EQ Tuning does it again!!!
02-07-2011, 09:50 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
iTrader: (17)
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Bay Area
Posts: 396
Car Info: 2007 Impreza WRX Limited Bugeye Conversion
EQ Tuning does it again!!!
Well its a long story but the short of it is, if you want your subaru tuned right go to Ed.
About a year back I had an intake issue. My stock box broke because of the K&N panel filter not fitting right causing lean conditions and cracking a ring in one of my cylinders (confirmed by a leak down test done by EQ at my 60K
)...
I got tired of fixing my air box and worrying about damaging my motor further because of that stupid air box. So I needed a new solution, upgrade the air intake to an aftermarket cai, but I would need a retune.
Kinda waste to retune the car for just a cai, so I took the next step an picked up a vf48 and tmic from an 2010 sti and 65mm aps cai. Had EQ Tuning do the install and got to go road tuning with Ed again just after sunset, flying down the country roads with no headlights because the fuse went...
Unfortunately Ed wasn't able to get the full potential out of the new mods because of a boost creep issue probably due to increased flow. So it was either live with boost creep (really bad for the motor with a lead foot) , get a new down pipe that might not solve the problem or find an ewg setup. Of course I went with the with an ewg.
I thought I'd shop around an find a good set up, read a bunch of threads and reviews and decided on IAG Performance's EWG 38mm TiAl V-band set up which I thought would work great. I also had Ed's crew fab up a high flow cross pipe and port the exhaust manifolds.
On install day Ed pulled out the uppipe and laughed, commenting that it looked like some of the junk that came on the no-name brand aftermarket headers. When Ed showed me EQ's slick uppipe I immediately saw the difference. The IAG uppipe was about 2" in diameter with a reducer sleeve and some weird overlaps on the flanges. Although the quality of the welds are good and the fitment was ok, it looked liked it was designed by someone who had no idea what an uppipe was for. I jumped at the chance to own EQ's uppipe when Ed suggested it.
Moral of the story: Have Ed just do everything right.
Nash as always did an amazing job removing and installing the components (with me getting in the way).
Kelly did an awesome job creating a custom dump tube and welding the waste gate shut (yup, no going back!!!)
Once everything was buttoned back up, it was Ed's turn on the dyno. He asked me what I was looking for and knew how to deliver. It was something else to see and hear my engine roar on the dyno and the waste gate scream at 10 psi all the way to 6800 rpm. Not as much fun as the back road tuning but just as exciting.
When all was said and done with low compression on one cylinder:
279 whp @ 5.8k and 304 wtq @ 3.85k at 18.5 psi
Mods:
2010 vf 48 with tmic
EQ ported exhaust manifolds
EQ high flow cross pipe
EQ uppipe with TiAl MVS 38mm EWG and EQ custom dumptube
Crucial Racing Shorty Downpipe and race pipe
HKS Carbon-Ti Catback
APS 65mm CAI with Amsoil Filter
Perrin Turbo Inlet and Afta MAF
EQ Smog pump delete
255lpg fuel pump
Stock injectors
Thanks again to everyone at EQ Tuning: Ed, Sonya, Brendan, Nash, Kelly and Dallas for providing excellent customer service, parts and tuning. I'll be back when it's time for a new motor (hopefully not too soon!).
Sorry for the crappy cell pics...
EQ Tuning WRX Cross Pipe
EQ Tuning (right) vs IAG Up Pipe (left)
Before porting...
...after porting!
Welded waste gate, TiAl EWG and EQ Tuning custom dumptube
On the dyno
About a year back I had an intake issue. My stock box broke because of the K&N panel filter not fitting right causing lean conditions and cracking a ring in one of my cylinders (confirmed by a leak down test done by EQ at my 60K
)...I got tired of fixing my air box and worrying about damaging my motor further because of that stupid air box. So I needed a new solution, upgrade the air intake to an aftermarket cai, but I would need a retune.
Kinda waste to retune the car for just a cai, so I took the next step an picked up a vf48 and tmic from an 2010 sti and 65mm aps cai. Had EQ Tuning do the install and got to go road tuning with Ed again just after sunset, flying down the country roads with no headlights because the fuse went...
