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Well im looking at getting some Borla headers for the Forester (EJ20 N/A). They are about $350 on ebay which is pretty good I think. Just wondering if anyone has had any issues at all?
I was wondering will my Subaxtreme sumpguard get in the way? Do you think I will have to cut part of it out to allow them to fit?
It looks and says its a direct bolt up... What do you think?

Also from photos it looks like you have to remove the headers to change the oil filter?

This is what im looking at. Any advice or tips or excperiences would be great.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Borla-Style- ... 35b59fa859

This is what it would look like on my engine.


Cheers
Taza

It looks like the headers curve around the oil filter. You shouldnt have to unbolt the headers but may be a tight fit to unscrew it. The 5th photo shows it bit better i think.

Why dont you contact the seller & "ask a question"...

looks very sexy lol

Taza I have a set of the fake Borla headers on my brumby. at least I was told they were as they cost 250 dollars from Ebay. the real Borla headers are nearly 1000 dollars.

the only problem I have had with them is a crack in one of the 2 into one joins which would be really easy to fix on a hoist with a gas axe and some braizing rod.

they give a different sound to all of the other headers I have heard more like a blurble than the traditional boxer rumble. I suppose it all depends on what exhaust you hook up to them

here is an interesting read

http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin ... las-66839/

and the 350 dollar ones on ebay are borla style headers not true borlas.

concider getting them from the USA as while the AU dollar has dropped even with shipping there are cheaper than the Aussie seller.

heres what the clearance on the oil filter looks like no need to undo it at all. I use a filter strap to get mine off.



you can get in there when it is cold with your hand and do the job as well

TOONGA

TOONGA, do yours sound better than stock headers? More of a boxer rumble/burble or would I be wasting my money on crap with replicas?

Taza mine are there because the stock headers didn't clear the brumby crossmember quite a find at 2am in the morning

I did have a very loud resonator/hotdog as my final exhaust and I was told by quite a few people that it sounded excellent, but the in car drone and added attention has made me put back my stock muffler.

As for power and economy neither have really changed 9lt/100 km on the hwy and 10-11lt/100 km on the city cycle.

TOONGA

TOONGA wrote: heres what the clearance on the oil filter looks like no need to undo it at all. I use a filter strap to get mine off.

you can get in there when it is cold with your hand and do the job as well

TOONGA

You can get oil filters with a nut on the end so all you need is a socket & extension

Only prob would be oil spilling onto hot exhaust...

PS: using a socket be VERY careful not to overtighten.

Hello hotter sump oil temps!!

I think you'll always find issues with stainless steel cracking at joints if it's not properly constructed - even then it's still a gamble, I've heard of people going with mild steel and have them well painted on their show cars for that reason.

And Matt, you should always do your oil filter up with your hand as it doesn't need a lot of force - a socket and wrench would be way over-tight even if going easy on it!

Cheers

Bennie

I think i've got them too. Also had a crack that needed to be welded up. I think due to being used for a while. They do have a different note but thats about it. OHHH and maybe a good thing, the way the pipes go they don't go under the leaking rocker cover or leaking P/S pump so no smell. Noticed that on my old ej22. The new EJ25 doesn't leak now:p

I bought my borla replica's from ebay on Monday. They might be here Friday otherwise Monday. Can't wait!!! Can't complain for $350 too...

From the way it is so close to the oil filter i would be concerned about engine running hotter, maybe it would be a good idea to fit a heat sheild inbetween that tight space ???

Foghorn wrote:From the way it is so close to the oil filter i would be concerned about engine running hotter, maybe it would be a good idea to fit a heat sheild inbetween that tight space ???

Why? the turbo motors stock exhaust runs near the oil filter and there is no heat sheild as far as I know.

TOONGA

Ill see how I go. The only time I might be worried of overheating is on a over 40 day when im working the foz in sand. But she is yet to go past the half way mark on the temp gauge. She did once get upto half way though due to the fan's being accidentally switched off :S

El_Freddo wrote:Hello hotter sump oil temps!!

