Excellent new BRZ / FR-S Drivetrain + Powertrain Pics

[ayau]

you think scion/toyota dealerships will start stocking up subaru oil filters now, or do you think toyota will use their own oil filters for this engine?

[wichiewichie]

Originally Posted by old greg

You are incorrect about it being a one-piece block. It is still formed from two halves, how else would they get the crankshaft in? The asymmetric connecting rods allow the motor to be assembled in the traditional manner, with the pistons, rods and wrist pins put together outside of the block and inserted as a unit. On the EJ, the rods had to be attached to the crank before putting the block halves together with the pistons and pins inserted afterwards as the connecting rod bolts were inaccessible once the blocks were assembled. Having the bolts rotated downward allows them to be accessed from below, this speeds up the production process and makes it cheaper for Subaru.

Thanks Old Greg for making that clear for me. I should have looked better at the pictures and not rely on what I thought read before.

[_hollywood]

Looks like i will be enjoying my 86 na with quality boltons for the first 100k maybe building a cosworth on the side and when i get bored drop in my 700hp beast...lol i can dream right....

But honestly im sure if this engine is already at its limits stock it will only be a matter of time before a retrofit kit becomes available to swap in an older sti swap etc......

Reminds me of the b18c5 almost at the limit from the factory so people focused their attention on driving and suspension tuning, tires brakes etc.....instead of brute horsepower...

[old greg]

Originally Posted by ayau

you think scion/toyota dealerships will start stocking up subaru oil filters now, or do you think toyota will use their own oil filters for this engine?

Neither company makes oil filters, they have suppliers make oil filters for them. Toyota branded oil filters are made by Denso, the old school black Subaru filters are made by Tokyo Roki and are quite good, but the newer blue Subaru filters are made by the same company (and to the same standards) as Fram, so for the love of God stay away from them. Anyway, it wouldn't really cost any extra to have a different logo printed on the filter housing, so Toyota dealers will probably get Toyota branded filters.

[ayau]

Originally Posted by old greg

Neither company makes oil filters, they have suppliers make oil filters for them. Toyota branded oil filters are made by Denso, the old school black Subaru filters are made by Tokyo Roki and are quite good, but the newer blue Subaru filters are made by the same company (and to the same standards) as Fram, so for the love of God stay away from them. Anyway, it wouldn't really cost any extra to have a different logo printed on the filter housing, so Toyota dealers will probably get Toyota branded filters.

so i'm guessing all frs/brz/86 that leave the factory will have a subaru filter (built in a subaru factory), but when you have the dealer do an oil change for you, they'll most likely use their 'own' brand of filters?

[Bristecom]

Yeah, I'm sure Toyota/Scion will just give you a Toyota equivalent. I'm going to use Mobil 1 (Champion) filters though as they are cheaper and superior.

[gt86mods]

Who lets their dealers do oil changes anyways? I thought this was an enthusiast's car. Call it paranoia or whatever but I won't let anyone touch my car unless it's something that's way over my head which isn't much. I've seen dealers I've trusted make some huge mistakes that have cost family member's cars long term reliability. Dealers that are supposedly awarded for their service but turn around and hide mistakes to avoid paying to fix them.

The oil filter is right on top. Spend 30 bucks for a set of ramps, a socket wrench & do yourself a favor and change your own oil. You have nobody to blame but yourself if something goes wrong. It's definitely not rocket science and what harm does it do to learn basic auto maintenance.

Not trying to judge anyone out there who doesn't feel comfortable doing their own work I just feel it's important & in the best interest when you are investing so much money into a car. Mechanics these days are so damn shady, they are just out to make a buck & with so much on the line most of the time if they mess up they won't fess up or worse will try to hide the screw up. Seen it happen too many times.

[OrbitalEllipses]

Originally Posted by gt86mods

Who lets their dealers do oil changes anyways? I thought this was an enthusiast's car. Call it paranoia or whatever but I won't let anyone touch my car unless it's something that's way over my head which isn't much. I've seen dealers I've trusted make some huge mistakes that have cost family member's cars long term reliability. Dealers that are supposedly awarded for their service but turn around and hide mistakes to avoid paying to fix them.

The oil filter is right on top. Spend 30 bucks for a set of ramps, a socket wrench & do yourself a favor and change your own oil. You have nobody to blame but yourself if something goes wrong. It's definitely not rocket science and what harm does it do to learn basic auto maintenance.

Not trying to judge anyone out there who doesn't feel comfortable doing their own work I just feel it's important & in the best interest when you are investing so much money into a car. Mechanics these days are so damn shady, they are just out to make a buck & with so much on the line most of the time if they mess up they won't fess up or worse will try to hide the screw up. Seen it happen too many times.

The problem is that technically they can deny your warranty claim should the engine pop. Yes, usually receipts of purchase and documentation of mileage at time of change are good enough...but they still CAN deny it. Most people don't want to risk that. The alternative is to take it to an independent shop for better/more verifiable documentation, but that's more expensive than going to a dealer.

I know what you're saying and where you're coming from. I'll be doing my own oil, but there are reasons people don't do themselves.

[go baby go]

love the pics.. cant wait ....Bring it on.

[Soravia]

Pretty bad ass design. There seems to be some space in the front for dual exhaust setup. The drive shaft and control arms are made of steel. Aluminum pieces will save quite a bit of weight there. I know WRX and STi upgraded theirs to aluminum. Pass a second shaft under the engine from opposite of the exhaust and I can see a possibility for a front diff and AWD setup.

[Soravia]

I changed oil on my Corolla. The Toyota OEM filter had no rubber to cap their internal filter element. All that stuff in the oil can pass right through from the ends of the filter. What a wack job. The replacement (STP??) had rubbers on the end to prevent that.

[Deslock]

Thanks for posting these very cool photos.

Originally Posted by Linseal

Boxers are so ugly. I'm going to miss the simplicity of the 4A-GE

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and nothing beats the rotary for simplicity (it's a shame they never figured out how to make it more fuel efficient).

I'll take an H over a V or I engine any day.

[Calum]

There's alot of little things here that I'm liking. Like the fact that the coolant inlet and outlet are exactly opposite each other, means the rad will flow and cool well. The position of the output and the control style of the alternator will make charging system upgrades (stereo guys) easy. The factory chamfered oil holes on the crank are a very nice touch. And the factory exhaust mani looks like it's begging for a slip on collector and subsequent removal of that first cat.

It looks like the crank shaft position sensor will be a bitch to change though and it doesn't look like the tone ring is keyed which would allow for easy shimming... The positioning hole may be adjustable, but even if it is, removing the tranny for an easy degree or two of timing doesn't seem worth it.

Hopefully the rear upper control arm bushings are big enough for an aftermarket adjustment kit to be offered, it's hard to tell.

All in all, great pics. THANKS

[Calum]

Originally Posted by Deslock

Thanks for posting these very cool photos.


Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and nothing beats the rotary for simplicity (it's a shame they never figured out how to make it more fuel efficient).

I'll take an H over a V or I engine any day.

Really, they both have their advantages. V's are inherently stronger, easier to package work on and they don't rub the crap out of their lower side walls, as much. Boxers allow a lower CoG. Inline are easier to balance, compared to a V, I'm not sure about a boxer here. In the end it's all compromises.

I will admit though, I do think this is a pretty engine. I like the lack of plastic covers, and smooth timing and valve covers give it a modern look.