Rallytimebitches
Active member
I wanted to start a discussion on some of the successful tips and techniques many of you have used before to dial in a moderately to highly modified setup. When you're at the point where you have your car freshly built, tuned, and it doesn't make as much power as you thought it should. When you want to start tweaking and dialing things in to attain more power, where do you start? Where were you successful? What are some of the things you found that bottlenecked your setup??
I will start with me. Once I had gathered the parts I needed and had everything together, I recently had my car dual map tuned on Q16 and was bummed at the output. The car was English Racing tuned and it made 468 whp / 393 wtq @ 31.2 psi... on 92 octane it made 384 whp/ 312 tq @ 21psi. While I enjoyed the newfound power delivery, I feel like this turbo with this setup could really do better. So I looked for inefficiencies in the system. Where is airflow limited? Heat issues? Exhaust flow?
Here's my list of mods:
2.0, link v3 full,
turbo/exhaust:
-FP RED journal
-TURBOSMART external wastegate 38mm 14.5psi spring
-HALLMAN PRO manual boost controller
-ported 2g manifold and o2 housing
-full custom 3" turboback exhaust, catless, with magnaflow race stainless steel muffler, flanged dump pipe rerouted to exhaust
intake/fuel/ignition:
-FIC 1200cc injectors
-walbro 255 fuel pump and rewire
-AEROMOTIVE fpr
-custom sheet metal intake manifold
-cold air intake
-custom fmic with 2.5" piping
-ngr bov
Motor:
block:
-2.0
-cp pistons 9:1
-1g rods
-arp main studs
-arp rod bolts
-micropolished crank
-clevite77 mains and rod bearings
head:
-arp head studs
-new oem valves
-new oem valve stem seals
-new oem valves, springs, retainers, stem seals, ARP head studs
-HKS 272/272
This setup I feel is fully capable of supporting over 500-600 horsepower. Where should I look to dial/tweak/adjust or even upgrade to gain more power? I've considered:
-better charge cooling. Maybe a more efficient intercooler. Boost leaks are minimal. I have a minor exhaust leak on the manifold at the wastegate.
-I also have considered a full dump tube to prevent limiting the top end flow through the wastegate at WOT.
I am aiming for 550whp and I know DSMs have attained this number with the FP RED. I feel like this isn't unrealistic expectation with this setup, and even if I changed all these things above I dont think it would yield the +90whp that I am looking for. That's why I am appealing for second opinions on what I should consider working on. Is it simple as more boost and timing? Just turn up the turbo to 38 psi on Q16 and tune for power?
Everyone wants to max their setup for the most power that can be safely and reliably delivered. Finding the bottlenecks is often difficult and can use a second set of eyes. I'm hoping not to only get help with my own setup, but maybe starting a conversation that leads to well documented and displayed techniques for people having trouble finding the limitations within their own setups.
Thanks ahead of time!
-Rallytime
I will start with me. Once I had gathered the parts I needed and had everything together, I recently had my car dual map tuned on Q16 and was bummed at the output. The car was English Racing tuned and it made 468 whp / 393 wtq @ 31.2 psi... on 92 octane it made 384 whp/ 312 tq @ 21psi. While I enjoyed the newfound power delivery, I feel like this turbo with this setup could really do better. So I looked for inefficiencies in the system. Where is airflow limited? Heat issues? Exhaust flow?
Here's my list of mods:
2.0, link v3 full,
turbo/exhaust:
-FP RED journal
-TURBOSMART external wastegate 38mm 14.5psi spring
-HALLMAN PRO manual boost controller
-ported 2g manifold and o2 housing
-full custom 3" turboback exhaust, catless, with magnaflow race stainless steel muffler, flanged dump pipe rerouted to exhaust
intake/fuel/ignition:
-FIC 1200cc injectors
-walbro 255 fuel pump and rewire
-AEROMOTIVE fpr
-custom sheet metal intake manifold
-cold air intake
-custom fmic with 2.5" piping
-ngr bov
Motor:
block:
-2.0
-cp pistons 9:1
-1g rods
-arp main studs
-arp rod bolts
-micropolished crank
-clevite77 mains and rod bearings
head:
-arp head studs
-new oem valves
-new oem valve stem seals
-new oem valves, springs, retainers, stem seals, ARP head studs
-HKS 272/272
This setup I feel is fully capable of supporting over 500-600 horsepower. Where should I look to dial/tweak/adjust or even upgrade to gain more power? I've considered:
-better charge cooling. Maybe a more efficient intercooler. Boost leaks are minimal. I have a minor exhaust leak on the manifold at the wastegate.
-I also have considered a full dump tube to prevent limiting the top end flow through the wastegate at WOT.
I am aiming for 550whp and I know DSMs have attained this number with the FP RED. I feel like this isn't unrealistic expectation with this setup, and even if I changed all these things above I dont think it would yield the +90whp that I am looking for. That's why I am appealing for second opinions on what I should consider working on. Is it simple as more boost and timing? Just turn up the turbo to 38 psi on Q16 and tune for power?
Everyone wants to max their setup for the most power that can be safely and reliably delivered. Finding the bottlenecks is often difficult and can use a second set of eyes. I'm hoping not to only get help with my own setup, but maybe starting a conversation that leads to well documented and displayed techniques for people having trouble finding the limitations within their own setups.
Thanks ahead of time!
-Rallytime