WRX 2.0

$100? Too much? Too little? Have some old rings and gudgeon puns for them too.

Thanks for the info. Semi forged is definitely a shorter term, but yes, doesn't fully label them correctly. So what would the code ART L1 specify, I have never seen a full run down list of piston codes like you would see with chassis codes. I guess it's purely a case of so many codes being used, it's hard to document every code used. Perhaps I should just label them on trademe as RS RA pistons and when someone asks if they're forged or what, I say no, they're "High temperature die cast". That should avoid confusion. They've lasted 25 years, they must be made of pretty good stuff.

My knowledge extents are that cast pistons and semi-forged have the same initial manufacturing process, but then a semi forged is dipped in something providing a super strong surface on the top and sides of a piston, giving a forged like surface where wear and tear is prone. Forged is of course one big solid dense mass on top, sides, underneath, everywhere. A semi-forged provides faster expansion in bore than forged, lighter and quieter than fully forged, and yet they provide a stronger and more resilient piston than a traditional cast item. A very good middle ground and perfect for mass produced high performance road vehicles. Strength, lightweight, resilience, quietness, cheap... As for hatching, yeah, who knows. Yours didn't have them, mine don't, yet some people are adamant that they do. Bit of an anomaly really. Maybe some factories buffed them out afterwards, who knows...

Haha! Sorry kamineko, amateur. Change a head gasket, swap a gearbox, upload a picture to the internet... look out! Yes, this guy is also saying about the hatching under the piston too, which is also no real sign, as yours don't have them, and a V5 STI set I sold didn't have them either! Confusing... I'm pretty much going off sales brochure, RS RA had semi forged from factory, these came from an RS RA, therfore these are semi forged. I could smash it to destruction under a pressure test, but seems a waste!

Dam, didn't post actual images, but the links work. Are they are semi-forged...

http://imgur.com/cgl5fln http://imgur.com/1rkVDHO http://imgur.com/VgISEAB hoo them be some large pics

Yes, the underside is all smooth. I forgot how to show pictures...

Got a quick question, don't know of you can answer it, it's about the legacy RS RA pistons. I'm trying to answer a question about whether or not they came factory as semi forged? I believe they did, but the old pistons that I took out are stamped ART L1. Do you know what that means? A guy told me all subaru semi forged pistons are stamped HF, which I thought maybe the case for the wrx engines, but perhaps the legacy had different stampings? There was a few years between them, a code change could be possible? What are your thoughts on this, and do you know what the stamp ART L1 means? Google yielded little results... :-?

Bit of a long shot, but does anyone have some c spanners for adjustable shocks I can borrow for the weekend. There's two ring sizes, 80mm and 70mm.

Revs are good, but that seems to be when I blow up...! JE STROKER SERIES pistons, 0.5 oversize, $800 NZD. Says not compatible with OEM rods, need to machine above pin end to clear under crown of piston. That doesn\'t sound safe... New rods to suit would have to be the go. I\'ll keep an eye out for an old 2.2 block. Parts would be a lot easier to source too...

Oh no, not what you want to hear! Haha! Ok, some research required then. JE website it is...

Awesome, sounds like you know what you\'re doing! I think I will try find an old 2.2 block first up, but if I can\'t, I think I will have to look at machining the block to take a EJ 257 crank a bit more. I imagine they\'re a similar price from subaru as a 2.0 crank. It sounds like an interesting project. And I can just use the factory rods, with a possibility of full forged pistons if budget allows... I don\'t think I could afford a full EJ 257 block. If I could though, then yeah, just swap heads as mentioned earlier, a whole lot easier by the sounds of it.

Haha! A whole lot easier...

So I can\'t use the early 250t crank just because of journal size? Is that the rod journals or main journals, because if it was rod, I would need new rods and pistons then huh? Need a EJ 257 and then machine block for new crank? That does sound like a lot of work... Well, something beyond my skills anyway. Does Koom work at RDL?

Wow, that is an epic thread indeed. Might have to read again at a decent time of day to take it all in again! Hadn\'t even heard of a 2.35 block! That sounds like one heck of an engine... I think the things i got from that is, all depends how much you want to spend. If i want to get a 2.2 engine, the best way to go is a factory 2.2 block, rebuild it with just some forged pistons and rods, and use my STI heads on it. Now correct me if i\'m wrong, but is the V4 crank a rear thrust? V5 was center? So i should be good getting a 2.5 crank from an old 250t, using factory rods, and maybe splashing out on some forged pistons? That sounds like a good build project on a budget... I understand power gains would be minimal, and loose a bit of power up top, but it would be something just a bit different... If anyone knows of parts going, or a straight engine that i can use right now ;D , let me know!

