Subaru Impreza RS 2.5
News - Archive 1Well, as of a week ago, my car is back in the shop. The MAF sensor is shot, most likely from the collision. All hesitation problems should be fixed with the installation of the new MAF. The paint on the front bumper was also peeling off. The body shop apologized for the problem. It seems that they didn't properly remove the release agents from the molded plastic before painting the bumper. The same chemicals that are responsible for releasing the bumper from the mold at the plant were preventing the paint from sticking to the plastic. The (new) engine was also leaking oil. My insurance company decided that the local dealership should continue do the mechanical work, even though I suggested that Hodges Subaru take over. Hodges is an incredible dealership with a group of mechanics that are nothing less than spectacular. Livonia Subaru, on the other hand, acts like they've never seen a RS.
20-Jun-2000
Last Friday I installed the Apex-i S-AFC (Super Air Flow Convertor). I found that the best price and turn-around was from Powerhouse Racing based in Florida. Nero (the owner) responded to my e-mails in minutes rather than days. He was extremely helpful and I appreciate the quality of their customer service. The parts arrived promptly and were well packaged.
The install was more complicated than it needed to be. However, I do understand that it is a product intended for the Japanese market. I'll post very detailed instructions for 98 RS owners as soon as I have my notes handy.
Once I became familiar with the unit it was very easy to adjust the air/fuel mixture on-the-fly. I found that my car was running very lean at wide open throttle (WOT) at 1000 rpm, very rich at 2000, and a little rich at 3000 and higher. I would classify the performance increase as a correction... the intake added power, but the car couldn't handle it with the default air/fuel settings. The S-AFC allowed the car to make the most of the increased air flow. Now I have to complete the system with a free flowing exhaust.
08-Jun-2000
After driving with the new intake for another day I believe that my car is running quite lean in the low rpm ranges as well as the upper rpms. The apparent lack of torque in the midrange may be due to the slow rpm climb related to the lean low rpm problem. I've decided to get the Apex-i S-AFC (Air Flow Convertor) to resolve the issue. I'll also be able to readjust my fuel curve after adding the exhaust. I've found that Rob, from Mofugas, not only talks the talk, he walks the walk. Almost every race weekend, you'll find him tweaking the shop's roadrace-prepped Civic at the local road track. His prices are hard to beat and their helpful attitude is a refreshing change of pace in a city dominated by the big three.
07-Jun-2000
Yesterday I came home to find that my JC Sports air intake has finally arrived. I opened it to find an assortment of tube clamps, hose fittings, an air filter, the intake plenum, and a 10 inch length of high pressure rubber hose. After cleaning the engine compartment up for the photos (coming soon), the install took a little over 2 hours. A few things had to be relocated (the factory-installed alarm and an a/c hose), but the install was amazingly straight forward. I would have appreciated some instructions, however (I'll be sure to post my install steps for others to reference). After installing the intake, I reset the ECU and went for a short test drive. I gave the throttle a quick tap and the intake responded with a quiet intake-vacuum noise. After leaving the first stop sign, I buried the throttle and was supprised by the resonating howl of the intake! Beyond half throttle the intake roar is clearly audible and between shifts you can hear the intake swallowing air.
Performance-wise I find that the car revs lower at cruise speed. Normally when traveling at 35 mph, my car hums along at about 2500 rpm in 4th gear. However, after installing the air intake kit I find that the car stays at about 2000 rpm under the same conditions. I guess I 'll have to get used to driving in 4th gear more often!
The car pulls through second gear more strongly, but I feel as though some power is lost in fourth and fifth gear. This may be an illusion due to limited driving time in the higher gears at speed (I have not yet used the expressway). After installing the exhaust I may decide to adjust the air/fuel mix with an aftermarket Air Flow Convertor (AFC), most likely one made by Apex-i. Richening the fuel mix in the higher rpm ranges should increase the performance even more dramaticly.
I believe that the intake kit has increased the Impreza's performance noticeably, albeit at the price of some extra engine noise. The car seems to pull harder through the first three gears (this may be an illusion resulting from the sound of the intake) and cruises at lower rpms (better gas mileage). I recommend this kit to anyone trying to squeeze a few more horses out of the engine with little expense. The total cost of the kit was under $220, including shipping. Plan to spend around two hours on the install if you have all of the tools (a few metric wrenches/sockets, cutters/snips, etc.). I also recommend replacing the nuts on the passenger side hood vent with wing nuts so the vent backing can be removed for better intake ventilation. This way you can replace the backing in the case of bad weather (hey, I live in Michigan... I have to be realistic.) Rating: 8 out of 10 Scoobies. I would have liked better documentation and a longer high pressure hose... but wouldn't we all! ;-)
04-Jun-2000
This past Saturday we installed the Whiteline anti-lift kit from Mofugas Motorsports. The kit changes the front-end geometry by a few degrees (by spacing the rear linkage of the front control arm differently). This minor adjustment makes a world of difference when cornering. The car tends to hug the tarmac and "dig in" on hard turns. This effect is only enhanced during hard acceleration on turns. The Impreza's tendency to plow (mild understeer) is greatly lessened, however, I still plan to install an 18-22mm adjustable rear sway bar from Mofugas Motorsports (the factory rear sway bar is 13mm). Many Impreza owners install the widely available 20mm rear sway bar, but after installing the anti-lift kit, a 20mm bar may be too aggressive. I did notice that at highway speeds the steering of the car feels a bit more "floaty" than before (probably due to the castor). Pictures of the parts and install will be posted soon. Rating: 9 out of 10 Scoobies. Super easy to install, may require a front-end alignment... I'll check my tread wear.
02-Jun-2000
As you may have heard, I got a ticket as the result of an accident that I did not cause that was later dismissed. The SUV that ran me off of the road did quite a lot of damage. As a result, my car was "in the shop" for 3 months. After getting my car back, there were a few remaining issues. Again, the car had to return to the shop for a week. It's finally back and a few of the "mods" listed on the Impreza page will be implemented. I only have 17 months remaining for my lease, so some of the mods may never take place (unless the new turbo Impreza is not released in 2001).