I only know what I have read on here, and a little bit of research…. But there is no substitute for experience so I’d like a little bit of GOOD advice, if somebody is willing to spend the time give me some.


I’ve got a EVO X, its about 18 months old and has 50500km on the clock.

I have a HKS High Power exhaust system and a Ralliart drop in filter.

I’ve just bought a Ralliart intercooler piping kit and have a rexpeed test pipe, both uninstalled.

I have been given a contact of a reputable tuner who operates in Dubai, where I am living (so it is hot and dusty) so I can get these parts installed and the car tuned… finally!

So I was wondering … do I need to get any more parts? He may or may not suggest that I do, but a 3rd opinion would be great.

Do I need to get a boost controller (like a HKS EVC)

Do I NEED to get an up rated fuel pump and injectors?

Shall I leave the down pipe for a turbo upgrade, if I get one …. Same goes for the FMIC…… I only question the FMIC because the FQ400 runs a stock FMIC as do the GrN rally cars!

Do I need to get an AFR gauge?

I'm sticking with a high quality pannel filter, Ralliart, as filtration is very important in this area.... very dusty.....



The guy doing the tune is an ECUtek guy…..

What do I need to look out for….

What key questions do I need to ask?

What should I expect, generally, in terms of results …..

SHOULD I WORRY IF THERE IS NO USE OF A ROLLING ROAD…..

HOW LONG SHOULD IT TAKE ….. IF IT IS ALL OVER IN A FEW HOURS SHOULD I WORRY?

Thanks for any advice, I really appreciate it!

Michael

 

You shouldn't need to upgrade the pump until you start getting into the engine or the turbo. If you are looking to up the boost, an AFR gauge and a boost controller is a must (and a fuel pressure gauge wouldn't be a bad idea, either). Also, injectors could be on your list if you are looking to do your turbo upgrades in the future, but the stock injectors on the Evo X are good for a pretty decent gain on their own. If you do decide to pick up injectors, make sure you have your future power goals in mind so you don't have to replace them again with the next round of mods.

I wouldn't worry too much if the tuner doesn't have a dyno in the shop. A street tune can be just as good. The biggest draw back is no record of what your car made in power, so you have nothing to compare it to when your add your future modifications. With your current setup, if it takes LONGER than an hour or 2, I would worry.

 

Boost controller is NOT a must. In fact, I consider it a MUST NOT.

ECU boost control is the BEST way to go.

You do not need fuel upgrades until you add a turbo or change fuel ( and I doubt you have E85 over there).

Intercooler is needed if you want consistent pulls. If you only get on it every now and then, you will be ok. But the hotter it is, the easier it is for the IC to get heat soaked.

A down pipe is not needed. The stock one works perfectly fine and is all of 2 feet long (.6 meters).

An AFR gauge is nice to know your fuel ratio. If you are going to upgrade stuff with out heading to the tuner each time, then yes it is a must. If you are going to just add parts, go to the tuner, then leave the car alone, then an AFR gauge isn't needed.

I'm not a big fan of ECUTek simply because you can't change it after it's done. If that doesn't bother you, then go for it.

A road tune would be the best, because dyno's don't always hit the same load cells that you do on the road. My car has been on 2 dynos. One hit the same load cells as I did on the road and the other didn't.

The tune should take 2-3 hours. The install will take how ever long it takes. **** happens when installing parts.

 

Thanks for the advice! Especially on how long the tune should take. That makes me feel a lit better.

Cheers

 

Great! Thanks a lot, that helps me out a lot..... I spoke to another guy this morning who said that i dont need to upgrade the injectors, but going for a 255 Walbro fuel pump would be a good idea.

He's also said that going with the HKS EVC would be a good move, because i can then run at 1.4bar most of the time, but crank it up to 1.8bar for those special moments. He also said the EVC was good as it linked to the ECU ?!?

 

huh ... could it be a dousand sunes, zams ??? i agree with Golden 10000000000000% and DW too. are u on a GSR or MR ?

ecu can control boost just as fine or if not better than any BC out there. and you can go with high low boost on stock ecu, if your tuner says no then i would like to humbly advise you to find somewhere or someone else to do your tuning. but again it's an option/choice for you or tuner to choose.

there can and will be records of the current power before and after mods, logfiles can be saved for reference.

on stock turbo NO FUEL PUMP upgrade required at all or even maybe for a fp green/red depending on supporting mods/fuel type/tune but highly recommended though. do some research on the stock and it is very strong and runs well. *hint* u might find some info on ams site.

i've tuned a couple of stockers with bolt ons like yrself on street running around town with an avg of +/-300whp/wtq on evoscan and VDR (which is fairly close to real world dyno). it would be good if you have options, do a street then run on dyno for a fine tune if permitting/required. well i run my car under the heat not too far from you but not under the shade with my bonnet up and a huge fan blowing upfront all the time.

i would rather install a boost gauge instead of an afr gauge if budget is a constrain. get both and it will do you good.

tuning time could and will vary depending on weather & location. yep if there are no limits/cops/radars then it would be approx. 2-3 hrs job for your mods listed.

wait for a turbo upgrade then here comes fueling. inj's and pump. it is also a good time to upgrade DP, exhaust manifold, ewg/wga at the same time and then later on will be brakes, clutch/tranny cooling upgrades, CO's and so on hahhaaha welcome to the world of modding and hunger for more powerrrrr.

a fmic could be a good idea as the heat is picking up real fast.

anyways what i've stated above is just my opinion. the ride is yours so decision is yours. there's a wealth of info here and "other" forums. i'd suggest you to do alot of reading/research before making up your mind. alot of nice members would chime in to help out if the question is properly posted with good manners LoL .... ah ha, search button is your good friend too.

GL & Happy Tuning

 

what you need todo is work out if you trust the tuner..

if you cant trust him or dont feel comfortable then find another tuner.

your tuner should be able to answer all these questions.

but quickly:
a) no EBC required
b) no fuel pump OR injectors required for stock turbo
c) tune should take 2-3 hours, depending on your setup etc
d) regarding gauges, you dont really need a boost guage, but it is handy to have an AFR gauge... but really not super necessary, unless you dont trust the tooner

 

oh and on the topic of street vs dyno tuning:

you dont drive on a dyno.

as long as your tuner is thorough you should be fine with a street tune.

that said a dyno tune is usually "safer" since it stresses the car more, ie you can do 3 back-to-back 4th gear pulls and make sure nothing bad is happening!

I would also think that UAE is an ideal place to street tune (no cops, wide open areas???)

 

sometimes i do 3 back to back on 3rd and then 4th on street too HEHEHEHE ... but of course on the dyno it is a lot more safer and to confirm on whats going on easily.

NOPE UAE is FULL of COPS & RADARS. The fines are HEAVY ! Over here (where i'm at) if you're caught with funny acts,stunts, mods, etc there are no fines (yet) but you go directly to jail for 48hrs i think and then direct to the COURT. But the roads are nice & wide. Gotta be really careful and thats why over here the tune could take a little longer than normal

 

Yeah, the stock fuel pump can supply more fuel than the stock injectors will use... so no reason to upgrade unless you are going to use e85 or really big injectors. It flows nearly as much as the 255.

 

I wonder if they have E85 in the middle east? LOL.

Or what octane the fuel actually is there?

Interesting topic...