Replacin' the NOx Box

"iSureWilll" (isurewilll) 10/18/2016 at 10:46 • Filed to: None

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Good morning Oppos! I will soon be replacing my 2010 NOx Box with a new (to me) car. I have my eye on a hawk eye Impreza 2.5. Don’t really want to go with a WRX since any car I buy will be high mileage and I would rather not have to worry about the cost of replacing a turbo, but I’ve read that the 2.5's have common head gasket issues. Anything else I need to keep an eye out for on these? Budget is in the $6-10k range.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > iSureWilll 10/18/2016 at 10:49

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Rust

adamftw > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 10/18/2016 at 10:50

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Yes. Start at the rear quarter panel where it meets the bumper behind the rear tires.

iSureWilll > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 10/18/2016 at 10:50

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I think the most common spot is rear wheel wells and bottom of the trunk lid on these, yea?

Opposite Locksmith > iSureWilll 10/18/2016 at 10:56

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Get a wrx

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > iSureWilll 10/18/2016 at 11:01

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Bingo

Needmoargarage > iSureWilll 10/18/2016 at 11:04

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Currently own a ‘07 STi. Most issues I’d be worried about are with the DOHC Turbo engine so I think you’ll be fine. Stick with the manual transmission and make sure to check for rust where the quarter panel meets the rear bumper cover. These engines are pretty noisy and consume oil regularly so don’t worry too much about that. Check for noise and issues from the center diff and rear diff as well as CV axles...replacement of any of those adds up quick.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > iSureWilll 10/18/2016 at 11:07

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They can have head gasket issues, but once they are replaced once, they are fine as the newer style head gaskets are a lot less prone to failure.

Rust though - check for it on the front and rear subframes (there is a recall out about this) and the rear wheel arches (especially where the bumper meets the rear tires) as well as the rear strut towers.

I used to have a 2002 Impreza 2.5TS wagon - LOVED it! Wish I still had it, but Eastern Canadian winter salt killed it beyond feasibly repairing rust damage :(

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > iSureWilll 10/18/2016 at 11:14

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Rear quarter panels like to rust starting from the front corner of the bumper (the tab that holds the bumper flexes, cracking the paint). Once it starts it tends to spread rather quickly, though the GD platform (02-07) is better than the GC (93-01) and the Legacys of the time.

Head gaskets were redesigned sometime around 2004 and are less prone to failure than they were. Chances are it is not going to be a massive issue for you, though working on anything on the heads is awful in a Subaru. And like anything recent service is always a plus.

The 5-speeds aren’t the strongest. They are completely fine under normal use and will never give you an issue but they don’t like being abused (don’t slam shift it). You can easily identify the abused ones because they will be rather crunchy. Also check that all the tires match. It is not good for an AWD system to have mismatched tires.

The EJ25 is not a very refined engine and tend to make a lot of noise when cold. They will rattle and tick but the noises should go away when they warm up. The nature of the pistons being level to the ground also creates a tendency for piston slap. You could see that on high mileage engines (typically 180,000+), particularly ones which have been poorly maintained. If you live in a northern climate (anywhere with snow) the heatshields are going to rattle and fall off. Not much you can do. My old 01 Outback (now my sisters car) is currently rocking 0 heatshields past the headers (and the shields there rattle like crazy).

For $6-10K you should be able to get a pretty nice 2.5.

Noah - Now with more boost. > iSureWilll 10/18/2016 at 11:22

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6-10k? Don’t get me wrong, I love subarus, but I think you can find a wayyy better balance between fun and responsibility than that. It’s a slow economy sedan.

Boxer_4 > iSureWilll 10/18/2016 at 11:26

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To add to everyone else, also check that the timing belt was done. It needs to be done around the 105K mile mark. Also a good idea make sure the water pump, tensioner, and idlers were changed at the same time.

vicali > iSureWilll 10/18/2016 at 11:27

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Headgasket fixed already is a plus, otherwise keep $2000 in mind for that. Timing belt should be changed at 100K that’s another good one to ask about.

Rust at the rear fenders, also check the lower control arms, I believe there was a recall (our 08 foz got it).

Tires need to match, turn in tight cirles and make sure the diffs aren’t binding.

4eat shifts hard when cold- 3 to 4 can be a clunk.

Otherwise great. I would go for a TS wagon myself, but the sedan is not bad either.

Enjoy swapping all the parts you want from the wrx kids.. Suspension, Sways, exhaust, etc.. Most bolt right up or need very minor tweaks to fit.

Also Joe is your friend;

http://www.cars101.com/

iSureWilll > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/18/2016 at 11:31

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I’ve owned stock e30s, a stock e28 (528e), and a diesel Golf. Anything can be fun without having 250+ hp.

iSureWilll > Boxer_4 10/18/2016 at 11:31

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Good call. I’ll keep an eye out for timing belt service.

