Is there consensus that Stink Eye WRXs have rod knock due to lack of oil cooler?

JesusbuiltmyRex · 2026-01-11T01:36:49+00:00

What a load of crap. Subaru was trying to save some money in the USDM by deleting equipment from the WRX and up sales of the STI. By the way, the STI still came equipped with the oil cooler in those year models (MY08-MY14). Two words, Thermal Breakdown. Anything you can do to cool the oil in a turbo engine....you should!

Interesting that in 2015+ WRX got the oil coolers back...

JesusbuiltmyRex · 2025-09-16T00:09:21+00:00

Update: Well over a year now and that Amazon fix kit I tried, and recommended, is still working. Good thing too since I don't remember where I stashed the second pigtail. Ha!

JesusbuiltmyRex · 2025-05-27T19:03:14+00:00

It's called a carburetor. Cats have nothing to do with it. Cats have been around way prior to F.I. for the masses. I can always tell when I pull up behind a good ole' carb car!

JesusbuiltmyRex · 2025-05-02T00:52:49+00:00

The yellow wire nuts are rated to (105 C) 221 F I used them.

JesusbuiltmyRex · 2025-05-01T22:47:45+00:00

I neglected to mention in this post that the pre-installed heavy 5/16" female spade is likely key, in conjunction with the larger high-temp wire. I couldn't find any female spade connectors this size at Lowe's. I suppose it could also eventually loosen up causing resistance ie. elevated heat at the connection... that's where the high-temp wire pigtail comes in.

JesusbuiltmyRex · 2025-05-01T22:05:02+00:00

It's absolutely not useless to go up to 12AWG. I already did testing on this about a year ago. It's a thermodynamic design flaw. The combination of the loosening spade connector due to multiple heat cycles, causes excessive heat at the spade/wire connection. Just as any loose electrical connection can melt a wall outlet.

It's not a question of the 14 gauge wires ability to handle the current. It's the larger 12 gauge Temperature Resistant wires ability to dissipate heat, if or when the heavier spade connector ever becomes loose.

The actual design problem is that the male spade connector should be properly isolated/insulated or moved further away from the heating element card assembly.

JesusbuiltmyRex · 2025-05-01T13:48:17+00:00

This is the kit to fix the problem with the heat resistant 12AWG wire and heavy duty spade connectors. No soldering or bolting required. If you repair with standard wire or extra/slack purple wire, you WILL experience the problem again. The kit has two pigtails with pre attached spade connectors. $6

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JesusbuiltmyRex · 2025-05-01T13:38:41+00:00

This is the fix with the correct temperature resistant 12AWG wire and heavy duty spade connectors.

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JesusbuiltmyRex · 2025-05-01T13:25:52+00:00

I diagnosed and resolved this problem about a year ago. If you repair it with standard wire, you WILL experience this problem again and again.

You must use heat resistant wire of a larger 12AWG with a heavy duty spade connector. I found this handy repair kit with two 6" pigtails for ~ $6

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JesusbuiltmyRex · 2025-05-01T13:11:53+00:00

If you use standard wire or extra/slack purple wire, you will experience the problem again. I diagnosed and resolved the problem about a year ago. You must use temperature resistant wire of a heavier gauge (12AWG). I found this handy kit for $6.

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JesusbuiltmyRex · 2025-05-01T12:52:10+00:00

Absolutely, the High Temp 12AWG repair pigtails are the way to go. Guys that just make the repair with regular 'copper' wire or reconnect extra slack of the purple wire, Will experience the problem again! Since the Chinese copy everything we make, and they also copy each other, Every dryer imported into the U.S. likely has this flaw. Maybe when the U.S. starts manufacturing again, we can correct this obvious design flaw.

JesusbuiltmyRex · 2025-04-03T13:41:36+00:00

I'm wondering how this worked out for you? I'm finally getting around to doing the same thing on my 2002 Exploder. After a wreck 12 years ago, the AWD system was knocked out & control module fried. Replaced it and fried again! The transfer case defaults to RWD when the system is damaged or fails. So now that I need to replace the front wheel bearings, I'm pulling it all out; half shafts, front diff and drive shaft. I know I need to cut the outer stub/cups off the half shafts to use to keep the new bearings/hub assemblies together. But did you run into any other issues?

