Forester STI bhp
Discussion
I feel like I'm jumping on the bandwagon a bit here but you'll just have to take my word for it that I've wanted one of these for a while now. I'm moving back to the UK in June and wanted to ask a bit of advice.
I've been looking to import a facelift model STI, the one I'm looking at is the 2007 flavour, but I've noticed that it's listed as 260bhp. My understanding is that these came in at 280bhp from the Japanese market and Litchfield then bumped them up to 330bhp. My concern is that I've maybe missed something or my knowledge simply isn't up to scratch.
If anyone is clued up on the engines and their respective outputs it would help put my mind at ease before I spend the best part of 10k on something that might not be what I originally envisaged!
Thanks
Stuart
I've been looking to import a facelift model STI, the one I'm looking at is the 2007 flavour, but I've noticed that it's listed as 260bhp. My understanding is that these came in at 280bhp from the Japanese market and Litchfield then bumped them up to 330bhp. My concern is that I've maybe missed something or my knowledge simply isn't up to scratch.
If anyone is clued up on the engines and their respective outputs it would help put my mind at ease before I spend the best part of 10k on something that might not be what I originally envisaged!
Thanks
Stuart
They are supposed to be 260 ish but are probably nearer the 280 , I know mine was , I had a sensible map done and panel filter , I believe the Sti pumps are better and I test mind every year now for pressure , the pump copes well with around 320 Bhp , it provides more than enough fuel even on full chat , down pipe I heard helps , but in standard form with a centre section straight through and a sports back box I was lucky as it had an HKS on it , it is a very competant car and fuel efficient when driven sensibly , I went for earlier models for tax reasons plus I prefer the older shape and prices are good , main thing is low mileage , they don't seem to get the ringland issues I have heard one have a failed pick up pipe but that's across the range , turbo is small but does it job , it will hit probably around 1.3 bar but it has a lot of torque , thicket rear arb is worth doing white line do them , but the torque makes driving much easier than a 2 litre in the same sort of set up
Thanks for the replies everyone, and good to know on the bhp front. Do they run ok ok UK fuel without the map? I guess it's something I'd need to factor in the cost of if I was importing. Not desperate to tune it, it's just a car that ticks a lot of boxes for me. 330 seems like a lot and I don't want the engine turning to chocolate!
The 2.5s can go pop with standard power. Don't assume it's only the modded ones which have problems.
Remember, if it goes, you're looking at an engine out (the joys of working on boxers!), testing, machine shop work, gaskets, timing belt kit, water pump and all the seals and recommended bits while it's out. If the bores are oval, you'll want new pistons, and why do the pistons and leave standard rods? So you'll want rods too. A new set of bearings, and you'll get talked into stronger head bolts too, ARP or RCM. Fluids, running in oil change, new spark plugs while you've got access.... Add the labour and you'd better have £5-6k set aside.
If it doesn't happen, great. If it does, know what you're in for. Of course, once that's done, you've got a pretty much bombproof platform for bolt-on power mods.
Totally do it.
Oh, and forget the BHP figure. It's faily meaningless as the standard turbo is small, meaning it spools up quick, but runs out of puff at high RPM, so the peak figures are never that good. Take a look at the torque though... 400lb-ft is realistic, and that makes for a quick road car!
Remember, if it goes, you're looking at an engine out (the joys of working on boxers!), testing, machine shop work, gaskets, timing belt kit, water pump and all the seals and recommended bits while it's out. If the bores are oval, you'll want new pistons, and why do the pistons and leave standard rods? So you'll want rods too. A new set of bearings, and you'll get talked into stronger head bolts too, ARP or RCM. Fluids, running in oil change, new spark plugs while you've got access.... Add the labour and you'd better have £5-6k set aside.
If it doesn't happen, great. If it does, know what you're in for. Of course, once that's done, you've got a pretty much bombproof platform for bolt-on power mods.
Totally do it.
Oh, and forget the BHP figure. It's faily meaningless as the standard turbo is small, meaning it spools up quick, but runs out of puff at high RPM, so the peak figures are never that good. Take a look at the torque though... 400lb-ft is realistic, and that makes for a quick road car!
TartanPaint said:
The 2.5s can go pop with standard power. Don't assume it's only the modded ones which have problems.
Remember, if it goes, you're looking at an engine out (the joys of working on boxers!), testing, machine shop work, gaskets, timing belt kit, water pump and all the seals and recommended bits while it's out. If the bores are oval, you'll want new pistons, and why do the pistons and leave standard rods? So you'll want rods too. A new set of bearings, and you'll get talked into stronger head bolts too, ARP or RCM. Fluids, running in oil change, new spark plugs while you've got access.... Add the labour and you'd better have £5-6k set aside.
