2022 Subaru WRX Cobb Intercooler & Drivetrain Upgrade | How to Install

We’re excited to share with you how you can install the 2022 Subaru WRX Cobb Intercooler, shift plate, bushing, and the shifter stop and knob. We’ll guide you through each step of the installation journey to help you enhance your build. Our technician, Kyle, walks through how you can upgrade your intercooler and drivetrain with Cobb performance parts. Watch the video or read the overview down below before you start your modifications. 

Shift Plate

To install the shifter plate, we lifted the bottle jack to hold the transmission up to relieve the load on the bolts as we removed them from the underbody shields. Next, we removed the 12mm bolts that upheld the covers, except for the fourth bolt to keep the transmission in place. Then we removed the shifter assembly. We removed the cotter pin and the locking clip in the shifter linkage in their respective holders, giving you clear access to the shifter plate.  

Because the shifter plate is secured with a roll pin to the transmission, we used a roll pin punch to punch out the two pins enough to remove the shifter plate. Once you do that you will be able to remove the shifter plate entirely. It is very important that you do not lose those pins because there are no replacement pins with the Cobb shift plate. 

Pulling out the shift plate can be tricky, but if you wiggle it you should be able to remove it without much issue. Place the OEM shift plate on your work bench and then remove the roll pin from the OEM shift plate. You will then loosely install the roll pin into the new Cobb shift plate. It should start but not protrude into the hole. You will have to install pivot bushing. Cobb does include Loctite with this, so we recommend you put that on there. 

For a short throw, you will want to install it in the lower most hole in the shift assembly. Put your Cobb shift plate back on the pin that’s protruding from the transmission. Next, we drove the smaller pin in first to get the two pins better aligned, to avoid free spinning. After that we drove in the larger pin to fully secure it in place.       

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Shifter Stop/Knob

To replace the shifter stop and knob, you start with the knob. Then there are some plastic clips that hold the center bezel in. Give it a yank and it should come out with the boot and you’ll get clear access to the shifter assembly. There are two 10mm bolts and that will release the OEM shifter stop for the reverse lockout. You will leave the factory reverse lockout in place. 

Then you will install two studs that are included in the kit. The two thinner nuts will go on there. You can tighten them by hand. Then you will want to make sure your reverse lockout is still adjusted correctly before installing the shifter stop.    

We set the shifter first gear, moved the shifter stop four and a half, then dial in as much overthrow as you like. Install the included washers facing up and the included nuts snugged down. Go through the gears and make sure everything feels how you want it to, ensuring that you can make it into every single gear. Then you’ll reinstall that bezel, pushing down all the clips and securing them. Then you can throw on the Cobb shift knob to finish that polished look.

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Intercooler

On your OEM intercooler there are six 14mm bolts that you’re going to remove, three on the passenger side and three on the driver side. Then use a pick to remove the c-clip that attaches the intercooler charge pipe, the upper half and the lower half. You should be able to push the intercooler back and slide it all the way out.  

Remove the charge pipe from the intercooler. Then you will have to remove the O-ring from the throttle body connection. This is very important or it will cause problems for your intercooler. Once you have the O-ring you can reinstall that into the Cobb intercooler. 

Cobb includes a silicone coupler to replace the factory coupler. Make sure to replace that as well. You can slide everything back in just the way you took it out and reinstall the bolts in the same order as you took them out.  

Next is the thrust tunnel. This offers a hood scoop seal. What you’ll need to do is remove the OEM hood scoop shroud and then remove the rubber gasket that is attached with little plastic rivets. From there you will want to temporarily install your thrust tunnel and just throw a couple of the top bolts in there. Then you’ll flip it over and you’re going to mark on the low points with a paint pen and then drill pilot holes for the lower bolts that go through. After that you will take the thrust tunnel back off and you will see a few small marks. Use a tape measure to straight edge this and make your marks. From there you will have a little excess to trim. Cobb provides a little gasket to go over this as well. Use a plastic-cutting device of your choice to remove that extra bit on the thrust tunnel. Then drill the final holes for the blower bolts and from there you will reinstall the thrust tunnel onto the OEM shroud, including all of the included bolts.

Lastly, you will place that gasket onto the thrust tunnel, which makes that nice seal against the intercooler and then you reinstall that onto the car.     

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Dyno Testing & Results

What’s an upgrade without a test run? We put our 2022 Subaru WRX to the test on our dynamometer and saw immediate improvements. 

The new intercooler and drive train upgrade boosted the vehicle’s horsepower by 15, which makes a significant difference when driving. The acceleration throughout the power band was also very impressive. It was a super smooth and satisfying driving experience.  

Find Performance Parts at MAPerformance

Looking for the intercooler and shift plate we used for this test? You can find them and more on our website. Contact our sales team to learn more about these parts or find answers to your performance questions by reading more of our blog articles.