Less Lag.
Hi all,
As per my previous blog entry, I've started going down the path of building a Time Attack style car.
A LOT has happened since my last entry. From May this year:
- I've sourced and installed a 6 speed out of an 02 STi. (thanks dtrally!)
- At the same time, an 06 STi helical front LSD was fitted. (thanks dtrally and Mister Two!)
- A Cusco Tarmac Gear 35:65 “Gymkhana Spec” centre differential was also sourced, and this will be fitted in due course. (thanks Mister Two!)
- A 2 way rear diff is also on the cards, but one step at a time.. diffs are expensive!!!
From this , I enjoyed the 6 speed for 3 months.. but tired very quickly of waiting for boost. The FMIC needs to go!!
In a moment of stupidity back in August, I removed the FMIC before I’d even decided what I was going to do with the intercooler setup! From here I sat down, and started asking questions and searching various forums. I want to maintain some sort of power whilst minimising lag. The only option at this point was a big TMIC.
After a month of researching (thanks to everyone who helped me decide my direction with the car), I decided that the 08 STi TMIC is one of the better ones, and being massive (as far as TMIC’s go), it’s going to support my level of modification as well as power requirements.. plus its OEM quality
From here, I began the conversion back to TMIC. It involved me raiding the boxes of parts in my shed (and Jme’s too) looking for OEM brackets, fasteners, BOV, and all other bits I’ve removed since going to FMIC.
I found these, put them in a big pile, and began sourcing some other bits and pieces with the help of some fellow PWRX’ers, such as:
- 08 STi TMIC
- Turbosmart silicone coupler to suit TMIC to throttle body connection.
- BOV gasket and grub screw (for the stock BOV grub screw modification, thanks Jester
)
- Walbro fuel pump
- Replacement fuel pump cradle and strainer (thanks Jme)
- Cusco water spray controller (thanks American Dave)
- STi water spray bottle (thanks American Dave)
- STi water spray nozzle (thanks Jme)
- STi braided clutch line (thanks Jme)
- Prova air intake guide (thanks Jme)
- New guard liners (thanks Rossco)
- JDM bumper beam (LIGHTWEIGHT).
- New hoses for catch can
In the mean time, the FMIC was sold on Rexnet.. and there was no turning back!
SOOOOO, to convert back to TMIC, it wasn’t that easy.. apart from having to find all the OEM bits and pieces in my shed and sourcing the missing ones from various places, every time I did something on the car, I created another job for myself.
So far, I’ve done:
- Remove FMIC completely.
- Re-fit OEM bumper beam until my JDM one arrives from All Things Subaroo in QLD.
- Re-mount HID ballasts.
- Re-fit stock coolant overflow tank.
- Put new Walbro fuel pump in with replacement new pump cradle and strainer.
- Straightened TMIC fins (took me a week of evenings to do it with a small screwdriver!).
- Re-fit TMIC brackets.
- Cleaned and re-oiled K&N pod.
- Removed cruise control in anticipation of installing water spray tank in that location.
- Re-fit factory heat shield (modified to fit bigger turbo) and heat shield brackets.
- Began to re-run catch can hoses .
- Fit new guard liners.
- Fit Delco air-temp sensor in manifold.
- Modified BOV with grub screw and fitted to TMIC.
All I have to do now is:
- Re-fit bumper, headlights and grille
- Re-fit TMIC
- Modify drivers side bracket to suit (needs to be extended).
- Finish running catch-can hoses
- Water spray setup
- IC splitter (modify stock one to fit bigger intercooler)
- TUNE
Also I will be sourcing a new bumper to replace my stock one that was cut to suit the FMIC, and when my JDM bumper beam arrives, I’ll mount the HID ballasts to it with the JDM brackets (they bolt straight onto the JDM beam).
I will outline a few of the various tasks I’ve done in photos below.
Here’s to no lag and better area under the power/torque curve!!!
As per my previous blog entry, I've started going down the path of building a Time Attack style car.
