All the parts that could potentially increase the reliability of a superchared BRZ?
 

I've been tempting to go FI since the day I got the BRZ last year, and reliability is the biggest reason that's holding me back. I know there is a lot of discussion about what's the safest tune and there is no definite answer to that question: some people are doing fine with 400 whp while others have engine failure at 200 whp and stuff like that.

Personally I think I will be shooting for 280-300 whp on 93 Octane and stay CARB legal with all the mods. So here is the questions, what are the aftermarket parts that could at least minimize the chance of an engine failure? Radiator, oil cooler, CAI, upgraded fluids, oil catch can, maybe even a racing clutch? Anything I missed?

Some 9:1 pistons and a good tuner.

Really all the failures have been blamed on the tune as far as I know. That's the #1 thing.

I second the tune as most important for reliability. You can get a tune with a lot of failsafes built in. Catch can and oil cooler probably not bad ideas.

Is E85 considered more reliable since it is more knock resistant???

1 heat range colder spark plugs would be a recommendation. Those were basically a requirement when I supercharged my 2006 Mustang GT as they help prevent detonation on pump gas.

I thought E85 is not CARB legal? I am no expert but I feel like people usually use e85 with a more aggressive tuning so it might be rougher for the engine?

So what exactly is the difference between tunes? If I just get the supercharger kit with all the maps developed by Perrin or something like that included would there be problems?

People use E85 to operate an engine without much worry of knock. You can make more power at the same boost level than with gasoline due to the increased octane and the E85 cools down the combustion chamber and charge air going into it.

People CAN use E85 to significantly raise the boost level and make bucket loads of power but it is not the only reason.

Running on E85 is considered safer as long as your tuner is competent.

Stock radiator doesn't need changing.

E85 us readily available at many stations all over California.

Racing clutch? Unless you're driving like you're racing on a daily basis, I think a stage 1 will suffice if you have a modest tune or 2 clutch if more aggresive. This way a hardier clutch won't wear so fast compared to stock. I suggest staying away from puck clutches unless you want to hate driving stick. :)

I haven't done much research about racing clutches, what do they do exactly? I know they tend to bite the transmission harder, but what does it mean to driver? RPM drops faster? Easier to stall the car?

Read this from hotrod mag: http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/transmi...clutch-basics/

basically if you're gonna FI your car, you probably will want an upgraded street clutch. A racing clutch will be made of material overkill for your specs unless you're running dragster power. Also, some clutches are pucked, meaning they are not continuous, and is basically an on and off switch. In addition, they usually will pair it with a stiffer pressure plate so you'll need to hit 24 hr fitness and do some calf raises just to press your clutch. I had an evo and made the mistake of putting a 6-puck clutch on it with a heavier pressure plate. made the commute to LA want me to run the car into a ditch and just walk. So yes, most likely harder to drive and easier to stall. So if you want to keep your car reliable, you need not go overboard.

Choose the clutch that is suited to the amount of torque your car will probably make. There is no point in buying a stupidly stiff, multiplated or puck clutch of you are going to run a turbo with a stock engine. Unless you have plans on making big power with a built engine later on.

Did you change your spark plugs? When you got your Supercharger installed?

you can't 'em

the stock plug is as cold as you can get

ZXE27HBR8 is our oem spark plug. Denso. heat range 9. You can go colder but you may not need to. Its pretty damn cold for 200 hp car. The plugs can handle a boosted frs.

Forester XT oil cooler retrofit. Best $130 you'd ever spend on the longevity of your engine

a LS7

I am still at the planning stage, really tempted but afraid of the consequence. Especially I don't have the best of luck personally when it comes to mechanics. Personally I am always the one that has random problems that are 90% not my fault.

Oooh. Never heard about that. Sounds like a worthy upgrade.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73684

You NEED these two:

21311AA170 - OIL COOLER, COMPLETE
21317AA070 - CONNECTOR, OIL COOLER

How you want to route is up to you. The thread/video I pasted above routes to the throttle body coolant res lines (turbo guys typically tap into this to cool their snails). The connections are not 1:1, and some say the disparity between the oil cooler and TB diameters will affect performance.

However, as evidenced by the video and others who went this route, the performance is close to or exactly like the alternative option, which would be to tap into the block.. lots more parts and headaches.

I read somewhere that when you boost your car, you gotta install new spark plugs that are like 1 level colder, and they recommended some spark plugs but I saw that a lot of people love this particular spark plug.

http://www.redline360.com/hks-spark-...rz-50003-M45HL

I'm about to head to work but you can probably look into this on your free time.

It wouldn't hurt but probably not totally necessary. Not sure why subaru tossed those on a non boosted 200hp car, but its very high grade plug for this car.

While I might be talking out of my ass, Subaru probably intended for this car to be mildly boosted as an upgraded model from the get go, which would explain some of their design choices. Plus, all of their other models are turbo equipped, so I wouldn't be surprised if they did it out of habit.

Well hey i ain't complaining hehe. Less stufg we need to buy makes it easier to upgrade in terms of boost.

I would change it if you're going FI and tracking. Have you seen the stock radiator? Its about as thin as a AA battery. I Changed it, and I highly recommend it along with the Oil cooler - again IF you are going to track.

On my vortech kit on stock pulley, tuned to 275/hp 199/tq the stock clutch started slipping at 10k miles. The stage 1 exedy clutch only holds 203tq and the wheels, while the stage two holds 224. So, might as well do Stage 2 if you're going to do it.

Holds more power. Negatives are that the engagement is less smooth because you have less friction surfaces. I'd compare it to this in terms of engagement:

Stock clutch = Dimmer light switch
Race clutch = On/Off light switch

Otherwise it's just holding power.

I guess maybe they could still be interested 4 months later... at least it's in 2015.

lol you can always add reliable mods down the road!

Have you actually seen your stock radiator overheat?

Our preferred method is to add fans.

I looked at it once, and it was like "Bro dude, i'm so hot" so i was like, ON IT.

No - I added it there for more of a precaution than a requirement.

Nope. We have been tracking and competing on stock radiator for almost 2 years while FI @ 300+ whp turbo. It may look thin but what you don't realize is a thin radiator has less restriction to airflow through it than a thick radiator. This car has issues with airflow through the frontal opening due to a sealed engine bay and a giant crash beam in the way of incoming airflow.

You cannot just make assumptions on how a part looks. You have to actually test it to see how it performs. In this case, a dinky small radiator actually performs beyond expectations based on its appearance.

Well then.