GD Joey's mistress: MSI rear subframe & 04-06 STI lower control arms

[joey.lisano]

Joey's mistress: downpipe turndown + EWG = loud

Table of Contents

General stuff
Mod list
The beginning
Current problems

Tech Stuff
fluid dynamics pictures
good ol' thermostat testing
Bushings: Rubber vs. Polyurethane
Why the GD chassis needs an X-brace

Pictures
first photo shoot
winter setup

Videos
in car NVH while street driving
homemade air oil separators
how to remove headunit and install aftermarket headunit

Teaser pics
books, my favorite!
Koyo radiator, coated in Swaintech's BBE
ACPT driveshaft
Dunkin' Turbo injection, what?
Whiteline makeover
winter wheels

Other
maintenance log
things I wish I would have done differently



Special Thanks to
Geoff @ Cygnus Performance
Adam @ Litespeed Performance
T3h_Clap as himself
Got2Boostit2 @ The Shop







DIY painted headlights and Hella Tones
CYGNUS X license plate for Geoff at Cygnus Performance

engine bay, no longer up to date

winter setup: Enkei RPF1 17x8 +45mm with Bridgestone Blizzak REVO1 225/45/17

Thanks for looking.

 

[joey.lisano]

Mod list

Engine
Cobb APv2 with a limp map
Aquamist HFS-6 meth kit, 50/50 alky mixture by volume
Perrin cold air intake
stock turbo, turbo inlet, throttle body, intake manifold, TGV's
Litespeed UEL header; ceramic coated in Swain Tech's White Lightning
IAG up pipe and dump tube for 38mm EWG; ceramic coated in Swain Tech's White Lightning
TiAL MV-S 38mm EWG, 1.3 bar spring, black tophat; ceramic coated in Swain Tech's White Lightning
ERZ (CNT) bellmouth, catted downpipe; ceramic coated in Swain Tech's White Lightning
SRS catback; ceramic coated in Swain Tech's White Lightning, muffler painted black
HyperFlow TMIC
Forge BPV
GrimmSpeed EBCS
NGK one step colder iridium spark plugs
Perrin lightweight crank pulley
Unorthodox Racing lightweight power steering pulley
Unorthodox Racing lightweight alternator pulley
KS Tech air pump delete
magnetic engine oil drain plug with a thick reusable washer
DIY homemade air oil separators
GMS hood dampers

Cooling
Koyo radiator, coated in Swain Tech's BBE
GrimmSpeed 160*F thermostat (MotoRad failsafe)
Mishimoto 1.3 bar upper radiator cap
Mishimoto radiator hoses
WC Lathe Werks radiator shroud
stainless steel T-bolt clamps

Heat Shielding
Litespeed titanium heat shield
DEI Reflect-A-Gold - heat shield
ThermoTec turbo wrap kit - turbine housing
Swain Tech White Lightning ceramic coating - headers, up pipe, EWG, downpipe, and catback
ThermoTec cool-air tube heat shield - cold air intake

Fuel
DW 1000cc top feed injectors
Walbro 255 lph fuel pump

Suspension
ZZYZX competition coilovers
- Koni 8611 dampers, double adjustable twin tubes, ~5.5-6" of damper travel
- aluminum housing and clevis, double height adjustable
- special slotted upper strut clevis holes for insane camber adjustment
- 600/500 Eibach springs (~11k/9k), 6" length, stroke of 3.32"/3.62"
- front & rear helper springs
- Noltec front camber-caster plates
- Cusco rear camber plates
- Torrington needle roller thrust bearings
Swift Spec-R springs on stock struts
cut OEM bump stops with Mobile1 synthetic grease
Whiteline Com C front strut top mounts
Group N rear strut top mounts
Paranoid Fabrications 0.5" saggy butt spacers with extended studs
04-06 STI lower control arm swap
Whiteline 27mm front sway bar, set to stiff 29mm setting
Whiteline 24mm rear sway bar, set to medium 24mm setting
Whiteline front ball-link endlinks
Whiteline rear ball-link endlinks
Whiteline heavy duty 24mm rear sway bar mounts
Whiteline anti-lift kit (ALK), race stiffness
free caster mod
Litespeed lateral links with Group N bushings
Whiteline roll center adjustment (RCA) kit
Whiteline steering rack bushings
MSI trailing arms
Group N front trailing arm bushings
Group N rear trailing arm bushings (thanks to BigSky for the tool)
Enkei RPF1 wheels in black, 17x8 +45mm
*with Bridgestone Blizzak REVO1 225/45/17 tires

