Reinforced valve spring kit Subaru EJ251 EJ252 EJ253

€887.66 (tax incl.)

Reinforced valve spring kit for the Subaru EJ251, EJ252 and EJ253 2.5 16V engines.

Brand: SUPERTECH
Engines: EJ251, EJ252, EJ253
Springs: double
Contents: springs, upper retainers, lower spring seats

Subaru engines covered

This page covers the EJ251, EJ252 and EJ253, Subaru's 2.5 litre flat-four engines: 16 valves, one overhead camshaft per cylinder bank and no forced induction. They power the all-wheel-drive 2.5 versions of the Impreza, Forester, Legacy, Outback, Baja and Exiga.

From the factory, every valve takes a 13217AA260 spring, later replaced by the 13217AA261, an upper retainer 13209AA131 then 13209AA180, a lower spring seat 13227AA100 then 13227AA101 and collets 13210AA020.

SUPERTECH reinforced valve spring kit

Past the lobe peak, the spring must pull the valve back onto its seat before the piston rises again. At high revs the valve's mass delays that return: a weak spring lets it bounce and possibly touch the piston. That is valve float.

At 35.5 mm, the kit gives 311 N at the seat and 930 N at 11.5 mm of lift, with 13.8 mm of net lift at most.

Valve spring kit technical specification

Part number	Brand	Springs	Outer / inner Ø	Seat pressure	Open pressure	Rate	Max lift	Kit contents
SPRK-TS1015-SU5	SUPERTECH	Double	Outer 27.5 / 20.0 mm Inner 20.0 / 15.2 mm	311 N at 35.5 mm	930 N at 11.5 mm	53.8 N/mm	13.8 mm	Springs, upper retainers, lower spring seats

Valve spring kit fitting details

Part	Subaru original	Reinforced spring kit
Spring	13217AA260; 13217AA261	Kit specific: SPR-TS1015/SU5
Retainer	13209AA131; 13209AA180	Kit specific: RET-TS60/WRX1
Spring seat	13227AA100; 13227AA101	Kit specific: SEAT-TS/SUB5
Collets	13210AA020	Original kept

The SUPERTECH kit brings together the SPR-TS1015/SU5 double springs, the RET-TS60/WRX1 upper retainers and the SEAT-TS/SUB5 lower spring seats. The original collets are kept.

Installed height is taken with the valve shut, from the lower spring seat that carries the spring to the upper retainer gripped by the collets. This kit is designed for 35.5 mm. With a rate of 53.8 N/mm, every millimetre of error on that figure visibly moves the seat load. The kit reference sits in the neighbouring table.

	SUPERTECH
Installed height	35.5 mm
Seat pressure at this height	311 N

Technical guide

Our brands

SUPERTECH is a Californian company born in motorsport. It designs and builds springs, retainers and valves for engine builders and tuned engines. Its chromium, silicon and vanadium alloy steel wire is coiled, then checked by ultrasound and radiography before shipping.

How to choose

The higher the seat load, the longer the valve follows the cam profile as revs rise. The red line can then move up, a livelier camshaft becomes an option and a built EJ25 no longer fears valve float. The double spring in this kit pairs two concentric springs that share the effort and damp each other's vibrations: a fit for road and circuit builds alike. The kit's maximum net lift is 13.8 mm, and the camshaft's lift must stay clearly below it. Load beyond what is needed adds nothing and wears cams and rockers faster.

Criterion	Key point
Choosing the pressure	Lbs express the seat load in pounds: 70 lbs equal 311 N, and the load reaches 930 N at 11.5 mm of lift. Before deciding, note your camshaft lift and the revs you are after: too much load serves no purpose and tires the valvetrain. Compare both figures with your camshaft before ordering.
Single or double spring	Double spring: two springs, one inside the other, spreading the load between them and curbing oscillation. Upper retainers and lower spring seats come in the kit, and the original collets stay in place.

When reinforced springs become necessary

Camshaft whose lift exceeds the original
Red line pushed beyond the factory setting
Forced induction, turbo or supercharger
Cylinder head rebuilt for circuit or rally
Tired springs or valve float at high revs

Compatible vehicles

Model	Engine code	Years
Baja 2.5 AWD	EJ251 / EJ252 / EJ253	2002-2006
Exiga (YA) 2.5 AWD (YA9)	EJ251 / EJ252 / EJ253	2009-
Forester (SG) 2.5 AWD (SG9)	EJ251 / EJ252 / EJ253	2002-2012
Forester (SH) 2.5 AWD	EJ251 / EJ252 / EJ253	2008-2010
Impreza (GD, GG) 2.5 AWD (GDE)	EJ251 / EJ252 / EJ253	2000-2007
Impreza (GE, GV) 2.5 AWD	EJ251 / EJ252 / EJ253	2008-2011
Impreza (GR, GH, G3) 2.5 AWD	EJ251 / EJ252 / EJ253	2010-2011
Legacy III (BE, BH) 2.5 AWD	EJ251 / EJ252 / EJ253	1999-2003
Legacy IV (BP) 2.5 AWD	EJ251 / EJ252 / EJ253	2007-2008
Legacy V (BM, BR) 2.5 i AWD (BM9)	EJ251 / EJ252 / EJ253	2009-2014
Outback (BH) 2.5 AWD	EJ251 / EJ252 / EJ253	1999-2003
Outback (BP) 2.5 AWD (BP9) / 2.5 BiFuel	EJ251 / EJ252 / EJ253	2003-2010
Outback (BR) 2.5 i AWD (BR9) / 2.5 BiFuel	EJ251 / EJ252 / EJ253	2009-

OEM part number (valve spring): 13217AA260, replaced by 13217AA261

Important: this kit is for the naturally aspirated EJ251, EJ252 and EJ253 listed above. The turbo versions (EJ255, EJ257) and the other Subaru engines are not covered by this page.