A LOT has happened since my last entry. From May this year:
- I've sourced and installed a 6 speed out of an 02 STi. (thanks dtrally!)
- At the same time, an 06 STi helical front LSD was fitted. (thanks dtrally and Mister Two!)
- A Cusco Tarmac Gear 35:65 “Gymkhana Spec” centre differential was also sourced, and this will be fitted in due course. (thanks Mister Two!)
- A 2 way rear diff is also on the cards, but one step at a time.. diffs are expensive!!!
From this , I enjoyed the 6 speed for 3 months.. but tired very quickly of waiting for boost. The FMIC needs to go!!
In a moment of stupidity back in August, I removed the FMIC before I’d even decided what I was going to do with the intercooler setup! From here I sat down, and started asking questions and searching various forums. I want to maintain some sort of power whilst minimising lag. The only option at this point was a big TMIC.
After a month of researching (thanks to everyone who helped me decide my direction with the car), I decided that the 08 STi TMIC is one of the better ones, and being massive (as far as TMIC’s go), it’s going to support my level of modification as well as power requirements.. plus its OEM quality
From here, I began the conversion back to TMIC. It involved me raiding the boxes of parts in my shed (and Jme’s too) looking for OEM brackets, fasteners, BOV, and all other bits I’ve removed since going to FMIC.
I found these, put them in a big pile, and began sourcing some other bits and pieces with the help of some fellow PWRX’ers, such as:
- 08 STi TMIC
- Turbosmart silicone coupler to suit TMIC to throttle body connection.
- BOV gasket and grub screw (for the stock BOV grub screw modification, thanks Jester
)- Walbro fuel pump
- Replacement fuel pump cradle and strainer (thanks Jme
)- Cusco water spray controller (thanks American Dave
)- STi water spray bottle (thanks American Dave
)- STi water spray nozzle (thanks Jme
)- STi braided clutch line (thanks Jme
)- Prova air intake guide (thanks Jme
)- New guard liners (thanks Rossco
)- JDM bumper beam (LIGHTWEIGHT).
- New hoses for catch can
In the mean time, the FMIC was sold on Rexnet.. and there was no turning back!
SOOOOO, to convert back to TMIC, it wasn’t that easy.. apart from having to find all the OEM bits and pieces in my shed and sourcing the missing ones from various places, every time I did something on the car, I created another job for myself.
So far, I’ve done:
- Remove FMIC completely.
- Re-fit OEM bumper beam until my JDM one arrives from All Things Subaroo in QLD.
- Re-mount HID ballasts.
- Re-fit stock coolant overflow tank.
- Put new Walbro fuel pump in with replacement new pump cradle and strainer.
- Straightened TMIC fins (took me a week of evenings to do it with a small screwdriver!).
- Re-fit TMIC brackets.
- Cleaned and re-oiled K&N pod.
- Removed cruise control in anticipation of installing water spray tank in that location.
- Re-fit factory heat shield (modified to fit bigger turbo) and heat shield brackets.
- Began to re-run catch can hoses .
- Fit new guard liners.
- Fit Delco air-temp sensor in manifold.
- Modified BOV with grub screw and fitted to TMIC.
All I have to do now is:
- Re-fit bumper, headlights and grille
- Re-fit TMIC
- Modify drivers side bracket to suit (needs to be extended).
- Finish running catch-can hoses
- Water spray setup
- IC splitter (modify stock one to fit bigger intercooler)
- TUNE
Also I will be sourcing a new bumper to replace my stock one that was cut to suit the FMIC, and when my JDM bumper beam arrives, I’ll mount the HID ballasts to it with the JDM brackets (they bolt straight onto the JDM beam).
I will outline a few of the various tasks I’ve done in photos below.
Here’s to no lag and better area under the power/torque curve!!!
Total Comments 24
Comments
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So the guy I bought my cooler off, sold it to me cheap.. because when he cleaned his engine bay with a high pressure cleaner, he bent all the fins..
