Next Mod for Reflashed '05 STI with TBE?
 

I'm thinking of going to next level for about $3750 including:
TD0520G, Gruppe S coated headers, larger injectors and fuel pump, larger TMIC, tax, install, and re-tune for daily driver. I'm looking for safe tune and great responsiveness and do not drag or autocross. Any thoughts? Should I add meth? Is this best bang for the buck?
Thanks for your input! I have 260 hp/280tq now on low reading mustang dyno and am told I could expect 290 hp/315 tq with new mods.

[QUOTE=billg]I'm thinking of going to next level for about $3750 including:
TD0520G, Gruppe S coated headers, larger injectors and fuel pump, larger TMIC, tax, install, and re-tune for daily driver. I'm looking for safe tune and great responsiveness and do not drag or autocross. Any thoughts? Should I add meth? Is this best bang for the buck?
Thanks for your input! I have 260 hp/280tq now on low reading mustang dyno and am told I could expect 290 hp/315 tq with new mods.[/QUOTE]


A couple of concerns - the injectors and fuel pump are a necissity - the turbo... I would go with something bigger like an FP Red (I think the FP Green is bigger than the 20G) and the green is the smallest turbo I would upgrade to. The other concern is to upgrade to another TMIC... don't waste your time, FMIC are tremendously more efficient, with a slightly larger turbo and a FMIC you could have a more serious car for close to the same $$$.

I have a daily driven 05 STI with an FP Red and Perrin FMIC. It has a concervative tune and pulls 360 whp and 339 tq on a mustang dyno (Matrix Integrated).

Thanks for the input! What about increased lag for bigger turbo with an FMIC? Wouldn't this option result in much greater lag and much higher rpm response for a street car with no auto crossing. or drag racing? Siegel Racing showed a dyno graph with a TXS TMIC adding about 15 hp/tq.

I agree, I think $4000 for an extra 30hp is a little high. For that price you should be installing an APS SR55, an FPGreen or even an APS DR series. We're to assume you already have a decent 3" TBE and a high-flow filter, very good tires, sway bars, stiffer springs and a host of other minor driveability upgrades? For my money I'd skip the headers and get a fuel rail to feed those bigger injectors (along with some ss fuel lines) -- running lean is far more dangerous than losing a little exhaust heat.

FPGreen and a front mount...you'll be sitting pretty

[QUOTE=depdivr]A couple of concerns - the injectors and fuel pump are a necissity - the turbo... I would go with something bigger like an FP Red (I think the FP Green is bigger than the 20G) and the green is the smallest turbo I would upgrade to. The other concern is to upgrade to another TMIC... don't waste your time, FMIC are tremendously more efficient, with a slightly larger turbo and a FMIC you could have a more serious car for close to the same $$$.

I have a daily driven 05 STI with an FP Red and Perrin FMIC. It has a concervative tune and pulls 360 whp and 339 tq on a mustang dyno (Matrix Integrated).[/QUOTE]

Depdiver - Thanks for your post! My problem is $. It's about $5,000 for a Green, FMIC, bigger injectors and fuel pump, big MAF, TGV delete, and 3" inlet hose, including tax, installation, retune and reflash, whereas I could spend $2800 and just get the 2.4 inch Green, the injectors, fuel pump and tax, installation, retune and reflash and not do the big MAF, TGV delete, and 3" hose. Maybe I should go the $2800 route and do the FMIC down the road?

[QUOTE=billg]Depdiver - Thanks for your post! My problem is $. It's about $5,000 for a Green, FMIC, bigger injectors and fuel pump, big MAF, TGV delete, and 3" inlet hose, including tax, installation, retune and reflash, whereas I could spend $2800 and just get the 2.4 inch Green, the injectors, fuel pump and tax, installation, retune and reflash and not do the big MAF, TGV delete, and 3" hose. Maybe I should go the $2800 route and do the FMIC down the road?[/QUOTE]

Don't get me wrong here, I completely understand (most people on this form also understand) bugitary limitations. It has taken me over 18 months to bring my car to a stage IV. I agree with the post above - look at $$$ spent vs the gains. For $3000 you could ignore the power side of the equation intirely, spend your $$ on improvments like Tein Flex Coilover Dampners w/EDFC, Perrin Front and Rear Sway bars, Perrin Endlinks, Perrin PSRS (positive stearing response system), stainless braided break lines and have a car which handles better than any porsche out there, eliminate the stock push that the STI has built into from the factory and have a blast on any road in the world.

