Getting more Power!!!

[xnamerxx]

I'm looking for some info on getting power out of this car per the STF rules. Going through the posts for the past year hasn't really netted me the results I was hoping for.
I'm fairly limited into what I can do, essentially I can tune the car as long as it plugs into the stock harness. I can replace the header and swap the cats to high flowing cats (100 cell limit). I can change the intake all the way up to the throttle body but not the TB itself and I can change the pullies with over/under driven pullies. From going through the forums it seems like I'll never break 105-110 whp with the above limitations which makes it almost not worth the money/effort.
Can someone give me some real world examples of what the DC header or a tune does for power? I feel as if I'm grasping at straws trying to get any power from the car.

[Altitude]

I don't think the engine has enough power even with the simple mods you mentioned. I would think that with all of those things you might net an additional 5hp.

Most are having to go with turbo/sc to get any power.

[cali yaris]

Review Jason's earlier posts when they tuned his car with a CamCon.

I made 108 whp with intake, header, crank pulley and axle-back exhaust.

If you add plug 'n play tuning to that, you extract more power. The question is if you have the budget for management, harness and tuning session.

Can you modify the head?
What is your suspension, wheel (brand, size, and weight) and tire set up?

[xnamerxx]

Is the Camcom plug and play for the harness or does it require splicing? If it requires splicing i'm not going to be able to use it since that's outside of the rules allowance.
I'm not really allowed to do anything with the engine aside from CAI, pullies,header,tune basically bolt ons.

As for suspension I'm running a slightly modified h&r bilstein setup with a 19mm rear swaybar I could probably go with a bigger rear bar or a smaller front to fix some of the corner exit issues it has. I don't want to get rid of the front as it helps with transitions.

I had a poor choice of wheels but will eventually be switching to 949racing 15x7.5 wheels with Toyo R1R's its a little heavy (12lbs) but I get better fitment with the toyo tires. I'm not really to worried about the suspension so much as I have that mostly figured out its down to tuning at this point. The car is still being tuned this season but I should have it figured out by next year.

I'm mostly looking at power upgrades to try and get the most out of this thing that the rules allow. It puts down something like 93 hp so I need all the help I can get.

[ilikerice]

93hp.. thats 5 more then mine stock.. lol. I dominate in the pax times here. top 10, only guys who get me are the shifter carts and a DS mini cooper S which is a national champ and a CRX who probably has every possible mod capable of being in STC and he is also a national champ too.. I feel suspension and tires are key to stf. power is a bonus, I am with you also. I would like to get in the 100whp range and see if I can get some extra advantage.

[1.5]

Dang I didnt know you were running it like that D.

[cali yaris]

Is the Camcom plug and play for the harness or does it require splicing? If it requires splicing i'm not going to be able to use it

No, it's not. I just suggested you review it, because you said you couldn't find the information on here. It will give you some suggestion of how much power you can make tuning a lightly modified car.

[maelo600]

Cali yaris!!!

which intake??? crank pulley only??? or the fulll set?? 108 whp thas my goal as an all motor car!! i want to know more!!

[xnamerxx]

Originally Posted by cali yaris

No, it's not. I just suggested you review it, because you said you couldn't find the information on here. It will give you some suggestion of how much power you can make tuning a lightly modified car.

Well I can get away with a adapter so I don't have to splice it guess I should have thought about that. I'll look into the camcom it seems like it might do everything I need it so for tuning at least.

I agree suspension is the key, but it can only do so much and when you can't get the weight down, power becomes helpful. The only reason I'm even thinking about upgrading power is when I go over my data compared to some of the other people who trophied at nationals I can see the higher entry mid corner and exit speeds but am still way way slower on the straights. I was topping out at 55-60 mph and guy in the Mazda 3 who won STF was pulling something like 70 mph. Even though I could enter and exit the turns faster than him I couldn't do shit when it came to any uphill(qualcom stadium has hills) or anything that required me to gain speed.