Unfortunately Ed wasn't able to get the full potential out of the new mods because of a boost creep issue probably due to increased flow. So it was either live with boost creep (really bad for the motor with a lead foot) , get a new down pipe that might not solve the problem or find an ewg setup. Of course I went with the with an ewg.
I thought I'd shop around an find a good set up, read a bunch of threads and reviews and decided on IAG Performance's EWG 38mm TiAl V-band set up which I thought would work great. I also had Ed's crew fab up a high flow cross pipe and port the exhaust manifolds.
On install day Ed pulled out the uppipe and laughed, commenting that it looked like some of the junk that came on the no-name brand aftermarket headers. When Ed showed me EQ's slick uppipe I immediately saw the difference. The IAG uppipe was about 2" in diameter with a reducer sleeve and some weird overlaps on the flanges. Although the quality of the welds are good and the fitment was ok, it looked liked it was designed by someone who had no idea what an uppipe was for. I jumped at the chance to own EQ's uppipe when Ed suggested it.
Moral of the story: Have Ed just do everything right.
Nash as always did an amazing job removing and installing the components (with me getting in the way).
Kelly did an awesome job creating a custom dump tube and welding the waste gate shut (yup, no going back!!!)
Once everything was buttoned back up, it was Ed's turn on the dyno. He asked me what I was looking for and knew how to deliver. It was something else to see and hear my engine roar on the dyno and the waste gate scream at 10 psi all the way to 6800 rpm. Not as much fun as the back road tuning but just as exciting.
When all was said and done with low compression on one cylinder:
279 whp @ 5.8k and 304 wtq @ 3.85k at 18.5 psi
Mods:
2010 vf 48 with tmic
EQ ported exhaust manifolds
EQ high flow cross pipe
EQ uppipe with TiAl MVS 38mm EWG and EQ custom dumptube
Crucial Racing Shorty Downpipe and race pipe
HKS Carbon-Ti Catback
APS 65mm CAI with Amsoil Filter
Perrin Turbo Inlet and Afta MAF
EQ Smog pump delete
255lpg fuel pump
Stock injectors
Thanks again to everyone at EQ Tuning: Ed, Sonya, Brendan, Nash, Kelly and Dallas for providing excellent customer service, parts and tuning. I'll be back when it's time for a new motor (hopefully not too soon!).
Sorry for the crappy cell pics...
EQ Tuning WRX Cross Pipe
EQ Tuning (right) vs IAG Up Pipe (left)
Before porting...
...after porting!
Welded waste gate, TiAl EWG and EQ Tuning custom dumptube
On the dyno
Last edited by bpatrick; 02-08-2011 at 10:46 PM.
02-08-2011, 11:10 AM
#6
Thanks
-- Ed
02-08-2011, 10:47 PM
#7
Registered User
Thread Starter
iTrader: (17)
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Bay Area
Posts: 396
Car Info: 2007 Impreza WRX Limited Bugeye Conversion
I definitely would like an electronic copy. Thanks
Last edited by bpatrick; 02-08-2011 at 10:58 PM.
02-08-2011, 10:50 PM
#8
Registered User
Thread Starter
iTrader: (17)
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Bay Area
Posts: 396
Car Info: 2007 Impreza WRX Limited Bugeye Conversion
Definitely! The sound was deafening in the back when the ewg kicked in. It just roars on the road. I'm having a hard time trying not to kick in the ewg every time I get on the freeway!
02-17-2011, 07:19 PM
#15
Registered User
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: here and there
Posts: 195
Car Info: an EQ tuned box
Bummer about the cracked ring (a legit reason to kick it in high gear & put in the works), though not at all surprising: Ed delivers.
Regardless of popular census - proven numbers/power don't lie. EQ is no joke. Look it up if anyone doubts.
Again, sorry to hear about the deteriorating component, but congrats for landing at the right shop. Ed suffers from OCD (insisted that I didn't leave after 6 + hours before ironing out quirks) and that's a good thing for guys like us. Perhaps I'll get to check out the ride at one of the EQ BBQs.
Good luck with the endeavor and keep us posted.
