That's what I was thinking. I was leaning more towards the 8.5:1's, but the more and more I read through REALLY OLD posts, the more I see 9.0:1's being ran in Pump Builds.

I'm definitely picking up some 1400HD's, those are a most do. Still on the fence with the Rods.. I'm torn between GRP AL. Rods and Turbo-Tuff I-Beams. I know a lot of people have their opinions on AL Rods, but one of the meanest Evo's I've ever been around was on a set and it lasted for 9 years without dropping the pan. Hard to believe, I know, but that thing was amazing.

 

If going over 500whp, I-beams are a good idea, IMO. I like what I read about aluminum rods, I just haven't tried them yet. Skurred. LOL

 

I feel it. I'm a little scared of scary things too.

 

My 2.4L 10.5:1 LR was a pain to tune on 93. When I do it again I will run a 9.0:1 ratio.

 

Was it timing? Idle? What was it that caused the issues?

 

Idle and cruise should be fine. Plenty of NA motors run 10.5-11.5:1 on pump gas. The tuning difficulty will come when you are trying to tune WOT.

 

My Fiesta ST is 10.0:1 but it's also DI so that helps, and the ECU makes ours feel like tuning with a abacus. ;P

 

If that ECU is anything like the 2011+ Mustang I hear you there. That ECU is so much more advanced than the Evo ECU.

 

The VW DI motors are 10.5:1 I think. DI is a HUGE help because the fuel isn't in there until right when you need it.

 

ECU is a huge advantage as well.

I would kill for just the wideband target fueling feature for the Evos.

As an FYI, VW and Ford both use the MED ecu.

 

wideband target = I wish.

 

Our ECUs really are pretty dated. I am tuning a Coyote Mustang right now and bought a 130 page PDF on tips for that ECU it's so advanced. Wideband target is awesome because with everything else setup correctly you can lean or richen it out to see what it likes just by changing what you want to target.

There are advantages to our simple ECU though. Something like 16 tables effect timing on the Mustang so it can be overwhelming and confusing figuring out what's causing what.

 

As other have stated, only WOT. When youre trying to run 30-34lbs of boost your engine tends to be a little touchy with a higher compression ratio.

Normal driving was always easy to tune.

Yes DI would help tremendously when it comes to higher compressions, boost and going WOT.

 

If you are concerned about weight you could run a Carrillo Pro H . Plenty strong and would be easier on the bearings @ max load/ high rpm. Manley I beams are really strong as well but are 100 grams heavier. Either one would be fine for your build but I personally like light weight components. Don't forget to get an upgraded pin if you are going to make over 500-600whp. DLC coating on the pin is nice also. 9:1 for pump gas would be my choice.

Carrillo ~588 grams
Manley I beam 690

https://www.cp-carrillo.com/pt-3508-rods.html

http://www.manleyperformance.com/sc/...g63_rods.shtml

Wideband target fueling is a great feature and most of the standalones on the market have them .That and a host of other features tuned correctly make a fun,safe car that you can just beat on without staring at the wideband or logs. My life got much better when I made the choice to go to a standalone. Throttle response at any temperature was perfect and crisp. The native language is speed density and the ecu was developed around that. Tuned correctly the cold/hot start and drivability are better then the stock ecu on SD trickery.

http://www.aemelectronics.com/?q=pro...bishi-evo-viii
http://www.haltech.com/new-haltech-elite-series-ecus/

Haltech has alot of great videos and explains things well.

 

This is what I'm talking about! Thanks for all of the good information man! I appreciate it!

On this specific build I will be running a stand alone, an AEM Series 2 to be exact. I've been hearing a lot of good about the Infiniti lately, so I may make the switch to it down the road. I'd love to get a Haltech or ProEFI, but honestly the build isn't super complex and I don't need massive data logging capabilities, so both may be a little more than I need.

I completely forgot about the CARR. Rods, I'll definitely take a look at those. You were on the money when you mentioned being concerned at high rpm, so they may be an excellent alternative to GRP Al. Rods.

Thanks for all of the help though! Much appreciated!