Gripless

Looking to tidy up the clutch master to bring it up from under the intercooler and while at it maybe the brake master. Anyone done remote mounting before? https://au.gktech.com/products/remote-mount-reservoir-kit

There are ducted shrouds and splitters from the scoop to the top of the intercooler, but nothing after to direct airflow! Older models had only a small vent to bypass the intercooler to feed the turbo cooling duct. Which was fine as air only exited under the car. The newer cars have a large gridded vent on each side as well as a series of rectangle cutout along the back of the seal. Im guessing they have these to blow the hot air to the sides of the engine bay and out via the front fenders and vents. Though possible that the side without the turbo needs far less. The rear rectangular holes would have sent external air down the firewall and over the clutch master etc. This also lets the hot air vent back through the scoop when not moving. The large gridded vents are the highest point in the engine bay so convection does its job. It is very noticeable on cold of rainy days when the shimmer from the heat exits the vent in standstill traffic. Now with a large intercooler fitted the duct ends 4cm from the back edge of the fins in the core. The much larger inlet takes up almost all the gap to the firewall. So any air that vents back there is above the seam to the wiper motor area and won’t flow downwards over the firewall. Since this requires the OEM rubber duct to be moved 4cm or more rear wards just to cover the core, maybe there needs to be a few deflectors underneath to direct some of the air towards the firewall. This may also help direct more hot air to exit under the car rather than become stagnant near the firewall.

Fitted reverse LED. Easy job as little hatches in the rear hatch to access them. Since they are foam seal light clusters the bulbs have no o-ring to get stuck. The reverse lamps come on with engine off as long as you have double tapped start button without the clutch in. Made it easy to check they worked. Fitted new fog or spot light bulbs. Both are accessible from the wheel liner if you turn the wheel full lock. There are 3 black plastic panel clips on the wheel liner lower section that is outside the bumper. peal back liner as far as you can. About 15cm of the upper section that inside the metal body work is enough. Plug is red/brown and has a single center push release close to the wire end. It was easy push, no noise clip, then slide off without having to hold it down. Bulb holder is tan and plug faces downwards and you rotate the plug inwards to undo. So they rotate differently on each side. Eg clockwise driver right side. Counterclockwise on passengers left side. The OEM spotlights are recessed so it can only turn the correct direction and acts as guide to put them back in as well. Holders have 3 equal keyed tabs that are a tight fit so once rotated still needed a fair bit of wriggling to start sliding backwards and out. The replacements one I put in came with new holders that had far smaller tabs so much easier to get in/out. On the sti the side vents allow you to see in to the back of the lamps. Clearly of right, but left has the washer bottle etc in the way. Still not hard to do just a little more care needed to get bulbs around them without touching anything. I did test one side of each and it was obvious the old bulbs had faded to more yellow and brightness had dropped a lot. Old bulb was blue tinted glass and only bulbs in car that don’t have Japanese writing or branding.

Some of the o-rings in the headlights especially get dry and crusty making them hard to remove. Newer cars or curved headlight's are more likely the issue, since you can’t easily get to the bulbs. eg 2008+ Impreza the parking bulb is on a bulb holder with a 6cm thin plastic handle as it’s so far inside the guard. That’s after having to remove the battery and airbox to get to the inner guard. Even a few week later trying to remove the parking lamp again without lube the o-ring had stuck again. You can replace some, eg front indicators are a o-ring while others like outer tail lights are a custom shaped rubber seals. i just use silicone oil on a cotton bud (q-tip) on the mating face so not to attract dust etc.

