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Old 01-21-2020, 11:13 AM   #1
What could go wrong
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Default Threw a rod, considering options.

Edit: Found an engine rebuilding company out of WA, seems like the cheapest option for a "new" and slightly modified motor. for reliability for cost this seems like the best option. Now I just have to strip the long block.

Old post:
------------------------------------------------------------

I realize this has been covered before but most threads are from 2012ish or deal with the 2.0 motors, so I figured I'd revisit. Please don't jump down my throat if I missed something, I am mourning the loss of a motor.

So I have an 09 WRX, that has been rigorously maintained but had a rod bearing failure or threw a rod completely. **** happens.

My question is how best should I proceed for reliability. Bear in mind I am in college, and therefore, I am broke AF.

edit: my username is the cherry on top of this situation
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Old 01-21-2020, 11:29 AM   #2
subydude
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Appropriate username is appropriate.
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Old 01-21-2020, 11:33 AM   #3
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Appropriate username is appropriate.
it is the only thing bringing me joy in this time of great sorrow lol
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Old 01-21-2020, 11:54 AM   #4
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Update: Long block is gone, so I guess I am going used longblock and hoping for the best.

Last edited by What could go wrong; 01-21-2020 at 12:32 PM.
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Old 01-21-2020, 02:01 PM   #5
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Have you considered a staged block from IAG? They'd build it for your MY, compression, etc., that way is basically drop in.
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Old 01-21-2020, 02:06 PM   #6
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Low on cash, only car, college student, and modified car seems like a pretty incompatible combination.

I'd get it going cheaply and then forget about cars for a while.
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Old 01-21-2020, 03:03 PM   #7
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I've got a nice sorted 2005 Mini Cooper S that will cost less than a new long block to buy in the classifieds
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Old 01-22-2020, 11:39 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by viper_crazy View Post
Have you considered a staged block from IAG? They'd build it for your MY, compression, etc., that way is basically drop in.
Now it looks like the most cost effective thing is getting the most complete engine possible to cut down on labor. Unless someone's got a complete IAG longblock lying around, I think my best option is grabbing a used 15+ sti engine because it'll have the lowest mileage and slightly better internals.

Is a 15 sti swap a good choice here? It seems like I could just swap over the intake and exhaust and call it a day.

Quote:
Originally Posted by JP Chestnut View Post
Low on cash, only car, college student, and modified car seems like a pretty incompatible combination.

I'd get it going cheaply and then forget about cars for a while.
That's the plan. There's a cheap complete 15+ STI engine on eBay, I'm going to grab that and get a pro tune for reliability/compatibility reasons I think. Unless the ECU and wiring harness is totally incompatible.

Still doing research on that though...

Quote:
Originally Posted by subydude View Post
I've got a nice sorted 2005 Mini Cooper S that will cost less than a new long block to buy in the classifieds
Sounds fun, but I don't think something secretly manufacturered by BMW is going to be more cost effective long term... I might have someone else interested though, I'll forward the lead.




Thanks for the advice y'all
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Old 01-27-2020, 09:34 PM   #9
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So the engine rebuilder is looking to go with King bearings (in an attempt to help with reliability long term) XP's on the main bearings and XPG on the rods. Any thoughts on this?

I have seen varying opinions on aftermarket bearings, some people say go OE unless you tear down the motor as often as I do oil changes currently, other people say go aftermarket because "harder = better," some people say go aftermarket because "cheaper = better."

to be clear, given this was a likely failure point last time, I can afford to ball out on the cost of bearings. I am looking for the best of the best in terms of high milage, mildly modified performance, I could not possibly care less if they are cheaper or more expensive than the OE ones (within reason of course).

Yes I am aware that theoretically the bearings should never fail if properly lubricated, but I have UOA's and oil changes for days that say everything was fine. blackstone said my last change was one of the better numbers they've had for that milage. you can also bet your ass I am putting in an oil pressure and oil temp gauge after this disaster.



Also, would aftermarket head gaskets be a good idea, or stick with stock? I personally never had a head gasket issue during my engines glorious 110k run, so should I just stick with that or is a cosworth or tome head gasket any better?

Thanks again for the input guys, I am sure this stuff comes up a lot but its hard to get a straight answer sometimes. Seriously, it means a lot.
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Old 02-08-2020, 11:28 AM   #10
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Kings has new bearing the pmaxkote they look promising. More hardness to compare closer to the oem hardness.
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Old 02-17-2020, 02:45 AM   #11
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Which shop did you end up going with I have a bugeye that has thrown a rod in WA looking at C&D with machined block and heads OE crank BC connecting rods and wiesco pistons which would set me back around $4500, but I just want something more reliable as this is my daily and I wonder how much research you've done or which shop you went with
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Old 02-22-2020, 06:54 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by What could go wrong View Post
Edit: Found an engine rebuilding company out of WA, seems like the cheapest option for a "new" and slightly modified motor. for reliability for cost this seems like the best option. Now I just have to strip the long block.

