Internet Myths and Facts
Installing an aftermarket short shifter on my Subaru will cause the shifter seal to leak.
There is no sufficient data to confirm this. We have seen just as many shifter seals leak with the OE shifter than with any short shifter kits. We believe that installing a short shifter cannot damage the shift rod or seal, and shifter choice is irrelevent to the seal seeping any fluid.
I need to install a puck clutch to hold the power I am making.
Clutch choice should be based on engine power output, gearset used, and driving style. We do not recommend using puck clutches with most stock gearboxes, as these can cause great shockload on the transmission when driving aggressively. This shockload may ultimately lead to gear failure. We recommend using full face, organic clutches with most stock gearboxes.
PPG gears are "unbreakable".
No drivetrain components are "unbreakable". There are many factors that contribute to parts failure. PPG gearsets have held up remarkably, but there are very few cases of gear failure documented.
Shorter/closer gear ratios in my WRX will give me more torque and make my car faster.
Shorter gear ratios will allow the engine to rev out quicker, often creating an illusion that the car is accellerating much faster. Turbos require heat to spool. Heat is generated by load. Longer gear ratios create more load on the engine, spooling the turbo. Longer gear ratios will allow you to cover more ground per rpm than close ratio gearsets. Gear ratios should reflect the engine's powerband, and vehicle application, to get the most out of your setup. Short/close ratio gears and short final drive ratios are used often in rally cars, due to the narrow powerband they are limited to, and when a high top speed is not necessary.
The TurboXS UTEC is a primitive form of engine management; open source tuning is a much better choice for my Subaru...and it's free!
Most people who state this have absolutley no idea on how the UTEC works. The Subaru factory ECU was never designed to manage modified engine with an aggressive tune. Detonation is the #1 killer of Subaru engines, either by cracking piston ring lands, or beating rod bearings to death. We believe the knock correction logic of the Subaru ECU is poor, as most of the engine jobs we see here at Andrewtech have some sort of "reflash" tune. The TUrboXS UTEC works similar to a stand alone engine management, however it is able to work with the factory ECU for closed loop feedback operation. This allows for better driveability, cold start up, and fuel economy over stand alone ECU's. The UTEC has it's own drivers for the ignition coils, injectors, and boost control solenoid. It is able to "mirror" the outputs from the factory ECU in closed loop, and then switch to an open loop map stored in the UTEC. The knock correction logic is editable, and can be set aggressively to help protect your engine if knock is detected. The UTEC will allow you to store up to 5 maps, selectable by an optional map selector switch. More information on the UTEC can be found here.
Installing large fuel injectors or large turbo will give me horrible gas mileage.
This is not necessarily true. When driving around town or on the freeway, and not in boost, the engine runs in "closed loop" mode. The ECU gets feedback from multiple engine sensors and controls the fueling and ignition timing appropriately for the best exhaust emissions and fuel economy. The more power the engine makes, the more fuel it will use when needed. Fuel economy is all controlled by use of the accellerator.
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