Measured temps after long drive, did a small full boost section but that was 15 mins before measuring. intercooler top mount throttle side 43c rad and killer b upper tank. 94c intake - turbo side 68c was hotter after 10 min warm up before insulation washers - passengers side 54c turbo - compressor side maybe 60-70 didn’t write it down, but water cooled core and upper res are next to it. - hot side and down pipe hpc coated 297c tested new aerogel insulation with flames measuring 570c and it went from white to a grey/tan tint. But that maybe just the soot. Either way it held the temp for a few seconds after removing the flame, but the other side was still room temp. Has little smell after heating, so better than glass fibre wrap. Next will cut section and see if it soaks up liquid, and if it’ll make the oil etc burn easier once absorbed. Have a plan for cheap easy brake and clutch master cylinder heat shielding on the way too. Wont be needed once exhaust is wrapped, but maybe useful for others and race cars.

Damn looks nice!

Don’t forget pi3 runs link ecu dash amd there is now support for canbus so you can log or react to car events.

LED indicator bulbs arrived. TLDR; very bright for modern clear lenses, for the older cars likely ideal as does fill the reflector. Will order the white ones next for reverse lights as they are very bright. I lied they fast blink, maybe due to side mirrors being led as well. Need new LED supported flasher relay now. Which is an 8 pin unit Subaru part 81980-50030 toyota part 066500-4650 Just fitted the rear two only as can’t be bothered pulling the battery, airbox and intake to do the front ones. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005131707706.html Yellow 7440 T20 7443 for 08 hatch the above fit. They are very very bright, do… fast flash and fill the whole reflector. I wouldn’t want to be looking at them on a rainy night. They are the same as annoying Audi ones before they went to the animated led strips. They light up the some of the brake light and the ground as well. This isn’t new as the bulb did the same just the increased brightness means in shade you can see the effect. The bulbs did this at night clearly, but in shade or underground carparks you didn’t notice it. Now other than sunlight you notice the effect. May have to cut the tint back another 5mm on the sides to see if that stops the brakes lighting up as much. Not that I think it will fail a WOF and increases visibility from side as it not just the tiny wing mirror ones. The silver ring around the base is alloy, while the vented part is plastic, so it isn’t reliant on anodising to stop shorting the connector.

Two additional orders 1 cup holder foam from amayama the 3 foam inserts for the cup holder and tray same as legacy and a few other models. Just as the current ones are mostly just grit and the rectangle in the middle where the tape holds what’s left down. When they arrive I’ll put them on an A4 sheet of paper and scan them with the measurements and centre points of the radius. Then have an admin host them here. That way you can just print them at home on paper and cut them out from foam, leather or whatever material. Plus you can pick coloured material if you wanted. 2 lighters sockets replaced with USB Bits for inside the console box to tidy up the sockets etc. I have a USB lead for the iPhone/iPod link to the stereo that pokes through the AUX panel. Which is a 5x2.5cm cutout with a diagonal corner that’s Subaru used since the late 90’s. There is little option to replace this due to the size, so it’ll be covered over with this dual usb A and dual usb c with PD. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008187065950.html That will connect to the cigarette lighter power wiring. The PD power delivery part will be helpful for charging a laptop a little at 20-30watts. They say 60watts but I suspect that’s only if you have 24v input. The model I ordered has voltage display as well. The console box lighter socket will be removed since the power draw from the above will be near the factory rating of the old lighter. The hole will be filled by and usb to usb cable for the stereo. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007137472845.html Since lighter sockets are pretty useless the one in front of the gear shift is being replaced as well. With a usb A and usb c with PD and QC3 for phones. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006823887384.html it also has a button to press to show current voltage on a multi colour segment display more like old air fuel ratio meter. It should be only illuminated after first button press, but it’s low down out of eyeliner for night driving anyway. Final USB is usb A female to usb c female panel. That will mount near glove box and connect to ecu tuning cable. That way it’s tidy and I don’t need to buy a new ecu to usb c plug if that is ever an option. Will print a label for cover that says ecu and tuck it away slightly out of view. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006704300239.html Last one in the list.

Refitted windows switches and they all work again. Very surprising as the passengers ones was so bad it felt like it was physically broken before taken apart. And once part the slider got stuck and felt like it had grit or bent contacts inside. So I looked up some replacements overnight. standard auto up/down drivers RHD https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005240228470.html but found on the later Nissans they had higher model ones with auto for 2 or all 4 windows. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006046168940.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004633745295.html this would be up to the body control module BCM but since there is no additional wiring for auto it could support the additional auto functions already.

