cobb reflash, anything bad to say?
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Well here's my chance to once again vent. Yeah, Cobb's staged reflashes are nice. No, they aren't any better than Ecutek in terms of predictability and reliability. Yes, Cobb is cheaper but.........hope you have no immediate plans to go further than stage 2 w/o a personal visit to slc,utah. Screw that 20+ hour drive 
. Somewhere along the way Cobb said something like "we are unsure of economic feasibility of maps for bigger turbos etc....." blah blah blah rhetoric. Dude, seriously the staged levels for the wrx are "fairly" consistent across the board. For the most part people choose a vf/sr/pe turbo, sti/pe injectors and some sort of fuel pump with a tbe/up pipe of around 3 inches. Add in an aftermarket fmic/tmic and that's basically it for REAL mods (Samco hoses/inlets and short rams are just ancillary toys imo). Ecutek tuners have been able to reflash on demand effectively and consistently for awhile now . So, if you want a 285 hp monster 
great get Cobb flashed. If you want a CONCRETE SOLUTION to go further, then Ecutek is the way to unless you like holding your breath for Accessport. Your reflash is only as good as your tuner and Rallispec's staff drilled out 300+ at wheels which is damn near 400 crank power if not a bit more. Not to mention there are several tuner option Vishnu/Rallispec and a bunch more I can't think of..........
. Somewhere along the way Cobb said something like "we are unsure of economic feasibility of maps for bigger turbos etc....." blah blah blah rhetoric. Dude, seriously the staged levels for the wrx are "fairly" consistent across the board. For the most part people choose a vf/sr/pe turbo, sti/pe injectors and some sort of fuel pump with a tbe/up pipe of around 3 inches. Add in an aftermarket fmic/tmic and that's basically it for REAL mods (Samco hoses/inlets and short rams are just ancillary toys imo). Ecutek tuners have been able to reflash on demand effectively and consistently for awhile now . So, if you want a 285 hp monster great get Cobb flashed. If you want a CONCRETE SOLUTION to go further, then Ecutek is the way to unless you like holding your breath for Accessport. Your reflash is only as good as your tuner and Rallispec's staff drilled out 300+ at wheels which is damn near 400 crank power if not a bit more. Not to mention there are several tuner option Vishnu/Rallispec and a bunch more I can't think of..........
Last edited by sndstream; Nov 22, 2003 at 12:13 PM.
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 159
From: Bay Area
Now that you're done ranting, would you like to see the VF30 and VF34 off-the-shelf maps for the Cobb AccessECU?
AccessECU Maps
Did you even read the threads on the AccessPORT?
AccessPORT Thread
Dude - Do some research before you go on a rant especially if you are going to bash one of the better Subaru tuners out there.
Jimbo
AccessECU Maps
Did you even read the threads on the AccessPORT?
AccessPORT Thread
Dude - Do some research before you go on a rant especially if you are going to bash one of the better Subaru tuners out there.
Jimbo
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iTrader: (7)
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 10,029
From: Sacramento CA
Car Info: 02 Impreza WRX sedan
Cobb AccessECU customers who are satisfied (or even displeased, if that's the case) might want to share their thoughts of the product on i-Club's Reviews section. Take your time and give your review some thought - what do you like about it, any little negatives, customer service, did the product come with everything needed for easy installation, etc. A review written in haste like, "This is the isht! It rocks!", doesn't really tell the potential customer anything specific about the product. Might also want to mention which stage or level of reflash you have, so people with similar mods can have a better understanding of how it'll work on their cars.
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Originally posted by Jimbo
Now that you're done ranting, would you like to see the VF30 and VF34 off-the-shelf maps for the Cobb AccessECU?
AccessECU Maps
Did you even read the threads on the AccessPORT?
AccessPORT Thread
Dude - Do some research before you go on a rant especially if you are going to bash one of the better Subaru tuners out there.
Jimbo
Now that you're done ranting, would you like to see the VF30 and VF34 off-the-shelf maps for the Cobb AccessECU?
AccessECU Maps
Did you even read the threads on the AccessPORT?
AccessPORT Thread
Dude - Do some research before you go on a rant especially if you are going to bash one of the better Subaru tuners out there.
Jimbo
Incidently the #'s Cobb is assigning to their maps is marginal and uninspiring at best:
VF30 Map
Requires VF30, STI Injectors
Turboback Exhaust, Uppipe
STOCK Intake and Intercooler
320HP / 300 ft-lbs
In addition to their map I have a Walbro pump, and fmic and I'm rolling upwards of 400 at crank and 290-310 at wheels (as well as many others) . I really doubt I would be losing or rather gaining that much power (about 80hp) from a fuel pump and fmic. Also, my logs are rock solid consistent as well as dyno's.
