Since you have an open exhaust but don't know if your ECU was reflashed or not, I would check the AFRs first. Assuming you have stock fuel pump and injectors, most likely your AFR is on the lean side already, and that should be fixed first.

Even if you limit the boost to 10 psi, recommendations from tuners is that AFR should be in the low-mid 11's.

As a reference, I found out that I was getting mid-high 12s just with downpipe, catback and intake.

- Sandro

 

Interesting ... if I am running lean on my set-up, then adjusting my AFR's *is* something I would consider a reliability mod.

What is the current best way to measure and alter AFR's on a set-up like mine? Does that go back to the PFC?

 

pfc and wideband

 

Those are free, right?

 

Here was the add order of my early mods:

1. Airbox
2. Aluminum Rad
3. Aftermarket Coolant and Oil Temp gauges
3. Aluminum AST
4. Power FC
5. Dual oil coolers

Oddly enough, when I bought my car it had been hit on the drivers side at one time in it's life and was missing the passenger side oil cooler. Getting that second cooler back in the car dropped the oil temps (and coolant operating temps) significantly, so if your car doesn't have a dual oil cooler setup, I'd highly recommend doing that mod sooner than later.

You will soon discover that nothing's free on this car (other than advice) My friend used to call his the $1000 car. Everytime he took it to the dealership, it cost him $1000 regardless of what needed to be fixed.

 

^ soo true.. i called about my rear hub which i found on this fourm for 50 bux.. dealer wanted 600 bux for it.. grrr.. if thre was labor too it been over a grand easy!

 

It very much depends how far you are from target AFRs. Since you have installed restrictor plates in the exhaust, your air flow maybe limited and you may not be far off.

If you only needs to gain a few % of fuel, you can rewire the stock pump to limit voltage loss (I measured I gained 2.5% AFR improvement at idle - don't know under power) and swap the stock fuel pump with a Supra pump.

But, if you need more, you have to get the PFC.

As for measuring your AFR, you could have it measured by a shop with a dyno, or you could buy and install an AFR monitor.

My current set-up (as I am incrementally modifying my car) include AFR monitor, PFC and Datalogit. I log data with a notebook, then adjust fuel map accordingly. I currently autox my within safe AFRs at 12 psi with stock radiator, stock IC, and stock fuel system (but rewired pump).

As already highlighted, a side benefit of the PFC is that it measures air and coolant temperatures. You can also change set points, like turning radiator fans on at lower temperature or pulling ignition advance on hight air or water temperature, to protect the engine. Once you can read/log data, then you will have an objective basis to decide what other mods to make (whether rad, IC, or anything else, that maybe necessary or not).

- Sandro

 

I was thinking about getting dual oil coolers but I thought that was just for racing. Definitely something I'll research some more.

 

Radiator and AST. ASAP!

 

I think I'm going to do a radiator and AST. But, I'm going to read as much as I can about eliminating the AST. I'm a firm believer in KISS.

That's just one less then to go bad, and less to have to package around.
In the future I'd like to do away with the AWC (accelerated warm-up something 'er other), and the air pump.

I saw a IT-7 first gen car under the hood. It was so friggin basic and clean, I want as close to that as I can get, along with good reliable power yada yada yada.

If I could just get my car back from Bumbling Dolts Paint & Body...