Tye300's 86

[Tye300]

Whiteline KDT925 and Ultra Racing Rear Under Brace Install (6-1-14)

I realized that installing the UltraRacing front under brace made the front end of the car tighter and more responsive and made the rear of the car a bit more loose during the last track event I attended. To remedy this, I ordered the UltraRacing rear under brace to bring the rear end up to spec. I also ordered the Whiteline KDT925 diff inserts, following the great performance of the last subframe bushings I installed. Today's install was done at Autokozmetix.

The rear under brace looks like this:

The rear under brace connects the rear crossmember to the rear point where the lower control arms and the subframe connects. This effectively makes the rear subframe more rigid.

Here's how it looks when both braces are installed:

Since the differential is connected to the rear subframe, installing this brace will limit the deflection or movement of the subframe under load. This leads to my next supporting mod, the Whiteline differential bushing inserts.
Install was a breeze, take two screws out, place the brace between them and put the screws back.

KDT925 Install

I did not install the large bushings on the rear subframe because I already have a differential brace. I opted to install the outrigger bushing inserts only, as they are the weak link now with the diff brace installed. With the inserts, movement will be further limited, making the transfer of energy more efficient.

The insert has grooves that mate up perfect to the stock bushings, and has an upper insert to further stiffen up the outrigger contact points. Together, they make the stock bushings stiffer, limiting deflection and making the system more efficient.
Whiteline has done another great job with these, with all the things needed for the install included in the kit. The fit of the inserts are flawless, and the install was made easy with a very detailed instruction manual.

Outrigger insert installed:

I will get to review these mods during the next track event in two weeks time, and will voice my opinion after the event.

[Tye300]

TRD Sharkfin Install and review (6-3-14)

I opted for another round of cosmetic upgrade for the 86. Being the TRD fanboy that I am, I ordered the TRD Sharkfin antenna. The actual part can be ordered pre painted in black, white, and red factory colors which accurately matches the cars paint. It's a plug and play affair.

The part comes with the Sharkfin, instructions in Japanese, a screw and washer, a template, and a surface cleaner. Pretty much everything you need to install it. The only tool needed was a Phillips head screwdriver and some tape to hold the template.

The only niggle I encountered was that the Philippine 86 model has a slightly different antenna than the JDM one. The JDM has the folding type with a smaller base, while the PDM has a slightly bigger base and has a stationary antenna. This posed a problem with the template but I just winged it and it turned out straight anyway.

The antenna has a wire that connects to the base and is tapped by the supplied screw. After screwing the wire to the base, the Sharkfin is secured by peeling the double sided adhesive.

Overall, the Sharkfin ties in all of the TRD accessories, namely the fender fin and the canards. It works well with the TRD body kit also, blending well with the design. Another great product from TRD!

[Tye300]

Innovate MTX-L AFR Gauge install and Review (5-28-14)

In an effort to closely monitor things that go about in my engine, I purchased an Innovate MTX-L air fuel gauge.

The box includes the gauge, wideband sensor, bung, sensor cable, installer cd, alternate gauge face and bezel, and PC cable. What I cannot understand is, why did Innovate not include a gauge mount? How could you expect to use or install the gauge without a mount or holder? Other than that, everything is fine.

The quality of the gauge is on the cheap side, a bit plasticky to my taste. The supplied bezel is made of plastic unlike the other gauges I've purchased which are made of metal or aluminum. The supplied wideband sensor seems sturdy, which is the important factor here.

I bought a Defi gauge mount copy off eBay, which needed some modifying to fit the innovate gauge. I sawed off the back part of the cup because the innovate gauge was too long to fit.

After wiring the gauge up at Autokozmetix, I had Mufflerland weld in the bung to my overpipe. The sensor needs to be calibrated before it could be installed into the exhaust pipe, and this procedure took only a few mins which went without a hitch.
I mounted the gauge on the dashboard, left side near the a pillar, where my boost gauge previously was.

[IMG]http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k89/tyroneongpauco/IMG_9676_zps86c04***.jpg[/IMG]

Once everything was plugged in and calibrated, the gauge worked flawlessly. It read the AFR well, with the refresh rate fairly quick.
I opted to install the black face to keep my gauges fairly uniform.
Except for the missing mount, I'm fairly happy with the innovate kit.

