Well i have been looking for the exact wire on my ECU that would tell it whether it was connected to a manual or automatic transmission, and with the help of Al and Lex, I found it.

Last night i took a pair of snips and cut it.

This morning i found that it really did do something!

Normally when i start the car after it’s been sitting overnight, the car tended to idle in the 2200-2400RPM range, much higher than it did with the auto. I suspect that it was compensating for the increased load of the fluid in the tranny, just to run it at the same speed. Now that i cut the wire, it is back in the 1400-1500 range, like before.

Also, when i would come to a stop light and disengage the clutch, the car would rev up to 1700-1900RPM, then back to a normal idle only when i was almost stopped. Now it drops to idle even when i disengage the clutch at speed. Cool.

Unfortuantely my 6250RPM rev limit is still in place, which is odd because Lex’ 93 Touring Wagon, made 5 months after mine, will go to about 6700 before getting cut off.

Damn.

I added Bill Covert’s 93 Sport Sedan to the Reader Rides section, as well as the MRT front endlink, STi shifter and MRT rear swaybar/endlink guide in the Library. Go take a look.

Well, the shifter went in as advertised, when i had all the proper parts rounded up.

It’s quick, notchy and the spring made a noticeable difference in the way it feels. All in all a very worthwhile addition to the car.

I just got my Arospeed Ground Wire kit from Speed and Style. It looks nice and burly, i’ll install it tonight or tommorow.

I finally got all of the proper parts for the shifter, and i’m having Charlie take another whack at it tommorow. I also got the centering spring, which should make it much nicer.

I ordered an Arospeed earthing kit and it should be here next week. It’s basically just a wiring setup that grounds misc engine and chassis points to the battery. It’s been well documented to improve the engine feel and make electronics act better. Can’t hurt that a lot of Japanese guys use it.

Oh, big Utah Subaru meet on Saturday afternoon too.

I finally added my 5MT transmission swap article, with images, impressions and whatnot. Check it out in the Library.

I also added two very nice cars to the Reader Rides section, Kris’ 92 Touring Wagon and Nico’s crazy 91 Sport Sedan. Go check them out, very nice stuff.

I had Charlie install my STi engine and transmission mounts yesterday, money well spend for a job that takes just over and hour with a lift, pneumatic tools and the proper equipment. Doing this under a car on jack stands with manual tools would have been a joke. Money well spent. I have some pictures, i’ll do something up.

Unfortunately my STi shifter assembly does NOT fit. It’s one simple thing that doesn’t match up with my 91 Legacy Turbo transmission. There are two shafts going from the shift lever, one upper and one lower. The upper one connects with a T-shaped assembly on mine, but on the newer cars it’s C-shaped. I am not sure what to do at this point. At least the old one works.

The new mounts, however, make a very noticeable difference in the car. The whole thing feels very solid and the engine and transmission feel as if they’re directly connected, instead of bounching around in the car. There is a lot more vibration transferred through these stiff mounts, but i pays off, as the feel of the car is much improved. I do like it, a lot.

Ok, so the Kartboy shifter does NOT work on our cars.

Oh well… Richard is sending me the full STi assembly to replace my stock one. It’s everything except the knob and boot. I’ve heard from a few other people that it’s a very good improvement, knocking %50 off the shift throw and making everything very snug and crisp.

I also have my STi engine and transmission mounts here, waiting to go in. I’m hoping to get the shifter by Wednesday so that i can get them all installed together.

I also adjusted the clutch some more, feels much better now.

I just got the Kartboy shifter and bushings in the mail today and i should be able to test fit it later. I hope the RS version is the correct one for this car. Thankfully i have a friend who owns an RS that will take it off my hands if it doesn’t.

I still need to snip a wire on my ECU to make it act properly, it’s just a matter of getting the time and room. It’s cold!

I am inches from buying a used RHF5HB VF22 turbo. It’s a mild upgrade on the WRX, so that means it’s bigger than the Mitsubishi TD04L. It’s also ball bearing and apparently in good condition. It should bolt in rather easily, with the exhaust side being a sure bet. I’d have to customize the inlet and outlet on the compressor side of things, but it’s a small price to pay for lower intake temps and more airflow.

I’m loving it so far. Everything is working very good with the transmission and i’m very pleased with the car now.

I do have some issues i need to take care of, including the reverse lights, speed sensor and some ECU tweaking, but these are minor issues and the car is running fine.

The write-up is pretty much done, and i’ll probably publish it as-is, adding more as things evolve.

Well, it’s been a long time coming, and there were definitely times that i thought it’d never come to pass, but it’s pretty much finished.

I’m putting the final touches on the swap this week, with electronic issues being the culprit of a few odd behaviours.

I really do like the car even more now. It’s fast, lighter and feels much more balanced with operational AWD.

A lengthy writeup with pictures will follow.