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I put about 1.5-2 quarts of oil in my Forester between oil changes. I run 5W30 max life for 3k mile intervals. usually closer to 2,900 miles.. I always use a bottle of gumout stop leak too which cuts consumption by about .5 quarts vs if I don't... I typically buy 1 5qt jug and 1qt bottle during end of duration, so about 6 quarts for 3k miles.. It runs really good except lately it gets a single deceleration backfire I can hear as a slight tick in the exhaust... and lately, when it's cold I get LOTS of dry blue smoke. when it's first started it won't smoke. runs a few mins then it will start coming, and then by the time I back out of drive and leave I can  see a blue haze behind me... When I come to the first stop sign and look behind me, it's like a mosquito fogger of very blue smoke.. Once the temp gauge gets some movement, it absolutely does not smoke.. It has always had a little cold running smoke, and has always gotten 25 MPG almost exactly

 

The car has 229k miles currently so I know eventually it's gonna need some engine attention, but I don't want to do anything with the current engine. If I have turbo funds by end of summer ( IF WRX actually gets new engine/ turbo and nets me free parts ) it will be turbo.. If not, it'll just get a lower mile replacement engine.... Could the smoke be PCV related? I have a spare PCV from a 1999 EJ25D. is that the same?

Edited by matt167
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  • 3 weeks later...

Replaced PCV. It was gunked up but still wasn't stuck open or closed. I replaced the plugs too. It had BKR6E in it and I put in BKR5E which is what the parts store told me was correct. I know that's one step hotter..

Drivers side plugs were running kinda hot. Whiter than the other side but not coolant wash and the plugs were showing a little blue on the shoulder above the threads.

 

Oh and it's developed a noticible stumble at idle. Pretty sure it's got a cylinder dropping.

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I have run 5w30 Max life since I've owned it except 1st oil change was 10w30. That does make a difference on how much it uses. I'll have to dig out my comp tester and see what's up with it.. The backfire has gotten worse but it still runs 'good'.. I service a 2003 Forester with 251 engine code at the shop pretty regular. It had just a hair over 210k miles last service and was running a lot worse than mine which was at 220k then

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It's an 01 EJ251. It was an auction car and I only know the previous owner owned it from '08 till the auction and put on just about 130k miles. Probably highway miles because it's really clean

you think 2 quarts in 3k is excessive?

 

The local junkyard that stocks the EJ25's gets between $650-800 and he's kind of an extra special kind of person..

 

I was looking at the JDM EJ202's for $650 most places. I could pair one of them with a JDM Turbo Forester 5spd ( 4.44 ) for another $400 since I might as well. Actually 4th gear is getting hard to shift without grinding and I've got the early stages of audible of rocks in a blender in 3rd gear under load.. 4.44 diff will run me $50 at the U pull it

Edited by matt167
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Makes sense. I guess I could probably de carbonize the engine to cut the carbon as a band aid? I did it when I first got it but have not since. The stumble comes and goes but is only visible looking at engine. Can't feel it

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Anyone know if a JDM 4.44 turbo 5spd needs any work or extra swapping for it to work correctly? I know it's basically a JDM version of the USA spec WRX 5spd minus the 1.1:1 center diff and 3.90/3.54 ratios. I like the idea of more gear and the convienent dipstick tube for the transmission is nice.. Not sure if the CV axles work since I know some are male, some are female.

Edited by matt167
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Anyone know if a JDM 4.44 turbo 5spd needs any work or extra swapping for it to work correctly? I know it's basically a JDM version of the USA spec WRX 5spd minus the 1.1:1 center diff and 3.90/3.54 ratios. I like the idea of more gear and the convienent dipstick tube for the transmission is nice.. Not sure if the CV axles work since I know some are male, some are female.

I've cobbled a jdm forester turbo 4.44 5mt into a USDM 03 wrx block before.  Bolts right up, mine were female axle.  

 

Mine had dowel pins on the transmission and also on the engine block.  Did some measurements and found it was simpler to tap out the ones on the jdm transmission and file the existing ones on the engine ever so slightly;  probably not necessary.  in retrospect, i should've just kept tapping in and out the dowel pin on the transmission side until the hole starts loosening up.  you could probably skip all this and tighten the bolts for the last .25" if you're extra careful everything is lined up.

 

speedo will read higher than normal but this was from a forester to an impreza.

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