fornetti14 wrote: Interesting info from all of you. I can't believe the independent shop is several months out. The right place with the tools in front of them can have this done in two days. Good grief its a Subaru motor and I've rebuilt them on the kitchen table. Quickest route would be to buy a new Subaru short block and have someone install it with rebuilt heads from your local machine shop.
Doesn't mean they don't have enough business to keep them busy.
To be clear, since it probably got lost in the shuffle, he is going to take a $10k cash payout from them and walk.
This issue is 100% to do with trying to get this motor to meet emission standards. I have even talked to a few Subaru engineers about it in my industry. They were having a heck of a time getting it to pass for the 08 model years in the new chassis. As you know a catalytic converter really only works at or right around stoichiometric A/F ratio, so they were trying to keep it there as long as they could. Obviously it didn't work. Catalyst design helped in the later models but even the later years had failures. The pistons are not the best design, but with normal A/F ratios they would be much much better.
Those with earlier Subaru's that say they are great, they are. These issues didnt start till the 08 model year.
SpeedAddict502 wrote: This issue is 100% to do with trying to get this motor to meet emission standards. I have even talked to a few Subaru engineers about it in my industry. They were having a heck of a time getting it to pass for the 08 model years in the new chassis. As you know a catalytic converter really only works at or right around stoichiometric A/F ratio, so they were trying to keep it there as long as they could. Obviously it didn't work. Catalyst design helped in the later models but even the later years had failures. The pistons are not the best design, but with normal A/F ratios they would be much much better. Those with earlier Subaru's that say they are great, they are. These issues didnt start till the 08 model year.
I do only see people with this issue with either download tunes or stock tunes so you may be on to something. I had a WRX without any issues at all but it was stage 2 as soon as I got it.
Another thing is I noticed it especially affected people in the south west where we only have 91 fuel.
There was actually a recall for my WRX for being sold in a southwest state due to the fuel here.
fornetti14 wrote: Interesting info from all of you. I can't believe the independent shop is several months out. The right place with the tools in front of them can have this done in two days.
There's this thing, called a work backlog...
I have cars here with parts ready to go, but can't touch them for a couple more weeks because of other work ahead of them.
Since my STi is a 2005 I haven't been in the GR-chassis community much, but it does seem the OEM tune is a big factor. The earlier cars still have their issues, though, like the oil pickup and the stock pistons (cast pistons for tighter piston-to-wall clearances for emissions purposes on the US-market 2.5 instead of the forged pistons in the overseas 2.0 cars) but for cars under 350wHP in 93-octane areas they're usually fine.
I know the person in question has already decided to walk, but a pre-build shortblock can be had from a number of reputable companies in short amount of time, with some stock used heads, and the resale would be a lot higher than $10k + parts.
DirtyBird222 wrote: Well now my boner for looking at new WRXs and STIs has deflated.
The new WRXs have a different engine than what is being discussed here..
Knurled wrote: Two other points. I do not know what year your WRX was, but the 9-2X was not made in this year range. The poor OEM tune was a 2008 thing. (GE chassis?)
That's what I was thinking too. I don't think this was really much of an issue for TD04 cars, but primarily for the VF48 and VF52 cars (08+ STi, 09+ WRX).
irish44j wrote:DirtyBird222 wrote: Well now my boner for looking at new WRXs and STIs has deflated.The new WRXs have a different engine than what is being discussed here..
Really? It's not the 2.0DIT engine with 268hp and dynoing around 250 to the wheels is it?
We're discussing the 2.5l WRX and the contemporary STI.
The new engine (chain cams) moved the bore/stroke ratio in the right direction for fuel efficiency and forced induction strengths. (Oversquare is good for getting valve area per displacement but sucks at everything else)
I would like to say that the deck height is also larger but I cannot confirm that.
Not to poke a bear, but another friend had his 2004 STI blow up this past week at around 55k miles. Totally stock, though granted he did autocross his, if that data point means anything.
Did the engine run hot during autocross? I imagine he'd have spent a lot of time in the zone between closed and open-loop. I wouldn't leave an STi engine of any vintage on a stock tune, I'd at least get an open-source tune. Come to think of it, I'd do that with any turbo engine 
Even if the rest was left stock.
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