Chassis Bracing and Modification
Lightspeed rear chassis bridge
Lightspeed rear bumper beam
AMS front bumper beam
TiC Giuyngmyo fender cowl braces
Whiteline front strut bar
Whiteline rear strut bar
Whiteline KSB700 lower H brace
removed front U subframe
removed spare tire, jack, tools
removed gray bar and brackets under rear seat
removed LATCH bars and brackets behind rear seat
removed sound deadening material behind rear seat

Drivetrain
ACPT carbon fiber driveshaft
MSI engine mounts
Beatrush transmission mount
Beatrush forged pitchstop mount
TiC rear diff mount bushings, race stiffness
Whiteline gearbox / transmission crossmember bushings, race stiffness
Whiteline rear diff support lock / outrigger bushings
Whiteline rear subframe lockdown bolts
Kartboy short throw shift lever
Kartboy front shifter bushings
Kartboy rear shifter bushing
TiC linkage bushings
TiC pivot bushings
WC Lathe Werks shift knob
Cobb exhaust hanger (1)
Kartboy XL exhaust hangers (2)
zip ties for the exhaust hanger on the midpipe

Brakes
DBA 4000 series slotted rotors, front and rear (waiting for stock rotors to wear out)
Hawk HPS pads
Goodrich stainless steel lines (stock lines are seized

)
TiC titanium brake shims
TiC titanium wheel bearing shims (brake rotors are seized

)
Perrin master cylinder brace

Exterior
replica V limited front lip
20% tint around, 70% tint on windshield
04/05 tail light swap
Rally Armour UR mudflaps
Perrin wing stiffis (2)
Hella Super Tones car horns
DIY painted headlights
debadged trunk
de-stickered and de-emblemed grill
disabled daytime running lights
LED license plate lights

Interior
HD Motorsports GoPro camera
Innovate Motorsports LC-1 wideband with XD-16 gauge
Mach-V IC temperature gauges
Prosport premium peak/warn 52mm amber/white gauges
*boost
*exhaust gas temperature
*oil temperature
*oil pressure
*fuel pressure
*water temperature
*voltage
Prosport gauge installation accessories
ATI 3 gauge clock pod
ATI 2 gauge steering column pod
GlowShift 4 gauge A pillar pod
Panasonic CQ-9800U headunit
black STI floor mats
Autospeed dead pedal
LED map lights
disabled seat belt alarm


Fluids
engine: Shell Rotella T6 synthetic 5w40
transmission: Motul gear300 75w90 synthetic
read diff: Motul gear300 75w90 synthetic
brakes: Motul RBF600
coolant: Subaru coolant

Other
Actron compression tester
Perrin foam filter cleaner
RainX lattitude windshield wipers
Etymotic Research earplugs for highway cruising
5 year contract with IWSTI - big PM inbox

Old parts
Torque Solution V3 pitch mount - switched to Beatrush since it's louder
Whiteline 24mm front sway bar, set to stiff 26mm setting - wanted a flatter front end when cornering
Whiteline gearbox / transmission crossmember bushings, regular stiffness - wanted race stiffness to make the gear whine even louder
GMS 170*F thermostat - kept coolant at 195*F under all conditions, not my preference
Perrin front strut bar - did not like the fitment
GrimmSpeed up pipe - dump tube did not fit with catted downpipe
Beatrush engine mounts

Special thanks to
Geoff @ Cygnus Performance
Adam @ Litespeed Performance
T3h_Clap as himself
Got2Boostit2 @ The Shop



black = installed
red = purchased, but have not installed
green = not yet purchased




Dyno chart
290 whp & 321 wtq on a Mustang
tuned by Eric @ IPS Motorsports

dashed line = stock manifold, tuned to its potential
solid line = Litespeed header, tuned to its potential (more midrange boost, more timing up top)

the final pull

 

[IGOTASTi]

I love the license plate! Great mod! Gives you 100 plus hp!

 

[toomes]

Joey.

 

[joey.lisano]

I love the license plate! Great mod! Gives you 100 plus hp!

Thanks JJ. It also gives me +1g in the turns. :evil:

Joey.

Hi.

 

[BadlandsRacer]

Those wheels suck!!!

Subscribed to my favorite '07 STI! Can't wait to see how to organize this while moving previous info.

 

[joey.lisano]

Those wheels suck!!!

Yep, I'm thinking of ideas on how to out-do them. Those new fender flares sure look interesting, although I can't even imagine having that much rubber.

