AVO Turbo Kit Owners Topic

[Fizz]

Originally Posted by @Art_Mighty

I finished the install of the stage 1 kit and AVO oil cooler!

Pictures mate...pictures!!!

[protpibe]

Originally Posted by @Art_Mighty

I finished the install of the stage 1 kit and AVO oil cooler!

how are you liking it ?

[@Art_Mighty]

Originally Posted by Fizz

Pictures mate...pictures!!!

I took few pictures of the install; we did a lot all at once and I finished by the skin of my teeth (had a very limited time booked in a place equipped with a lift, air compressor, heat, tools, etc). I so wish I would have taken a picture of the front clip just before the bumper went on. We milled-out a place in the airdam for the intercooler and the oil cooler ducting and the end result was pretty trick.

Later I'll post something.

[@Art_Mighty]

Originally Posted by protpibe

how are you liking it ?

This car absolutely needed to turbo. Now the car has the needed propulsion to match it looks and the feeling of a turbo spooling up never gets old. In addition to the AVO turbo kit I also installed the Milltek resonator back exhaust. I'm very happy with the end product and I'm only running 6 pounds of boost right now.

[Fizz]

What tune are you using? Base map from AVO?

Does the turbo kit affect low rpm response? Like stop-go traffic conditions? I ask because someone told me that since installing the kit he noticed its become 'unresponsive' until boost comes on.

[Astroboy]

Originally Posted by Fizz

What tune are you using? Base map from AVO?

Does the turbo kit affect low rpm response? Like stop-go traffic conditions? I ask because someone told me that since installing the kit he noticed its become 'unresponsive' until boost comes on.

I don't thinks so, but if it does, it makes up for it.

Fun Fact: I was reading an article about the boxer motors EJ20s and EJ25s, and it states that you never want to go wot under extreme loads with these motors. The article recommended that the best time to floor it was above the 3500 rpm range. I don't know if what I read from the article is safe to follow for the FA20s aswell.



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[Astroboy]

Originally Posted by @Art_Mighty

This car absolutely needed to turbo. Now the car has the needed propulsion to match it looks and the feeling of a turbo spooling up never gets old. In addition to the AVO turbo kit I also installed the Milltek resonator back exhaust. I'm very happy with the end product and I'm only running 6 pounds of boost right now.

Few questions
How many miles on the car?
What oil grade are you using?
Which Wideband, oil pressure, and boost gauge are you using?



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[@Art_Mighty]

Originally Posted by Fizz

What tune are you using? Base map from AVO?

Does the turbo kit affect low rpm response? Like stop-go traffic conditions? I ask because someone told me that since installing the kit he noticed its become 'unresponsive' until boost comes on.

First the tune...

There are four "maps" included in the delicious tune I bought;
91 octane @ 6psi,
93 octane @ 8 psi,
E50 @ 9psi
and then what I like to call the "do you feel lucky punk?" tune: E85 @ 11psi. The last tune tops out the fuel delivery and approaches (what I believe) are the material limits of the rods and oiling system in the engine.

...and I'm only using the 6psi tune for the next week or so until I can install my gauges. This is also the shake down period in which I'm not only breaking in a new turbo and looking for leaks but also bedding in the brakes as well. In other words, baby steps.

turbo response...

Your friend is correct within certain point view. When they're not boosting they "drag" on the engine and they only work when the engine is under load. The thing is the greater the RPM the smaller the gap is between the turbo lagging vs. boosting. I say all of this because it depends on how you drive; if you stay in one gear then it can be unresponsive, if you drop a gear or two the boost builds in a damn hurry. Or you can simply keep it out of boost in stop and go traffic and preserve the car.

[@Art_Mighty]

Originally Posted by Astroboy

Few questions
How many miles on the car?
What oil grade are you using?
Which Wideband, oil pressure, and boost gauge are you using?



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> The car is two years old and has 48,000 miles on it

> I run Castrol Syntec 0w20 in the winter and 10w30 in the summer

(...will be installing in a week)

> Innovate Motorsports MTX-D: Oil Pressure & Temperature Gauge



> AEM's Wideband Failsafe Gauge for AFR and boost

[Lonewolf]

Originally Posted by @Art_Mighty

First the tune...


...and I'm only using the 6psi tune for the next week or so until I can install my gauges. This is also the shake down period in which I'm not only breaking in a new turbo and looking for leaks but also bedding in the brakes as well. In other words, baby steps.

turbo response...

preserve the car.

Glad to hear you're doing it right...I can't count how many times I've seen people slap forced induction onto factory n/a cars without gauges, cooling mods, or a good tune...and then proceed to redline the car and something goes pop...

[@Art_Mighty]

Originally Posted by Lonewolf

Glad to hear you're doing it right...I can't count how many times I've seen people slap forced induction onto factory n/a cars without gauges, cooling mods, or a good tune...and then proceed to redline the car and something goes pop...

Yeah, I'm in no hurry to blow a motor...

I also added one of these as well



I debated a new radiator but I'm going to wait and see what things are like in the summer heat.

[Fizz]

Did you guys loose much coolant when fitting the turbo coolant lines? Which coolant did you fill up with? And I presume you'd need to burp the system?

Is a wideband O2 gauge absolutely necessary?

[@Art_Mighty]

Originally Posted by Fizz

Did you guys loose much coolant when fitting the turbo coolant lines? Which coolant did you fill up with? And I presume you'd need to burp the system?

Fizz from what I can tell the turbo is cooled from a return line cooling the throttle body (WTF?). Seriously i have no idea what a coolant line is doing there. Only a small amount of coolant is lost and there's no need to burp the system just installing the turbo. That being said; I installed Mishimoto's racing thermostat because the housing sits above the header so it's silly not to do it when you have access to it. when you pull it all of the coolant drains out of the system. I went to the Subaru dealer and purchased two gallons of Subaru's "blue" coolant and used 1.5 gallons to refill the system.

All that being said I discovered the FA20 has *TWO* thermostats. Does anyone know what the second one (upper motor) is for?

Originally Posted by Fizz

Is a wideband O2 gauge absolutely necessary?

Gauges arn't necessary. They're just a damn good idea. When we bolt up all this stuff to our cars the implied margins of safety and reliability are gone. The way I see it there's four areas that will go wrong...

> sudden loss of oil pressure (we're tapping into the engines oiling system). also remember that the FA20 has crankshaft oil pressure issues (seriously the best thread on here right now...)

> oil temp too high (or too low)

> boost over pressure (normally something broke or hose leak between the turbo/EBC to the wastegate actuator)

> running lean (you're trusting a 3rd party tune and using the stock injectors and fuel bump but running both harder)

...and your brain is now the cars secondary engine management computer. The only access you have to these parameters are the gauges you install.

[Digitalanalog]

Originally Posted by @Art_Mighty

Fizz from what I can tell the turbo is cooled from a return line cooling the throttle body (WTF?). Seriously i have no idea what a coolant line is doing there.


I went to the Subaru dealer and purchased two gallons of Subaru's "blue" coolant and used 1.5 gallons to refill the system.

the coolant lines at the TB keep the TB from freezing up. Look at the coolant jugs you bought. i dont believe its a 50/50 from subaru ,you were suppose to add water. running only coolant and theres a good chance you'll overheat.