Cobb has a good product for the money. I just simply couldn't wait on the "what ifs?".
Also, I had the Cobb stage 2 reflash so I can speak to that. It did what it was supposed to. I sold it within 1 month since there was nothing to suggest Cobb would be having shelf maps for my relatively "standard stage 4 wrx".
Last edited by sndstream; Nov 22, 2003 at 10:11 PM.
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Originally posted by sndstream
Well here's my chance to once again vent. Yeah, Cobb's staged reflashes are nice. No, they aren't any better than Ecutek in terms of predictability and reliability. Yes, Cobb is cheaper but.........hope you have no immediate plans to go further than stage 2 w/o a personal visit to slc,utah. Screw that 20+ hour drive . Somewhere along the way Cobb said something like "we are unsure of economic feasibility of maps for bigger turbos etc....." blah blah blah rhetoric. Dude, seriously the staged levels for the wrx are "fairly" consistent across the board. For the most part people choose a vf/sr/pe turbo, sti/pe injectors and some sort of fuel pump with a tbe/up pipe of around 3 inches. Add in an aftermarket fmic/tmic and that's basically it for REAL mods (Samco hoses/inlets and short rams are just ancillary toys imo). Ecutek tuners have been able to reflash on demand effectively and consistently for awhile now . So, if you want a 285 hp monster great get Cobb flashed. If you want a CONCRETE SOLUTION to go further, then Ecutek is the way to unless you like holding your breath for Accessport. Your reflash is only as good as your tuner and Rallispec's staff drilled out 300+ at wheels which is damn near 400 crank power if not a bit more. Not to mention there are several tuner option Vishnu/Rallispec and a bunch more I can't think of..........
Well here's my chance to once again vent. Yeah, Cobb's staged reflashes are nice. No, they aren't any better than Ecutek in terms of predictability and reliability. Yes, Cobb is cheaper but.........hope you have no immediate plans to go further than stage 2 w/o a personal visit to slc,utah. Screw that 20+ hour drive
. Somewhere along the way Cobb said something like "we are unsure of economic feasibility of maps for bigger turbos etc....." blah blah blah rhetoric. Dude, seriously the staged levels for the wrx are "fairly" consistent across the board. For the most part people choose a vf/sr/pe turbo, sti/pe injectors and some sort of fuel pump with a tbe/up pipe of around 3 inches. Add in an aftermarket fmic/tmic and that's basically it for REAL mods (Samco hoses/inlets and short rams are just ancillary toys imo). Ecutek tuners have been able to reflash on demand effectively and consistently for awhile now . So, if you want a 285 hp monster great get Cobb flashed. If you want a CONCRETE SOLUTION to go further, then Ecutek is the way to unless you like holding your breath for Accessport. Your reflash is only as good as your tuner and Rallispec's staff drilled out 300+ at wheels which is damn near 400 crank power if not a bit more. Not to mention there are several tuner option Vishnu/Rallispec and a bunch more I can't think of..........
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My highest dyno has been 324 at wheels. With 25% loss factored back in equates to "roughly" 405 at crank. I always laugh when ppl are quick to nay say especially when the power being made is reported high. It's like some kind of bitter ***** envy. So AT THE VERY LEAST I'm making "damn near 400hp at crank". I guess to solidify what I'm trying to say is umm, yea I really am holding down ~400hp at crank despite your bold statement of "not". I am well aware that tuners typically make big claims. But lets at least have a "basic" reference in this case I'll use turboxs stages:
320 hp
Stage 3 Max Wheel HP: 242.5 hp @ 5785 rpm @ 15.5 psi +74 WHP or a 44% Increase in HP!
Stage 3 Max Wheel TQ: 225.4 ft/ibs @ 5339 rpm +54.3 ft/lbs or a 32% Increase in TQ!
368 hp
Stage 4 Max Wheel HP: 273.8 hp @ 6047 rpm @ 17.0 psi (RED) +105 WHP or a 62% Increase in HP!
Stage 4 Max Wheel TQ: 250.1 ft/ibs @ 4802 rpm @ 17.3 psi +78.7 ft/ibs or a 47% Increase in TQ!
and finally a stage with a txs tmi
TXS TMI used to power our WRX to an 11.96 @ 115 MPH in the quarter mile. The addition of the TMI adds 30 more HP at the wheels with additional tuning. The TMI allowed boost pressure to remain constant all the way to redline.
And then factor in that I'm using an aps d/r500 fmic to at LEAST give me what a stage 4/tmi tune would be.
You're fooling yourself if you think this stage is only generating 350 at crank. I'll even be willing to add 10% more additional loss and I'm still over 350 hp at crank.