Subscribed to my favorite '07 STI!

Thank you, but I must have bribed you with too many parts. A-man is my favorite 07.

Can't wait to see how to organize this while moving previous info.

Well, I am lazy and don't want to spend a ton of time. I think I'll just copy+paste my important posts and reset the hyperlinks. I'll put the date above every post, so hopefully it's not an upchuck of words.

 

[toomes]

I just read all of your stuff over at iwsti.:thumbsup::shock:

one word.

DELICIOUS.

 

[joey.lisano]

I just read all of your stuff over at iwsti.:thumbsup::shock:

one word.

DELICIOUS.

Thanks. Hopefully, I can keep the modding going over the cold months.

I just finished up installed Group N rear strut top mounts, 0.5" saggy butt spacers with longer studs, and used rear struts (cut bump stops and re-greased) to replace my beat up ones. I have Swift Spec-R springs and the Whiteline Com-C front strut top mounts.

 

[toomes]

OO that came out great. My Subaru definitely has a saggy butt. One to many hard launches.

 

[joey.lisano]

Oops, it seems I forgot to update over here. Where's Donald Trump to say, "Joey, you're fired!"

I believe I sourced some 04-06 front LCAs from a part out. That should enable me to achieve +1.5* caster over the 07 LCAs.

Twas a bit chilly to be messing around with the camera in an attempt to recreate past pictures, but I bring you: my best try at before and after shots of the 0.5" saggy butt spacers.

before

after

before

after, from a slightly lower height than the before picture

Well, I am having a jolly experience with the lateral link install. Of course, the bolts through the knuckle were rusted and seized to the center tubes in the bushings. Penetrating oil, torch, rubber mallet, nothing! I started trying to cut the bolt between the lateral link and the knuckle with a cut off wheel. My drill died halfway through the first bolt.

To be fair, it was my dad's drill and ~30 years old. Off to the store for the third time this install to get a drill and finish the job.

Holy lateral link install. Someone call 2 doctors, one for me, one for the lateral links. I took off the trailing arm, cut the bolt between the knuckle and forward lateral link, reinstalled the trailing arm, hammered the crap out of the bolt to push it out of the knuckle. I think I owe Litespeed some new lateral links.

The cut off wheel ate mine a little; the knuckles are okay though. Time to reassemble.

To be continued next weekend...................
I was up until 4AM trying to finish everything, but it was a no-go. Fortunately, my dad is in Brazil on a business trip so I commandeered his car. I got the Litespeed Group N lateral links in. I used lots of anti-seize and a silver Sharpie on the toe bolts, so everything should be all set. I tried to use the Big Sky tool to get the rear trailing arm Group N bushings into the knuckles. I thought it'd be real simple, which it is, but the driver's side bushing wants to play hardball. I then had nightmares about it.

I'll get some ideas, such as heating the knuckle, freezing the bushing, grinding the hole in the knuckle, using various explosives.

I definitely confirmed my assessment of how rubber and polyurethane bushings move. After taking off the endlinks, I could move the sway bar within the polyurethane bushings with my hand. It required some force to break the stiction, but I could move it and let it stick at any angle. The stock rubber bushings in the lateral links and trailing arms were like a slingshot. Just unbolt one bushing, rotate the arm, and you'll see how much wind up torque they have. At the limit of the lateral link bushings, the bushing just spun about the larger diameter within the lateral link. I wish Whiteline made rubber variants, even if they were more expensive.

polyurethane...............rubber

 

[BAD STI]

Looks good buddy!

 

[joey.lisano]

Touchdown! *sigh of exhaustion* That bushing can kiss my butt. At least the car feels even better now. The rear end feels tighter with less bounce over bumps. I can actually feel the grip in the rear tires as they dig in and assist the front tires in turning. The car went from understeer to a touch of oversteer. That makes me feel like Jeremy Clarkson driving the Ariel Atom when he screams, "I am an alien!"

Both sway bars are probably a notch too stiff for maximum grip on the winter tires (15*F during the test drive), but it's no big deal.

Well, I blew my summer wheel money on a secret purchase. I'll most likely recycle the winter tires and put some 245/40 Star Specs on the 17x8 +45 RPF1's.