Hold of on your power gains until you can afford the right equipment. If you can't afford to do it all at once, take it to a stage II. Larger injectors, fuel rail, fuel pump and stainless lines with a Ecutek reflash or Cobb AP for tuning. The injectors, pump, rails and tuning will set you up for the Stage IV modification later on.

Suspension: (See above)
Stage I: Downpipe and catback (any brand but I like PDE personally)
Stage II: Injectors (perrin or PE 800 cc injectors), Fuel rail (perrin), Pump (Walbro 255l/h), Stainless lines. Engine Tuning
Stage IV: Turbo (FP Green, or FP Red) go red if you want to take the car to a stage V and fully build the engine later - you won't have to buy a new turbo when you spend the 7G to do this. Front Mount Intercooler (I like Perrin's - it flows enough for a 500 whp car but doesn't lag a ton)

Stage I, Stage II, Stage IV, Stage V can be done seperatly.

Hope that helps

Dep Divr - You are most helpful as always!
Thanks!

[QUOTE=billg]Dep Divr - You are most helpful as always!
Thanks![/QUOTE]

no worries

[QUOTE=depdivr]Don't get me wrong here, I completely understand (most people on this form also understand) bugitary limitations. It has taken me over 18 months to bring my car to a stage IV. I agree with the post above - look at $$$ spent vs the gains. For $3000 you could ignore the power side of the equation intirely, spend your $$ on improvments like Tein Flex Coilover Dampners w/EDFC, Perrin Front and Rear Sway bars, Perrin Endlinks, Perrin PSRS (positive stearing response system), stainless braided break lines and have a car which handles better than any porsche out there, eliminate the stock push that the STI has built into from the factory and have a blast on any road in the world.

Hold of on your power gains until you can afford the right equipment. If you can't afford to do it all at once, take it to a stage II. Larger injectors, fuel rail, fuel pump and stainless lines with a Ecutek reflash or Cobb AP for tuning. The injectors, pump, rails and tuning will set you up for the Stage IV modification later on.

Suspension: (See above)
Stage I: Downpipe and catback (any brand but I like PDE personally)
Stage II: Injectors (perrin or PE 800 cc injectors), Fuel rail (perrin), Pump (Walbro 255l/h), Stainless lines. Engine Tuning
Stage IV: Turbo (FP Green, or FP Red) go red if you want to take the car to a stage V and fully build the engine later - you won't have to buy a new turbo when you spend the 7G to do this. Front Mount Intercooler (I like Perrin's - it flows enough for a 500 whp car but doesn't lag a ton)

Stage I, Stage II, Stage IV, Stage V can be done seperatly.

Hope that helps[/QUOTE]


when you guys mention tuning...does that mean with a laptop??..or with a dyno...i am so confused with all this ecu stuff....whats a piggy back, whats a stand alone...or reflash...HELP!!!!!

[QUOTE=2QwikSti]when you guys mention tuning...does that mean with a laptop??..or with a dyno...i am so confused with all this ecu stuff....whats a piggy back, whats a stand alone...or reflash...HELP!!!!![/QUOTE]

Engine tuning for our Rexs come in only a few forms.

1) EcuTek - this is a reflash of your stock ECU (Engine management unit) and changes things like air fuel ratios (A/F ratios), mix, boost, how lean or ritch you run and when. This is very effective, it must be done by a professional with a EcuTek tuning licence and runs abou $750.00.
2) Cobb Accessport - Similar to the EcuTek but allows for multiple maps (ie tuning for race gas vs 92 octane vs 91 octane pump fuels) You can also get fancy with valet maps, etc.
3) UTek - This is a true piggyback unit (a seperate module plugs into your stock ECU) which changes the inputs and outputs of the stock ecu to your liking. This has a cord which plugs into your (or a tuners) lap top to tune the car.
4) Hydra - a true stand alone unit. I don't know anything about this.

There are others out there but these 4 cover most of the basics. A Dyno is useful for tuning because you can run the car up to redline to see the charicteristics of the engine (something you can't always do on the road) and make quick, efficient changes to the maps so the car runs better.

It is very important to tune your Scooby. The stock ECUs are not stupid, infact they are probibly the best ODM ECU out there. They are literally able to sence small changes in the engine and correct so that your engine will be safe from detonation. Most new subby owners are stoked when they put on their new intake and catback and feel 15 whp increases but super bummed when 30 miles later its gone (and sometimes wors). This is because, the intake and catback improved the inhalation and exhalation of gasses creating a slightly lean mixture in the engine (more power), the ECU senses this and increases mixture and plays with timing and you may actually loose hp in the end.

Basicaly - get a tune, you will get more power for every mod you do.