Removed drivers door window switches as passengers switch is busted. Pulled the top off and actual switch under rocker gets rough near the ends. Poured ethanol into the gaps and worked switch. Seems to have washed out whatever crud was inside. It’s a Nissan part and reasonably common. Just harder to find in RHD but will order a replacement if it doesn’t work now it’s clean.

Ordered 6mm thick SiO2 Silica oxide aerogel sheet to wrap downpipe. It’s classed as incombustible, good for 800c and at 10mm thickness can reduce 650c on one side down to 50c on the other. its hydrophobic so won’t absorb liquid and chemical resistant as well. Then going to them wrap the aerogel in common adhesive glass-fibre cloth with alloy so it has abrasion resistance. The exhaust is already ceramic coated but it’s still getting too hot near the steering rack and both the brake and clutch master cylinders.

Holden astra and most ev cars have similar pump and tank in one units as well. edit.. plus Audi Seat Skoda Volkswagen POLO FOX LUPO like 6Q0423155AE 6Q0423155AB 6Q0423156E

seems s209 uses the auto paddles as water spray which is what I had planned. https://techinfo.subaru.com/stis/doc/ownerManual/MSA5M1923K_STIS.pdf

Seems they are also in Hyundai cars as well so more options in NZ wreckers. but the later 2019 units had recalls https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2019/RCRIT-19V812-3365.pdf https://epasperformance.com/products/mopar-a-body This was similar to what I initially thought, use steering angle sensor as input. The greater the rate of change the more assist. Also says only 10 amp average during use so could get away without new alternator.

Messages for Volvo one are in that linkecu post. Mopar one just send 0x308 0x54 0x01 0x40 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 and it starts at default 70-80% duty. as long as you send those messages every 5 seconds or less it apparently works ok. Internet has already decoded them all. Plus you can just send data and ignore the response if you want. You won’t get error messages or rpm data back, though that’s not needed. Emtron forum can likely give you an example if needed. seems GR owners already have 110amp alternator, unlike the 75amp 90s models 23700AA510 and 23700AA5108A 23700AA520 23700AA521 23700AA522 23700AA570 23700AA630 3L outback and early tribeca have same 110amp 23700AA830 is newer bigger on later 10-14 tribeca at 130amp edit… https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007865281147.html seems 130a is on 3.6L legacy and outback as well. So all ez36 engines from 2010-2014. plus lists the Mitsubishi electric part numbers. Which match the same Subaru models for rebuild kits etc. more edit… was looking at quick release connectors and realised that the bigger alternator may also have heavier gauge wiring so if you upgrade you may want to also redo the earth and power leads.

It’s just 2 can messages that you send keep alive requested duty cycle so just need a math block or table to look up the duty cycle to send. Bigger alternator could be nice for running audio gear though.

I had not… Seems like a viable option but you need an upgraded alternator as the Volvo factory has an 80A fuse just for the pump unit, and a canbus controller for it. Could interface it like the Volvo with the steering angle sensor and speed to have speed sensitivity for steering. Or s# as lower pump speed for more feedback and weight when on track. But I guess with aftermarket ecu you can feed it via the secondary canbus if you set the ID to match the Volvo one, so no external controller etc needed. Plus can read the pump speed and any error state too. edit… https://forums.linkecu.com/topic/20720-volvo-power-steering-pump-can-on-a-link-g4x-pp/ seems that any canbus ecu works. Author of original external controller added his info at the end. Says Volvo pumps are unreliable and use the mopar (Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram) ones.

