[EvoAgent]

I am a proud owner of an Evo VIII. I have just rounded the 3000 mile mark on my car and would like to start modifying. My ultimate goal is to reach 325-350whp on 91 Colorado octane, but for now I want to take it slow and within 4 to 6 months hit the 300whp mark.

I want to keep it with a stock appearance as much as possible. I am new to the turbo modification process but I have been doing some research. I have put together a list of mods that I think will help achieve my goal. My aim is to get advice as to what you think of my list and what you would do to improve it. Keep in mind I want it to appear stock and sound stock as much as possible.

Exhaust:
Buschur w/ magna flow muffler, high flow cat and down pipe.
or
Espelir Exhaust w/silencer, down pipe
(whichever is more quiet)

Gauges:
Autometer or Defi
Boost
EGT

Innovate Wide Band LM-1

Air filter:
Drop in

MBC:
Hallman
or
Unos

Piggy back:
SAFCII

Cams: (Eventually)
HKS 264/272

Your thoughts are greatly appreciated. If there is anything in my initial setup that I missed please let me know. Also if you recommend something over another to keep it looking/sounding stock, ie. the exhaust, please throw in some ideas. Thanks again.

 

[EvoAgent]

forgot to add

Buschur Racing EVO 8 Lower IC Pipe

also... does any palmpilot work for data logging?

 

[Fourdoor]

List looks pretty good to me.

The Buschur exhaust with magnaflow muffler and high flow cat is pretty quiet and nice sounding, but I have not heard the Espelir Exhaust w/silencer in person so I don't know how they compare to each other.

Sounds like you know your goals, and that is the most important thing when modifying a car.

Good luck,

Keith

 

[turbolarry]

Buschur Racing EVO 8 Lower IC Pipe

also... does any palmpilot work for data logging?

Some type of datalogging should be considered too. I know Palm m100/m500 series work.

 

[EvoAgent]

Thanks a lot, I'll keep you guys posted on how things are coming along.

 

[Gibles]

What about a flash?

 

[EvoAgent]

I figure once I am somewhat satisfied with my mods then I would consider a flash. So basically after cams, or maybe I would just get a stand alone.

 

[evo8kiko]

Buschur Racing EVO 8 Lower IC Pipe

also... does any palmpilot work for data logging?

As matter of fact yes. You can check out the POCKETLOGGER.COM I have been using it for a long time. Make sure you get the new version 2.0 that's what I use to log timing, O2's, and Airflow, rpm ect....

 

[Jdav79]

I have been looking at data logging, how would I connect my PDA (HP IPAQ) to my car and begin logging?

I checked the POCKETLOGGER.COM site and they do not run on my type of PDA, only the PALM OS. Any suggestions as to where to look?

 

[Warrtalon]

No need to worry about pocketloggers anymore now that we have EvoScan. It's far, far superior, but it does require using a laptop.

 

[mdog]

Would anyone else suggest saving $ on the SAFC-II and getting a flash after the bulk of his mods are installed, sanse the cams of course.?
And a big +1 on the evoscan, and if you're into tech. and tuning then maybe ecuflash to slowly learn how to tune the car yourself. It sounds like you're wanting to take the modding real slow so maybe your learning curve of ecuflash could correlate to the slow pace of modding you desire.

 

[Warrtalon]

Well, yeah, I would say there's no reason to get an SAFC when you can get flashed so cheaply. A flash is far, FAR superior to an SAFC in all facets of tuning. It is also cheaper.

 

[ghoonk]

I agree with Warrtalon. A flash does MUCH more than just controlling AFR. It manages boost (you probably won't need a boost controller; I didn't), ignition timing and AFR for high and low octane, amongst others. You are lucky that you have legitimate tuners in the US and you can at least drive to where the good tuners are to get a custom tune.

Jestr did my flash, and a good job, considering that it was done as a mail-in. I'm waiting to get an O2 wideband set up for datalogging, then I will subscribe to his M1 subscription flash service so I can keep getting refinements for 6 months as I keep sending in datalogs.

Between the SAFC and the flash, I can't see why you would even consider the SAFC. Also, you should start looking at a Walbro GSS342 high performance fuel pump. My setup is largely similar to yours, except that I have a GReddy Type-RS BOV that is set to 95% hard and gives me much better boost response than the JDM MR BOV without causing any problems.

My suggestion would be to get everything done in one go, and then enjoy the car. No point over-modding, especially since you have neglected to upgrade brakes and handling. A car that can go faster should also be able to stop a whole lot faster, and should be set up so it can corner faster.

 

[Jdav79]

So to start data logging all I will need is a Laptop, an OBD-II cable (Tactrix) OpenPort 1.3M, and a wideband O2?