Old post:
------------------------------------------------------------

I realize this has been covered before but most threads are from 2012ish or deal with the 2.0 motors, so I figured I'd revisit. Please don't jump down my throat if I missed something, I am mourning the loss of a motor.

So I have an 09 WRX, that has been rigorously maintained but had a rod bearing failure or threw a rod completely. **** happens.

My question is how best should I proceed for reliability. Bear in mind I am in college, and therefore, I am broke AF.

edit: my username is the cherry on top of this situation
bummer best to find a used engine
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Old 06-27-2020, 10:33 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BugeyeCasual View Post
Which shop did you end up going with I have a bugeye that has thrown a rod in WA looking at C&D with machined block and heads OE crank BC connecting rods and wiesco pistons which would set me back around $4500, but I just want something more reliable as this is my daily and I wonder how much research you've done or which shop you went with
Sorry for the late reply, I went with Sunwest automotive. I had a bunch of problems TBH, but if they do the install you should have vastly fewer problems, or at a minimum fewer people to yell at Most of the problems for me came down to not knowing who to pin the blame on, so I can't really give a valid perspective on them yet.

car runs fine as of now (knock on wood) and break-in is only 100 miles away. I'll write a full review in another 1,000 miles after a dyno tune and a compression/leak down check.

They do built blocks as well, but I just did upgraded bearings and head gaskets, and stock components otherwise, its a stage 2+ daily so I don't need forged internals really. Long term I might go built block, but I'm not in a place financially to do that right now.

If you aren't power-hungry, sicking with the ECUtek positions is probably a good idea tbh, they expand and contract less than forged ones which means less piston slap and better case longevity. They are also better for cold starts which happens a lot in a DD obviously... I know ring lands are a common failure on these cars, but honestly, if you have a half-decent tune, know how to drive stick properly, and arent hunting for 400ish HP, its *probably* not a concern.

Also, using your existing case halves would be ideal (unless you are going closed deck I guess) because they have already warped and changed with heat soak as much as they are going to.

just my 2c
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Old 06-27-2020, 10:36 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by spoolinsti05 View Post
Kings has new bearing the pmaxkote they look promising. More hardness to compare closer to the oem hardness.
Wish I woulda sub'ed to my own thread lol, woulda tried them out!
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Old 03-30-2021, 08:05 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by What could go wrong View Post
Sorry for the late reply, I went with Sunwest automotive. I had a bunch of problems TBH, but if they do the install you should have vastly fewer problems, or at a minimum fewer people to yell at Most of the problems for me came down to not knowing who to pin the blame on, so I can't really give a valid perspective on them yet.

car runs fine as of now (knock on wood) and break-in is only 100 miles away. I'll write a full review in another 1,000 miles after a dyno tune and a compression/leak down check.

They do built blocks as well, but I just did upgraded bearings and head gaskets, and stock components otherwise, its a stage 2+ daily so I don't need forged internals really. Long term I might go built block, but I'm not in a place financially to do that right now.

If you aren't power-hungry, sicking with the ECUtek positions is probably a good idea tbh, they expand and contract less than forged ones which means less piston slap and better case longevity. They are also better for cold starts which happens a lot in a DD obviously... I know ring lands are a common failure on these cars, but honestly, if you have a half-decent tune, know how to drive stick properly, and arent hunting for 400ish HP, its *probably* not a concern.

Also, using your existing case halves would be ideal (unless you are going closed deck I guess) because they have already warped and changed with heat soak as much as they are going to.

just my 2c
Sorry to bring up an older post, but I'm thinking of going with Sunwest for an EJ251 for my 2002 Impreza Wagon. How is yours holding up still?
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Old 04-14-2022, 12:03 PM   #16
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Sorry to bring up an older post, but I'm thinking of going with Sunwest for an EJ251 for my 2002 Impreza Wagon. How is yours holding up still?
I realize this reply is probably way to late to be useful for you, but in case anyone else sees this and wants to know I figured I'd respond. So after I saw the video GetaDomTune did on Sunwest I think I have the whole picture. The main dude there does know how to build engines well, and their machines and shop are great, but a few/some/many of his employees are... Under trained... So my first engine died, I think, because it was built by a newer employee in the shop, and it was out of spec. Engine 1 ate a seat of heads for reasons beyond me, and their customer service was... Unaccommodating... Through out the several month long time it took for the engine to actually die. Because I raised hell about it and did a warentee claim, I think the main guy did my second one. This second engine has been running absolutely great for like 25kish miles, hasn't encountered any serious issues, and survived a round of street tuning.