Found slow leak in killer B upper reservoir from the side L fitting between the intake runners. There was a 5mm little stalactite from the dried drips underneath. But that explains the sweet smell in the engine bay. Ordered new power steering pump and suction hose as current one is noisy and the upper connector is leaking even after o-ring replacement. New from NZ is near $1000 but direct was $245+gst. Looking at new mirrored or chrome coated bulbs so the headlight and tail lights have no orange from indicator bulbs. Made a nice difference on other cars I’ve had. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002381990679.html being bulbs don’t have to replace the flasher relay either,

TPMS hasn’t leaked still 29 psi on the one rear tire. swapped out front park bulbs to led as on side was flickering. this was way too hard as the bulbs are behind airbox and battery. Plus they have a long flat part out the back of the holder to clear the bodywork. Being old the o rings are dry and make turning to unlock difficult. Should have silicone greased them but that’s now a future problem.

Fitted quick release lever to OEM battery terminal… https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005754569067.html style 8 version as only wanted the cam lever and mount. just removed the square head bolt from OEM terminal. with 2 washers on the lever side, the OEM square washer from nut side swapped side and then OEM nut plus new round alloy nut to lock it in place. will possibly do the positive side at a later date, but for now just disconnecting while car is sitting works ok. testing external TPMS tire sensors. Since haltech have them as an option maybe they are good enough now. Have done only one rear tire as they do pose the risk if they loosen the tire will leak and go flat. They have a second nut that you tighten up behind them to lock them in place but still feels a little risky. Got this one but the angle of the pivot for the device bs the mount/solar panel is around 60 degrees where windscreen is under 40 so it faces downwards. That means it has to be mounted Hugh on windscreen and that ain’t great as middle of windscreen has lots of dots and is also tinited. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006245071744.html maybe should have gotten this one as could either sit in socket in front of gear shift, or in the centre console storage bin socket. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005592494107.html may get another pump like this to AP carry in the car. These are hat come in swifts etc that have no spare tire. Just in case one leaks. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005913525912.html update… external TPMS sensors need a spanner to install and remove, which is supplied. Just don’t loose it or forget it or you cannot fill up your tires. I had it but it makes a small task take a long time if you have to undo the sensors with the spanner and redo them to inflate your tires. A good reason to get the internal ones.

Did some testing over the weekend. After idling the car up to temperature in the car park with the bonnet open the intake on turbo side was hot while the other side was barely warm. Say 70c vs 30c between sides. Given the hood was open and hadn’t been making boost the turbo wasn’t very hot leads me to suspect the coolant top tank since that would be at 90c according to the coolant temp sensor. The tank is a killer b one so all alloy and the mount is a 6mm heavy plate bolted to the manifold so it transfers heat well compared to old thin steel or newer plastic ones. https://www.killerbmotorsport.net/shop/utcrv2an-b-upper-turbo-coolant-reservoir-v2-with-an-fittings-631 added some thermal washers above and below mounting plate and Heatsink to the top threads of the bolt. Total cost around $10 https://www.bunnings.co.nz/zenith-fibre-washer-suits-5-16-m8-30pk_p2310760 will it make any difference driving, likely not as only time that intake air will be slow moving is in heavy traffic.

Fitted new steering column shroud that fits the paddles. replaced the hatch release buttons as the main one has turned into goo. Not hard except one nut jammed up under the wiper motor took a little finesse. Remove tail light 3 nuts per side. This reveals 1 plastic screw clip per side, but leave those until last. Do the 4 nuts on inside, then free up the wiring. Then go back and do those plastic screws. The wiring has a mounting clip that you could clip off the old one before the plastic screws. swapped the pump wiring on the dual pump setup chasing a fuel pressure issue. FYI the Dremel spanner fits the radium nuts under the wiring. then the rechargeable light ran out so gave up for the day.

That may have just made the value partly close all the time. sounds like you have a boost or vacuum leak in the lines that controls the valve etc. Time to open and check BBoD

If your bov is making reasonable volume then the intercooler and all the way to intake is likely good. is the boost garage sharing a line with the bov, or is it off something else? have you checked the exhaust valve to the secondary turbo isn’t always open?