Rod knock knock knocking on heavens door

seriously?

I leaning toward it being that .

Maybe your oil pickup is breaking off?

What is with subarus and spinning rod bearings?

for those you can not make the meet tonight...this is what my car sounds like: (not my car in Vid)

knock is become more present at idle. looks like there may be no hope for her now. I have and appoint at Merv's Auto repair (thanks Darren for the referral) Monday to get a definite answer.

So...lets talk engine upgrades including:

What engine + co$t
What turbo + co$t
Injectors + co$t
clutch + co$t

My goals to have a reliable setup that that has the umph to make me

Stock

obviously stock was not too reliable

Honestly, a stock engine might be best. The thing you need to figure out is why did this happen. Did you ever rev the engine while it wasn't under load (aka, moving)? Do you have a TBE and if so, do you have a tune?

Here's a couple of things to keep in mind:
A built engine is made to take abuse, but it requires more maintenance too.
A stock engine is much cheaper and easier if you are only going for a small (50-150HP) power increase

Things that you didn't mention above:
fuel pump
intercooler
tuning
brake upgrades (ALWAYS do these before adding power)
You didn't mention a tranny above. Do you have the same tranny as the WRX's? If so, you will need to start looking at replacements for that if you go above 300-320WHP. No sense in spending money on a great engine if you're not going to be able to run the HP it can produce.

If you want to go to a 2.5 block, you can use the 2.0 heads (People call this a hybrid engine). If you go with a full 2.5 swap, you'll need a new ECU and wiring harness as well.

Sadly, I know way too much about this stuff. Here are the installed prices I would assume:
Stock engine replacement: 3-5k
Built 2L motor: 4-8k
Built 2.5L hybrid: 6-10k
Built 2.5L motor: 9-15k
Tranny for the last three above: 3-7k installed (You'll probably have to do axles and such)

I only have a 3" CBE no tune.

Found a JDM 04 SUBARU STI VERSION 8 EJ20T ENGINE 6 SPEED TRANSMISSION for $6000

AN ORIGINAL JDM 04 SUBARU STI VERSION 8 COMPLETE SWAP THAT I IMPORTED FROM JAPAN. IT HAS LESS THAN 40,000 MILES AND WILL COME WITH A 30 DAY WARRANTY. COMES AS THE COMPLETE ENGINE w/ TURBO, AWD 6 SPEED TRANSMISSION, ECU, WIRING, INTERCOOLER, DIFFERENCIAL, 4 AXLES, 4 SHOCKS. WE BOUGHT THE WHOLE CAR IN JAPAN AND TOOK IT APART. Guy also has a 2.5l block for $950

or

I wouldn't mind a 2.5 hybrid or 2.0 w/ 16g or HTA68
I would do:
injectors
fuel pump
clutch

as far as brakes...I would like to go with 06+ 4pots, but I guess DBA 4000 Series Rotors and Hawk HPS Street brake pads should work well

If you are even thinking about this, have him send you pics of the VIN on the block, and the head casting numbers. Only then start entertaining the idea.
Don't be like that guy who bought a 2.6 sleeved Cobb block from Venezuela...
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I think it might be cheaper to do the 2.5 rather than building up a set of heads to flow and rev on a 2.0 what the bigger turbos need to shine.

And this is exactly why I shied away from buying an excellent condition 06 WRX from a co-worker.

Why? As along as you take care of it, these types of failures are far and few. WRX's/STI's go into the 100,000mi's without any problems. Problems generally arise when people start tinkering.

i have 131K and it's still kicking strong!

It wasn't the probability of failure, it was how much it would cost to get where I wanted to go. PPG dog gears, axles, intercooler, turbo, rods, pistons and whatever else would be needed to make this actually work. Probably $10K of mods.

Where as a small block chevy 350 short block, assembled by GM not a shady ebay store, is $1500. A transmission capable of 600 lb-ft of torque, $2000.

So that is and always has been my beef with subarus. They're great bang for your buck up to a point and then they get ridiculous.

The STI's tranny is good to that same HP rating (600WHP), but it is more expensive... but that also includes three diffs, twice the number of axles and a lot more metal.

Try modding an Audi S4... I like the subaru's better.

So what do you think of the STI swap option?

Oh yeah, it's totally an apples and oranges comparison, take what I've said with a grain of salt.

One thing we definitely agree on is there are cheaper ways to go faster Hell, $5000 and a civic shell will get you into the 10's if not 9's in the quarter... but you're screwed in the snow or twisties

STI Swap: It's an option, but an expensive one. You would have a tranny that can hold power and an engine that can make it.

the 6 speed is 100lbs heavier than the 5. Andrew from Andrewtech said that most people he has delt with prefer the 5 speed with heavy duty gears vice the 6 speed.

Echoing Julian's opinions...

What are the specific power goals you're reaching for?

Owning a built motor is lots of work:

- Rigorous maint schedule

- More tuning

- Not OEM simple

You'll have to adjust your driving habits to the new motor if you go built... Wait for it to warm up before going WOT, etc. If you want a car that you can just turn the key, floor it and go - GET A STOCK MOTOR REPLACEMENT.

I promise, if you go built, you won't get out from under the experience for less than ten thousand dollars.

Thank you all for the input and putting this whole project into prospective. I would really like a bit more than stock 2.0 power. It is up in the air...

Option 1:

new 2.5L block or 2.0 $1200
DW750cc injectors $400
ebay TMIC $300
walbro 255 $100
FP 68HTA Turbocharger $1000
new clutch (have not decided which one) $600
tune
----------------------------------------------
$4100 + install
Option 2

JDM 04 STI Version 8 complete swap

$6000 + install

If you run a stock 5 speed stick with the stock clutch. A heavier clutch will only increase the odds of blowing the stock tranny. Think of the clutch as the fuse in a Subaru 5 speed drivetrain.