Can the wideband O2 that will come with a guage be used for the data logging also?

 

[Warrtalon]

Ghoonk, I would have to disagree with 2 things:

1) The ECU cannot control boost. It can reduce taper, but it cannot change boost levels directly. That is done through messing with the tables and adding or removing restrictor pills in the boost hoses. The only way to truly, directly, and accurately control boost is with a boost controller. For instance, you can't just go out and change something in your flash to make it run 26psi for when you use race gas at the track, then change it back to 22psi for daily driving. You would have to switch out pills and hope you get it right while having no fine adjustment.

2) The Greddy Type-RS is not very good for the Evo and it by no means gives better boost response than the JDM MR. I'm not saying you didn't notice a difference - I'm saying that there is nothing about the Greddy that would give better boost response.

Jdav, you'll need the laptop, the Tactrix cable, a wideband, and EvoScan (logging software). You can feed the wideband o2 signal into EvoScan if you get one that has been proven to work. I have an AEM UEGO, and people have gotten that to work, so I'm following their lead. It requires having a serial connection on your laptop, and you splice the o2 cable into the connector, or get a serial-to-USB connector if you don't have serial. There's a longer explanation that I can point people to, plus I'll be doing it myself soon.

 

[ghoonk]

1. Then I can't explain why boost climbs faster at WOT with the Type-RS when compared to the JDM MR BOV, unless it is because of the cone air filter.

2. My original boost levels were 1.3 bar, but after Jestr was done with my flash, it went up to 1.5 bar, and after I removed the restrictor pill, it went up to 1.6 bar. Not other components were changed, so I am not sure how that was accomplished.

That said, would the JDM MR BOV be able to hold 23 psi? What I cannot understand is why there feels like an apparent loss in power when I switch back to the stock airbox and JDM BOV when some say that these two do not make a difference.

 

[Warrtalon]

1. I can't explain it either. BOVs don't change the rate of boost ramp unless the BOV is leaking like a sieve. Things that affect boost ramp are things like a 3" exhaust, ported o2 housing, ported turbine housing, etc, because they reduce backpressure. The RS is not a recommended BOV on the Evo, and it's certainly not better than the JDM MR DV. That doesn't mean your MR DV isn't broken or malfunctioning.

2. That is how it was accomplished, but what I'm saying is that you don't have actual control over boost. That 1.5 bar is about as much as you can get. YOu couldn't go in the ECU and set it to 26psi then set it back to 20psi or set it in between. You just set the load tables to give you as much as you can while removing the taper, but there's no setting that lets you choose the boost, and even if there was, the stock BCS isn't capable of doing that without pills to regulate it. That's why those 2 pills are in there from the factory, so that the ECU can give us exactly 20.3psi with a significant taper. Also, removing the pill gives erratic boost - it is not smooth and controlled. It is a shortcut way for raising boost without a boost controller, and it is not very reliable.

Yes, a JDM MR DV can hold 23psi...it can hold 25psi...and 30psi. The question isn't what can it "hold." The question is what can it hold EFFICIENTLY. The JDM MR DV is efficient up to 25psi. It can still perform well for someone running more than 25psi, but it will not be optimal. Just like the stock plastic bov on my USDM 05. It was only efficient to 13psi when I pressure tested it, but I still went [email protected] at 24psi on 100oct with a cat-back, mbc, and safc. It would have been better to have a JDM MR DV or Forge RS, but it wasn't like the boost was just blowing straight through the BOV unhindered. See what I mean?

You would feel a loss of power putting on the stock airbox, because you aren't tuned for it. You are tuned for the intake. Being tuned for an open-air intake then putting on the stock airbox is dangerous.

 

[Fourdoor]

You also will get faster spool up from the turbo when using a cone filter instead of the stock airbox. Both a free flowing exhaust and a free flowing intake have an effect on the breathing abilities of the system.

Keith

 

[ghoonk]

Thanks, guys. That explains the faster spool -- the intake.

Strangely enough, the car seems to drive better now, and I'm not getting any CEL P0300. Guess there's no point putting the stock DV back on, is there?

Warrtalon, thanks for the explanation on ECUFlash and boost. Given that I am probably running the 9.8T hotside, it wouldn't really make much sense to get an MBC so that I can run higher boost since the turbo would run out of puff by then. The MBC would just be i place for a more consistent boost behaviour, right?

 

[Warrtalon]

No, you would defnitely gain from an MBC. Just because it has the 9.8t doesn't mean it runs out of breath that much earlier. There's very little difference between your turbo and the 05 turbo. The hotside makes a little difference, but not a big one. There are plenty of stock 03 tubos who have gone 118-120mph in the 1/4, which is ridiculously fast.