Sensible first mods

[obi_waynne]

What mods would you recommend as suitable for a relatively new person to car tuning and which ones offer the best power gains for the outlay?

(I'm asking this because it still crops up loads by email and I'm hoping to point people to this thread rather than just keep replying to each one in detail.)

 

[TCJBOLDIE]

With my turbo car I had it dynoed before and after on the same day when I had a 3inch exhaust system from the turbo outlet back installed and it gained app 15% torque and 20% hp improvement.
Any turbo will gain power this way due to low/no back pressure post turbo which allows the turbo to respond faster and rev higher to pump more air into the motor which leads to higher cylinder pressure on the power stroke.

The EMS computer will need to be remapped to ensure the correct AR ratio so detonation doesn't occur.

The fuel supply pump and injectors may need upgrading to supply extra fuel to feed the higher power produced.

 

[old-git]

In the old days before mobile phones and EFI the common first mod was a carb upgrade and better air filter. Then a cam change, better exhaust manifold and brake conversion from shoe to disc. Life was simple back then and these mods made a difference as standard cars weren't as sophisticated as they are these days.

Today, it is more difficult to make a noticable difference with simple upgrades. Air filter 'upgrades', for example, can actually reduce the power. Changing cams is a more involved task and there are usually two of them.

To me, the simplest, and most cost effective, mod is a remap. Approx 8-10% increase on a N/A engine, 20-25% on a petrol turbo and 35-40% on a diesel turbo. However, these are becoming more difficult to do as manufacturers don't like them and are taking steps to prevent their ECU settings being messed with.

 

[TCJBOLDIE]

I think that Ford had locked the EMS in the turbo Falcon but it wasn't long before the local tuners had found a way in.

 

[T9 man]

Nowadays I usually suggest a full service followed by a remap of the ECU.