I was just wondering if there was a way to get somewhat of an aggresive tune on a stock ECU? could any reputable mechanic do it? or would I have to take it to a specialist? also-- any knowledge of a Rotary shop in Las Vegas or Kingman?

If I have work done I dont want to have my engine shipped. Unless one of you guys live in the general area and would be willing to port my engine for me.

 

First of all, what kind of car? I imagine tuning NA's and TII's is very different...

 

god im an idiot

88GXL n/a

 

From what I know about tuning, which isn't a whole lot yet, if you use the stock ECU your timing is going to react to sensory inputs as it does now, however you can increase the efficiency of your exhaust, intake ports, use fuel controllers... I think those are some of the most common mods to NA FC's with the stock ECU, mods that also yield some of the best results possible with the stock ECU on a NA 13B.

 

Like SpeedOfLife says, your stock ECU responds to sensory inputs. I think the short answer is no, you can't change the stock ECU.

Now, if you want to get the *most* out of your stock ECU, that's something else. Again, like SOL said, exhaust, intake, fuel mods, etc will all change the inputs of what the ECU sees *to a point*. Eventually you're going to hit a wall, which could be pretty quickly, depending on the amount of power you're looking for.

 

Well, I think I assumed he understood that the stock ECU can't be changed without making it after market or removing it. Currently I can't tell if that was a correct assumption, but it's just best not to make them in the first place.

There are some Rtek chips and piggyback fuel controllers, the latter of which trick the ECU into doing what it wants (you know, coercion, blackmail, the works :P /joke). I'm not familiar with the NA Rtek chips, but look at digitaltuning.com if you want to learn, they sell them there.

 

ok, I see what you guys are saying now. So realistcally, I shouldn't HAVE to try to mess with anything? I'm running just the basic bolt-ons right now.

 

You don't mention how much you're willing to spend and how much power you're looking to make...

Fuel tuning...
The A'PEXi S-AFC has become the standard for such tuning.
You can fine tune the fuel delivery to gain a few HP.
For your non-turbo application, the stock ECU runs quite a bit rich, so leaning out the fuel will reward you up to 5 - 10HP.

Ignition timing tuning...
You can play with the CAS.
This will advance or retard ignition timing across the board, and it's a crude way of taking care of this.
Be careful about doing this if fuel quality is suspect.
A bad tank of gas can possibly damage your engine.
Also, power gains from messing with the ignition timing isn't like piston motors.
You'd maybe gain 5HP max from doing this.

What you might want to look into is doing a full tune-up.
The cars are right around the 20 year old mark, and having everything run correctly is the best policy.
Worn spark plugs can kill as much as 10HP.
Tired spark plug wires can kill even more power.


-Ted

 

^ wow great explanation

 

Well I suppose money isnt too much of an issue, Ive got minimal bills so I just save for something I want. Im not looking for an insane amount of power. I just want to squeeze what little I can out. I frequent the drag strip in vegas and I just want my FC to be faster than it is. It just seems like it should be pulling more than it is.
As far as I know, everything is tunes up. Engine has 96k miles. Bought from a used dealer in October, they mentioned full tune, but I guess it couldn't hurt to hit some aftermarket wires.

 

The biggest gains are made through a freer-flowing exhaust system.
Be careful though, as I know Vegas has smog.

The car will put down 150...160hp with relative ease.
With fine tuning, you can maybe get it up to 170.
That makes for a solid 14-second 1/4-mile FC.


-Ted

 

I have an 89 NA, at 170 whp without doing anything to the motor.

This is what I think you should do first, in terms of cost.

Full tune up. Change everything now so you have a good foundation.
Spark Plugs/Plug Wires (Stock NGK is a good choice)
Fuel Injector Cleaning/New Fuel Injectors
New Pulsation Damper or Banjo Bolt Mod for a cheap alternative (Do your forum research on this topic first)
OEM Fuel Filter
OEM In-tank Fuel Filter a.k.a. Fuel Sock (If you have a rotary mechanic, have them take a look at your Fuel Sock, you may not even need it)
Coolant Flush (Just use water)
Tranny Fluid Change
Diff Fluid Change
Brake/Clutch Bleed
Oil Change

That should get your car into tip-top shape and get your car back into prime operating condition

Now, mods:
RB Road Race Exhaust (Exhuast is most important on a rotary)
K&N Cone Intake with a custom cold-air box or the Mariah Motorsports Cold Air Box (A cheap alternative is the K&N drop-in filter)
S4 Rtek 2.0 (http://www.digitaltuning.com, Best Budget ECU)
Dyno Tuning
If you have some extra money, you can always look into aftermarket intake manifolds.

That's really all you can do for the NA, before you start porting.

 

any experience with aftermarket fuel injectors?
much difference between the reman. $55 vs new @ $150?
thanks-
steve

 

Thanks Roen and RETad. I've been looking for a kick-you-in-the-face list of solid mods for my n/a and this hit the nail on the head. Definately bookmarked.

Another good thing to improve your times at the track would be a good set of tires and practice on your launches.

Just noticed this thread was brought back from the dead... oh well. Good hints for kids just getting their new cars over the summer and wanting to mod them.

 

injectors could probably use a cleaning as well, the TB mod will give you a lil better throttle response
if your drag racing some 4.30 rear gears helps as well.

 

Holy thread necrophilia, batman! (I guess this doesn't help much)

But what ^^ said is true. This thread does contain the "kick you in the face" list of basic stuff to do, starting with maitenence and moving along to mods. Still wondering if there are any experienced machinists in the vegas area...

 

I summoned the dead because i agree the list is the best, and I wanted info on replacement aftermarket injectors
thanks
steve