We all face this at one time or another- we have a mod list being pieced together in our heads, and we dont want to spend money on something now when we need to upgrade the same piece later. For instance, I am not going to buy a flash since my long term goals require me to run a stand alone- even though Dynoflash offers a thing where you can sell your flash, its just seeming more and more that i will have to switch over to AEM eventually.

Getting into AEM EMS off the bat:
This is seeming like a more viable option every day i think of the mods i am going to carry out in the future. I purchased the car to KEEP it, not to get bored with it and sell it. This is the second new car i have purchased in the last 3 years, and i do not plan to lose money any more.

Currently, i have a 3" turbo back running catless,and an HKS EVC V boost controller for power mods. I have been researching cams since i got the car. Even though i have not decided on what setup to go with yet, i have realized that most of the cam setups i am looking at cannot be easily tuned using an SAFC, flash, etc... Any setup i use will include valve springs, retainers, and maybe oversized valves + porting.

My goals are to reach a driveable 400-500hp. Once my turbo shows signs of impending death, i will upgrade to a larger turbo setup. Driveability is obviously a must- i have no sponsorships, and if my beater breaks down, i WILL have to drive this car on a daily basis until i have aleviated my problems.

Would going to stand alone be a viable option right now, or would you suggest losing money, but upgrading as needed? If i install an AEM EMS right off the bat, i will be able to give myself time to tune it.

I dont usually have time to go to a 4 wheel dyno though- the ones local to me are less than local. I have confidence that i will be able to tune the car myself- I have a decent understanding of tuning from my last car, and i will make only informed decisions when altering my setup.

Am i on the right track, or should i smarten up and ditch the AEM idea?

 

Admittedly I am only now becoming familiar with the various electronic manipulation devices specifically applicable to the Evo 8, but I've already formed some initial opinions...

In my experience, mixing and matching different devices from different manufacturers is not an attractive idea (IMO) if a single viable alternative is available. Now, perhaps some persons will opt for a boost controller and SAFC, both of which can be had for reasonable money and are provent to be compatible, but if these persons get serious with mods, they will outgrow the capabilities of this combo. This means they may face selling off these items at a loss in favor of a stand alone unit, or add to the existing equation, which would seem a bit cumbersome and possibly problematic.

I've seen the AEM EMS, but with Vishnu's Xede available at little more than half the cost of the AEM unit, it seems like it may be a viable alternative. I plan to get somewhat more aggressive when my warranty is up, and I intend to investigate the limitations(?) of the Xede unit before I consider the much more pricey AEM EMS. Perhaps you should do the same.

 

my only problem is that i want full control over every parameter. Working with Bosch Motronic 7.0 in my last car was a nightmare- flashes were great limitations. Drive by Wire, although not applicable to the Evo, drove me nuts. I had no control over multiple parameters, and it made me angry that i was being limited by something that didnt let me do what i wanted to do... I think i may run into this even with the Xede...

 

I would call Vishnu and discuss the particulars with them. The individual(s) who designed the Xede certainly knew what they were doing and are familiar with the EVO code/maps.

 

That's funny because my homologation of mulitple parts makes more power than any of the known tuners Stage setups around here (Vishnu, Works, etc). And I spent half as much.

There's a guy who spent 2400 with Vishnu and I have spent 1200 on different brands and I made 25 lb/ft and 11 more HP than him. Also, I was running 9:1 AF ratios. I have recently corrected this but have not dynoed yet. I will very soon. I am expecting 10-20 MORE HP.

So, not to be rude or anything, but how do you like them apples?

 

You haven't given enough info for us to comment.

What have you done? What specifically are on the stage setups to which you are referring? Were the cars all run on the same dyno? Who tuned them? Etc., etc.

 

Let me put my goals more into perspective for you- the stock ignition will probablly not be able to handle the amount of power that i want to be putting down in the future, eliminating the Xede unless they put forth something to enhance the limitations of the factory ignition.

 

It doesn't matter what was done or what stages. If Vishnu Stage 1 costs 2400 dollars and my "Stage 1" costs 1200 and I make more power, I win!

All I have is a turboback, MBC at 20 psi, HKS RS intake and a TurboTrix flash. All cars dynoed on the same day and same dyno (Wasabi Racing - AWD Mustang). The Vishnu car was tuned by Vishnu and the Works car was tuned by Works. BTW, TurboTrix tuned my ECU with their eyes closed.

I will say this, when I had the same mods and a Dynoflash, I was by far the slowest of this group. I picked up over 50 WHP by losing the Dynoflash.

 

Get an EMS now. You can tune for the future parts. EMS is my next mod after a good clutch.

 

You cant do much with the stock ignition. If youre planning on making more than 500whp than you should consider an aem cdi or hks ignition module and possibly a coil on plug setup. If you have the money the AEM EMS cant be beat.

 

If you can afford it, get it.

 

Standalone is so expensive. Necessary for some. Dont think necessry for exhaust and intake. Turbotrix flash. How you get that? Where was it on their site? Think its best to go to ashop where they can tune the car instead of guessing.

 

Regarding the stock ignition, AMS claims their car makes some 500+ whp on pump gas using the stock ignition and well over 600 whp on race fuel. See: http://www.automotosports.com/evo8_specs.asp

As far as a comparison/contrast between the AEM EMS and Vishnu Xede, I haven't seen one posted, but it would be helpful considering the substantial price difference.

 

I wouldnt recommend going over 500whp on stock ignition. If youve spent that much money to get that power an extra 350 for a CDI isnt going to be hard to do and it will help. I always thought the diffferences between the Exede and AEM EMS were obvious but I wouldnt get into it, just visit both websites for info.

 

I would have liked to have seen before/after (e.g. stock vs. mods) dyno numbers and A/F data between both cars to isolate the difference and determine how it fits (or doesn't fit) a statistical analysis. I'd also like to know 1/4 mi trap speeds and see how they stack up against other comparably equipped cars.

In any case, what I was referring to by mixing and matching of parts wasn't bolt-on hardware, but rather various electronic devices that affect computer signals.