Taza's Forester engine options

Well got a call from my engine builder and it should be done this week.
He's coming to pick up my foz on a trailer tomorrow and take it down to rockingham to take the manifold and the likes off for the new engine....
Bought a aftermarket piggyback style ECU, a Haltech Interceptor from a guy off Rexnet.com. Got it for $550 new in the box, unopened. Should arrive next week in the mail.
At a later date I will be getting the tune done properly and the car dyno'ed. I was told I should be looking at a 15% increase in power and another 15% in economy. IN reality I don't really care for the extra power, it'll be fine as is aslong as it runs properly.

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taza said:
I was told I should be looking at a 15% increase in power and another 15% in economy.
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Good to hear, Taz.

About that economy thingy ...
Sorta depends on what one's right foot is doing, IME ... :rotfl:
However, compared with the ratsh!t economy you have been getting with your buggered engine, almost anything will be an improvement!

You'll sure as heck get a huge boost in torque, and far more at much lower revs. I will be very interested to hear your very first impressions :cool:.
 
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Pfft I really just want the car to run. I'm over it being sick/dieing and I just want to go out and have fun offroad. I was watching about 5hours of offroad footage that I have from the good times mid last year..
I wanna just get out and about while making the most of the foz.
I think it'll go fine, have plenty of poke and go most places I take it offroad ;)

I'd say by the end of the conversion/upgrade including tune and dyno I would of spent just over $3000. Just for anyones interest.
 
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That's a flaming sight less than what the rest of it has cost you, I'll bet.

Backs up what I said to someone last week about engines being much cheaper to repair than lots of other parts of our cars. Bodywork, for just one example. To fully repair and repaint Roo1 would have cost me probably another $3,000 on top of what I had already paid: $1,000.

That ignores the dodgy synchro in the gearbox; questionable engine condition (would only pull about 163 km/h coming back from Brissy in 2011), and took its time getting there. New plugs probably would have helped. Unlike yours, it wasn't using any oil or water.

But two things kill cars just as much as neglect or hard use:

1) Age;

2) Miles.

Low miles and old is not good. Still too old.
High miles and not old is not good. Still high miles.

Roo1 had done 234,000 kms (not a real killer), but was also 18 y.o.
Taken together, that was not good.

Just love Roo2 every time I drive it ... :ebiggrin: :biggrin: :cool:.
 
taza said:
Well got a call from my engine builder and it should be done this week.
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That is great news mate :raz:

Ratbag said:
You'll sure as heck get a huge boost in torque, and far more at much lower revs. I will be very interested to hear your very first impressions :cool:.
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Me too :ebiggrin:
But I have a feeling I know what will be said :biggrin: :rock: :biggrin:

Regards
Mr Turbo
 
Alright, car was picked up by my builder on a car trailer. I am going down tomorrow to pull the old engine out, the manifold and sensors will be swapped over tomorrow.
Then just the timing belt and gear to go on the 2.5 donk!

5pm this arvo we pushed her up on the trailer :raspberry:
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Engine was pulled from the foz today. Manifold will be bolted on tomorrow. Just waiting on a new throw out bearing(old one is stuffed) and a new clutch to come from over east over night :cool:
If all goes to plans the new one will be in tomorrow and possibly running. Then the first 5000km of running in begins :raspberry: :biggrin:

There was about 10,000km of life left on the clutch. It's been in there since 135,000km in 2011(died on the beach) and now the car has almost 210,000km. So I guess I can't really complain; in that time ive towed for a few thousand km, done massive amounts of city driving and thousands of km offroad(the real killer)... Both the spigot and thrust bearing were completely ****ed out. All the sand and dust has just killed them, they were both replaced last year!

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RSR(Paul) getting physical with the crane. lol
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Hey T,
So you're still messing with your EJ25? Whoa!
(I haven't been on as much as I used tp be...)
Are you running the EJ20 intake on the 2.5? why for?
Anyhoo, man, sorry to hear your 2.5 tanker on you! bummed its co$ting you so much but you will be totally impressed and happy with he 2.5 (if/when it all irons out well.)
Good luck brotha!
 
Well it was finished last night. In and running! !! Runs like a dream, has heaps of grunt even though I can't cane the hell out of it.
Most to post when I get home. .....
 
taza said:
Runs like a dream, has heaps of grunt even though I can't cane the hell out of it.
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Do you really want to cane the hell out of it though? I thought you'd learnt your lesson by now - at least that's what I thought I heard you say to me a few weeks back!