If it doesn't happen, great. If it does, know what you're in for. Of course, once that's done, you've got a pretty much bombproof platform for bolt-on power mods.
Totally do it.
Oh, and forget the BHP figure. It's faily meaningless as the standard turbo is small, meaning it spools up quick, but runs out of puff at high RPM, so the peak figures are never that good. Take a look at the torque though... 400lb-ft is realistic, and that makes for a quick road car!
Thanks very much for the advice - great to hear from someone that is obviously really up to speed on them. My dad is a mechanic so hopefully it would cost a bit less than that but I'm obviously hoping it never gets to that stage! Is it advisable to change timing belt, gaskets and seals as a preventative measure? Or is it just a case of hoping you don't have one that will go bang?Remember, if it goes, you're looking at an engine out (the joys of working on boxers!), testing, machine shop work, gaskets, timing belt kit, water pump and all the seals and recommended bits while it's out. If the bores are oval, you'll want new pistons, and why do the pistons and leave standard rods? So you'll want rods too. A new set of bearings, and you'll get talked into stronger head bolts too, ARP or RCM. Fluids, running in oil change, new spark plugs while you've got access.... Add the labour and you'd better have £5-6k set aside.
If it doesn't happen, great. If it does, know what you're in for. Of course, once that's done, you've got a pretty much bombproof platform for bolt-on power mods.
Totally do it.
Oh, and forget the BHP figure. It's faily meaningless as the standard turbo is small, meaning it spools up quick, but runs out of puff at high RPM, so the peak figures are never that good. Take a look at the torque though... 400lb-ft is realistic, and that makes for a quick road car!
No, just do the belts, pulleys and tensioner, water pump etc to the schedule. I just meant that if the engine does melt, you'll do all these jobs again while the engine is out, so you need to bear in mind that the cost of, say, a head gasket going isn't just the cost of the gasket itself. It's all the other bits at the same time, like strengthening the internals and changing the clutch etc.
If you have access to tools and skills, that should help with the bills, so just go for it, accept that it might melt and you'll need to spend a few grand. Drive it, enjoy it, fix it, then drive it forever more worry-free, because if you do the fix properly it'll never happen again.
TartanPaint said:
No, just do the belts, pulleys and tensioner, water pump etc to the schedule. I just meant that if the engine does melt, you'll do all these jobs again while the engine is out, so you need to bear in mind that the cost of, say, a head gasket going isn't just the cost of the gasket itself. It's all the other bits at the same time, like strengthening the internals and changing the clutch etc.
If you have access to tools and skills, that should help with the bills, so just go for it, accept that it might melt and you'll need to spend a few grand. Drive it, enjoy it, fix it, then drive it forever more worry-free, because if you do the fix properly it'll never happen again.
Thanks again for your advice. I'm at the stage where I'm resigned to getting one now. I'll cross my fingers and try not to kick the backside out of it!If you have access to tools and skills, that should help with the bills, so just go for it, accept that it might melt and you'll need to spend a few grand. Drive it, enjoy it, fix it, then drive it forever more worry-free, because if you do the fix properly it'll never happen again.
TartanPaint said:
No, just do the belts, pulleys and tensioner, water pump etc to the schedule. I just meant that if the engine does melt, you'll do all these jobs again while the engine is out, so you need to bear in mind that the cost of, say, a head gasket going isn't just the cost of the gasket itself. It's all the other bits at the same time, like strengthening the internals and changing the clutch etc.
If you have access to tools and skills, that should help with the bills, so just go for it, accept that it might melt and you'll need to spend a few grand. Drive it, enjoy it, fix it, then drive it forever more worry-free, because if you do the fix properly it'll never happen again.
Thanks again for your advice. I'm at the stage where I'm resigned to getting one now. I'll cross my fingers and try not to kick the backside out of it!If you have access to tools and skills, that should help with the bills, so just go for it, accept that it might melt and you'll need to spend a few grand. Drive it, enjoy it, fix it, then drive it forever more worry-free, because if you do the fix properly it'll never happen again.
triathlonstu said:
Thanks again for your advice. I'm at the stage where I'm resigned to getting one now. I'll cross my fingers and try not to kick the backside out of it!
Warm it up, kick the backside out of it, then cool it down. There's a water temp gauge, and they only take a few miles to get up to temp. However, give it a few more to get the oil up to temp as well (no oil temp sensor or gauge as standard, but easy to add).
