Try not to be too sarcastic i know this thing is probably a peice of ****, but what are performance chips? Do they work at all? Just trying to do some research, and what would be the best way to tune my engine?

 

I'm going to assume by performance chip you're referring to those devices that are sold on TV and eBay that install on the intake and fool the car into modifying its AFR; you would be correct, those things are pieces of ****. However, you can "chip" or modify the ECU of your car to tune. There are a variety of products available to you at all different price points depending on your needs. For basic to mild setups the Rtek series of chip modifications are an excellent choice in my opinion. You've got Rtek 1.5 and 1.7 which are basically recalibrations for the factory ECU which account for specific modifications. Rtek 2.1 gives you the ability to actually tune the car to your needs. If you're going for an extensive build you will want to go with a full standalone ECU such as Haltech, AEM, etc. This forum has an entire subforum dedicated to the major ECU systems, I would suggest browsing those sections to better understand what will suit your needs.

 

rtek7! is very good and used alot here! the 2.1 I would recomend it has pretty good tuning ability for a chip! just make sure the person tht does the tuning does it rite!

Rtek7 ECU Upgrade Detailed Information

 

the Rtek7 2.1 is the only real tuneable chip. however, you wont need it unless youre already modified with a bunch of stuff. it mainly modifies AFR though. for most people rtek 1.5 through 1.8 is enough

 

Hope youre not talking about the ebay **** that is just a resistor wrapped in tape...

 

Besides the stock ecu,the only Viable "chip" is the Rtek based Chip.
digital tuning, inc. .
..after that a good "Performance" chip is a Salt and vinegar Ripple chip saturated with Viagra.

 

thank you ill definatelly look into what your saying, ive only been in the rx7 game for about a year so there are still a lot of things i have to learn

 

i just looked it up and there is only 1 available for N/A and its $500, the $100 1.5 and 1.7 rtek are only for the TII

 

Why go with a chip, instead of getting yourself a good Haltch, Rtek, Motec, etc. ECU and wiring? Do it properly once!

 

Look again.Rtek stage 1 (s5) is 120.
It is just the basic chip.It will give you Omp delete.
Stage 2 is programmable though.You use a Palm Pilot.
After that you go to a Haltech,or whatever.
Honestly,if you are constantly upgrading,an Aftermarket EMS right now,will save you money.If you buy now,then you don't fork out for this Ecu,this chip,this and that...You would already have the EMS that would handle an N/A or a TII.

 

So it would be better to just buy an save up and buy an expensive ecu that i can tune? Ive only heard about haltech before i posted this and ive only heard good things about it, how much would a good haltech ecu run me?

 

No, you don't have the skill to tune an expensive ECU yourself. If you want an expensive ECU, then you will need a professional tuner if you want good results. I recommend checking your regional forum to find a tuner near your location and ask him about performance and pricing available. The brand of ECU doesn't matter much. Here is your regional forum:
West RX-7 Forum - RX7Club.com

The cheapest Haltech EMS is about $1,000 with the wiring harness, and the most expensive one is about $2,100 with the wiring harness. Don't buy anything until you talk to your local tuner.

 

Just a side-note: That I am not trying to get you to buy anything.
As Evil said: the Ecu TUNE is what it is all about.Without that you can have a 2000 dollar ECU that will blow an engine in minutes if it has a bad tune.
Aftermarket Ecu's and Programmable Ecu's are a step UP in the ladder,so if you haven't grasped the basics(Like rat's nest delete,omp delete,Tps adjustment,etc),then you are gonna need to do some serious info searching on the subject.
You can have a $10k TII but it won't run correctly if it hasn't been tuned properly.