Getting more power - staged upgrade recommendations

[foxdie]

Introduction

It's the intent of this thread to help both newcomers and veteran owners alike plan for and upgrade the performance of one of Mitsubishi's best kept secret weapons; the glorious 8G VR-4

Back in 2008, @bradc wrote an excellent in-depth staged upgrades guide, however as time has gone on technologies have changed and so have our understanding of our cars. I've opted to create a more up-to-date guide for all the owners out there who just want a little more grunt or want to go crazy.

You may be asking "Why would I want to?", well some of us find we have a desire that our pride and joys were a little quicker and more enjoyable to drive, luckily these cars are very responsive to bolt-on mods and a remap

Now, first off this guide steers more towards ECU tuning rather than using a third party boost controller (whether it be a manual or an electronic boost controller) because of the simple fact these devices reduce safety margins by limiting how much the stock ECU can throttle back the boost if an abnormal situation arises (such as knocking / pinking / poor ignition / poor fuel delivery). The last thing you want to be is on boost if this happens.

Once you have completed 1 or more staged upgrades, you will need an engine ECU remap to take advantage of them. There are a few members of these forums (including myself) and commercial entities (such as @Eurospec down in Guildford) that can provide this service for you.

Every VR-4 engine ECU can be remapped, however some in different ways to others, please read the Common Tuning FAQ for more information.

Assumptions

Now, all tuning (and all the information following) presumes that the car is in good health, has been serviced regularly and has no lingering issues such as the dreaded boost solenoid burn-out (a common issue as cars get older). Should you need a replacement solenoid, you can find a stock one here or an excellent aftermarket replacement here.

It's also assumed that you understand that this list is not absolute, there are many options and many ways to approach things and that this is provided as a guide only, you are responsible for your car and your wallet (unless you're married, in which case, here you go )

Stages and expectations

With a remap (and a presumed healthy car as mentioned earlier), you would hopefully see the following gains (figures are conservative estimates and are at the flywheel);

Stage	Mods	Power (HP)	Torque (Ft/Lbs)
1	1-3	290	300
2	1-5	320	330
3	1-6	330	350
4	1-8	360	380
5	1-10	400+	400+

Beyond stage 5 things start to get very expensive, you'll need to start upgrading drive train components and start to think about engine forging. Those are beyond the scope of this guide.

Here are a couple of demo videos I've made (demo'ing other things mainly, but you can gauge performance from them at least);

Stage 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yULWLvpvz8s

Stage 3:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEXtceMpz4g

Modifications

1. De-cat Pipe

2.5" De-cat Pipe: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/mitsubishi...-/231628841500

2. High Flow Air Filter

HKS Super Hybrid Filter: http://www.part-box.com/product_info...ducts_id=30810

3. Cold-spec Spark Plugs

6x Iridium BKR7EIX Spark Plugs: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6x-NEW-NGK...-/330789544105

4. Uprated Intercooler

600x300x76mm Intercooler - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Front-Moun...-/331368100769
RE45-76-63 Elbow - http://www.siliconhose.com/content.a...&catalog=MS303
RE90-76-63 Elbow - http://www.siliconhose.com/content.a...&catalog=MS302
MUR36 Clamp - http://www.siliconhose.com/content.a...&catalog=MS503 (2 required)
MUR44 Clamp - http://www.siliconhose.com/content.a...&catalog=MS503 (2 required)

5. Fuel Supply Upgrade

Genuine Walbro GSS342 fuel pump kit - https://www.fuelperformance.co.uk/in...roduct_id=5214
AEM Fuel Pressure Regulator for Evo 4G63 - https://www.fuelperformance.co.uk/in...roduct_id=5363 (The fuel rail adapter mount holes may require modifying to fit)

Alternative to the above fuel pressure regulator;

Sytec 1:1 Fuel Pressure Regulator: https://www.glencoeltd.co.uk/malpass...re-regulators/
Galant VR-4 specific Fuel Rail Adapter: https://www.glencoeltd.co.uk/malpass...or-mitsubishi/

6. Downpipes

Fassi1 downpipes: http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/private...=newpm&u=72710 (Unsure of his current pricing, PM him)

7. Camshaft

Adam.Findlay 262 camshaft kit: http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthr...D-2-discussion (unsure if still available, PM him)

8. Injectors

6x SARD 63516 530cc Injectors: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GENUINE-SA...-/141907584019

9. TD-04 Conversion

swinks TD04L-13T conversion kit: http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthr...ownpipe-elbows (Unsure if still available, PM him)
2x TD04L-13T turbochargers: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111443833166

10. Faster engine ECU

Vi-PEC/Link G4+ VR-4 ECU: http://www.euro-spec2000.co.uk/produ...ng-galant-vr4/

Closing statement

Hopefully this will help as many members as possible achieve great things, remember though that each car is different though and will respond differently. YMMV.

Where permitted, I will try and keep this list updated as time goes on

Thanks for reading!

Ps. Thanks to the following people who have helped contribute to the above list;

@TAR - More fuel supply upgrade suggestions