U guys forgot to mention, IGNITION

 

The stock ignition system on the Evo isn't bad. It's a wasted spark setup and the coils do seem to provide enough energy to even get you past the 500whp mark if you're willing to play with the gap settings a bit.

First thing you can do is try an ignition amplifier like the HKS DLI unit. Even though the inner workings of an ignition amp are supposed to be trade secret most patents for ignition amps reveal the nature of the beast. An ignition amp charges up a capacitor and when the circuit receives a trigger it dumps the capacitor's charge into the primary winding of the ignition coil its attached to. The capacitor provides more current to the coil and more voltage making the spark plug deliver more energy.

Second thing you can do is use a COP or coil over plug ignition system, quite simply more coils means more potential energy and thus better spark. All the current ones I've seen use 300m coils but there are other coils available like the pencil coils made by AEM for example. You can get a COP system with a CDI (capacitive discharge ignition) unit or without it.

The advantage of the CDI unit is to use capacitors to bridge the gap for spark energy instead of relying on magnetism and field collapse like normal inductive ignitions. This increases energy and reduces charging times allowing for more precise firing. The disadvantage is the spark duration is short and intensive so poorly mixed fuel to air has a tendency to misfire while an inductive spark ignition would succeed with its longer spark duration. This may occur in the form of a rough idle with big injectors where the fuel isn't properly atomizing into the air.

One other mention here is that upgrading the ignition system in an Evo is cost prohibitive until you cross the threshold where your ignition system starts to limit you from producing more power. This seems to happen at different places for most people either by part combination, fuel, or some other influence preventing ignition.

 

Nice post RoadSpike, thanks for the information.

Dan (drb)

 

Thank you for posting all this info which I've now copy / pasted into a doc so I can start to get up to speed.
I have 2 quick q's:
1. I went to Pep Boys to look for a maintenance / repair / how-to manual and there isn't one for the Evo (not even the Lancer, although there were for other Mitsu models). Can you tell me where I can get one?
2. for my first "mod", I wanted to get a K&N air filter. The K&N web site recommends model 33-2105 but I read in some Evom threads of people using 33-2074. WHich one is the right or better one to use?
Thanks.
Zactianne (Newbie)

TUNED BY MELLON!

 

Well the 33-2074 is 116.472 cubic in. in volume

The 33-2105 is 133.008 cubic in. in volume

More area for the filter "should" flow a bit more.

 

pro page

 

I have the whole evo 8 shop manual in PDF. I know you have a 9, but if you're still interested I could email it.

 

I have the same thing the evo 9 is just a supplamental manual to the evo 8 one. I have both if you want them. PM me with emails if you want it sent to your box.

 

good thread for help, thanks

 

very nice sticky...very useful..thanks for the info for a fellow noobie here

 

very very informative... that you

 

great thread for us newbies.

 

This is the closest place i can find for a newb evo question so if its too off topic feel free to erase it or whatever. Im about to pick up an 03 evo and whats the differences / how can you tell if its a gs or rs or what ever other models there are? i cant find this info anywhere

 

First of all I would like to say VERY awesome guide. Informative and great format (easy to read and understand).

Just one question. Does this guide apply for evo x aswell?

 

great thread!