keeweechris

For what it's worth, I've been through this on my 06 WRX and fixed it elcheapo: -Cancelled error codes through OBD2 -Pulled fuse on pump (it was fricken noisy from the bearing rusting out from too much moist exhaust air) -Made blanking plates and jammed them inbetween 2 pipe junctions between valve and pump. Advantage of doing that it you don't have to remove half the intake and IC to get to the valves. Valves still there, jammed open or closed, it doesn't really matter. Never had any probs since. About 5 years ago.

I'm eyeing up a 2007 Legacy GT B-spec NZ-new, and wondering if anyone knows if there is a Stage 1 base map floating round which would boost performance by a bit? I've checked Romraider forums, but it's not clear. Car is a 2.5L manual 6-speed, NZ New, so I guess ADM. Completely stock. Not sure about ECU ID or VIN or anything yet. I had good success with a 2006 NZ-new 2.5L WRX, by reflashing with a stage1 map from the Romraider site, and it brought the car alive. Hoping I can do the same with the Legacy. Thanks for any info.

Thanks heaps guys. Yeah, I didn't mean cheap-crap cheap, just the cheapest way to get a name-brand kit (eg Gates, Subaru). Bearing in mind it's going up for sale after I do this. Whats the trick to getting trade price from Subaru/Wingers? Just ask?

Got a 1999 Legacy GTB (BH5, EJ208, 2.0TT) and soon rolling over 200k. Where's the best place to get a cambelt kit? The 281-tooth 30mm one. Best as in cheapest. TM has a few kits from aussie (~$300), but none for my car. Common-as car, so figure someone must know a good source. Thanks heaps Chris

Thanks Rosssub and Duncanm, legends. Got plenty to get on with now. Yeah, BBOD was on my list. Why the hell is the prim boost solenoid hidden under the front guard? Seriously! Still miffed why I can hear induction sucking (or hissing) on boost on a stock car. But I bet I'll find something with the intake leak test. Off to get some ether...

Thanks. Nope, not yet, but I will!

Good to hear. Def something wrong with mine then. What are common problems which prevent boost on gtb's? Saying all that, once it's finally climbed up to 5-6k, it goes pretty well. But takes ages to get up there. Does that point to the primary being poked? Or a leak in the primary plumbing? Hope it's not that rubber turbo intake pipe wedged under the intake. That's a bastard to see, let alone replace. What's the best way to check for intake air leaks? I had this random thought of pumping some sort of smokey gas into the intake, so you'd see where it was escaping, but not sure if that's possible? Cheers for any idea's.

Thanks b01z. It's a RevB by the way, if it makes any difference. I was kinda after any common probs with this car first, but yeah, will get the boost gauge sorted soon and get some readings. Cheers

Cool, thanks GG, I'll check tonight. Yeah, prob not a RevD, but that would be nice. I remapped my 06 WRX with a romraider stage1 base map, and made world of difference. Would love to do that to the gtb, but too old I think.

Thanks b01z. It's manual, and I don't have a boost gauge. I'm figuring I need to buy one and hook it it up asap? What's the Rev A/B/C/D? How can I find out? Cheers

Hi all, I'm after a few tips on where to start diagnosing a ****ty performing stock gtb. It's done 170000km, NZ new, and it fairly good nick, but doesn't really perform. Never driven another BH5 GTB, but heard they should have a bit of hoof. Big turbo lag from standstill, nothing really happens until about 3.5k. Nothing really happens there either, but you can hear an obvious induction sucking noise, which I don't think should be present on a stock gtb. Has to get to around 5k for the secondary to kick in, and get through the VOD. For 280hp, it really has no seat-of-pants to it. Feels like a big old heavy granddad car. Feels a bit like something's up with boost, or lack of boost. Fuel economy is ok though, about 9L/100km open road, so I figure the guts of the engine is ok. No smoke or anything. What are common problems with a 17 year old gtb? Where do I start looking? Thanks guys.

Thanks, bloody legend!

Oh yeah, the way I see it the cause of the valves going bad is: -There is a passive 1-way flap-type valve inside each solenoid valve housing, which is designed to stop exhaust going back up the tube, and only let fresh air in. Thats great, but over time carbon and crap builds up in there, and the flap stays open. This was the case when I pulled one of mine apart. -Once jammed open, hot moist exhaust gas is allowed into the solenoid valve section, which rusts that up. Mine was all rusty and the rubber bits were damaged from heat. -Once the valve seizes open, hot moist exhaust gas is allowed up to the fan, which rusts and melts that. Mine wasn't melted like some peoples, but the bearings were rusty and rough and noisy when it ran.

