Hey... I have a 2010 GSR. No modifications yet, but the plan is to go intake, full exhaust and tune before next Spring. I have grown up DSM, going from a 93 TSi to a 97 GS-T Spyder. Throughout those days, the easiest mod to optimize performance was a gauge and a manual boost controller. Hitting 18lbs was night and day different from stock (around 14). I had a pretty good Hallman manual boost controller on both of those cars... installation and setting up was basically plug and play. I don't read a whole lot about adjusting boost for the EvoX at all, and was wondering what the premise is behind the concept. Does anyone do it, why or why not? Does the tune pretty much adjust the boost for you? Is the factory setting fairly maximized? I have read about the boost control solenoid being the way to go, but really didn't see any further details. Any advice is being solicited.

 

because it is ECU controlled , and you cant beat that. MBC is obsolete compere to the ECU controlled boost. Also you set it once and you set . Not like MBC when you need boost gauge so you have to be sure you never over boost or under boost deppends on the air quality etc.

X has a very safisticated boost control system. You can peak it like add on boost soleniod etc, but the Main project should be a same. Leave it to the ECU not to yourself.

 

Factory boost control is done by the ECU, and in todays world there's no reason not to use EBCS. If you're going to run more than 27-28psi you'll want to get like the Grimspeed EBCS or now Cobb has one. But if you want to bump the boost just get a tune. No sense in adding boost without optimizing fuel and timing, specially since the X has the awesome intake and exhaust MIVEC.

With that recommendation, there are some tuners that are still ditching the ECU based control for a MBC. Just my opinion, but I think it's sorta lame. Seems like they don't know how to do the control with the ECU, which if they are tuning load maps, that's scary concept.


edit:
Looks like I was slow to respond and Rob beat me to it, but nice to see we are both saying the same thing

 

My tuner had my X set for around 24psi and he told me its maximam from the stock ECU. If we want more boost, we have to go with Grimspeed. Unfortunately the Grimspeed did not work to my car, it had uncontrolable issue and the boost went up and down randomly with spikes. He said it might due to stock Cat overhearted or something. We even talk to the Grimspeed tech, still no solutions. So we took it out and put stock boost unit back on. Is there anyway to control X's boost better and higher, or I HAVE TO remove the stock Cat terminating my warranty?? =(

 

I got my X tuned and they set it at 26psi without a EBCS upgrade. During the tuning sessions my cat was stock and it was beginning to over heat, fortunately they were able to get the boost to sit right there at 26. I now have a TP and GS 3-Port on the way. re-tune soon to follow.

 

Lucky u!
Hummm, maybe I just got a lame Cat...
Mine is 2011 MR, Cobb Catback, 4' ETS FMIC, UIP and HKS drop-in air filter, that's all. 290whp and 300wtq at 24psi...
Good luck to u and let me know how it goes for keeping stock Cat with Grimspeed! Thx

 

Sounds like the 3port was bad IMO. Your tuner should of been able to determine if it was a bad 3port though, but if they were having problems getting over near stock peak boost with the OE EBCS...it makes me worried about your tuner.

Eitherway, yeah high boost with a cat can be difficult and if you want to keep the cat, 290whp with an MR isn't bad. I would of thought you could of made 315ish with the MR and those mods, but for all I know you were on a mustang dyno that never shows any high numbers....after all they're just numbers and by themselves don't mean a thing.

 

Well, tuner said the Grimspeed is fine and even the techician of Grimspeed told us sometimes it does that on Evo Xs, especial with stock Cat. Tuner is HIS motorsports, well known in NC area and tuned many Xs.
Anyway, what if I start using HFC intead of stock cat, then put the grimspeed back in, will that work? Shall I get more higher and stable boost? Any help would appreciate!

 

yes it would help if you replaced. if you got rid of the cat completely with a TP that would work probably even better

 

With cobb app on stock cat and boost silo I hit 28 psi every time. you got it tuned at HIS motor I read a lot of forums talking about how they don't know any thing about tuning a evo look up" black smoke, evo x, his" in search they tuned a evo before that after tune was said it threw out black smoke under wot every time. So maby it's your tuner try a different one like Draco Performance at 177 Knob Hill Road
Mooresville, NC they are cobb pro tuner auth and work on evo/wrx every day they also do a boost test before every tune and look over the engine first I trust that tune any day.

But under stock boost silo you can hit 29psi easy only if the BOV can hold that psi. Sounds like they were just trying to sell you some thing you did not need for what you wanting done at your stage.

 

I'll say that black smoke indicates it's running rich and I'd rather be rich than lean, however, I agree with maybe considering a different tuner. You should go into your tune with the tuner you choose with the tuner hearing what your expectations are and they should be able to answer your questions to start. Such as; "Can I run XXpsi with the stock cat? What if I choose to use a EBCS?"

Your post makes me think your tuning woes came as a surprise and the tuner had to feel the need to jump to excuses. I'm no expert, and I'm sure a clogged cat-converter or restricted exhaust could affect stable boost control, but I'm just surprised I haven't seen this as common as the "My GSR feels notchy when shifting" sort of threads.

The previous poster seems to know of another local shop, cant hurt to go chat with them. Email-tunes might not be a bad solution either, but you'll want to be confident you understand what to look for in a tune a little more as far as watching boost and afrs. However, people say good things about ClipseGT, AMS, and various other well known shops with their etunes for the AP.

 

Your "tuner" doesnt knows how to tune...based on what you said here.

 

Bin following this thread and now ive got a question. Is it 26 or 29psi max for the stock boost controller?

 

Most people use a 3port if they plan to exceed 28psi, but on a non-built block there's no reason to run that much boost with gasoline.




So my biggest misunderstanding of this, did you not realize that having your car tuned will void your warranty, whether you have a cat converter or not? 24psi is also not that much higher than stock. Stock my car has hit 23.06psi

 

That was my question. i thought any tuner besides a Cobb AP would void warranty. Technically a Cobb AP could also but you can flash it back. How do the dealers tell that your car has been tuned?