Looney Tuning
07-30-2009, 11:20 PM
This Evo X GSR belongs to forum member big boss. He is a convert from the 350Z community. He had a supercharge 350Z that never ran right. So he decided to get a blown car right from the factory. I agree with that and would not do it any other way. Converting an NA car to an FI car almost always leads to problems down the road.
Big boss had the following mods done to his car:
MXP 3"downpipe
Ultimate racing 3" test pipe
Greddy ti-c exhaust
Injen intake (the best intake for the Evo X based on my testing so far)
UICP
ETS 3.5" core intercooler
HKS blow off valve (removed)
The car had a VTA BOV, but I told him to remove it since I will not tune the car with one of these. I have learned my lesson from the last time I tuned an Evo X with one. So, never again. I do not want to waste my time and energy to tune an Evo X that has a part with no performance value and that will inevitably make the car run worse. Big boos went back to the stock BOV and the car ran better than before. At one point he had SIX CEL because of the BOV.
The first order business is to check the fuel trims on the car. (Check my write-up on fuel trims in this forum). The Injen intake on this car did not drift the trims beyond +6%. That is a fantastic intake. It lowers the IATs during WOT operation more than any other that I have tested, and keeps the trims below +/-8% (Cobb’s suggestion). I really think that the Injen intake is the best for the Evo X thus far. I am very impressed with it.
After checking the trims, we did WOT runs on the stock tune. This Evo was never updated from its original flash, so the hesitation at the top end was horrible. You can feel the car really stutter. The upside is the power gains from the tune were going to be terrific.
Here are the before and after charts on this tune. Starting with the boost, this Evo had piss poor stock boost. The car could not make it above 21.24 psi at peak and then tapered to 15.64 psi by redline. Furthermore, the peak boost came very late at 4500 rpm. The tuned boost by contrast, not only peaked 1,250 rpm earlier than stock, but was also 3.1 psi higher. It also held to 18.97 psi by redline, 3.33 psi higher than stock. Whereas, the stock tune never hit the 240 load column, the final tune hit the 240 load column from 3000 to 5000 rpm. On occasion, it also hit the 260 load column.
http://www.sr20deracing.com/looneytuning/Evo/Luis/psi_b4_after.gif
The stock AFR was nothing special either. While it did not dip into the 9:1 ratio, it fell into the high 10:1 ratio at 4000 rpm and continued to get richer until it hit 10.07:1 by redline. Just imagine how much richer the AFR would have been had the LTFT been +10% like on some other intakes that I have logged. That 10.07:1 would have ended up being 9.06:1.
http://www.sr20deracing.com/looneytuning/Evo/Luis/afr_b4_after.gif
The tuned AFR peaked at 11.94:1, held in the mid 11:1 to 5500 rpm and then tapered to the low 11:1 high 10.9:1 by redline.
The final table is for ignition timing advance. Since this car had a larger FMIC than stock, I was able to run slightly higher timing than I usually do on Evo Xs. As usual, I begin the tune with a retarded base timing map. After I set the boost and AFR, I advance the timing 1* at a time until the car encounters knock. When knock is logged, I retard the timing by one degree and leave it there.
http://www.sr20deracing.com/looneytuning/Evo/Luis/tim_b4_after.gif
Despite the larger IC, the timing was ~ 2* less than stock at peak boost/torque, 1-2* leas than stock in the mid-range, and 4* less than stock at the top end.
The gains from the tune on this Evo X was the highest I have ever recorded. It was stunning:
Max power gain @ 6500 rpm = +74 hp
Max torque gain @ 6500 rpm = +57 ft-lb
Peak power gain = +59 hp
Peak torque gain = +39 ft-lb
http://www.sr20deracing.com/looneytuning/Evo/Luis/dyno_b4_after2.gif
Big boss had the following mods done to his car:
MXP 3"downpipe
Ultimate racing 3" test pipe
Greddy ti-c exhaust
Injen intake (the best intake for the Evo X based on my testing so far)
UICP
ETS 3.5" core intercooler
HKS blow off valve (removed)
The car had a VTA BOV, but I told him to remove it since I will not tune the car with one of these. I have learned my lesson from the last time I tuned an Evo X with one. So, never again. I do not want to waste my time and energy to tune an Evo X that has a part with no performance value and that will inevitably make the car run worse. Big boos went back to the stock BOV and the car ran better than before. At one point he had SIX CEL because of the BOV.
The first order business is to check the fuel trims on the car. (Check my write-up on fuel trims in this forum). The Injen intake on this car did not drift the trims beyond +6%. That is a fantastic intake. It lowers the IATs during WOT operation more than any other that I have tested, and keeps the trims below +/-8% (Cobb’s suggestion). I really think that the Injen intake is the best for the Evo X thus far. I am very impressed with it.
After checking the trims, we did WOT runs on the stock tune. This Evo was never updated from its original flash, so the hesitation at the top end was horrible. You can feel the car really stutter. The upside is the power gains from the tune were going to be terrific.
Here are the before and after charts on this tune. Starting with the boost, this Evo had piss poor stock boost. The car could not make it above 21.24 psi at peak and then tapered to 15.64 psi by redline. Furthermore, the peak boost came very late at 4500 rpm. The tuned boost by contrast, not only peaked 1,250 rpm earlier than stock, but was also 3.1 psi higher. It also held to 18.97 psi by redline, 3.33 psi higher than stock. Whereas, the stock tune never hit the 240 load column, the final tune hit the 240 load column from 3000 to 5000 rpm. On occasion, it also hit the 260 load column.
http://www.sr20deracing.com/looneytuning/Evo/Luis/psi_b4_after.gif
The stock AFR was nothing special either. While it did not dip into the 9:1 ratio, it fell into the high 10:1 ratio at 4000 rpm and continued to get richer until it hit 10.07:1 by redline. Just imagine how much richer the AFR would have been had the LTFT been +10% like on some other intakes that I have logged. That 10.07:1 would have ended up being 9.06:1.
http://www.sr20deracing.com/looneytuning/Evo/Luis/afr_b4_after.gif
The tuned AFR peaked at 11.94:1, held in the mid 11:1 to 5500 rpm and then tapered to the low 11:1 high 10.9:1 by redline.
The final table is for ignition timing advance. Since this car had a larger FMIC than stock, I was able to run slightly higher timing than I usually do on Evo Xs. As usual, I begin the tune with a retarded base timing map. After I set the boost and AFR, I advance the timing 1* at a time until the car encounters knock. When knock is logged, I retard the timing by one degree and leave it there.
http://www.sr20deracing.com/looneytuning/Evo/Luis/tim_b4_after.gif
Despite the larger IC, the timing was ~ 2* less than stock at peak boost/torque, 1-2* leas than stock in the mid-range, and 4* less than stock at the top end.
The gains from the tune on this Evo X was the highest I have ever recorded. It was stunning:
Max power gain @ 6500 rpm = +74 hp
Max torque gain @ 6500 rpm = +57 ft-lb
Peak power gain = +59 hp
Peak torque gain = +39 ft-lb
http://www.sr20deracing.com/looneytuning/Evo/Luis/dyno_b4_after2.gif