Cooling down, just drive the last few miles gently. Your aim is to cool the turbo a bit before stopping, as the engine drives the oil and water pumps (turbo is both oil and water cooled). Don't bother with a turbo timer, just ease off a few miles before your journey ends.
If you worry about HGF or chocolate pistons you'll never be able to enjoy it. They're well understood machines, the problems are well understood, the parts/consumables are easy to come by, as is the advice, workshop manuals, upgrades, mods, funny-shaped Subaru tools, anything you need. There are specialists all over the country if you get stuck. So enjoy it, and don't be too gentle.
Good luck!
Haha thanks! I'm about to pull the trigger on putting a deposit down on one of these, the company I'd be looking to buy from (UK based) are use BIMTA certification. Is this any less thorough than JEVIC? I'm going to put the deposit down before I've seen the car as it's still in transit so just wanted to make sure I'm not going to buy a complete dog.
The dealer has a good reputation on forums but I could do with a little reassurance.
I know that the best way would be to wait and actually go down and look at the car, but I won't be back in the country until the end of May and don't want to miss out on this one.
The dealer has a good reputation on forums but I could do with a little reassurance.
I know that the best way would be to wait and actually go down and look at the car, but I won't be back in the country until the end of May and don't want to miss out on this one.
The Sti forester does not have the chocolate piston problem , service between 5 and 7.5 k , the book says 10k but that's up to you and how it's driven , use a thicker oil say 10/50 , a sensible map will be fine , keep on top of servicing most of its easy , and do cam belt when it's needed plus tensioner , most Subaru original parts are reliable for a long time but does not say things never go wrong
triathlonstu said:
Haha thanks! I'm about to pull the trigger on putting a deposit down on one of these, the company I'd be looking to buy from (UK based) are use BIMTA certification. Is this any less thorough than JEVIC? I'm going to put the deposit down before I've seen the car as it's still in transit so just wanted to make sure I'm not going to buy a complete dog.
The dealer has a good reputation on forums but I could do with a little reassurance.
I know that the best way would be to wait and actually go down and look at the car, but I won't be back in the country until the end of May and don't want to miss out on this one.
I would be happier with JEVIC. better check of the cars history / mileage in Japan. but upto you, your money. The dealer has a good reputation on forums but I could do with a little reassurance.
I know that the best way would be to wait and actually go down and look at the car, but I won't be back in the country until the end of May and don't want to miss out on this one.
vxr2010 said:
The Sti forester does not have the chocolate piston problem , service between 5 and 7.5 k , the book says 10k but that's up to you and how it's driven , use a thicker oil say 10/50 , a sensible map will be fine , keep on top of servicing most of its easy , and do cam belt when it's needed plus tensioner , most Subaru original parts are reliable for a long time but does not say things never go wrong
Who told you that? Its exactly the same engine as in the Impreza STI, its even used in the JDM market in Impreza's, just detuned to 265ps and mated with an auto box.It does suffer the same ringland issue but as its not tuned as highly as the Impreza, its less likely to have issues (but there are still cases of engines in fsti's being rebuilt because of it).
As for servicing and oil, probably find its 10k km, which is 7.5k miles and 6 monthly, oil... just because its thicker does not mean its better, a good 5w40 will put less drag on the engine, give just as good protection, if not better than a thicker oil. You need to use the thinest oil you can get away with, its not the 1970's anymore, engineering has come a long way since then, as has oil
The chocolate piston was around 56 07 Impreza issue I'm not aware of it effecting the fsti plus being a Jdm motor it should be better , I heard it shares a few bits with the sti 7 jdm Impreza , hg yes can be an issue same as pick up pipe , but unless it's had a lot done pistons are not an issue
vxr2010 said:
The chocolate piston was around 56 07 Impreza issue I'm not aware of it effecting the fsti plus being a Jdm motor it should be better , I heard it shares a few bits with the sti 7 jdm Impreza , hg yes can be an issue same as pick up pipe , but unless it's had a lot done pistons are not an issue
The "chocolate" pistons are in all the EJ257 engines, its also not a specific JDM engine, unlike say the twin scroll unit which is still the only 2ltr EJ engine that the latest JDM STI uses This means it can and does suffer exactly the same fate as this is the same engine they put in to the EU/US market cars but not pushed as much (as are the auto version JDM 2.5ltr impreza's).
HG's were mainly the 06/07 cars, they "corrected" this (supposedly) on the hatch back...
Engine oil pick up pipe, no idea why they moved it compared to the 2ltr engines but it wasn't a great idea and causes issues
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