safest way for 200whp

[Peter5]

14.7 cruising and 10.5 under boost or WOT.
the turbo is a IHI VF serie. a VF22

 

[JCell]

yep, definitly a lil bigger, hell im sure you could boost about 25 psi with it if u were build

 

[Peter5]

yea thats what they say.. i read that that turbo is communly used as a turbo upgrade on the WRX and the STI

 

[SoCalRyder7]

Yudkib, thanks for the detailed info

Does PG's AEM Boost Control/Gauge combo allow to set my boost to 8psi or would the greddy be better and maybe if you can tell me why?

So i think the AEM FIC would be the most economical route for engine management/ How do you actually use these things? Does the unit show pre programmed options for different combinations of mods or do i need to program it or am i just wrong all together?

How much better is the unichip and maybe if you can tell me why also.

I think the I will get the SMIC, J-midpipe, K&N drop in filter, millenia PCV, Boost control 8psi, and either the AEM or unichip depending on the pros and cons of each unit.

So even if i get EM do i still need to get it tuned? I though EM was the tune, what is a tune then?

Also, your opinions on each of these product will help me alot in making my desicion so throw them in there and lay it on me.

Thanks again for all the help guys i really do appreciate you guys taking the time to educate me.

 

[jspeed2121]

Engine Management ALLOWS you to tune your fuel map. When you up the boost you are upping the amount of air you are forcefeeding your motor SOOO...you have to feed it more fuel as well or BLOWN ENGINE! You need to get some type of piggyback system ( SSAFC, AEM FIC) this will need to be wired in inbetween your stock ECU and and your wiring harness. This piggy back will now control your fuel delivery and will then need to be TUNED according to your new boost curve, by a shop or someone who you know and trust to tune your car. You NEED to get an AEM wideband AFR gauge so you can monitor your cars Air Fuel Ratio to make sure you are safe and not overboosting without addequate fuel to go with the boost.

The AEM air fuel and boost controller/guage combo is AWESOME. That is what I have. It gives you actuall numbers that are accurate. I think its a MUST have.

Tried to break it down, hope this helps.

 

[jspeed2121]

If you have the right supporting mods (Front Mount Intercooler, Turbo back exhaust, bigger fuel injectors/ fuel pump, boost controller, and a good piggyback) and a GOOD tune, then 10-12psi will be fine on a stock motor. I have hit 16psi on my stock motor before. I would deffinately not take it above 12-13psi b/c above that you are getting risky with our stock rods.

At about 10psi-11psi on the stock turbo I was running out of fuel with the stock fuel injectors, so I had to upgrade to 440cc inj. If you keep it 9-10psi you should be ok with the stock inj.

 

[yudkib]

boost controllers: everyone loves the greddy, some people complain about the AEM being prone to spikes. safe bet is greddy. unichip also comes with a boost controller but it is prone to spikes like the AEM since its almost the same unit.

EMS: you need an EMS to hold the tune, you can tune the AEM yourself, but the unichip can only be done by an authorized tuner, and they dont do it for free. expect to spend 300-500 to get it tuned, and you would want a retune whenever you do major changes. if youre looking to take your build a lot further, you may want to consider the AEM. if you think youre gonna call it quits once this round is done, id get the unichip. the unichip also has a stock map that a lot of people run.

my grand opinion...
SMIC upgrade, corksport downpipe (not on your list), straight midpipe, millenia PCV, K&N drop in, and the unichip on the stock tune and boost setting. that gets you 10psi on a decent tune and the mods to back it up.

some of the supporting mods youve missed are important when you start fiddling with boost and tune though - a wideband AFR gauge is a must, as is a true boost gauge. you can find them for like 25 bucks if you look hard enough. a turbotimer is a good idea, but some people say theyre a waste of money. youll also need engine mounts to help brace the power... my car had all 4 torn when i got it and it was mostly stock. get at least a solid front and side inserts, or do a solid front and rear. its a reasonably cheap investment to protect your shiny new downpipe and take some stress off your exhaust mani.

 

[yudkib]

by the way, can someone back me up on the unichip with the stock tune? 10psi is pushing it a little, but with a downpipe and midpipe id think hes in the clear... no?

 

[SoCalRyder7]

I've been thinking about it and i dont know if i want to up the boost. I feel like im going to run into more issues down the line and and just lose alot of reliability.

