starting out

[tuner8897]

I'm trying to tune an 01 eclipse GT. What is a good place to start that doesn't cost an arm and a leg?

 

[pgarner]

hey and welcome to the site
as the eclipse is a nasp engine, inst it ? then its going to be pricey to tune

 

[tuner8897]

well...i'm new to the site and new to tuning cars, so what is nasp?

 

[herb]

well...i'm new to the site and new to tuning cars, so what is nasp?

nasp = naturally aspirated meaning a non turbo'd/super charged engine

and welcome to the site :bigsmile:

 

[tuner8897]

thanx for the welcome...so performance wise there is basically nothing that can be done cheaply for my type of vehicle since it is nasp.

 

[tuner8897]

also...short ram or cold air? cold air gets the coldest air obviously, but i've heard they can suck up water in rain and puddles. Is spending more money on the cold air better or will I get the same effect from a short ram?

 

[obi_waynne]

To be honest I doubt you'd even notice the difference with just an air intake. A fast road camshaft will make a noticeable difference.

I would personally focus on the exhaust if it is cheaper mods you are after. Get a sports catalyst as well and you will have gained a few bhp plus it will sound nicer.

 

[prevtec]

give a finger and some toes lol

welcome,
nasp engines especially jap ones, can be tuned queit well, dont have turbo, no biggy
besides, tuning turbo cars do cost a lot

work on bigger fuel and air, thats the first thing id do

 

[tuner8897]

To be honest I doubt you'd even notice the difference with just an air intake. A fast road camshaft will make a noticeable difference.

I would personally focus on the exhaust if it is cheaper mods you are after. Get a sports catalyst as well and you will have gained a few bhp plus it will sound nicer.

what exhaust would you recommend...i've looked at greddy, borla, and magnaflow...borla and magnaflow are a bit more pricey than the base greddy. where do i get a sports catalyst and what do they run?

 

[tuner8897]

give a finger and some toes lol

welcome,
nasp engines especially jap ones, can be tuned queit well, dont have turbo, no biggy
besides, tuning turbo cars do cost a lot

work on bigger fuel and air, thats the first thing id do

ok...so what about performance chips that plug into the ECU...is that a bad idea? I've heard they can cause detonation??

 

[pgarner]

no these are the proper ones however newer cars (normally post 2001) can be done, more often than not, through the diagnostic port.
but i doubt youd see even 10bhp gain from it, although it is across the whole range so you will feel it. but again this is the problem with NASP engines a turbo one will add normally ar least 30-40bhp for the same thing


if you do look at it get everything else done 1st - intake, exhaust, cams, headwork - and get a custom map done for the car as this will allow you to get the best from everything


HOWEVER stay away from the ebay 15 cent resister in a box ideas thats go for a couple of quid. these can cause issues by confusing the ECU

 

[obi_waynne]

Most decent exhaust suppliers will offer a sports catalyst.

Exhausts are very subjective and depend on how noisy/deep/raspy you like it. You will tend to get what you pay for though.

 

[tuner8897]

thanx for all the input...i priced some of the stuff out, and the only thing that's kinda cheap are fidenza cam gears, but i can't seem to locate camshafts.