Modding the WRX
lethaladv
12-03-2004, 05:00 PM
Hey everyone. Just wondering what is the best I can do with 2G to help my WRX's performance. I'm new to this so what's your advice?
Alucardr
12-04-2004, 01:28 AM
Stock wrx w 2k to work with... Catless Uppipe, or gut your stock one. First one is easier, 2nd option requires work but will probably cost close to nothing. Make sure to get the 2.2k ohm resistor mod installed because you're not going to have an EGT probe anymore in the uppipe. If you don't know what that is, run a search on it in google or at nasioc.com . There's a few written faqs on it. Next get a turboback exhaust, consisting of a downpipe and catback, preferably either with a high flow cat or catless.
If you go catless you'll need either a MIL eliminator installed for the rear O2 sensor (without cats it'll cause a check engine light) or have the CEL wiped through an engine management program (if you got say, EcuTek you could request they wipe a CEL a specific sensor is giving you) Also get some Samco/Vishnu intercooler hoses, it'll give you a few hp, but it helps with a minor restriction in the stock Y-pipe. Intake is optional, the stock airbox is good to around 300awhp, but a drop in panel filter will help a little. Only thing you have to watch out for is an oiled filter will slowly coat the mass airflow sensor behind the airbox and screw up it's readings. You might have to occasionally clean that with non-chorinated brake cleaner or carb & choke cleaner. Other than that, you could probably fit in engine management of some sort. It's needed if you want to up the boost a little and it'll overall make things much smoother.
After those items above..you'll have around $7-800 left, maybe more depending if you don't buy an uppipe which usually go for around $200. For engine management with stock turbo/stock fuel system I recommend either an Accessport or an EcuTek reflash, They both have pre-programmed maps setup for specific mods, for the Accessport you could just go online and dl a map for say, intake, uppipe, TBE, IC hoses and stock turbo @ 16psi on 93 octane etc. You could have several maps, one for daily driving, another for racing..and it's pretty simple you really don't need to know more advanced tuning like you would for a UTEC. EcuTek is the same idea, except you don't actually buy something to hook up, instead you bring your ECU to a tuner, listing what mods you want to have reflashed for and they'll load a map into your ECU to adjust the engine, and make it more effiecient/powerful. A reflash usually goes for $6-700 first time, and $150 or so each time you want it re-reflashed for other added mods. With those mods and Engine management, you'd be Stage 2, around 280hp at the fly. 2k should be enough if you do the installs yourself (which isn't hard, it's all bolt on) and if you gut your own uppipe you'll save $150-200ish.
If you go catless you'll need either a MIL eliminator installed for the rear O2 sensor (without cats it'll cause a check engine light) or have the CEL wiped through an engine management program (if you got say, EcuTek you could request they wipe a CEL a specific sensor is giving you) Also get some Samco/Vishnu intercooler hoses, it'll give you a few hp, but it helps with a minor restriction in the stock Y-pipe. Intake is optional, the stock airbox is good to around 300awhp, but a drop in panel filter will help a little. Only thing you have to watch out for is an oiled filter will slowly coat the mass airflow sensor behind the airbox and screw up it's readings. You might have to occasionally clean that with non-chorinated brake cleaner or carb & choke cleaner. Other than that, you could probably fit in engine management of some sort. It's needed if you want to up the boost a little and it'll overall make things much smoother.
After those items above..you'll have around $7-800 left, maybe more depending if you don't buy an uppipe which usually go for around $200. For engine management with stock turbo/stock fuel system I recommend either an Accessport or an EcuTek reflash, They both have pre-programmed maps setup for specific mods, for the Accessport you could just go online and dl a map for say, intake, uppipe, TBE, IC hoses and stock turbo @ 16psi on 93 octane etc. You could have several maps, one for daily driving, another for racing..and it's pretty simple you really don't need to know more advanced tuning like you would for a UTEC. EcuTek is the same idea, except you don't actually buy something to hook up, instead you bring your ECU to a tuner, listing what mods you want to have reflashed for and they'll load a map into your ECU to adjust the engine, and make it more effiecient/powerful. A reflash usually goes for $6-700 first time, and $150 or so each time you want it re-reflashed for other added mods. With those mods and Engine management, you'd be Stage 2, around 280hp at the fly. 2k should be enough if you do the installs yourself (which isn't hard, it's all bolt on) and if you gut your own uppipe you'll save $150-200ish.
Alucardr
12-04-2004, 01:34 AM
Also, do the uppipe first whether you buy one catless or gut the stock. Putting on an exhaust or making higher boost will make the exhaust temperatures hotter, higher air pressure, and most likely melt the uppipe cat. This is bad since it would send chunks of it flying into your turbo and destroy it.
lethaladv
12-04-2004, 04:15 PM
Thx! :)
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