Glad it's all come together so well. I hope it runs in just fine - maybe best to put a note on the dashboard or the bullbar reminding you that you're running the engine in!

Now to sort out some body lift :twisted: and I reckon you'll have an awesome offroader! Maybe a supercharger wouldn't go astray - later!!

Cheers

Bennie
 
New engine running-in procedure

Great to hear, Taza :ebiggrin: :biggrin: :cool:.

Looking forward to your further thoughts.

As for running in.

I tend to keep between 2500 to 4000 revs for the first 500 kms (and avoid fifth gear entirely - far too easy to let the revs drop ... );

2500 to 4000 with the occasional short squirts to 4500 to 5000 (a couple of seconds) for the next 500 kms. Still no use of fifth. First service (oil change and filter).

2500 to 4500 revs for the next 1000 kms, with occasional squirts to 5000 lasting a couple of seconds at a time. Use fifth when cruising on a freeway, etc; but keep revs above 2500 at all times.

After the first 2000 kms, allow some use of lower revs (but don't allow engine to labour - fat chance, LOL! :poke: :rotfl:) and fifth during normal suburban driving. Don't exceed 5500 revs, and then only for shortish periods. Keep this regime up until the donk has about 5000 kms on it.

Change oil and filter again at 5000 kms. Then normal servicing per usage.

This sort of run-in regime is what I would advise for "normal" use.

What this does is:

  • Allows molecular level peaks and troughs on all contact surfaces to break off (if "large")
  • Allows "small" molecular level peaks and troughs to flow to level.
The above will achieve an engine that has good performance and fuel economy, combined with longevity. If done carefully, the engine should not use oil; or will use a very minimal amount between normal services.

Running an engine in "slow" causes the peaks and troughs to flow completely. The peaks do not break off. This means that the engine tolerances will always be "tight". This translates into (relatively) poor fuel economy and performance; but great longevity with zero oil use.

Running an engine in "fast" causes all the molecular peaks to break off. The engine will always be "loose". This translates into an engine that gets great fuel economy and performance; but will use oil and not last as well as the "normal" engine.

The above thoughts are a result of careful observation of engines and running in practices of both myself and others over some 50 years.

Hope it helps some.
 
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^ good advice.

I'd run around in low range during the run in period to offset the effects of your larger tyres to reduce engine labouring.

Glad to hear it went well.

Which ECU are you using presently and when will the tuning begin? I can't see how you could dyno it effectively durin the run in period.
 
El_Freddo said:
Do you really want to cane the hell out of it though? I thought you'd learnt your lesson by now - at least that's what I thought I heard you say to me a few weeks back!

Glad it's all come together so well. I hope it runs in just fine - maybe best to put a note on the dashboard or the bullbar reminding you that you're running the engine in!
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No not really, more just abit of a spirited drive. I am going to take care of this one. A spirited drive doesn't mean you have to thrash it. It's still no fast car but has enough power, once tuned I'd say it'd be about the same as a EJ22 L-Series.

Ratbag said:
Great to hear, Taza :ebiggrin: :biggrin: :cool:.
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Thanks Ratbag. The advice you have given is similar to that of what my mechanic said.
I am varying the revs at all time, no cruising at one constant speed, not letting it idle too long, letting it warm up slightly before I drive it.

I am drive so it keeps up with traffic but without laboring or over revving it. Due to not having the tune if I press my foot more than 2/3 throttle you can hear the engine pinging due to not getting enough fuel. Since it is the run in period I shouldn't be going flat out anyway.
I am using upto about half throttle and ranging my revs between 2300rpm and 4500rpm.

So far I have noticed that even at half throttle it has more power than the 2.0l at full throttle. It drives very comfortably under 3000rpm without laboring or thrashing to keep up with traffic, unlike the 2.0l donk. Just taking off it pulls quite smooth and strong from idle.

stilson said:
^ good advice.

I'd run around in low range during the run in period to offset the effects of your larger tyres to reduce engine labouring.

Glad to hear it went well.

Which ECU are you using presently and when will the tuning begin? I can't see how you could dyno it effectively durin the run in period.
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Low range revs out too much, and it doesn't labor in high. The piggy back computer arrives tomorrow and I will be splicing it in with the help from the guys from work. After the first 1000km it will be safe enough to dyno as my mechanic said and I trust him.

Paul my mechanic said that he reckons it runs like the power of an EJ22 donk, he reckons after the tune and dyno run I should see around 50% increase in power and torque! Like that it'll be heaps :ebiggrin:

This is how the SF Foz should of come as standard!!! :cool: :lildevil:
 
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