TheSamba.com :: View topic - Bostig Zetec Review: Install and after 2000 miles

Thu Apr 09, 2009 8:17 am

H O L D M E !
Quote: There are a couple guys here in Portland that want to take a look at my new Zetec and our schedules have not lined up yet.

I think I was one of the first Bostig comments after your new baby gave up the ghost right after the engagement ring, the wedding ring, the suffering! Great write up and I cannot wait for our wives to meet! I am one, if not The One, that has drug thine feet for the automatic package from Bostig. I hear it may be coming, soon? However, I have not yet been afforded with the experience of driving with a Subaru at mine foot.
I still think the stock engine is adequate........ For ME TO POOP ON

Cannot surf SAMB at work anymore. It sucks!

climberjohn wrote: Drew,
Well, I am one of those Portland guys, and it sounds like you have done a fine job. Thanks for the write-up. I am sure we can meet up soon.

H O L D M E !

Thu Apr 09, 2009 5:41 pm

can you run 87 octane in it ?

Thu Apr 09, 2009 8:15 pm

Crankey wrote: can you run 87 octane in it ?

With the normally aspirated version, yup - no problem. Not sure what the fuel requirements might be for the turbo.

Thu Apr 09, 2009 9:00 pm

carterzest wrote:
I still think the stock engine is adequate........ For ME TO POOP ON

BAHAHAHAHA!

carterzest FTW!

=D> :lol:

Thu Apr 09, 2009 9:45 pm

mtnwater wrote: vinnyvango wrote: As an engineer (with a lot of background in fluids) I'd say it's not theoretical...It's turbulent vs. laminar flow. Most intakes are designed to "remedy" turbulent flow within a few pipe diameters.

Agree that turbulant vs. lamanir flow is real, I'm just not sure that turbulant flow through the intake is significant enough to "restrict" the intake in an appreciable way. I could be wrong.

The hotrod folks spend hundreds of hours with little grinders removing every bump in an intake tract, grinding welds smooth on exhaust headers, matching manifold gaskets to make the engine breathe well. They spend hours and hours then sit there all satisfied, with a cigarette, after removing the disruptive equivalent of one inch of that corrugated pipe.

I bet the ribbed pipe reduces the effective diameter to half that of a smooth pipe. A few HP increase might provide an mpg increase too. Smooth exhaust pipe and rubber elbows at the corners might be a lot less restrictive and low cost too. I'll bet it would be worth the effort to smooth it out. I wouldn't know what to say about the noise problem. All guesses here.

If the dyno shows only 2-4 hp, that's not very much to worry about.....considering the ease of the rest of the conversion; the intake duct is easy to deal with later. A reliable exhaust is much more important from the beginning than an intake tract. The big part is getting the engine in there, start it up and go camping. Spring is here (in the NW).

Fri Apr 10, 2009 6:06 am

Why not simply go with a bigger intake (except where the engine mates) and air filter.
Not like a big funnel. but simply over sized to reduce restriction.
There can't be too much air.

Why is this a pb?

JP

Fri Apr 10, 2009 6:14 am

What kind of mileage does eveyone get with the Bostig?

Fri Apr 10, 2009 8:06 am

I'm getting 19 around town and 22 on the highway

Fri Apr 10, 2009 5:35 pm

I don't see why the intake is running across the engine bay, why not fit the air box on the same side as the TB ?

Fri Apr 10, 2009 11:52 pm

Crankey wrote: I don't see why the intake is running across the engine bay, why not fit the air box on the same side as the TB ?

Lot's of valid questions, the main reason for not keeping the same side of the engine bay is the ECU box is behind the Driver's taillight.