And Matt, you should always do your oil filter up with your hand as it doesn't need a lot of force - a socket and wrench would be way over-tight even if going easy on it!

I agree...I meant just the socket & extension, not the ratchet. You still do it up only finger tight. It would esp make it easier undoing it with the hot exhaust right there lol

Foghorn wrote:From the way it is so close to the oil filter i would be concerned about engine running hotter, maybe it would be a good idea to fit a heat sheild inbetween that tight space ???

TOONGA wrote:Why? the turbo motors stock exhaust runs near the oil filter and there is no heat sheild as far as I know.

Cant hurt if you do it yourself...another bit of personalised customization & you know how we all LOVE to do that lol

taza wrote:Ill see how I go. The only time I might be worried of overheating is on a over 40 day when im working the foz in sand. But she is yet to go past the half way mark on the temp gauge. She did once get upto half way though due to the fan's being accidentally switched off :S

Taza, don't rely on that needle mate, my Foz runs at 83°C on the Hwy at 110 Km/h and it doesn't take much to bump that up to 89 - 90°C, so by the time the needle hits the red on the gauge it could well be game over for your engine.

Do yourself a favour and get yourself an UltraGauge and set it up with the temp on your everyday page.
I got myself one after my radiator (Orig.) was blocked and couldn't be cleared, my needle moved to around the ¾ mark just once in it's lifetime and that sparked my investigation into the cooling, cost me a new radiator instead of a new engine.

Subyroo wrote:don't rely on that needle mate, my Foz runs at 83°C on the Hwy at 110 Km/h and it doesn't take much to bump that up to 89 - 90°C, so by the time the needle hits the red on the gauge it could well be game over for your engine.

Likewise for ANY subaru or other make of car for that matter!

Best to get an aftermarket gauge of some sort, I think I'm aiming for a watchdog setup that Steptoe and a few others around the traps are using now.

Cheers

Bennie

One main issue is my Foz or so im pretty sure it isn't OBD II. It has an OBD II connection under the steering wheel but has the green and black plugs under the steering wheel too. So im not 100% sure. OBD 1.5??? I know the connection itself work but haven't hooked it upto a computer yet.

One issue I will add to stay on topic with the headers is that my Subaxtreme sumpguard won't go back on Have had to modify it abit to fit. Lost 35mm at the rear end of the sumpguard compared to before but I can live with that. Once I get a nice muffler the awesome sound will make up for the small loss of clearance in one spot. The front end of the sumpguard I ahve only had to drop 10mm so not that bad. If I was back to stock height then I would be taking the headers off. I still have 215mm at my lowest point but more than 260 everywhere else, and something stupid like 330 undwer the rear diff or what not.

Taza

Taza

Yeah if it has green and black plugs, it NOT OBDII

My Russian engine too has the green and black plugs but also has the bigger two row plug. I think its OBDII. When using the green and black plugs i got one code 'torque code' but with the OBDII when Paul hooked it up it gave us 10ish codes but nothing about the 'torque code'. We figured it was previous codes that the ECU recorded when Dave was cutting down the loom and testing stuff.

Once erased it gave a 'strater' code only whereas the green and black plugs still only say 'torque' code???

Anyway, i think it might still be OBDII even with the old green/ black plugs style connections. Might be wrong!

nah its not OBDII....i thought my liberty was because it has the plug for the OBDII reader, but it also has the green and black plugs.

The OBDII reader gave me afew weird sensor codes (changed the sensors and still had my initial problem) plugged the plugs under the steering column together and that said it was the knock sensor, changed the knock sesnor and bam it was fixed.

I think the gen3 libs and similar aged imprezas/foresters etc around 98-03 mark are right when they changed from the old system to OBDII so for some reason they have both connections

alex

Ok, so would I get any readings by plugging in an OBD II connection then to my computer? Like temps, revs and what not?

I have had to use the connectors under the dash a few times when I have gotten a check engine light so I know that atleast works.