In case anyone interested, just finished fixing the good old Secondary Air valve problem on my 2006 WRX 120,000km. Heaps of info on NASIOC.com (http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1209260&highlight=2444&page=40) and all over the net, but I did it a little different. Most of the time it seems the 2 valves get stuck open or closed. I got P1410, so one/both of the valves were stuck open. This isn't good, cos the exhaust can travel back up the tube and into the fan and engine bay. And affect pre-turbo exhaust pressure too. The recommended fix is to either replace the valves (big job, costly) or remove the whole system and install blanking plates on the holes into the engine (huge job, cheap parts, never have to deal with it again). Then remove error codes via romraider. The reason it's a sh!t of a job is to remove the valves, you need to pop the whole intake manifold off, and to install blanking plates you need to remove up and downpipe. Screw that. So I got the idea from KSTech (http://www.kstech.biz/subaru-air-pump-valve-block-off-plate-set-2006-wrx-sti-lgt-fxt/) who sell the blanking plates. They also sell plates which fit in between the pipework and the valves, which effectively do the same job as blanking plates on the engine. But with WAY less screwing around. Great thing about this solution is: -You don't need to take off intake or up/down pipes -Leaves secondary air system in place, so car looks stock and the pressure sensor inside one of the valves still works (not sure why this is needed but hey) I made up plates from some 1.2mm stainless, a hacksaw, file and drill. (Gasket is on the right) http://s30.postimg.org/d8hys4jbh/IMG_7636_1.jpg First remove IC. Find the 2 valves... the easy one is directly under the IC, and hard one is nearby 1/2 wedged under the intake manifold. Take off all rubber hoses from fan. Remove bolts on easy/passenger valve attaching the pipe to engine, and pull metal gasket out (used to make plates in above pic). Slip plate in between gasket and pipe, and tighten bolts again. I took my whole valve assy off, but you don't have to. http://s29.postimg.org/br3d1vqkj/IMG_7637_1.jpg Then do the same to the hard to reach valve. It's a bit of an ass bandit. One bolt is easy to get to, but the other is not. I removed throttle body, then slipped a long extension with flexi-joint down to reach the bolt http://s4.postimg.org/89ykkqyvt/IMG_7639_1.jpg For that bolt, I just losened it 3mm, but left the bolt in. It would be real *****y to get back in if it fell out. I also needed to loosen the 1 bolt holding the valve in place, which was also hard to reach with a spanner, to enable the valve and pipe to separate enough to slot the plate in. I used the blanking plate with slot for that one, so just slipped it in, then tightened bolts back up. Hard to see in pic, but the shiny plate is in between the valve and the pipe flange. http://s10.postimg.org/i1qnce0c5/IMG_7635_1.jpg Then everything back together, pull fan and sec air system fuses, and use RomRaider to remove the error codes. Not going into the romraider thing here, but look it up on 1000 places on net. Hope that helps someone else with this annoying problem! Chris EDIT 2023: Pix reupped here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1O1bIdEtr_oipHrWFqolinUCWGcSvbn0M?usp=sharing

Bump, still looking... anyone have one they want to sell? Cheers

Something glaringly missing from most 2002+ wrx/imprezas is the hatchback waist spoiler they used to put on everything. Looks so empty without it. Anyone know where I can get one? Anyone got one lying around? Wrecking?

Cool man. I was considering keeping the exhaust and intake stock, and remapping to something slightly better. Not sure about all this remapping stuff though, as this will be first time. Or maybe take snorkle off intake and use kn panel filter from my old wrx. Not sure if it will do much though.

Thx for your help lunchie. Mechanics inspection on Tues, then handing over the keys hopefully! Fingers crossed I don\'t melt the pistons!

OK, thanks guys. Sounds like it might not be a big deal then. Drive by wire sounds scary... another thing to go wrong :-)

I\'m looking at a 2006 2.5L wrx to buy, and drove it today. Quite good nick, only 2 previous owners, and 100k on the clock, engine bay nice and clean. Drove really well, smooth power delivery, tight gb, firm handling. A couple of things stressed me out though: -When key to Acc position (engine off) and all dashboard lights turn on, I heard a constant high pitch whine/squeal from somewhere round the throttle body. Only noticible with hood up. Sounds like from the black plastic thing on side of throttle-body (cruisecontrol module?) Photo attached. Listening closer, it kinda quietly clicked a bit as well. Anyone know whats going on, and if its normal? Does this car have drive by wire or something? Couldn\'t see the usual throttle cable rotating assembly. -When turning key back off, whine stops but there is a quick flurry of clicks from somewhere in the enginebay. Relays? Prob nothing to worry about, but might be. -a bit of tappit clicking/ticking, but guess that pretty normal? Thanks for any help!

I test drove a 2004 wrx a while ago, and it had noticibly less kick than my 97 wrx. I thought that the weight increase had tamed it down a bit, but it may have been a dud. The 2.5L on the other hand seems to have more hoof than my 97. Based on that, I\'m kinda reluctant to by a 2004/5 2.0L, would feel like a downgrade.

Ahhhh. Maybe not an issue though. Old wrx drives me mad with no lsd in rear... park on snow or mud and one wheel ends up spinning and car going nowhere. Hopefully rear lsd would fix that? Checked out car today... only 2 airbags, but sounds like side ab come as option from new. No idea what turbo they put in it. Stock turbo, but can\'t see any IHIxxx markings without taking things off. Can see "6B06 N2" stamped on compressor housing though. Looks bigger than the TD04 in my 97wrx. Just wondering if it\'s ball bearing shaft (as opposed to the old oil cooled turbo where you have to leave it running to cool before turning off) and if its twin scroll like the legacy\'s? That would be nice!

I\'m no expert, but I thought my simple old 97 wrx has a budget old centre diff where if the front or back shaft would spin if the other was stationary (ie no lsd)? I heard rumours that newer models put an LSD in centre so it shared power across front/back if one end wanted to spin.

Can you point me in the direction of the 2.5L problems? The one I\'m looking at is private sale, and 100,000km. 2 owners, really good cond, so prob not abused. All stock. Any idea if they have centre lsd? Cheers

Thanks Lunchie! Much appreciated!