My region is tough so getting high on the PAX list is a challenge to say the least, I think there is something like 20 national champs floating around down here but I get some of the best advice about driving in the country so its not all bad :). The car has way more speed than I have talent but a little extra power couldn't hurt.

[ilikerice]

lol. So true.. My region does not have the most national champs, guys will swing down from South Carolina and put a stomping on us every now and then. I can only imagine the competition So.Cal. has. please inform us on your progress. as I will too. My next event is this sunday.

[xnamerxx]

I'll try and keep posted about development but its likely going to be awhile. I have the prosolo coming up this weekend and a month to rest and figure out my next step.

[cali yaris]

Can you change flywheels? Our UltraLite flywheel would give you a huge benefit.

[cali yaris]

I agree suspension is the key, but it can only do so much

What does your car weigh? Have you corner balanced it?

[xnamerxx]

Stock flywheel, I'm not positive I'm allowed to change it but I'll have to go over the rules. A lighter flywheel would make a world of difference in acceleration.

The car was corner balanced and the cross weights were within a +-1lb so damn near perfect. The total car weight with 2 gals of gas was 2210 in race trim without me in it. I can pull 15lbs from the battery(I'm a little hesitant on this as I don't know if the electric steering will become an issue or not on longer courses) and another 30 or so from the front seats and another 10-20 or so from the exhaust. I figure in race trim with everything I can do per the rules I should be able to get the car in the low 2100s to the high 2000s.

[Jason@SportsCar]

Originally Posted by xnamerxx

Stock flywheel, I'm not positive I'm allowed to change it but I'll have to go over the rules. A lighter flywheel would make a world of difference in acceleration.

The car was corner balanced and the cross weights were within a +-1lb so damn near perfect. The total car weight with 2 gals of gas was 2210 in race trim without me in it. I can pull 15lbs from the battery(I'm a little hesitant on this as I don't know if the electric steering will become an issue or not on longer courses) and another 30 or so from the front seats and another 10-20 or so from the exhaust. I figure in race trim with everything I can do per the rules I should be able to get the car in the low 2100s to the high 2000s.

You can not change the clutch or flywheel in STF.

We run a 6lb battery, the battery only starts the car, once you are running the alternator will supply more than enough to keep everything happy. A Coast Fabrication muffler is a great way to drop some lbs from the exhaust system.

We had MP Tuning make a plug and play harness so we could run the AEM EMS series 2, this gives us full control - including VVTi - but would set you back around $3k. The Cam Con is a great budget solution that will get you most of the way there (wont up the rev limiter, and only gives you stepped control of VVTi), but you would still need to have a harness made which will double its cost. The Cam Con does help get some additional torque down low, and that would help get you out of those slow turns.

There are good power gains to be had, but you need to do it all to really see a decent number, one item alone is insignificant. With an intake, header, muffler, pulley and ECU (pro tuned) 10-15hp would be easy.

[xnamerxx]

Jason,
Do you run the Odyssey pc680/pc540 or the Braille 6lb battery? I've heard some poor things about the braille but don't know anyone that's owned one for any extended periods of time. I've been tempted to grab a AGM from a powersports vehicle and use that but have been worried about the power steering killing the engine when the reserve runs out.

Thanks for the heads up about coast I work a few miles away so I'll have to check them out.

[Jason@SportsCar]

Originally Posted by xnamerxx

Jason,
Do you run the Odyssey pc680/pc540 or the Braille 6lb battery? I've heard some poor things about the braille but don't know anyone that's owned one for any extended periods of time. I've been tempted to grab a AGM from a powersports vehicle and use that but have been worried about the power steering killing the engine when the reserve runs out.

Thanks for the heads up about coast I work a few miles away so I'll have to check them out.

The Braille.

[maelo600]

I hate people trying to sell thing that don't work!!

"You will receive 20-40 extra horsepower & extremely improve acceleration up to 20% depending on the factory engine performance and other modifications you may have".

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Toyota-Stage...t_14200wt_1226