Putting a 2.5 crank into a 2.0 block sounds like a quick and easy option to get a bit more. I\'ve been looking for a 2.2 block, but they are quite hard to come across. One is on trademe, but he want $600 for it! Seems expensive... My original idea was to just get a 2.2 block, get a new crank from subaru, some 0.5 oversize forged pistons and some good H rods, put it all back together and chuck 20 pounds down it! haha! All just dreams at the moment... I have a blown V4 coupe in my garage, and are just looking at options. Could be cheaper/easier just getting a closed deck 2.0, rebuild that (maybe a 2.5 crank?), putting the V4 STI heads on it, and drive it do you think?

Converting a 2.0 block to a 2.2 block, is it just a case of changing crank and rods, or is there a whole lot i\'m missing... ???

I got a psi gauge. 021 968 998 if you want to pick it up tonight.

Whoops, NC was it. My bad. Yes and no. Easier to run boost from ecu, and tidier, but you would have to get the hand controller from Apexi to play around with it and change stuff yourself, and i don\'t know if they even still make them for an old GC8. I never emailed them to ask. The AVCR was on trademe, it was cheap, so i thought why not eh...

Just thought I would post this up for anyone else struggling with a AVCR install. After loads of internet surfing, and some trial and error, the following works for hose plumbing; COM - Wastegate NO - Pressure side of turbo Little plug after the AFM - Block this off. It MAY be possible to plumb this into the NC hole with another barbed fitting, but since i don\'t have one, i can neither confirm nor deny this works! It should do, no difference bleeding off to atmosphere or back into the intake pipe. Ever wondered what the abbreviations mean? NO - Normally Open NC- Normally Closed COM - Still no idea... they call the inlet manifold a "surgetank", so fuk knows! WRX runs a Normally Open pressured boost control. My Boost Cut occurs at 1.3bar, no doubt it\'s lower if you have factory ECU, so don\'t go in first up and crank it round to 1.5bar and start cursing "piece of s*** doesn\'t work!". Remember you\'ll still have bits of the factory set up monitoring the situation, or if you opt to rip it all out, you\'ll have the check engine light come on full time as discussed above! For some very interesting reading, and a thorough break down about the factory turbo system and control, installing various styles of boost controllers on both internal and external wastegates, have a read of this page i found on the net. It has words, diagrams, photos, dos and don\'ts, and if you can\'t find the info you\'re looking for, well, i don\'t know what you could possibly be looking for!!! http://www.cobbtuning.com/Technical-Articles-s/70674.htm Oh, one last thing, highly likely one bought the AVCR second hand, so i strongly recommend doing an "initialize" under the "etc" menu. For starters, this brings down your boost level and duty to base tune levels, but more importantly engages the "self learn" option. You\'ll find more about turning it off probably than keeping it on, and I\'ve not read the entire 50 page manual yet, but i can tell you, it has functions out its ASS! Unless you know fully what they all do, just have a play with the boost levels and duty first up, and let the thing handle the rest. It\'s not the best boost controller in the world just for its fancy blue screen! HAHA! ENJOY. ;D P.S. thanks to Lachlan for the help and quick replies, appreciated!

Yep, silver bodied blue screen. Beyond me eh... I will try find something online, and keep playing round. I think the self learning mode only applies for gears and rpm and speeds, not boost levels.

Nope, no go... COM to wastegate + NC to Turbo pressure = freeboost! COM to wastegate + NC to pipe after AFM = freeboost!

Cool, that was my next question about the pipe after the AFM. Soon as i don\'t have a barb to screw into the NC hole, i\'ll just block it for now. Might do that in the future though. Shame about the 5 watt resistors having to be done, but it does kind of make sense since the AVCR is just a standalone plug in mod, the computer still needs to know what\'s going on i suppose! Right, all done now, so i\'ll take it for a drive and see what happens. Then the fun of scrolling through 55 pages of figuring out what the thing can do begins!

Ahh, so that\'s why i see engine light now. Do i need to keep the brown solenoid and map sensor plugged in? I thought i could just remove them! I\'ve got a brand new tdo5 that cost me an arm and a leg, so it is pretty much the best turbo i could get for my needs, torque and response. Not going for big numbers, 300HP at wheels is my goal. Running a Power FC ECU. Yes, i plumbed the AVCR pressure sensor into manifold. So what i should do, is plumb everything back to the way it was, plug in everything except boost factory boost controller. THEN, replace tee with AVCR Boost Solenoid, and use that tee to tee off factory solenoid just before map sensor and plug in AVCR pressure sensor, and should be a goer with no engine lights?

Yes, new turbo with an adjustable wastegate on it. Still internal wastegate. Ok, so i remove tee, and replace it with the Apexi boost solenoid? Then just block off the manifold pipe that goes to the factory setup?