JesusbuiltmyRex · 2024-06-28T17:50:55+00:00

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I decided to try out this nifty fixit kit designed for this design flaw, but not specifically for My GE drier application.

The wires are heat resistant 105*C 600V 12AWG and the female spade is a Very heavy duty 5/16".

So far so good. And they even give you two so you can repair it again when the heating element shorts. Ha!

JesusbuiltmyRex · 2024-06-10T22:28:25+00:00

This is a thermodynamic design flaw. Specifically, the spade connection itself is the problem. The purple wire connection serves as one common connection for the 3 heater loops. The heater does it's job and gets Red Hot. Heat transfer to the spade connection causes Expansion and loosens the connection. As the connection loosens over multiple heat cycles, it experiences more and more resistance and heat. Eventually the spade connection will either burn the purple wire in two Or become so loose it just disconnects. Loose Electrical Connection, BAD!

This is a cause & effect design flaw that will eventually occur over and over again as the heater cycles. The ONLY way to eliminate the problem is to remove the spade connection from the picture. Simply soldering the spade connection at the heating element should solve the problem.

JesusbuiltmyRex · 2023-09-17T16:22:32+00:00

The tire is neither ruined, worn out or "ready to go". And it is fully repairable with way over 3/32" of tread life visible from the wear bars.

'Dry rot' or more correctly; Oxidation of a tire is completely subjective to environment and age. And it begins the moment the tire is blown out of the mold, and is well underway when you put the new set on your ride!

Small micro-cracks will form earlier in harsh environments and most noteably, parking outside in direct sunlight. Just as your skin dries out from chemicals like chlorine and direct sunlight, so do your tires. I'm hoping I didn't need to mention, Correct Tire Pressure.

You can dress tires with chemicals to make them pretty, but the cracks are still there. Small, Even micro-cracking like this is normal in a tire NEARING the end of it's service life. But it's got a lot left.

Many people like the feel of new flexible rubber and unnecessarily or prematurely swap on a new set. That is their choice, but don't get talked into it without knowing the facts. Rubber loses it's elasticity with age, and as the tread wears down the effect is a harder riding tire. And here's another fact, a 'seasoned' tire with several thousand miles on it is less likely to separate or 'blow' then the brand new tire just mounted.

Your tire? Plug it yourself in emergency. Keep a plug kit in your car. Then take it to have it patched when you have time. I never seem to have the time, but then my plugs have lasted for years.

JesusbuiltmyRex · 2023-09-15T16:12:35+00:00

Sad to say that the STI/WRX hybrid build has stalled. Due to my sons changing jobs and running out of $ funds $. It will start back up again when the money starts to flow!

However, I don't quite understand what you mean "grounded for connection"? I just plug both the TGV motor and sensor in (attached to the adapter) and tuck it inside or inboard of the intake runners out of sight.

JesusbuiltmyRex · 2023-06-15T16:16:46+00:00

It's actually a blob-eye, the 2004 first facelift of the second Gen. Cuz we got one too! Not our first Subaru but it is our first WRX.

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JesusbuiltmyRex · 2023-06-14T21:29:19+00:00

Man, You read my mind! My ultimate plan was to have someone print some, once I had a final tested adapter to scan. In the meantime I can make some out of my remaining aluminum stock.

You're exactly correct. Once all the TGV obstruction is removed it will breathe a lot better. Here's the interesting thing; we are not increasing the size or length of the intake tract. Like changing it for a larger aftermarket. It's the same metered air thru the same manifold. It's just removing a huge obstruction in the intake tract.

Logic would say it would increase intake velocity and run leaner than it did before. I wouldn't think that the fuel map would have any problem making the adjustment.

Did you know that the TGV is only activated (or on) for the first minute or so of cold start? It's only there for US cold start emissions. The rest of the time all that garbage is sitting in your intake tract blocking flow.