[Tye300]

Turbosmart Kompact Dual Port-25mm Install and Review (6-10-14)

I gave into my inner ricer after I found a good deal on a slightly used Turbosmart blow off valve in the classifieds. I wanted to get more blow off sounds from the car, but nothing too outrageous. After conferring with the former owner and some members here, the Turbosmart unit seemed to fit the bill nicely.

The Vortech kit comes with a blowoff valve, but leaves much to be desired in quality and sound. Performance wise, it seems to do the job, but if you want more fast and the furious bling, replacing it with a better aftermarket BOV is what you need.

Unboxing the kit, it comes with the blow off valve, some shims, two hose clamps, and the port cover or blanking plug. The blanking plug is there if you want to make it a full bypass unit, but who wants to do that anyway? It screws in where the horn is on the port, making it a single port BOV.

Looking closely at the valve, construction is top notch, it is made from billet aluminum which greatly upgrades the dinky plastic valve which came with the Vortech kit.

The cover can be rotated to adjust the spring preload on the valve. Fully tightening the cover will increase the spring and loosening it will decrease the spring load. Now this is where thing got a little iffy. If I wanted to loosen the spring load, the cover would extend and with the stock BOV clearance being so tight already, the valve would hit the engine block. So my only option was to keep it fully tightened to get the extra clearance.

Install was pretty easy, I just had to take the Vortech airbox off to give me extra room to work with. HRTROB installed his without removing the airbox, so it can be done, I just wanted to have more room to work. I had to cut the hose a bit so the turbosmart unit would clear the engine block, not a big issue. Install took me around 30mins taking pics along the way.

Overall, I like how this upgrade turned out. The car gives that noticeable whoosh sound when you release the throttle, but not obnoxious enough to scream "look at me!" Which was exactly what I was going for. So Vortech owners thinking about doing this mod, it's easy enough to do and gives more sound with better quality from the stock valve, I highly recommend this kit.

Vortech SC with stock BOV:
[ame]http://youtu.be/S7djoZNnO-U[/ame]

Vortech SC with Turbosmart BOV:
[ame]http://youtu.be/Zh5ZbDtcKgk[/ame]

Thanks to @Amalgamo for the great deal and to @HRTROB and @DJCarbine for the info!

[Efferalgan]

Originally Posted by Tye300

...

Question #4: How did my supporting mods work as a whole?
Answer: Very well. The larger radiator and thermostat regulated the water temp which made it recover very fast as soon as I went for a cool down lap. The catch can caught a lot of blowby oil, which I'm sure would have clogged the intercooler had it not been there. Even with the catch can though, my exhaust pipes looked like the engine threw up some oil on them.
The 4.55 Final drive was a different beast with the Vortech. The car just powered out of corners with ease, which no doubt was helped by the FD. The various bushings and braces I installed also helped transfer and absorb the extra power the car is making now.

Oil caught by catch can:
[URL=http://s86.photobucket.com/user/tyroneongpauco/media/IMG_9284_zpsa364ab46.jpg.html]

Hi! Do you have close-up pictures of how your Cusco catch can is connected after the SC install? I'm planning to instal my Cusco AOS but with AT cars it seems there is different layout behind the block and I simply can't reach the PCV valve without disassembling some stuff there...

[Tye300]

Originally Posted by Efferalgan

Hi! Do you have close-up pictures of how your Cusco catch can is connected after the SC install? I'm planning to instal my Cusco AOS but with AT cars it seems there is different layout behind the block and I simply can't reach the PCV valve without disassembling some stuff there...

You can do it two ways. You can disconnect the pcv hose connected on top of the intake manifold,(under the "Toyota/Subaru boxer" plate) connect that hose to the cusco can, and connect the outlet hose back to where you disconnected the pcv hose. The other way is to disconnect the pcv hose completely, connect the cusco hose to the pcv valve, connect the outlet cusco hose to the hose connected to the manifold.
It's easier to do the first one because you don't have to reach under the manifold to connect to the pcv valve. HTH!

