Originally Posted By Emoto:
Yeah, loose snow wouldn't do anything. My bet is on a chunk of ice or a rock or other junk thrown up by your wheel when you were spinning them.

Out of curiosity, how much snow do you usually see during the winter in one snowfall, and are you in the north or south part of the state?

Originally Posted By Emoto:
You might consider getting some of that wire protector split tubing to help protect the wires. I forget what they call it. Let me see if I can find an example...

This sort of thing:

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Apache Tomcat/7.0.68 (Ubuntu)

" target="_blank">https://www.walmart.com/ip/Absolute-USA-SLT38-3-8-Inch-x-100-Feet-Split-Loom-Tube/983140865

Originally Posted By Emoto:
You might consider getting some of that wire protector split tubing to help protect the wires. I forget what they call it. Let me see if I can find an example...

This sort of thing: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Absolute-USA-SLT38-3-8-Inch-x-100-Feet-Split-Loom-Tube/983140865

Originally Posted By Emoto:
Good plan. I can tell you from experience that crawling around on the ground working on a car in freezing temps is not fun.

Originally Posted By TheLASwamp:
I've been brainstorming about a way to mitigate the noise the pitch stop transmits to the cabin. The cp-e pitch mount is nice but it's pretty noisy even with the rear rubber bushing. I was getting tractor sounds in low gears between 2.5k - 3.5k rpm. At idle, it wasn't unpleasant. But, in traffic, yeah. It was kinda gnarly. I wasn't sure if I was going to keep it on the car or not. I decided to see if I could use commercial sound matting to insulate the pitch stop to prevent at least some of the resonance frequencies that the part is transmitting to the firewall. Aluminum can vibrate harshly, which is why the metal pitch stops are noisy.  

So, I took some Kilmat, some Amazon Basics sound deadening, and closed-cell foam and cut them into strips about 4-5" long and about .75 inches wide. I applied them to all four sides of the pitch stop, in layers, one at a time. I think I did 6 layers on each side, with a final Kilmat wrap around the entire middle section of the part. Then I wrapped it in 3M metal tape for heat resistance. The layers are probably about a quarter inch thick all together. Imagine lining the inside of a bell, or a tuning fork, with that adhesive sound deadener. That would drastically reduce the ability of the steel to vibrate and make sound. I was hoping the same acoustic principles would apply here.

I took it for a test drive today after mounting the new TMIC. The starter still sounds like it's in the dash. Driving around, the tractor noises (transmission) in the lower gears are still there. However, the good news is that they are reduced by about 50%. It's noticeable. The tractor noises are mostly gone in the higher gears now. At speed, there is none. The car is a lot more enjoyable, especially since I still retained all of the benefits of an aluminum pitch stop. The insulation had no effect on the rigidity of the part, obviously.  

I wasn't able to make the cp-e part quiet like the OEM pitch stop, but I wasn't expecting anything that dramatic. I guess I could have added more layers of matting, although I can't say for sure if that would have made any difference beyond what was already on there. If I had to guess, I'd wager the noise is now on-par with the Group N part. Or perhaps the JDM version. I was hoping to at least dull the sound to that degree. I'm hoping the bushings will break in a bit over time which will control the sound even better. Overall, I'm pleased with the result. I would be very curious to see how this idea would affect the Perrin pitch stop part. I'd bet you could get it pretty quiet, at least for a Parrin pitch stop, lol. Imagine having the rigidity of the Perrin part but with the NVH no greater than that of the Group N.

Now, the pitch stop won't be as pretty as the bare part, but it's under the TMIC so it wouldn't really matter. But the idea did make a very nice difference.

Originally Posted By TripleC:

I was just in our rare NC snow today but I have Continental extreme contact DWS 06+ and they are fucking beutiful on slick icy roads.

I have seen many torn up WRX on Reddit from guys trying to traverse the snow on the stock Dunlops.

Oh, check this out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06Os3Ozna4U

Originally Posted By TripleC:

To address the interior noise issue its a give and take with the hardness of the bushings in the pitch stop. The factory one is so soft you can move it with your fingers but it does reduce the noise almost completely.

I have an IAG pitch stop with the 75 durometer bushings and the cp-e that you have is probably much more quiet (I looked into that one as well) since its designed to mitigate noise better than polyurethane bushing.

Originally Posted By TheLASwamp:
I mainly get the tractor sound in the lower gears between 2500 and 3500 rpm. The sound deadening really helped, though. Before, it was obnoxious. It's a tamer now. It's not OEM quiet, but it's better than it was.

The cp-e mount is supposed to be quieter but I've never tried any of the other pitch stops to compare it to, such as the Perrin and the Cobb. You must have the Street Series part. That one is comparable to the Blox pitch stop. The bushings on that one are rated at 75A as well.

Originally Posted By TripleC:

Yeah the tractor noises are there. Im sure your cp-e is much quieter.

Originally Posted By Evil_Ed:
Two mods I'm probably going to look at in the summer are the Group N pitch stop, and the Group N transmission mount - I know I'll need a lift of some kind for the transmission mount, but the pitch stop I can do at home myself I think.