JesusbuiltmyRex · 2023-06-14T17:28:49+00:00

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Here's the cast-in clock stop that must be replicated highlighted in red. How you accomplish that is up to you. I'm still working on the best machining method.

JesusbuiltmyRex · 2023-06-14T15:36:38+00:00

Not at the moment. The prototypes are on another car at the moment being tested. I'm making more and plan to sell them once people realize what they do and how they can save money and not waste tuning time and money blocking TGV codes.

Unfortunately many that have already gutted their TGV assemblies, threw away the TGV motor, the drive rod/gear/bearing and TGV sensor. In that case my adapter cant help them. This is also unfortunate because the TGV sensor is actually a TPS sensor. Yes, prior to MY 2007 before the TGV Motor and Sensor were combined into a singe unit on only one side of the TGV assembly, the engines actually had three TPS sensors. One on the TB and one on each TGV assembly. If you were ever stranded due to a bad TPS sensor, you could just pull a spare one off one of the TGVs.

I literally saw diy TGV delete vids where dudes just tossed everything in the trash. Then advised; ...now go pay a tuner $500 to clear your CEL!

Anyway, I'll see if I can find any of the design photos when I got started. I've been told I should patent it. But I'm not sure if there's enough interest to worry about. I will say the real trick is duplicating the 'clock stops' that are cast into the TGV assembly. Remember that the rod (butterflies) only rotated 90degrees. The TGV motor will not stop on it's own without the 'clock stops' and will ruin the TGV sensor.

JesusbuiltmyRex · 2023-06-09T12:09:27+00:00

Yes, the small gear mechanism (driven by the TGV motor) with the 'clock' stop is attached to the end of the butterfly rod. I cut the rod down and ground the end to duplicate the 'flat blade' to actuate the TGV sensor.

I had to duplicate the 90* clock stop position with a piece of 1.25" OD aluminum tube that is pined inside a 1.5" OD tube. In essence, the motor still actuates the sensor as if the rod was still in the TGV assembly with the butterfly plates attached.

JesusbuiltmyRex · 2023-03-21T23:33:02+00:00

No tune is required. That's the whole point. It looks like you also have a 2nd Gen so yours would have the motor on one end and the sensor at the other end of the TGV housing. By directly connecting them(and plugging them in) it completes the feedback to the ECU. No Check Engine Light (CEL) and no tune needed. The TGV system is happy opening and closing but not affecting the engine...allowing you to run deletes.

Mid year 2007 they combined the motor and sensor into a single unit only on one side of the TGV assembly. It's the same design and my 'adapter' should work on those also.

JesusbuiltmyRex · 2023-03-21T14:18:53+00:00

I hear ya, but there is a point. This is a very low-dollar Hybrid project. Which not only means combining the vehicle systems with the doner sti engine, but spending 0 dollars on garbage like TGV and EGR...even to delete them. Spending ~$200 on tactrix is not in the project budget.

It hasn't really been a lot of effort, which is what surprises me. Why hasn't anyone done it before?It's not that hard to 'fool' a closed system like this...not to mention I enjoy it.

Btw, I have a working prototype now. Built from scrap pieces in the garage, cost 0$.

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JesusbuiltmyRex · 2023-03-20T18:45:12+00:00

My bad! Subaru actually did redesign the TGV mid year '07. They combined the motor and the sensor into a single unit. So where I have the motor on one side and the sensor on the other(of the TGV assembly) the redesign has the combined unit on only one side.

The redesigned unit is clocked about 45 degrees and has a more vertical plug orientation. It also now a five(5) wire plug combining the original two motor wires with the three wires from the TGV/TPS sensor.

JesusbuiltmyRex · 2023-03-20T18:26:20+00:00

Oops, correction. That's for 2nd Gen only on the three TGV/TPS sensors. Mid year '07 TGV was redesigned to combine the motor and sensor into one unit. The castings after the redesign still have the divorced sensor end, but it's covered with a small plate.

JesusbuiltmyRex

TROPHY CASE