general consensus on the ECU upgrade/downgrade

[patentshark]

so, who has actually installed the brammo "solution" and what do you think of it?  i know there has been some discussion, but it might be nice to have an updated thread now that some time has passed and possibly more people have gone with the "solution."

i am looking for details including your original configuration and what you actually had swapped.  ie. what was your original alleged HP rating - which intake did you originally have - did you install the new intake design - did you swap injectors - etc. 

i have a "300" with the original design intake.  i finally have some free time to fiddle with the car so i am hoping to use everyone's experience to determine the best combination or if some of the proposed alternative solutions would be better.  (in case it makes a difference, i am undecided about water injection, but may go for it later).

[bolus]

I'd recommend it

The intake will get you 10-15 more HP alone.

The ECU / injectors / pulley will decrease your overall HP but it wont heat soak as fast so on the track you'll actually be faster.  Your 300 will heat soak quite fast and drop power to an estimated 200-230hp range.

So even though the dyno will be less you'll be faster around the track.  Even when my water injection was not working at Atomfest the car felt a lot faster.  I dont have before / after dyno results though. 

The power curve is a little smoother as well. 

Personally I think the least invasive option for the most HP would be this:
1. Install new intake
2. install new ECU and injectors
3. leave the original 300 pulley
4. install water injection kit for additional cooling with the smaller pulley. 

Then consider adding Darth's custom tune for final result of 300 HP



 

[patentshark]

[quote="bolus"]

Personally I think the least invasive option for the most HP would be this:
1. Install new intake
2. install new ECU and injectors
3. leave the original 300 pulley
4. install water injection kit for additional cooling with the smaller pulley. 

Then consider adding Darth's custom tune for final result of 300 HP
 
[/quote]

this is the type of advice/opinion i was looking for.  thanks.

do we have a guess as to how many have actually done the brammo solution?

[bolus]

4-5 I think that I have heard about.  Silver did everything including the pulley.  Most of the other people I have talked to are doing a little more such as adding a WI kit. 

I have a video of me doing the update (except for the pulley) if you want to see what it is like

[rfmarz@frontiernet]

patentshark, I have the new intake, ecu "upgrade" and larger injectors- straight from the factory. I would like to add the water injection and think that I'd be pretty happy with that since, as I understand, it'd take an act of congress and $$$ to get to the elusive 300 hp figure.

[bolus]

Darth has his car at 300hp already and his tune isn't done yet. 
New intake + new injectors + original 300 pulley + water injection + custom tune = 300 hp. 

[rfmarz@frontiernet]

Wow, it sounds like I could be close with WI and a new tune!

[silver]

yeah, if I had to do it over again, I WOULD NOT have bothered changing the pulley as it is a complete bitch.  I still plan on doing WI and new tune and probably  the interchangeable pulley system (for convenience) and new exhaust.

[rfmarz@frontiernet]

Is there a consensus as to which WI system is best and will fit the Atom? If a lot of us that are interested in this item, we might just be able to get a group rate.

[bolus]

I have the Perrin kit.  Probably the best kit on the market though is one of the more expensive ones. 
http://www.perrinperformance.com/produc ... 3&model=22

I asked and they dont do group rates, but this kit was $900 retail when I bought it and is now $730.