Subaru Legacy GT mods/review
01-10-2009, 11:10 AM
#1
Antisaint
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Subaru Legacy GT mods/review
So lastnight I finally got around to installing the parts I got for my friend on her LGT. I finished work, did my friends brakes on his camery, then got started. The Perrin exhaust canisters went on fairly easy considering I opted out on using the lift (didn't need to make her more nervous with the car on the lift). I think they look dope, very subtle though. Unless you knew what you were looking for....you wouldn't even know they were there. The intake took some trial and error, seeing as I was working blind, and mildly drunk. But after realizing there was a ******* ring of metal in the intake coupler, the K&N pipe slipped in a bit easier. 
So....Perrin canisters and K&N intake are in. Started the car and right away you can hear a difference. Idles much like a WRX/STI now. We pulled out of the shop and I felt like my head was inside the engine bay. Shhhhhhhhhssshhhhhssshhshshsshh!!!! Its by far the loudest intake I have heard in my life. My miata has always had a loud "sshhh" on the throttle, but her's is at least 2x louder. This also now lets the BOV pop a bit louder than stock, definitely sounds like a VTA from inside/outside the car. Thats the other thing, when standing outside of the car the you cant hear the intake pulling air, but you can hear the BOV and exhaust loud and clear. Sounds very sexy, nothing like it did stock.
My problem is this. The intake IS super loud. This is her daily driver and she drives an hour to and from work 5-6 days a week. I almost feel bad putting it on, I could kinda read the disappointment on her face as she drove the car. For some reason, when I had her get on it in sport mode the intake was sort of sputtering at times. Easy to mild driving it sounded smooth, but any more than that and it started to choke. I'm assuming this is due to everyone on the planet saying a K&N intake means now you need a tune, which is fine. I guess I'm just surprised that a $300 intake from a company like K&N wouldn't come bolt on ready with no headaches. **** me.
She promised me she will drive the car for a week and then tell me what she'd like to do. She loves the exhaust, but she says the intake is too loud. I figure I'll probably be taking the intake off next weekend.
She did say the car felt like it had more power, but I will be the verdict of that when I get behind the wheel later tonight. 
I will also snap some pics!
Vash-
So....Perrin canisters and K&N intake are in. Started the car and right away you can hear a difference. Idles much like a WRX/STI now. We pulled out of the shop and I felt like my head was inside the engine bay. Shhhhhhhhhssshhhhhssshhshshsshh!!!! Its by far the loudest intake I have heard in my life. My miata has always had a loud "sshhh" on the throttle, but her's is at least 2x louder. This also now lets the BOV pop a bit louder than stock, definitely sounds like a VTA from inside/outside the car. Thats the other thing, when standing outside of the car the you cant hear the intake pulling air, but you can hear the BOV and exhaust loud and clear. Sounds very sexy, nothing like it did stock.
My problem is this. The intake IS super loud. This is her daily driver and she drives an hour to and from work 5-6 days a week. I almost feel bad putting it on, I could kinda read the disappointment on her face as she drove the car. For some reason, when I had her get on it in sport mode the intake was sort of sputtering at times. Easy to mild driving it sounded smooth, but any more than that and it started to choke. I'm assuming this is due to everyone on the planet saying a K&N intake means now you need a tune, which is fine. I guess I'm just surprised that a $300 intake from a company like K&N wouldn't come bolt on ready with no headaches.
**** me.She promised me she will drive the car for a week and then tell me what she'd like to do. She loves the exhaust, but she says the intake is too loud. I figure I'll probably be taking the intake off next weekend.
She did say the car felt like it had more power, but I will be the verdict of that when I get behind the wheel later tonight. I will also snap some pics!Vash-
Last edited by Vashthestampede; 01-10-2009 at 06:50 PM.
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01-12-2009, 06:03 PM
#5
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Subaru's are known for being very picky. The problem is where the MAF is. A lot of CAI's throw the MAF off. This is also the same reason it is recommended you dont run a BOV, because even with a tune the ECU sees that its running rich inbetween shifts, and tries to compensate for it. To avoid this, if you switch to a front mount setup, you can relocate the MAF to right before the throttle body.
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01-12-2009, 06:25 PM
#6
Subaru's are known for being very picky. The problem is where the MAF is. A lot of CAI's throw the MAF off. This is also the same reason it is recommended you dont run a BOV, because even with a tune the ECU sees that its running rich inbetween shifts, and tries to compensate for it. To avoid this, if you switch to a front mount setup, you can relocate the MAF to right before the throttle body.
