suggest some headwork along the lines of a good port and polish (this can be done by most head shops) with a relatively mild cam like the delta cam mentioned above. Also at this point you need to look into some Engine Management. The ECUtune chips are not really good for much accept being able to read higher than stock CFM's through the mass air sensor and the use of larger injectors. Outside of that they provide the same gains that the factory service bulletins mandated for many 92's. Suggested would be something TUNED for your car's setup, a piggy back EM would be sufficient but a full standalone would be ideal... Only problem is, you are looking at close to 3k installed and tuned.

6. I want a dedicated race car...NOT needing to pass emission standards.
- At this point in the game you are ready to spend a lot of time and money on your car. You should invest in a stronger bottom using some Eagle H-beams rods with appropriate bearings. ECUtune does supply pistons for N/A and FI engines which would be appopriate in an engine like this. Cylinder walls should be honed for these pistons but if you are keeping it stock a glaze cutting stone should be used just to freshen the cylinder walls up for your stock replacement pistons. Heads should be brought to a reputable performance head shop with an in-house flow bench to get ported and polished. Also might want to consider some oversized valves for a little extra flow. Camshafts must also be designed to support to the ports so the head shop should be able to give you an idea of what cam profile to look for. If not, take a look at Bob the Fabricators build on Nasioc which has had great success. EM should be controlled by a full standalone with appropriate sized injectors. Don't forget with the head port and polish the intake runners and intake manifold should also reflect these changes. A good porting with a ceramic coating would be appropriate VIA SVXRide's suggestions above. The exhaust manifolds should be replaced with equal length headers using tubing of 1.5" at about 30-36" in length merging into smooth long collectors.

I am sure there are some tidbits I missed but hey... its off the top of my head. The engine management is key here though, a stock motor was tuned to 215 WHEEL horse power with a great power curve with minor mods and headers. There is nothing available that has any user end tuning abilities and the tunes available now are laughable. So a standalone and a very experienced tuner will make the EM worth every penny.

Tom

Very nice write-up. Everyone can benefit from this.

As for the breathing of the car, why were these filters picked to help it breathe better? Were they proven to work beyond the stock air filter? Are there intakes out there that are made to help the car breathe better beyond just changing these filters? I thought there was at least one but the name of it escapes me. :)

I grabbed the info that chike had put done, and reduced it so that it all is closer together, I added tom's name cause Tom had some idea's in there and he seems to be going the more power route.
The filters however, K&N has been accepted as one of the better all around filters, be it their stock like drop in, or their cone filter. The green filter I have a feeling was added because dayle sold it, I had it for a while and I didnt notice any difference from the K&N that was removed for it. The STI filter has been tested by several people on the site (do a search, more then a year ago) and they proved it was giving more power.
I have switched now to the HKS foam and as the foam is replacible (You cant clean it) I switch it at every oil change. That has been the best one I have had yet. (filter costs $15-$25 depending on which one you want)

Tom- I disagree, yes this is not NEW information, it is not however superseded and outdated. Not everyone is at the level you are. This is the basic stuff that makes gets you to the next level. If everyone who wants a faster car has done all this stuff, Sorry! my fault! I know thou that I have not, and ridered has not, so until everyone is done with the basics, it is not outdated. I want you to add to it. I think you are a really bright guy, so add to this, and replace what you think is crap.

-Black Beast

you misunderstood what I meant. I meant to say that a lot of the information we had then has since changed and support has changed. Ex: thinking picking up 4whp from a stage 2 was moving up in the world:rolleyes:

Tom