I have a dongle problem. Co-driver said I should not have been playing with my dongle. When I plug my AccessPort into the car, it doesn't turn on. It was fine a month ago. It still works if I plug it into the computer though. I called Cobb, and they said the dongle probably died. They said to just buy a new one ($80, yay). If that doesn't fix it, they said to mail everything in and they'll take a look at it. I'm kinda bummed I have to buy a new one, especially because they said it's likely that the new dongle could break a few years later. Cobb didn't offer any advice as to why it could have failed, but my co-driver said it failed because I left the dongle plugged in 24/7. Of course, it just dawned on me that I can't switch maps so I can't install the larger fuel injectors.

More delays - I might just die a Limp-map Lisano.

I got to poke my nose around the engine labs. I saw Innovate Motorsports wideband O2 sensors and Spearco air to water intercoolers. I also saw grad students "tuning" HCCI engines.

Looks good buddy!

Thanks. How's your beast feel?

 

[joey.lisano]

^^ I tried a different cord, and it still didn't work. The original cord worked fine when I plugged the main unit into the computer. Someone in another thread thought the dongle eventually blows up from circuit surges; I dunno. I ordered a new dongle through Cygnus so I hope that solves the problem.

Since the car was salty and grimy, I took it to the pressure washer station. As soon as the water hit the car, it turned to slush, and about 30 seconds later, it was a sheet of ice. Worst car wash ever.

I came across this thread by TiC on damper tuning. It basically confirmed my suspicion that the stock damping is too harsh. I'm not complaining about ride comfort; I'm saying they really show their weakness on sharp bumps and pot holes, especially when turning on those 270* highway ramps. I'm only feeling 1 cycle of suspension bounce.
How Clint starts to tune ride - NASIOC

I've been slacking on my write ups. Hopefully, I can get a few done this weekend.

 

[IGOTASTi]

You better stop slacking Joey, lol.

PS: Your fired, LMAO!

 

[joey.lisano]

Last night, I went to Got2Boostit2's garage. With his know-how and tools, we installed the larger fuel injectors. Talk about having the right tool for the right job; he had at least five, and I can't imagine how I would have done it without him. No hiccups, no leaks, no catastrophic explosions. Thanks again!
:moon walking banana:

After I first made the appointment, I realized my AcessPort didn't work, and I wouldn't have been able to change maps for the larger fuel injectors. Luckily, I borrowed a dongle from a local, and everything worked. Switched to the other limp map. Driveability is good and it idles like stock. They're DW 1000cc top feeds. Don't read into that too much - just the stock turbo on 93oct. I had no idea where this car would go, and I still have no clue, but I figure I covered my bases with that size.

You better stop slacking Joey, lol.

PS: Your fired, LMAO!

Thanks, JJ. I was talking to someone the other day who needed a job. He said, "I'm looking for a fat paycheck with no responsibility." LOL, aren't we all.

 

[BadlandsRacer]

So...still Limp-Map Lisano, huh? When's the tune?

 

[joey.lisano]

So...still Limp-Map Lisano, huh? When's the tune?

Yeah, from one limp map to another. The car wanted to boost like crazy as I tried to get up to highway speeds when it was 9*F out. I just want to hear how loud the EWG is, just once......

No tune date as of right now. 0:^) I still have a few odds and ends left. A couple gauges, which I have been dreading because of wiring. It's mainly about grounding and where to hook up the connections. I had problems in one of my lab experiments because the power supply and some gauges were using different grounds. (I didn't set it up and a lot of electronics were enclosed in a black box so I didn't know.) You'd think every ground would be 0V and stuff wouldn't fluctuate +/- 25%. I just thought it was extreme electrical noise. :lol: I think the dump tube is just barely touching the transmission. Those two V-band bolts literally took over an hour because it's so cramped and I could only turn the wrench one tooth at a time. So, that'll be an eternity of frustration for one little fix. I still haven't done a compression test on a warm engine. The meth kit will have to wait awhile.

 

[joey.lisano]

The stock grounding system is crap. You'd be surprised how much a difference properly grounding our setups will make. However, there is a proper way to do it so you don't get ground loop problems. I've been talking with a guy who worked as a competition audio installer and have a list of parts to get. I'll make sure to put up pictures and a parts list once I get it done. Oh, and not just for gauges, but it also helps the ignition tables and such.

Ugh, the stock grounding system would stink. I was trying to give Subaru the benefit of the doubt. But, it sounds like you have the answer I'm looking for. I'll be looking forward to that writeup, especially because I want to relocate the battery someday.

 

[icudruln]

Hey Joey,

quick question: Do you feel the heavy duty sway bar mounts are necessary, is it more for very hard driven cars, or more of a bling factor? I'm doing the sways and endlinks here soon, and I mine as well do the mounts if needed.