I am confused. I see a lot of posts from people asking "I have a intake, dp, and catback. Do I need an ECU?" There always seems to be conflicting answers. Usually it starts off with someone saying, what the hell are you doing you are going to blow your motor!! Then a few posts later someone says, as long as you keep the boost to stock levels you will be okay.

I am in the same boat. I have a dp and catback (and a midpipe, but waiting for an ecu to put that on). I would like to either do the stock airbox mod or get the Rotary Extreme intake (going V-mount eventually). From all the conflicting answers I am not sure what to do. If I pop the motor I don't have the money to fix it and I don't have the money to get an ECU right now.

What is the real answer to this question? If you keep the boost to 10 psi you will be fine, or you will run lean even at stock boost levels and you should get the ECU first?

I know this has been brought up many times but I am hoping maybe we can get a consensus from the rotary gurus out there to help some of the newer owners that don't have the money to plop down on an ECU right away. Thanks!!

 

Personally I play safe. I got the ECU as my 4th mod. Intake, DP, Catback then ECU.

But then again, my fuggin motor went loose at 65K (After all the times I stood up against the "Do they go @ 60K?" question...) Anyway... I didn't pop it, Oil seals went (I know.. how the hell?)

I'd get the ECU. ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE DYING TO PUT ON THE MIDPIPE. After that, just start saving money. Chances are you'll change your mind on what you want 5 months after you buy something...

Like all the single turbo guys that did all the twin upgrades only to have to sell them to go single... (Soon to include me)

Best of luck though... Just don't get too boost happy...

 

You will be fine if you keep boost to 10 psi. Those of us who tell you that done the wideband research ourselves.

The people who scream "you'll blow a motor" are just repeating something they read somewhere else and who have done no research on their own.....

FWIW, with a downpipe and cat-back, my A/F ratios were still below 10:1 from the transition on up with the stock ecu. I also ran a larger SMIC and intake for several months on the stock ecu with no ill effects (no A/F plot for that setup though).

BTW, Wade was the original debunker of the "3-mod Myth". Check it out here: http://www.newwave.net/~flanham/wlan.../3modrule.html

 

That's correct as long as you keep your boost at 10 psi you should be fine. I'm running ported motor, modded stock box and FULL exhaust with a stock computer, I'm not worried about boost spike because I'm non-sequential. I'm waiting on my FMIC, apexi intake, pulleys then I'll install my haltech and tune up the boost.

 

The reason why people tell you to get a ecu is because you don't want to run to car too lean. If you do, detonation isn't to far away.

What the PFC does is, it lets you control how much gas the car gets and making sure it doesn't run lean.

More mods, the more gas it needs.

 

If you don't have the money to replace the motor then play it safe. You can do the airbox mod and you should be ok.

If you install that midpipe, more then likely you'll get boost spike/creep and blow the motor.

My midpipe was sitting in my garage for like 6 months until I got an ecu.

 

I was runnin fine with stock ecu too..see sig
but my engine was fired recently, due to the fuel damper