[Efferalgan]

Originally Posted by Tye300

You can do it two ways. You can disconnect the pcv hose connected on top of the intake manifold,(under the "Toyota/Subaru boxer" plate) connect that hose to the cusco can, and connect the outlet hose back to where you disconnected the pcv hose. The other way is to disconnect the pcv hose completely, connect the cusco hose to the pcv valve, connect the outlet cusco hose to the hose connected to the manifold.
It's easier to do the first one because you don't have to reach under the manifold to connect to the pcv valve. HTH!

Of course - keep the stock hose! That's ingenious in its simplicity! Thanks a lot!

[Tye300]

Defi Oil Pressure Gauge and Cravenspeed Flexpod Gauge Mount Install and Review(6-13-14)

Since I installed the supercharger, I have added gauges to further monitor how the engine operates during track or just street situations. Monitoring these values with gauges gives me more information to know right away if there is something wrong with the car, and could give me enough time to react to save the engine.

I had already installed oil/water temp, boost, and AFR gauges. I opted to install an oil pressure gauge after installing my oil cooler. During track or street drives, a lot of things could happen to the oil cooler and spring a leak. Without a gauge, you have no way to know if your oil pressure is dropping until the CEL comes on, which is too late.

The Defi Oil Pressure gauge is a quality kit, and comes with everything you need. I ordered it from rallysportdirect, with the Subaru oil galley plug and gasket.
Install was fairly easy, with just the hitch of how to tighten the Defi sensor on the oil galley plug. I had to use a short adjustable wrench to fully tighten the sensor.

[IMG]http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k89/tyroneongpauco/IMG_9676_zps86c04***.jpg[/IMG]

Adding all the gauges has made considerable clutter in my interior. I wanted to display the gauges as cleanly as possible, without hacking up the dashboard. I saw the Cravenspeed Flexpod as a very good solution to my problems.

The Flexpod is made from billet aluminum, with a wrinkle black paint to blend in beautifully with any interior. Both bracket and cups are aluminum, making my Defi gauges seem more expensive when you put them in the cups. The bracket was super easy to install with just two screws behind the steering wheel.

With the Flexpod, the aftermarket gauges seem like oem, with full visibility. The Flexpod may seem expensive, but the quality, ease and cleanliness of install certainly justifies the cost.

The negative part is, the left gauge partially blocks the analog speedo, and the high beam indicator warning light. No problem for the speedo as we have the digital readout in the tachometer, but for the high beam indicator, you have to get used to. The right gauge partially blocks the temp gauge. Not a biggie for me, since I have the water and oil temp gauge. It also slightly blocks the "sport" mode indicator, you can still see if it is on or not.
So that's it! Defi and Cravenspeed combo, two thumbs up!

[GT86_2014]

any improvements for your AT?
what do you think about SSP Perfomance?
http://www.sspperformance.com/brz-fr...nsmission.html
I am thinking about choosing this for my AT but I could not find anybody who did it
just to get some review...

[Tye300]

Originally Posted by GT86_2014

any improvements for your AT?
what do you think about SSP Perfomance?
http://www.sspperformance.com/brz-fr...nsmission.html
I am thinking about choosing this for my AT but I could not find anybody who did it
just to get some review...

I have some upgrades planned for the AT. I definitely am curious with the SSP valvebody upgrade. I'm era searching for a cheaper option for an AT cooler though.

[GT86_2014]

cusco may be cheaper and their cooler works with AT and diff at the same time as I understand.... or may be mishimoto, but it comes without pump - it's not the best idea as I think... that is all I found... any more options???

[GT86_2014]

oopppssss... my mistake about cusco.... not at the same time... sorryyy..

[Tye300]

Originally Posted by GT86_2014

cusco may be cheaper and their cooler works with AT and diff at the same time as I understand.... or may be mishimoto, but it comes without pump - it's not the best idea as I think... that is all I found... any more options???

Actually some member have been saying that they have used B&M AT coolers in the past with other subarus. Our AT has a small heat exchanger that you can tap a cooler in line with it. Still working on a solution for it. The SSP kit is definitely all you need, but I hope some more vendors come out with stuff like that for cheaper.

[inertia]

Nice mods and photowork. Which camera are you using?