The reason for not going larger is cost + fitment + noise attenuation doesn't equal a return in performance equivalent to the effort. Someone pointed out how much time folks spend smoothing and touching up little aspects of the intake tract... we've had quite a bit of experience with head porting and our own in-house flow bench... very rarely does it make sense to do as much work as folks are willing to pay for to improve flow in most situations. Typically it's a matter of this is theoretically correct, therefore this must have a tangible effect, when in fact this is rarely the case, especially when weighed against the cost and/or effort of doing so. Compressible fuilds like air DO NOT respond or act as common sense dictate, period. Anyone that applies a flowing water metphor for instance will quickly be surprised at how little it applies and how easily they will mislead themselves.

The vast majority of money spent on even "substantial" things like head porting, are wasted because the rest of the system isn't optimized to take advantage of it... esp when it can and has been measured. Speculation is all well and good, but it yields nothing. Testing on the other hand yields substantially more. This isn't to say there aren't more solutions to the problem, but folks are paying us to make the best use of their conversion dollar, and we do what we believe that is.

Jim Akiba

Sat Apr 11, 2009 3:04 pm

Quote: the main reason for not keeping the same side of the engine bay is the ECU box is behind the Driver's taillight.

ok, so if you have a doka then you have lots of access to the vents on either side you can do whatever works best ? cool !

Sat Apr 11, 2009 3:12 pm

Crankey wrote: Quote: the main reason for not keeping the same side of the engine bay is the ECU box is behind the Driver's taillight.

ok, so if you have a doka then you have lots of access to the vents on either side you can do whatever works best ? cool !

and the engine compartment has a little more headroom !

Sat Feb 23, 2013 8:28 pm

mtnwater wrote: Swing - I converted my van from an EJ22 to the Bostig V2.0 zetec. Not only is it possible, I believe that in some ways it's easier than converting from the wbx. There are a few nuances that you would need to pay attention to, but as others have noted the support from Bostig guys and the other Bostig customers is fantastic. Go for it!

so. EJ22 vs Bostig

Sat Feb 23, 2013 8:48 pm

DeadSetMonkey wrote: so. EJ22 vs Bostig

Whattya want to know? Normally aspirated bostig power/torque was comparable to the EJ22. I installed a beta turbo kit about 10k miles ago and never looked back.

Sun Feb 24, 2013 10:14 am

mtnwater wrote: DeadSetMonkey wrote: so. EJ22 vs Bostig

Whattya want to know? Normally aspirated bostig power/torque was comparable to the EJ22. I installed a beta turbo kit about 10k miles ago and never looked back.

I also have a beta turbo mated to my zetec. The only thing
I look back at is to see the faces of the people I just passed!

Sun Aug 31, 2014 6:35 pm

I'm just starting to research converting my 91 Westy automatic and Zetec has been recommended. Everything I've read so far is about converting synchros...Is the Zetec a good conversion for an automatic, as well?

Susan

Sun Aug 31, 2014 7:54 pm

sbf6463 wrote: I'm just starting to research converting my 91 Westy automatic and Zetec has been recommended. Everything I've read so far is about converting synchros...Is the Zetec a good conversion for an automatic, as well?

Susan

Yes, they work great in 2WD autos. I think they have worked out their "vibrations in automatics issue" at this point. Those vibration issues were mostly at idle anyway not while driving and they weren't that bad regardless from what I've read.

Sun Mar 12, 2017 8:27 am

This is certaily interesting. Gotta do some mor reading on this vs the subaru engine.

Sun Mar 12, 2017 8:48 am

Chainsaw wrote: This is certaily interesting. Gotta do some mor reading on this vs the subaru engine.
Some of the information in this thread is old. The Bostig kit has changed quite a bit since '09. ECU is now inside the van, the Cobra intake head has replaced the long hose, etc. For now there is no turbo option, Jim is working on new power upgrades.
The power available from the two engines (EJ22 vs Zetec) is pretty close, but I would rate the Zetec engine as the more reliable.

Sun Mar 12, 2017 9:11 am

Cost to install has also increased notably over the 2009 prices quoted, think closer to $8K-$10K DIY, $15K for a pro-install.

After nearly a year and 10K miles with the Bostig, I've found it to be a notable improvement in many ways over the wbx.

There's lots more out there to read though. Enjoy!