I think im most likley to just stick with the j midpipe, K&N filter and a SMIC upgrade.

how bad would it be for the car if i got those upgrades and didnt tune it?

How much better would it be if i did?

Thanks again guys.

 

[theEZV]

ic and exhaust do wonders for these cars. if you run stock boost u dont have to tune it. a tune will be icing on the cake. good luck

 

[speedracer]

by the way, can someone back me up on the unichip with the stock tune? 10psi is pushing it a little, but with a downpipe and midpipe id think hes in the clear... no?

I'm running 10psi on the stock tune for over a year now. with the exhaust, Wideband, and MM's, You should be fine. Remember though EVERY car is different. turn it up at your own risk.

 

[jspeed2121]

SoCal, you are right...when you up boost, you up chances of something going wrong. With the right mods and moderate boost increase you will be fine. If you just wanna stay where you are at for the sake of reliability, then I HEAR ya! While my car is definately way faster now (12psi) it is definately not the same ol reliable car it used to be!

If you upgrade to SMIC, hardpipes, and relieve some of the turbo's backpressure problems ( midpipe, exhaust, etc.) then the engine/turbo will BREATHE better at stock boost levels and you will feel some power increase, while still retaining your reliability and you wont have to mess with the stock tune at all. Cant really go wrong with that plan!

 

[SoCalRyder7]

ic and exhaust do wonders for these cars. if you run stock boost u dont have to tune it. a tune will be icing on the cake. good luck

Yeah i was running my car oped cat for like a month and without all the back pressure, when the turbo spooled up and hit positive boost, man that thing kicked ass! though the car was alot slower before the turbo spooled up

I'm running 10psi on the stock tune for over a year now. with the exhaust, Wideband, and MM's, You should be fine. Remember though EVERY car is different. turn it up at your own risk.

dude your very lucky to survive a year like that and be carefull. Whatever it is that your doing, to keep it from zoom zoom booming, keep doing it.

SoCal, you are right...when you up boost, you up chances of something going wrong. With the right mods and moderate boost increase you will be fine. If you just wanna stay where you are at for the sake of reliability, then I HEAR ya! While my car is definately way faster now (12psi) it is definately not the same ol reliable car it used to be!

If you upgrade to SMIC, hardpipes, and relieve some of the turbo's backpressure problems ( midpipe, exhaust, etc.) then the engine/turbo will BREATHE better at stock boost levels and you will feel some power increase, while still retaining your reliability and you wont have to mess with the stock tune at all. Cant really go wrong with that plan!

Cool man thanks for the advice. Those words made me happy. Just a little more power without the cost of reliability.

V
V
V
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
V
V
V

I've got about all that i need to know as far as upgrading goes (for now lol) and i want to say thank you to everyone who threw their advice and little "know hows" in there.

And special thanks to Yudkib and Jspeed, I feel like you guys went out of your way to keep checking my thread and made sure i got what i needed to know; you guys' knowledge on the subject is a whole nother matter of applause. All the info you gave me was concrete and i could really work with it. I now feel confident that i know what im doing.

Thanks again everyone!(flash)

 

[jspeed2121]

Good Luck Man!

 

[yudkib]

thanks, and make sure you stop back often!

 

[yudkib]

by the way - i think speedracer was referring to the stock unichip tune, which is infinitely better than the OEM one. if hes doing it with no IC upgrade youll be fine with an upgraded sidemount

 

[DelB]

U think 200 is what u want then u will want more and more

 

[SoCalRyder7]

Good Luck Man!

Thanks man I'll need it!

thanks, and make sure you stop back often!

Yes sir!

by the way - i think speedracer was referring to the stock unichip tune, which is infinitely better than the OEM one. if hes doing it with no IC upgrade youll be fine with an upgraded sidemount

Cool man gotcha!

U think 200 is what u want then u will want more and more

200 is SO NOT what i want man. This engine is to unstable to really make big power unless I'm willing to drop thousands of dollars. At that point I'd rather get a big V8 benz in manual and drop some coil overs in there, some nice fat sway bars and a a strut tie bar. Open up the exhaust and intake; let it breath and let it rip! But no I REALLY like my car and am gunna stick with it for as long as i can.

 

[mazdaspeedp]

hey not to thread jack or anything i was wondering what would you think about upping the boost to around 8-9 psi on stock internals with 200,000 kms is it too sketchy?

 

[MSPBrett]

it really depends on how the car has been driven, by you or previous owners. so i would say yes.. sketch