Thanks much,
sndstream
320 hp
Stage 3 Max Wheel HP: 242.5 hp @ 5785 rpm @ 15.5 psi +74 WHP or a 44% Increase in HP!
Stage 3 Max Wheel TQ: 225.4 ft/ibs @ 5339 rpm +54.3 ft/lbs or a 32% Increase in TQ!
368 hp
Stage 4 Max Wheel HP: 273.8 hp @ 6047 rpm @ 17.0 psi (RED) +105 WHP or a 62% Increase in HP!
Stage 4 Max Wheel TQ: 250.1 ft/ibs @ 4802 rpm @ 17.3 psi +78.7 ft/ibs or a 47% Increase in TQ!
and finally a stage with a txs tmi
TXS TMI used to power our WRX to an 11.96 @ 115 MPH in the quarter mile. The addition of the TMI adds 30 more HP at the wheels with additional tuning. The TMI allowed boost pressure to remain constant all the way to redline.
And then factor in that I'm using an aps d/r500 fmic to at LEAST give me what a stage 4/tmi tune would be.
You're fooling yourself if you think this stage is only generating 350 at crank. I'll even be willing to add 10% more additional loss and I'm still over 350 hp at crank.
Thanks much,
sndstream
Last edited by sndstream; Nov 24, 2003 at 09:20 PM.
Originally posted by sndstream
My highest dyno has been 324 at wheels. With 25% loss factored back in equates to "roughly" 405 at crank. I always laugh when ppl are quick to nay say especially when the power being made is reported high. It's like some kind of bitter ***** envy. So AT THE VERY LEAST I'm making "damn near 400hp at crank". I guess to solidify what I'm trying to say is umm, yea I really am holding down ~400hp at crank despite your bold statement of "not".......
My highest dyno has been 324 at wheels. With 25% loss factored back in equates to "roughly" 405 at crank. I always laugh when ppl are quick to nay say especially when the power being made is reported high. It's like some kind of bitter ***** envy. So AT THE VERY LEAST I'm making "damn near 400hp at crank". I guess to solidify what I'm trying to say is umm, yea I really am holding down ~400hp at crank despite your bold statement of "not".......
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Originally posted by Slack
I think the point he was trying to make is that HP losses due to drivetrain are not a constant proportion, if you add 100 HP you dont add 25 HP of extra loss. There is no clear answer to how much crank HP you have, if you think you have 400 HP good for you, if somebody elsed doesn't, well they must be full of ****.
I think the point he was trying to make is that HP losses due to drivetrain are not a constant proportion, if you add 100 HP you dont add 25 HP of extra loss. There is no clear answer to how much crank HP you have, if you think you have 400 HP good for you, if somebody elsed doesn't, well they must be full of ****.
the thing that i think many people overlook is the fact that cobb is trying to give you the most for your money but as well as taking into account the liability issues, especially since you're buying an off-the-shelf map. what they can't simulate is the fact that the outside world, which your car runs day-to-day is variable, if everything were a constant, then things would be a lot easier, but that's not the case here. it's something we just have to accept if buying off-the-shelf maps and not getting dyno tuned. to them, it's more than just sell a product, make the consumer happy, and not take into account what may happen w/o safety. now i'm pretty sure they could squeeze a bit more power from the maps they generate, however, would you want to sacrifice possible engine failure or even a blown engine because you wanted a few more hp? that's what cobb doesn't believe in. they want to sell you something that they know that is safe, reliable, and taking into account the buyer. cobb is a great bunch of guys and a great company, and also very busy, so give them time, i'm sure you'll be glad you did.
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I most definitely appreciate the margin of safety Cobb as well as others provide. I think this is a good solution for customers who have no or limited experience/knowledge on tuning vs signs and symtpoms of damage or engine failure. I'm the 1st to acknoweldge I'm running aggressively. I'm no expert but feel I'm in touch enough to know or have a heads up on bad things to come. In the end I look at my egt's/IDC/knock correction/advance/primitive 02 sensor data and knock detection. This crap gets looked at everyday which is a good thing for me since I actually feel like I'm increasing my awareness of my own ride.......................
what i don't understand is why are people so infactuated with dyno numbers. since many dynoes vary, it's basically used as a measurement of hp/torque. the real test of power is on the road in real time. especially in forced induction cars, what really matters is the real world, something a dyno can't simulate. that's why in order to get the absolute best tune, first you dyno tune, then road tune to work out all the bugs in your system. from my standpoint, i'd rather look at the torque curve than the actual numbers.
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 461
From: Cincinnati, OH
Car Info: 04 Java Black Sedan
No to mention that you will get different numbers depending on what kind of dyno you are on and how the operator has it set. There are many variables that most people don't understand.