Hey, just curious, Can anybody explain to me more about the shattered gear boxes on 2002 wrx for constant abuse? i'm running stage 2 with full turbo back at 17 pounds of boost, and when do you guys think i should get my turbo replaced? i'm a bit worried now about the shattered gear box issue, need more info on it.
It's not related to just the 02's. It's pretty simple. Abuse the transmission, you run a higher risk of failure. Run higher power levels and abuse the transmission, you run a higher risk of failure. It's just like anything else mechanical. Turbo replacement isn't anything that any of us can predict. My Stage 2 car had around 115-120k on the stock turbo (app 20-30k at Stage 2) when the turbo went. Some last longer, some don't last that long. A quick search on Nasioc will get you a lot of stories, most of which start with "I was just driving my grandmother to the store when the transmission suddenly exploded" and usually end up with the truth coming out shortly afterwards.
i had an yearly 02 with stage 2 and the engine and tranny where perfect on it. The 02-03 gears are not as strong as 04-05. However if you dont abuse( drop the clutch at 5k and power shift) you will be fine for a long time. cant say for the turbo, but if the turbo blows up you will be able to tell. Just my .02