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01-12-2009, 06:36 PM
#7
My problem is this. The intake IS super loud. This is her daily driver and she drives an hour to and from work 5-6 days a week. I almost feel bad putting it on, I could kinda read the disappointment on her face as she drove the car. For some reason, when I had her get on it in sport mode the intake was sort of sputtering at times. Easy to mild driving it sounded smooth, but any more than that and it started to choke. I'm assuming this is due to everyone on the planet saying a K&N intake means now you need a tune, which is fine. I guess I'm just surprised that a $300 intake from a company like K&N wouldn't come bolt on ready with no headaches.
**** me.Vash-
I know when my bro had an intake on his wrx without a filter, it would do that all the time. he put on the filter and all was solved. make sure it is on correctly, and there are no leaks or anything wrong. an intake might make a suparu run a teeny bit slower, but you should definitely not be having the symptoms you have described. If she doesnt like it still, I would suggest getting rid of it for a k&n drop in filter with the stock airbox. It will work 100% and will never cause any problems, and will be only a tiny bit louder than the stock intake. Remember, subaru's are finicky as deatchwerks said: it doesnt matter if its a 10000 dollar intake, it still may not work all that well. Here is my suggestion to make that lgt ******* BADASS:
1) add a bellmouth catted downpipe
2) switch that short ram for a k&n drop in
3) get a tactrix cable and flash in a stage 2 map.
The stage 2 map will make you want to kick yourself (or herself lol) in the face for not getting it sooner. the difference is HUUUUUUUUGE!!!! I mean 40+ whp/wtq increase from a downpipe and tune is a big deal, and whats better is that it will make the car so much smoother. Like easier to drive.
anyways good luck and take pics
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01-12-2009, 07:05 PM
#8
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glad she likes the exhaust man. as for the intake, are you sure its on and hooked up correctly? If it sputters thats not good, and that has nothing to do with the intake, but more with how its installed or something is wrong.
I know when my bro had an intake on his wrx without a filter, it would do that all the time. he put on the filter and all was solved. make sure it is on correctly, and there are no leaks or anything wrong. an intake might make a suparu run a teeny bit slower, but you should definitely not be having the symptoms you have described. If she doesnt like it still, I would suggest getting rid of it for a k&n drop in filter with the stock airbox. It will work 100% and will never cause any problems, and will be only a tiny bit louder than the stock intake. Remember, subaru's are finicky as deatchwerks said: it doesnt matter if its a 10000 dollar intake, it still may not work all that well. Here is my suggestion to make that lgt ******* BADASS:
1) add a bellmouth catted downpipe
2) switch that short ram for a k&n drop in
3) get a tactrix cable and flash in a stage 2 map.
The stage 2 map will make you want to kick yourself (or herself lol) in the face for not getting it sooner. the difference is HUUUUUUUUGE!!!! I mean 40+ whp/wtq increase from a downpipe and tune is a big deal, and whats better is that it will make the car so much smoother. Like easier to drive.
anyways good luck and take pics
I know when my bro had an intake on his wrx without a filter, it would do that all the time. he put on the filter and all was solved. make sure it is on correctly, and there are no leaks or anything wrong. an intake might make a suparu run a teeny bit slower, but you should definitely not be having the symptoms you have described. If she doesnt like it still, I would suggest getting rid of it for a k&n drop in filter with the stock airbox. It will work 100% and will never cause any problems, and will be only a tiny bit louder than the stock intake. Remember, subaru's are finicky as deatchwerks said: it doesnt matter if its a 10000 dollar intake, it still may not work all that well. Here is my suggestion to make that lgt ******* BADASS:
1) add a bellmouth catted downpipe
2) switch that short ram for a k&n drop in
3) get a tactrix cable and flash in a stage 2 map.
The stage 2 map will make you want to kick yourself (or herself lol) in the face for not getting it sooner. the difference is HUUUUUUUUGE!!!! I mean 40+ whp/wtq increase from a downpipe and tune is a big deal, and whats better is that it will make the car so much smoother. Like easier to drive.
anyways good luck and take pics
They are fun cars to play with. But im sure the feel between a turbo miata and a lightly modded Subaru are night and day. With the stock turbo, you have unreal low end torque. But it dies about 4th gear because the stockers run out of breath. They make great autocross cars.
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01-13-2009, 01:20 AM
#15
I don't think I'd do a cold air on a modern vehicle anyways. Most modern intakes are more than efficient enough and most intakes only make power by messing with airflow versus getting real cold air.
I made 5hp on my AEM intake on my old rx8 at the cost of 5hp throughout the rev range. All it did was "trick" the ecu into pulling fuel. On a maf based car keep it stock imho.
I made 5hp on my AEM intake on my old rx8 at the cost of 5hp throughout the rev range. All it did was "trick" the ecu into pulling fuel. On a maf based car keep it stock imho.
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