All this is to say, they seem to have kinda hit or miss QC, which is why I think I'd only recommend them if you are actually going to their shop in person, but not if you need an engine shipped to your location. If you went in person, and they installed it, if you have an issue you'll spend a lot less time on people finger pointing and all that BS, and a lot more will be covered under their warentee. I also wouldn't recommend this shop if your building an engine for much more than stage 2 tbh, for reasons getadomtune covers. I understand engine builds have a certain failure rate in general (I've heard of new IAG short blocks being DOA) but their QC seems a bit spotty even relative to the industry in general, especially given the other reviews I've seen online, and especially if you are looking into subies in a performance context/not just putting an engine in so it'll be running when you sell it. That on top of their lack of willingness to accommodate simple requests, and play nice with others makes me really hesitant to recommend them. If your local though, and specifically looking for a budget but still not stock rebuild option, it might be a good choice depending on your acceptable tolerance to risk. Hope this helps someone out.
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Old 06-10-2022, 09:14 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by What could go wrong View Post
Update: Long block is gone, so I guess I am going used longblock and hoping for the best.
man that sucks, sorry for your loss. If you can find a used and rebuild, that may be more cost-effective if you're trying to stay with ej255/7. When I spun a bearing, I looked at trying to get a jdm imported.. most of the results were just ej20x (which is twinturbo'd) but I wanted to stick with the roots of 2.5. Just my $.02
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Old 08-01-2022, 01:13 AM   #18
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Originally Posted by ample_mammal View Post
man that sucks, sorry for your loss. If you can find a used and rebuild, that may be more cost-effective if you're trying to stay with ej255/7. When I spun a bearing, I looked at trying to get a jdm imported.. most of the results were just ej20x (which is twinturbo'd) but I wanted to stick with the roots of 2.5. Just my $.02
The EJ20x isn't twin turbo, but it does typically come with a twin scroll vf36 turbo.

I went the EJ20x route because of money and used my vf52 turbo because my downpipe fit the 52 but not the 36.

The main issue with the engine is the lack of power lower in the RPM range, in fact I rarely put the car in 5th gear even on the freeway.

The engine has exhaust AVCS that you probably won't be able to use unless you do a bunch of stuff that you're not going to want to do like get a Japanese ECU. I'm not sure how much performance is lost by not using the exhaust AVCS.

If anyone does go this route, I'd recommend trying to get the VF36 setup and working, if you can weld, the engine usually come with a proper fitting downpipe flange. The twinscroll vf36 spools up a lot quicker than the vf52 giving you more power in the low RPM range which is exactly what this engine needs.

Also, get the EJ20x with the air pump avoid smog check issues, which can be a real headache.

But ultimately, if you need a new engine and only have $1,200-$2,000, this is the way to go. The

If you can stretch to the 3k-4k range, I'd go the route of getting an IAG short block and reusing your heads from the blown engine

I
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Old 08-01-2022, 09:00 AM   #19
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Originally Posted by jeffambo View Post
The EJ20x isn't twin turbo, but it does typically come with a twin scroll vf36 turbo.

I went the EJ20x route because of money and used my vf52 turbo because my downpipe fit the 52 but not the 36.

The main issue with the engine is the lack of power lower in the RPM range, in fact I rarely put the car in 5th gear even on the freeway.

The engine has exhaust AVCS that you probably won't be able to use unless you do a bunch of stuff that you're not going to want to do like get a Japanese ECU. I'm not sure how much performance is lost by not using the exhaust AVCS.

If anyone does go this route, I'd recommend trying to get the VF36 setup and working, if you can weld, the engine usually come with a proper fitting downpipe flange. The twinscroll vf36 spools up a lot quicker than the vf52 giving you more power in the low RPM range which is exactly what this engine needs.

Also, get the EJ20x with the air pump avoid smog check issues, which can be a real headache.

But ultimately, if you need a new engine and only have $1,200-$2,000, this is the way to go. The

If you can stretch to the 3k-4k range, I'd go the route of getting an IAG short block and reusing your heads from the blown engine

I

TLDR spending time and money trying to get a cheap engine to work where it wasn't designed is a waste of said time and money

Last edited by K3rm1tth3fr0g; 08-01-2022 at 09:07 AM.
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Old 08-01-2022, 09:36 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by K3rm1tth3fr0g View Post
TLDR spending time and money trying to get a cheap engine to work where it wasn't designed is a waste of said time and money
Ej20x went well into 2011 wrx. Vf52 comes on late, but it’s very doable. I’m putting a built ej25 in there but the 20x performs much better than I excepted
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Old 08-01-2022, 09:37 AM   #21
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I do t think the twinscroll out spools anything. Supposed to help top end with the pretty big p20 housings
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