As a car enthusiast and a reader of this blog, you must have read about the 7 Modifications That Won’t Void Your ’22+ Subaru WRX’s Warranty, or maybe you might have gotten new upgrades ideas from the Top 10 Best ’22+ Subaru WRX Modifications blog. Those are good mods and we highly recommend them, however, at the end of the day, everyone asks, “What is the best investment I can make for my Subaru?”. So for this blog, we are going to answer the most asked question by Subaru WRX owners.
Without beating around the bush, the best, most affordable, and safe investment you can make for your Subaru WRX is definitely an air oil separator. If you care about your Subaru’s performance and want the engine to last long, then it is crucial to install this component. Air oil separators do one of the most important jobs for the engine, they act as a filter for the air passing through the system.
How Air Oil Separators Work
Street-legal vehicles are not allowed to vent blow-by gases into the atmosphere and hence they have to be recirculated back into the vehicle. Unfortunately, oil is often picked up in the crankcase vents, and if not for the air oil separator which does an amazing job of capturing and separating oil vapors from the engine’s crankcase gases, it would have made it back to the intake system causing;
- Oil build-up
- Detonation
- Oil Loss
Why Oil Separators are so Crucial for a Subaru WRX
Once installed, air oil separators bring out a lot of positive outcomes for the turbocharged Subaru such as the WRX. Some of the benefits of installing an oil separator on your Subaru WRX are;
- Carbon buildup prevention – Oil vapors can contribute to carbon deposits forming on the intake valves and intake manifold surfaces. An oil separator traps these oil vapors, hence preventing them from reaching critical engine components and reducing the potential for carbon buildup.
- Increases intercooler efficiency – In high-performance vehicles like the Subaru WRX, maintaining consistent power delivery and efficiency is crucial. Oil separators help to ensure that the engine receives the right air-fuel mixture for optimal combustion hence positively impacting the overall performance and efficiency.
- Reduces the chance of performance-robbing detonation – Another major benefit of using a separator is that it prevents excess combustible oil from getting to the cylinder. Too much oil can cause premature combustion in improper parts of the engine. These detonations can cause significant damage, especially if they are allowed to continue.
- Engine longevity and performance – By reducing the amount of oil vapor entering the intake system, an oil separator can help maintain cleaner intake valves and combustion chambers. This can lead to improved engine longevity, more consistent performance, and potentially better fuel economy.
- Many Subaru WRX owners are enthusiasts who enjoy modifying and tuning their vehicles for increased performance. For enthusiasts, this is one of the smartest upgrades to do.
How Do I Install an Air Oil Separator?
After reading about these benefits, you might want to buy an oil separator for your Subaru WRX. Installing this component sounds complex, but it is so much easy to do. Here are a couple of steps to follow if you are installing the oil separator by yourself;
- Locate the PCV hoses.
- Mount the bracket for the AOS in an appropriate location near the PCV lines.
- Disconnect the PCV hoses.
- Remove the existing oil catch cans if there is one.
- Connect AOS to the PCV hoses. If there was no existing catch can, you may need to add a second hose.
- Connect the drain hose to the oil system.
- Mount the on the bracket.
- Reconnect the OCV hoses.
- Now the oil separator is fully installed, and ready to clean your blow-by gases.
Overall air oil separators are crucial for vehicles like the turbocharged Subaru WRX because the vehicle is prone to oil loss so installing this component helps maintain engine performance, prevent carbon buildup, and prolong engine longevity by effectively capturing and separating oil vapors from blow-by gases before they enter the intake system. This is particularly an important investment in high-performance engines with direct injection technology and for enthusiasts who are likely to modify their vehicles.
NOTE:
- You should follow the specific installation instructions from the manufacturer for your air oil separators.
- We think we have covered the basics when it comes to air oil separators, but don’t hesitate to reach out to us for any questions on Subaru WRX or air oil separators, you can reach us by phone at 1-480-966-3040 or via email at sales@vividracing.com.