Like this
Sooo, after a week of nights with a small screwdriver, I've now managed to make the whole core look like THIS..
Posted 25-10-2010 at 02:36 PM by BALISTC 
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In the middle of the conversion.. a picture of the TMIC test fitted to the engine bay.
Posted 25-10-2010 at 02:37 PM by BALISTC
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MoTeC inlet air temp sensor install.
Basically, the underside of the rear of the intake manifold has a PCV valve in it.. its part of the emissions system and isn't really used anymore.
Most people just block it off with a bolt, but I thought I'd use it for something.
The PCV is a 1/4 -19 BSPT thread, and the temp sensor is an M14.
I basically took the correct size die (thanks to Matt aka Jester), and reduced the thread on the temp sensor down.
The PCV normally screws in just a few threads (as its tapered), but the temp sensor needs to screw in further to get the tip into the airstream inside the manifold.. as you can see, there are certain threads in that hole that have never been used, so when I tried it, there was a fair bit of carbon build up that deposited onto the thread (as seen in the photo).
Also as a result, it was fairly tight to screw in.. which is not good because I don't want particles getting into the manifold. SOOOO, every half turn, I'd back out the sensor, and vacuum out the hole with a vacuum cleaner (fitted with a rubber nozzle to get a good seal on the manifold).. then I'd repeat this all the way down.
GREAT SUCCESS
Posted 25-10-2010 at 02:38 PM by BALISTC
Updated 25-10-2010 at 02:45 PM by BALISTC -
I decided my shitty old guard liners had seen better days. Most people remove these, where as I bought new ones. I find it a bit stupid that people remove them, because they actually contribute towards good aerodynamics.
I got one from Alem (confuzion) which he'd bought brand new for his STi when he had it but never used it, and the other side was bought brand new from Subaru.
It's interesting to find out that the two different part numbers for the same part referred to the Jap spec and the AU spec guard liner.. the AU one has a recessed brake cooling duct built into it, and the Jap one has no brake duct!
Old liner.
New liner.
Installed.
The factory Subaru press clips are a farkin rip off at a few dollars each, and the Nissan ones are worse, so when I ordered my Subaru parts through Rossco, I got me some Hyundai ones
They're actually very similar looking, but the shape of them makes them easier to install and remove than the Subaru ones, and they hold just as well.. great success!!
You can see these holding the inner edge of the liner.. the ones at the bottom are the original clips, and as most of them were in great condition, I just re-used what I could and replaced any dodgy ones with the similar Hyundai ones.Posted 25-10-2010 at 02:39 PM by BALISTC
Updated 25-10-2010 at 02:46 PM by BALISTC -
Very well thought out and descriptive write up as usual Joe, lots of new shiny bits to keep you eager as well.
Looking forward to seeing this on the track and the smile on your face after doing it
Posted 25-10-2010 at 03:02 PM by mARC
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Joe you weren't experiencing lag with the old fmic....its called hard parked.Posted 25-10-2010 at 04:06 PM by American Dave
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Looking good joe. hope to see the mods have the desired effect.
oh yeah and no more hard parking after thisPosted 25-10-2010 at 08:20 PM by Master D
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Definitely no hard parking
- Catch can lines have been re-run and catch can re-mounted.
- Bumper, headlights and liners are all fitted, although these will have to be re-done when the new bumper beam arrives (as the ballasts will mount to it).
Just need to wire in water spray, put IC on and make a bracket somehow.. then its finished for now!Posted 28-10-2010 at 08:55 AM by BALISTC
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re-tune ?
