Hi guys,

I have a very simple question and would really appreciate the feedback of anyone who has the pleasure.

I am planning some very basic intake & exhaust modifications, such as a snorkel and better-flowing filter (on the intake side) and exhaust manifold (possibly Toda)+racing catalyst (for starters I will leave the muffler as is). My concern is:
Can the stock ECU cope with the change in A/F ratio or is the motor running the risk of running too lean and being severely damaged under any circumstances (e.g high rpm)? My only concern is reliability, not maximum gains, and I am not in favor of changing the stock ECU but I need to be sure it can handle the mods before I dig deep into my pocket.

A big thanks in advance to anyone who will share his experience and knowledge with me.

Anthony

 

Thank you gentek. I suppose that you mean I have to re-set the ECU by disconnecting the battery for a while.

Actually, I have seen this setup work pretty decently, my only concern is if I am running any reliability risks in the medium-long run, as per my first post.

Just wondering whether any of you guys has ever had a problem with stock ECU + intake/exhaust mods.

 

Theres never been a problem with that.... Why would it do any damage? Its just minor breathing modifications. The ecu is a learning ecu and adapts to any changes done like an exhaust. No need to reset it.

 

 

if you leave the catalytic converter in, you should be fine

 

whats that gotta do with anything? Im running a test pipe with the CEL fix, no problems here at all. Never heard of anyone having ECU problems after installing a test pipe besides the annoying CEL.

 

you might be running lean

i ran a 16:1 AFR at WOT at 6k rpms with 'minor breathing mods'

 

You consider FI minor breathing mods?

AP1's run a bit richer than ap2's. Even the 02-03. My 01 was at about high 11s stock, test pipe bought it up till low to mid 12s which is actually good in this case. Resulted in a 7whp gain from a $100 part.

And if your running 16:1 thats seriously on the brink of detonation, 15 is usually the danger zone... Get your car tuned.

 

i should have been more clear

when i had my NA set up (T1R70, K&N FIPK, test pipe) I went to get it tuned because i KNEW i was running lean even before getting tuned.. at the dyno, my car registered a 16:1 AFR

it was tuned to high 12s AFR IIRC

im glad your car was fine, but i've seen AP1s hit 18:1 ....

these are a few examples if AP1s with test pipes...

 

so is an AFR a must when throwing on a test pipe?