What other documentation is there to prove the correct arrangement other than the FSM??? Tell him to try and answer that question.

 

Oh really, well I don't want to chance it them. Thanks Doug

 

Thanks guys, that has been my point with this guy. 3.8a stating you need an official mfr service documentation (FSM applies), the FSM is for the US spec evo 9, inside that manual the diff is stacked exactly how I have it. Just quite aggravating I guess I'm getting to the point of calling him out in front of everyone at an event and seeing if that makes him shut up.

Thanks everyone for the extra assurance/clarification!

 

Just to add my .02: it's absolutely legal, and the burden of proof would be on the competitor to try to explain how something in the FSM *isn't* legal. Quite a few people confuse this procedure with being the same as sending off the diff to TRE to have a 12-plate installed, but it's not the same at all.

The Evo isn't the only car that benefits from FSM tweaks - FS Shelby GTs could be helped out by a good diff rebuild as well. ES MR2s didn't come with crash bolts from the factory to allow more camber but they are legal to run, too, per the FSM rule.

 

How does the SCCA handle this in the event of a protest?

IE. If a competitor is suspected of running modified boost is he required to supply maps there and then right after the event is over?

 

A little update for folks. I did e-mail nationals about this and they basically said that the FSM is acceptable as proof during a dispute and to just be sure that the FSM is for the USDM model (which it is) and that there are no Technical Service Bulletins from Mitsu saying that it is a misprint(which I did not find). So just make sure you have your copy of the FSM and you should be ok.

In my case my e-mailed response to the competitor who was giving me grief apparently made him realize he was either incorrect or would not receive a favorable outcome so he never did protest and basically apologized for jumping the gun a bit.

 

As far as I have understood it, there has never really been a protest about modified boost maps. Most probably this is because you can really alter boost quite effectively through legal means, and I would assume proving that the boost tables are stock would prove somewhat difficult at an event as it would really require someone who knows the car in question to be able to prove it. Too many cars with too many different roms I would think. It is far easier to check to make sure they are running the stock bcs/lines. However, I don't know for sure.

 

vortico, is this diff 'mod' working for you?

 

Well it sure feels good, I seem to be able to power through corners better than before and currently I am about 1 seconds faster than my times last year when comparing to other folks in the tires category as me.

I have a video of my best run at the last event at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y425uLVZxvA . Pardon the audio, this was my first time using this camera with the external mic and I had it waaay to sensitive. You can tell the difference at around 0:20 the long 180degree sweeper at around 0:28, the other 180degree sweeper at around 0:50. And yes, I left tons of time out there, so many places I should have been accelerating but coasted =/, at least it didn't cost me position. (and a whole lot of under-steer right before the finish lol)

Unfortunately the day I really seemed to use it a lot was the previous event where there was a pretty sweet set of corners I powered through without losing much speed (the cause of the above dilemma).

Same run, filmed by a corner worker towards the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDLQw...ature=youtu.be

Previous run, can see a little power oversteer coming out of the 180 degree corner and some going through the S to the end (also some tripodding fun =) )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8SCZ...ature=youtu.be

 

How much power,just a rough guess/estimate,can you legally pick up anyways?

 

Not sure there, I'm right around 290-300 whp via virtual dyno with all the permitted mods but I've heard as much as 340 with clever exhaust restrictions in the o2 housing and using E85 which would be legal as you can replace the o2 housing with whatever you want (except a dump, although I suppose you could do a dump if you could get the exhaust from it to exit behind the driver, would be odd though).

 

So if someone was playing by the rules,used all the allowed mods and was on pump gas......maybe pick up 40/50 HP over completely stock?

 

Depends on the pump gas, but yeah that shouldn't be a problem to get, probably a little more than that with E85 since you could increase timing a bit.

 

So if I did only the engine mods allowed in STU and never touched anything else,and was on crappy pump gas(no E85 or even higher octane).......I would be handed my a$$ by a stock class car on R-comps?(assuming equal driver skill)

 

Key here being the DOT rubber. SS thru BS all should be faster than you based on PAX index but another thing to consider is the level of prep required to run competitive pax times in classes that allow mods. Stock is easiest to compete in that fashion because their is so little you must do other than drive and a bit of shock magic.

Realistically even a top level ES miata will hand you your *** but maybe I just feel that way cause we have the alien Jerry Jenkins in out region