Posted 28-10-2010 at 03:49 PM by American Dave
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Yeah that too
Oh, and Cusco Tarmac Gear needs to be fitted for skiddzzzzzzPosted 28-10-2010 at 03:56 PM by BALISTC
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Put the cusco tarmac in after the tune. It'll make it easier for Sean to tune your car with the standard 6 speed center diff in.Posted 30-10-2010 at 07:49 AM by Mister Two
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Looking good joe, il give rossco a buzz as i need some new clips n stuffPosted 30-10-2010 at 10:46 AM by daveygravey
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Absolutely.. diff will be going in after tune, it just saves headaches should the Dynapack flip out with the Tarmac Gear installed.Quote:Originally Posted by Mister Two
Put the cusco tarmac in after the tune. It'll make it easier for Sean to tune your car with the standard 6 speed center diff in.Posted 01-11-2010 at 09:12 AM by BALISTC
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Almost there!
- Guard liners and bumper fitted.. waiting for JDM reo bar to arrive before I go and pick up my brand new front bumper and have it sprayed. For now, the dodgy chopped up bumper will have to do.
- New clips purchased for headlights, grille and bumper.. again, won't be fitted until I get all the new parts as above.
- Catch can hoses have been replaced and re-routed to eliminate PCV valve, and catch can re-mounted.
I've test fitted TMIC a few times, and started making a bracket to suit.. as seen below (sorry about the dodgy spec phone photo, I posted it just for reference). It goes to show how much wider the new TMIC is than an ordinary Spec C TMIC, which utilises the left-most bolt in the photo. The 08 STi TMIC requires an extension to be made, to get it to fit.
I also had to bend the clutch master cylinder reservoir bracket to the left, to clear the corner of the TMIC.
To finish off the project:
- I need to grind and smooth the edges now and that bracket will be finished.
- The silicone coupler I bought for TMIC to throttle body connection is about 1cm too long and will have to be trimmed down too.
- Picking up my STi IC splitter tomorrow, which bolts in under the scoop and directs air to the cooler. It will need modding to completely cover the new TMIC. It comes with nozzle and hoses for water spray, which is a bonus.
- Need to drill a 2nd 20mm hole in my washer bottle to run a high pressure intercooler spray pump, which is managed by the Cusco water spray controller I mentioned a few pages back.
- The rubber hose at the bottom left of the picture above, needs to be trimmed and re-run as it sits against the TMIC too (its tucked out of the way on the left of the master cylinder for the time being but can't stay that way).
- Sensors, lines and other items which were disconnected (including the throttle cable) need to be re-connected to finish the job too.
Getting there!! Another 2-3 solid hours of work and she'll be sweetPosted 03-11-2010 at 09:39 PM by BALISTC
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update, did you find another 2-3 solid hours this weekend Joe ?
Posted 08-11-2010 at 02:25 PM by American Dave
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Update.. did you hear it idling from your place tonight Dave??
I fitted the TMIC and fired her up, but I put the bracket on backwards and the cooler was on the piss.. so it had to come back off.
What a c@#% of a thing to install, lining up the two silicone joiners is a pain.. not looking forward to re-installing it!
Almost there.. so close!
Picked this up today too
Posted 08-11-2010 at 08:00 PM by BALISTC
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LOL I thought someone was shooting fireworks
Posted 09-11-2010 at 10:09 AM by American Dave
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She's ALIVE
Took it for a GENTLE drive to get the old fuel out of it, seems to have changed engine note significantly.. turbo spools louder and it sounds quite aggressive. Either that, or it could be because I haven't driven it for 2 months and I simply forgot what it sounded like beforePosted 12-11-2010 at 09:07 AM by BALISTC
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I suggest "I simply forgot what it sounded like before"
Posted 12-11-2010 at 11:25 AM by American Dave
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Probably not the result I was after, but we're putting it down to a tired turbo.. 30,000km with 1.6 bar isn't too bad.
Originally it made 352 and 430, the last touch up tune we did made 320hp and 370nm.. but it felt just as strong.
Today it also made 320hp and went back to 430nm.. but feels stronger than it ever has!! It also comes on 1000rpm earlier
So in that regard, its a success!
Not sure about the figures and why they vary so much tune to tune, but the car has never felt quicker.. so I'm happy!
Next stop.. CBRD Speedfactory TD06 twin scroll.Posted 15-11-2010 at 02:56 PM by BALISTC
