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View Full Version : New RA member/owner horsepower qs


L.A. RA
04-06-2010, 11:31 PM
Hey guys,
I am looking to get some extra horsepower. I am wondering if I put an evo x intercooler on the RA would I see any gains with complete stock setup? Also if I did do that would I need a tune right away? I would like to do that first, pending on your answers, and then throw on intake, exhaust, and finish up with a tune then. Let me know. Thanks

MikeW-RRE
04-07-2010, 12:13 AM
An intercooler upgrade will help once you turn the boost up and beat on the car. You wont feel a difference now and wont need a tune.

It is my opinion that an intake upgrade of any kind does nothing on a stock RalliArt turbo. The stock intake, air box and filter far outflow anything the little stock turbo can try to suck through it. Intakes that do make a little power in and of themselves do so by leaning things out a little. You end up with a little more power but lots of knock. It is messy if you look at the ECU data logs. When the car is finally tuned, any gains dissapear.

Once you get an exhaust of some kind, then you would tune it. There are a couple of annoying loud systems ou tthere. If you spend a lot of time in your car, are over 30 or enjoy music be careful with what you buy. Everything sounds great on a youtube clip taken with a digital camera with auto noise leveling and your computer speakers adjusted to your liking.

Mike W

L.A. RA
04-07-2010, 02:34 AM
So Mike,
with your setup, the magnaflow muffler and stock piping, would you recommend a tune? I am not quite 30, but I cant stand the lawnmower type sound that comes from alot of import exhausts, its horrible. I am looking for just a little more sound than stock, nothing huge, but would like to do it without tune...your system in particular.

MikeW-RRE
04-07-2010, 01:05 PM
The tune alone will give you more power than the parts additions. Yes i recommend getting it tuned.

If you did not get it tuned, the way to get some decent power out of your car with these parts would be a boost controller of some type. But that shold only be done by experienced tweakers and ideally logging things to be sure it is safe. You can get various codes and limp modes if you get greedy.

If you want to make some real power, you will have a tune (or two) in your future.

Where are you located?

Mike W

L.A. RA
04-07-2010, 07:47 PM
Mike,
Just sent you back pm, but just moved from LA to east coast, guess I should change my username. Anyway, I do plan on getting a tune, but could I get by with no tune after finishing your exhaust set up and get tune later when I put on intake/uicp, etc?

blackbeard
04-07-2010, 10:51 PM
LA, i am far from an expert tuner like mike, but u may benefit from my personal experience.
i installed a free flow cat back exhaust, same as the HKS japenese gear, but locally built.
i had it dynod before the tune for a baseline, this was after adding the cat back twin cannon exhaust.
what happened was the flow was so much better from stock that the mitsu comp compensated by adding more boost, which was very nice (give me G`sss);) but it tapered off at higher revs and was a narrow boost band.
after the tune i have much more power over the whole rev range, to the tune of 50hp at the wheels from stock.
so your call, thats how the mods u are planning on affected my performance.
i reiterate, this is only anectdotal evidence, and mike can probably explain it better for u and me?:cool:
BB.

just my 2 cents worth.

P.S i also added a k&n free flow air filter, for the intake side of the booster.
PPS. my exhaust initially sounde like shit, it sounded like there was a hole in the muffler and the drone inside the cabin was unbearable at 100k`s. (i like a quiet acheiver)instead of the effortless silence of the restrictive stock pipes i had a monster.
so my favourite performance exhaust guy said that he could fix it and tacked a coupla inserts inside said cannons.
jeezus, u wouldnt believe the difference, it puuuuurs man, now mike will probably say that i have lost a coupla hp, but hey, i`m 58 and in my second childhood, i crave serenity at 100 mph.