DCAWD.com

sirwilliam wrote:Best thing w/ a turbo car is keeping it cool. I will eventually upgrade to a performance radiator w/ high pressure radiator cap, performance thermostat, water wetter, and aftermarket oil cooler...maybe one day down the road I would upgrade to a FMIC but I would like to still be w/ my wife b/c I love...so I won't push my luck w/ mods.

Water and water wetter = good until it becomes cold then you start splitting engine blocks like my friend just did this winter goodbye 1000cc crotch rocket.

The flat fours in the WRX/STi/Forester/Legacy are some of the best "cooling" egines on the planet. This is not just my opinion, it is a common remark made amongst those in "the know" in the automotive world. While the water wetter, performance radiator, fail safe thermostat, oil cooler, ect. are never bad ideas, they are hardly a necessity in those cars. In over 5 years on Subi boards I have never seen a single post about "poor cooling destroyed my block." However, look at any DSM board and there will be many posts warning of the dangers of engine overheating even with a full radiator! Do you see many WRX/STi drivers with oil temp/water temp gauges? However, they are practically standard on modded DSMs. There is a reason Mitsubishi still uses cast iron blocks, and that force-fed Honda engines don't tend to last long! HEAT RETENTION! I-4s tend to retain a lot, Flat 4s don't.

I would install a bigger TMIC/FMIC ($400-$500) long before I ever thought of a performance radiator ($400) or aftermarket oil cooler ($250).

not that I was gonna buy the cooler any time soon, but now I know I don't need one at all. you guys just saved me $200.

the bar is on. repeat: the bar is on.

thanks to Darrin and Colin for the help and space.

Anytime brother!

How long/hard was the install? (hehe) How much of a difference do you feel?

Install was CAKE. We were screwing around A LOT and it only took 45 mins. If you wanted to get it over with quickly, there's no reason why one or two people couldn't finish in 20 minutes.

Glad to hear you love the bar Gabe. How did Darrin's turn out?

super easy install (if you have ramps), less than an hour and that's going at an easy pace. I felt the difference as soon as I drove up the hill from Darrin's place. I have my bar set on the softest setting (22mm). the passenger side is a little bit of a pain because of the emissions canister but nothing bad. if you can install a CAI you can do this mod. yeah, it's that easy.

side note on comparing the stock bar from my 04 sedan to the stock bar from Darrin's 02 waggon: no size difference what so ever. I thought the sedan had a larger rear bar? no matter, now my sedan has a larger rear bar.

Glad to hear it's that easy! I'll probably pick one up in the summer time

bluscooby23 wrote:How did Darrin's turn out?

one of the nuts from the emissions canister wouldn't thread back on. we each spent at least 10 minutes futzing with it. that was the hardest part of the install! he seemed happy with it after a drive up and down the hill...

Kirby is a fun drive, isn't it?




(that's why I suggested we take GW to his place, hehe)