OCD-CO > iSureWilll 10/18/2016 at 11:38

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I bought my ‘03 WRX with 97k on it for $9500. And that is crazy high but I live in Colorado. Why would you be so worried about replacing a turbo? The amount of power difference from an NA 2.5 compared to a turbo is negligible in price but much different in performance.

red014 > iSureWilll 10/18/2016 at 11:38

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Couple things I found from owning my ‘07 Legacy (same drive train though). Head gaskets DO leak. They are not catastrophic though. They seep oil to the outside world. You can stay on top of it by checking your oil level every couple of weeks. Just crawl under the car and look for oil on either side of the block where the heads attach. It’s actually more common on the NA 2.5 than on the turbo because the NA has a higher compression ratio. The catastrophic failures are from older engines where the oil and coolant mix.

Then the other thing to watch for is a piece of shit pilot and throw out bearings in the clutch assembly. You’ll hear a squeal on cold startup that is related to the position of the clutch pedal. Sometimes it’s when the clutch is in, sometimes when out. Depends on which bearing goes. Either way, if it’s the throw out bearing that goes, it takes out the transmission with it, but luckily you have an unmistakable audible warning.

In all honesty, if you find one with 120K miles that has had both the head gaskets and clutch work done, I’d prefer that over one with 90K miles that will need both soon ($3200 for mine at the same time).

iSureWilll > OCD-CO 10/18/2016 at 11:52

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I guess the cost of a turbo replacement would be close to changing both head gaskets. IIRC the wrx makes about 45-50hp more than the 2.5 does. I guess I’m open to a WRX, it just makes me a little nervous for some reason.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > iSureWilll 10/18/2016 at 11:54

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The big issue with the WRX is finding one that wasn’t owned by a yobbo.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > red014 10/18/2016 at 12:08

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My experience with the 3 different EJ25s my family has owned (325,000+mi across a 2001 Outback, a 2003 Impreza (both EJ251), and a 2005 Legacy (which was a 2.5GT with an EJ255) (and another ~200,000mi between a 1.8 (EJ18) and a 3.6(EZ36)) is that they don’t typically leak oil at all. Only exception was the Legacy which had a small crack in the head at about 110,000mi which leaked under boost. They do burn a bit of oil but they shouldn’t be leaking anything.

iSureWilll > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 10/18/2016 at 12:23

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That might be what makes me a little nervous! I’m not too keen on buying a car owned by a yabbo.

red014 > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 10/18/2016 at 12:58

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The EJ253 was what I was referring to, in use on both my 07 Legacy (from 05-11) and the 06-07 Impreza he’s looking at (from 04-07). It does have HG issues w/leaking oil. Although maybe I should have used the word “seeping” instead of leaking, as it just causes an ever-present oily spot on the bottom of the block and never actually drips on the driveway. Aside from my own experience, I know about 3 other acquaintances that have had the same issue on the same motor.

Maybe I know more than a normal amount of Subaru owners though because I live in New England?

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > red014 10/18/2016 at 13:24

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The only differences between the EJ251 and the EJ253 is that the EJ253 has the updated gasket and uses a MAF sensor instead of a MAP sensor. Subaru likes to change engine codes. If my Outback had been a manual instead of an auto it would have a EJ252 because they needed the MAF sensors to get the manuals to meet emissions (EJ252 only appeared in US Legacies and Outbacks with the 5MT in 2000 and 2001). MAP to MAF and a new intake? Time for a new engine code!

I am from MA, my immediate family has owned 6 Subarus (2 Imprezas, 2 Legacies, an Outback, and a BRZ).

Noah - Now with more boost. > iSureWilll 10/18/2016 at 14:33

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I know, my first car was a 635csi. I didn’t say anything about getting a faster car, just something a little more unique with more character

iSureWilll > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/18/2016 at 14:37

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I’m with you. I’m looking at both the WRX’s and 2.5's now so I’ll see what I can find!

EDIT: Hope you liked the shark! :)

Noah - Now with more boost. > iSureWilll 10/18/2016 at 14:57

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I miss it!! My Q45 is fun and much faster but it doesn’t feel like a classic. I miss feeling like every little errand is an adventure.

It seems like you’re between a rock and a hard place there man. The Impreza is undeniably not an enthusiast auto. But the problem with a WRX is a. They hold their value so well that used examples are kind of a rip-off given what you can get for the same money with half the mileage. And b. Since anything in your price range will be higher mileage, turbo replacement = guaranteed.

iSureWilll > Noah - Now with more boost. 10/18/2016 at 15:22

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Turbo replacement is what I wasn’t looking forward to. I found a 2.5rs with 155k that’s had head gaskets, clutch, and timing belt already replaced listed at $5,500. Hoping to hear back from the guy soon.