The factory Group N pitch stop should give me most of the benefits of the other aftermarket pitch stops (if not all of them) without the added NVH into the cabin...

My only "concern" is this is only my 3rd manual car, I didn't start driving manuals until I got my 2015 Crosstrek, so I'm still "new" at this. So there's the occasional fuckup that makes the driveline lurch a little And making it "stiffer" may make it a little more unforgiving..

Originally Posted By TheLASwamp:
This is what Tuesday looked like. What a week.

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-zMXS6N2/0/MpqKB68tL2rg9Qvq87H4mGqLc5fhGPHCtJzvHBnXP/X3/i-zMXS6N2-X3.jpg

Originally Posted By Evil_Ed:
So I've been seeing a lot of "0w-20 is only used in the US" online...for shiggles I decided to check manuals for Canada and EU (I tried subaru.no but they don't list a manual - figuring Norway would be a decent analog to where I live in MN). They all list 0w-20 as the engine oil to use, so it's not just a US thing. Japan may list 5w30 but I can't read Japanese and they want you to use a phone app to see the manual And Japan is overall in general warmer year-round than it is here...they get snow but their winter average temp is > 30f according to the internet, so they can probably get away with 5w.

I was half considering switching to 5w30, but considering the cold snap we had here (a few days didn't get above zero as a high) and considering on average there's generally a week or two a year where it won't get above -10f...I don't think that juice is worth that particular squeeze. I guess I can stop wondering about that now

Originally Posted By Evil_Ed:
So I've been seeing a lot of "0w-20 is only used in the US" online...for shiggles I decided to check manuals for Canada and EU (I tried subaru.no but they don't list a manual - figuring Norway would be a decent analog to where I live in MN). They all list 0w-20 as the engine oil to use, so it's not just a US thing. Japan may list 5w30 but I can't read Japanese and they want you to use a phone app to see the manual And Japan is overall in general warmer year-round than it is here...they get snow but their winter average temp is > 30f according to the internet, so they can probably get away with 5w.

I was half considering switching to 5w30, but considering the cold snap we had here (a few days didn't get above zero as a high) and considering on average there's generally a week or two a year where it won't get above -10f...I don't think that juice is worth that particular squeeze. I guess I can stop wondering about that now

Originally Posted By TheLASwamp:
In very cold climates, it makes better sense to use a thinner oil. Here, it gets far too hot for me to trust a thinner oil, especially since the turbo is oil cooled. Once a 5w20 oil starts to shear and break down, you're probably down to a 5w10 oil after a few thousand miles. It's nuts that Subaru recommends 6k mile changes on that weight. I suspect a lot of engine failures are the result of people using oil that's too thin. Toyota is now recommending 0w16 oil. The recommended drain interval is likely way too long on that oil. I'm not surprised they are now, also, seeing a lot of engine failures as well, especially with their turbo motors. I know the EPA has been in their faces about using the thinnest oil with the longest duration possible but they're helping to create a lot of their own headaches. The EPA is a political body now and anything they recommend is probably going to be a bad idea. I'll probably use a 0w30 in the winter here and switch to a 0w40 in the summer. As it shears down, it's going to be a 0w35 before long and that should provide plenty of protection.

Originally Posted By Evil_Ed:
No, things like the Prius and Camry have been requiring 0w16 for a while...it's not just the Corolla GR/Supra (which I considered but I didn't like the weirdo "manual", and wasn't sold on the AWD system of the Corolla GR)

Originally Posted By Evil_Ed:


I don't know about the FA24, but the FB20/FB25 failures (Crosstrek, Forester, Impreza, Outback I think) were for sure oil galley related - the rearmost cylinders could starve for oil really easily. There were rolling changes from 2013 to 2015 or so to alleviate issues IIRC - my first XV/Crosstrek was a 2015 and by that time the issues had mostly subsided with new cars. However, start whipping it around an autocross track or something...it was really easy to induce especially if the vehicle had been burning oil and was a little low in the first place. Changing to 5w30 or getting oil changes at 3k instead of 6k wouldn't have really helped (well, 3k maybe, as it would have kept the oil level up higher more frequently...)

My 4runner's recommended oil change interval was 10k miles - I had it changed at 5k along with tire rotations. Even though I paid for ToyotaCare (covers suggested basic maintenance like oil changes, tire rotations, inspections, etc) they told me it only covers oil for 10k changes, not 5k, so I had to pay out of pocket for each oil change...what a waste of money. Oh well. My last Ram (2013) was also basically a 10k oil change; that was when the oil life monitor told me to change the oil, every time. Even though it was a "monitor" I'm pretty sure it just calculated based on mileage. That one I think I also changed oil at 5k on anyway, with tire rotations...anyway

Point is - the oil viscosity/quality wasn't the cause of the FB20's issues I've got no idea about the FA20DIT or FA20 in the BRZ/GT86 though...

Example thread from XV Forum; there's more: https://www.subaruxvforum.com/threads/fb20-failure-follow-up.64386/

Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying DON'T change oil viscosity; if you feel more comfortable with it go for it! It won't hurt! And like you said in your position it might help with heat related issues.

