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My 2 cents worth... Posted by Karl [Email]  (#161) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Karl) on Tue, 15 May 2001 04:53:55
In Reply to: Aero Upgrades. What makes the biggest difference & Turbos...., Defame, Mon, 14 May 2001 17:00:48 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Hi,
I have a 1997 9000 Aero myself, and have a few upgrades by now and a lot of research done on the subject...
I would say that upgrades should be done in the following order:
1) Get a nice free-flowing exhaust. 3" all the way from the turbo preferrably. The first part (downpipe) is by far the most important as exhaust gasses are hottest there. You need to replace the catalyst with a more free-flowing one as well. The Aero's exhaust is highly restrictive in stock form so this will give you a noticeable improvement both in spool-up and top end.
2) K&N air-filter and airbox mod. A K&N or similar will flow more air than stock. But the stock airbox is also very restrictive. There's a hose that looks a bit like an elephant trunk inside the wheel well. You need to remove the trunk as it has a very narrow passage that restricts airflow. You can also drill a few holes on the outer section of the airbox.
3) ECU upgrade. There are several companies doing this. Personally I would go with one of the Swedish companies as they have more inside info on Trionic software. Personally I wouldn't trust any software that doesn't 1) maintain stock base boost and wastegate actuator and 2) retain boost limitation in 1st gear. Without boost limitation in 1st gear your car will be very difficult to drive and gearbox and clutch life will be drastically reduced.
After you have completed stages 1-3 I would recommend looking at road holding and brakes rather than further performance upgrades. I have Bilsteins front and rear and road holding is excellent. No diving under braking any more...
If you want further performance beyond stages 1-3, I would suggest upgrading the intercooler. Beyond 21-22 PSI you're really playing with the stock IC and intake temps can reach serious levels.
A bigger turbo is really not necessary if you're not pushing for 300+ hp. The stock Mitsubishi (I'm assuming your car is a 5-speed Aero) is quite sufficient up to 270-280 hp. A bigger turbo will just increase turbo lag and is not a very good upgrade for normal driving.
Let me know if you have any further questions.
/ Karl (97 9000 Aero, 3" from turbo, ECU upgrade, K&N, airbox mod, Bilsteins)
, Tue, 15 May 2001 04:53:55 <-- Viewing This Message
, Wed, 16 May 2001 23:27:09, Tue, 15 May 2001 13:25:04, Tue, 15 May 2001 08:44:31
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