I'm just saying most engine issues for the last 10-15 years (at least post-EJ) aren't really ...well, ok, they ARE oil related, but not oil viscosity related They're oil starvation related due to a variety of reasons, but oil viscosity wasn't one of them...

Originally Posted By Evil_Ed:


No, things like the Prius and Camry have been requiring 0w16 for a while...it's not just the Corolla GR/Supra (which I considered but I didn't like the weirdo "manual", and wasn't sold on the AWD system of the Corolla GR)

Originally Posted By TheLASwamp:
Is 0w16 available here yet? I know it wasn't for a while but I might be now since the EPA is trying to make it a standard. I have a feeling we're going to see a 0w10 requirement at some point.

Originally Posted By TripleC:

EPA is under new management now.

check this out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_TLzvaz7zk

Originally Posted By TheLASwamp:
It's interesting because now that the massive push to force manufacturers to build EVs is going to go away, I wonder what they're going to do. Nissan discontinued the Titan to make room at the MS plant for a huge change to EV production. Their problem is that EVs are still niche and not nearly popular enough to carry the company. I saw that other manufacturers like Ford are starting to back away from EVs. Not only is it not profitable but it's a huge drain on resources. I have a feeling Stellantis is going to follow suit. I see the industry moving away from EVs over the next couple of years.

Originally Posted By Emoto:


The only time EVs work in an economic sense for the consumer is if they are subsidized by the government and fossil fuel prices go sky high. The party currently not in the Whitehouse loves facilitating high energy prices and forcing people into a type of car that the elites want them to have.

Originally Posted By Evil_Ed:
And, installed my RokBlokz mud/rock flaps on the car. It hit 47f outside, which is about as warm as it's going to get until at least March if not April...so it was basically now, or wait until spring. And of course, I was so paranoid my jack  under load (don't have any jackstands yet, or a lift, hence my other thread on them in this subforum ) that I rushed the rears on. Didn't help my right shoulder is still mostly frozen and doesn't really like working

And of course, the rears aren't set identically, sigh...but, they're on, so I'll wait until I get some jackstands and it warms up a bit and then re-set them then. The driver's side is pushed in a little compared to the passenger side. The fronts are set identically since fortunately you can put them on just with turning the wheel; you don't need to yank the tires off to get at the wheelwell. It's just loosening a few screws so NBD. The driver's side is set in a solid 1/4" to 1/3" compared to the passenger side...

Passenger side (perfect) :

https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/22779/passenger-side-IMG_0356-3449803.jpg

Driver's side (not perfect ) :

https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/22779/drivers-side-IMG_0357-3449799.jpg

For frame of reference, look at where the top edge and it's turn down are vs the outside edge of the wheelwell...

Originally Posted By Emoto:
All kidding aside, it looks like an amazing product and I am glad you mentioned it.

Keeping the rings clean is a very good thing.

What is not clear to me is how it could affect intake valves, since they don't get oil on them as far as I know.

Originally Posted By TripleC:

The reason DI engine intake valves get nasty is because of the PCV system that is required on all vehicles.

Blowby has oil in it.

Originally Posted By Emoto:


I am confused by this. I thought the build-up was because with DI, no fuel is being sprayed on the intake valves like it is with port FI.

If there were enough blow by to make a difference, we would have blue clouds behind us as we drive, no?

Maybe I am misunderstanding the details of what you're saying?

Originally Posted By Emoto:


I am confused by this. I thought the build-up was because with DI, no fuel is being sprayed on the intake valves like it is with port FI.

If there were enough blow by to make a difference, we would have blue clouds behind us as we drive, no?

Maybe I am misunderstanding the details of what you're saying?

Originally Posted By TripleC:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz5dTuPdT_w

Originally Posted By TripleC:
The blowby is going past the rings into the crankcase (below the pistons) what comes out of the exhaust is stuff that stayed on top of the pistons.

Originally Posted By Evil_Ed:
WRXs and others have two ventilation systems

https://www.reddit.com/r/2022wrx/comments/vwy5zm/pcv_ccv_explained_on_vb_wrx/

https://www.clubwrx.net/threads/2022-need-catch-can.134618593/

Both have some information on them

So there's also EGR, exhaust gas recirculation

Aerosolized oil and soot come in from the EGR system iirc - and any detergents in the oil that can help prevent it from building up carbon are a good thing...I wouldn't expect it to be a panacea but anything is better than nothing long term.

Originally Posted By Emoto:


I had actually seen both of those posts when I googled trying to learn more. For me, further research is necessary to understand all of the details, because those hand written notes raise more questions for me. I am not saying that the new Valvoline oil is bad, and the ring area cleaning is reason enough to use it, but I have to chase down more detail on just exactly where and how everything hits the intake as is claimed. I'm not asking you to provide that. Just saying that I like more detail before I can say I understand how it works.

EDIT: Wish I could think of the username of they guy who really knows oil, so I could 'mention' him here and see what he thinks about this Valvoline.