[jaross]

I have a stage 1 FSwerks tune with Cobb AP. I am getting a Depo 3.5 intercooler, throttle body spacer, and velossa tech ram air. My exhaust is stock, and so is my air box (and I fully intend on keeping my air box that way!). I figured that it was time for me to get my free 'retune' from FSwerks. They are asking me what stage I want. I thought a custom tune would take into account what parts I am installing and tune accordingly. He suggested stage 2. Is that safe/good?

 

[closedeyesopenedmind]

I have a stage 1 FSwerks tune with Cobb AP. I am getting a Depo 3.5 intercooler, throttle body spacer, and velossa tech ram air. My exhaust is stock, and so is my air box (and I fully intend on keeping my air box that way!). I figured that it was time for me to get my free 'retune' from FSwerks. They are asking me what stage I want. I thought a custom tune would take into account what parts I am installing and tune accordingly. He suggested stage 2. Is that safe/good?

Most consider a tune and intercooler "stage 2". Stage 3 would be those plus downpipe.

LucasOfEarth

 

[Straightline]

Most consider a tune and intercooler "stage 2". Stage 3 would be those plus downpipe.

LucasOfEarth

Wow I am genuinely surprised to learn this.

I have been considering the idea of getting an intercooler, just as it sounds like a good idea. But I already have the accessport, never did I ever dream my car could be "stage 2" so damn easily. I was also surprised how easy it was to earn that "stage 1" badge. Before owning an ST I always imagined each stage required an intense amount of upgrading, is that not normally the case?

Isn't this stage thing all just marketing by the tuning companies to begin with?

 

[Duece McCracken]

Wow I am genuinely surprised to learn this.

I have been considering the idea of getting an intercooler, just as it sounds like a good idea. But I already have the accessport, never did I ever dream my car could be "stage 2" so damn easily. I was also surprised how easy it was to earn that "stage 1" badge. Before owning an ST I always imagined each stage required an intense amount of upgrading, is that not normally the case?

Isn't this stage thing all just marketing by the tuning companies to begin with?

Um, yeah pretty much. But in our case it does layout the bare minimum progression.

1. Tune and airfilter
2. FMIC
3. Aftermarket downpipe

Everything else is just icing on the cake, those are your biggest restrictions. At this point I just have a giant pile of Icing, and am questioning the existence of the cake to begin with.

Oh, and full tunes are way better than OTS tunes, so once you meet your goals, I cannot stress enough how drastically a full tune changes the car. The parts only go so far, then the tuning brings out all the potential.

Theres a bunch of supporting mods you can do, to manage the power better, shift the car better, get it to stop and turn better. But as far as bare bones necessary parts to achieve the best power increases, those are it.

 

[sullyman86]

If you have e85 go with an e30 tune. You won't regret it

Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

 

[kshatt06]

Um, yeah pretty much. But in our case it does layout the bare minimum progression.

1. Tune and airfilter
2. FMIC
3. Aftermarket downpipe

Everything else is just icing on the cake, those are your biggest restrictions. At this point I just have a giant pile of Icing, and am questioning the existence of the cake to begin with.

Oh, and full tunes are way better than OTS tunes, so once you meet your goals, I cannot stress enough how drastically a full tune changes the car. The parts only go so far, then the tuning brings out all the potential.

Theres a bunch of supporting mods you can do, to manage the power better, shift the car better, get it to stop and turn better. But as far as bare bones necessary parts to achieve the best power increases, those are it.

Just bite the bullet like we all did and go big turbo and don't turn back!

 

[closedeyesopenedmind]

Just bite the bullet like we all did and go big turbo and don't turn back!
View attachment 161882

Did we all do that and I missed the boat?

LucasOfEarth

 

[kshatt06]

Yep... Ship has sailed

 

[closedeyesopenedmind]

Yep... Ship has sailed

Son of a......

LucasOfEarth

 

[wheelhopper]

Install an exhaust with the stage 2 set up. I noticed a big difference once I installed the exhaust after I had the stage 2 tune and intercooler installed.

 

[Unfitproduct]

Did we all do that and I missed the boat?

LucasOfEarth

soccer moms....

 

[jaross]

Install an exhaust with the stage 2 set up. I noticed a big difference once I installed the exhaust after I had the stage 2 tune and intercooler installed.

I wonder if this is what I need. I just did my Fmic and loaded my stage 2 tune, and whil I did notice more usable power at lower rpm and more consistentpower in general I'm getting about the same peak boost as my stage 1 (22.5). Also did a 0-60 and got 7 seconds on a sslightly damp road in the mountains. Does that boost seem right?

 

[wheelhopper]

I didn't even pay attention to the boost numbers. When I installed the exhaust I simply did not expect much since even Magnaflow show something like 6hp and 2lbft performance increase. I can tell you it was much more than that at. Torque in lower rpm was way up and I'm am still on factory air filter. Now I am wondering if I am holding the car back with leaving that alone.

 

[closedeyesopenedmind]

soccer moms....

Say huh?

LucasOfEarth

 

[closedeyesopenedmind]

I didn't even pay attention to the boost numbers. When I installed the exhaust I simply did not expect much since even Magnaflow show something like 6hp and 2lbft performance increase. I can tell you it was much more than that at. Torque in lower rpm was way up and I'm am still on factory air filter. Now I am wondering if I am holding the car back with leaving that alone.

I've heard over and over on this forum that the stock intake system isn't a restriction

LucasOfEarth

 

[kshatt06]

I've heard over and over on this forum that the stock intake system isn't a restriction

LucasOfEarth

You are correct in the aspect that the factory intake really isn't that restrictive and could be left alone but you will probably make more of a difference with a aftermarket filter. I can only speak for my self but for around 300$ you can put a solid good looking intake on the car that will give you an ability to further customize your car and I am sure has to make at least some kind of difference going from a 2 piece plastic unit to a single round aluminum piece like with the Cobb unit. For the few of us that are trying to get every ounce of advantage over the next person the intake is just something that ends up on the car. I am sure that people do it for many different reasons this is myne. After doing all the other mods exhaust, down pipe, aux fuel, big turbo, building the motor, blah blah blah it just falls into the list of things that need to be done. If you are trying to save your self some money and do minimal mods then you will be perfectly fine with the stock intake. At the end of the day each owner is different and is looking to accomplish a different task with their car.

 

[FoST2016]

I didn't even pay attention to the boost numbers. When I installed the exhaust I simply did not expect much since even Magnaflow show something like 6hp and 2lbft performance increase. I can tell you it was much more than that at. Torque in lower rpm was way up and I'm am still on factory air filter. Now I am wondering if I am holding the car back with leaving that alone.

I'm pretty sure the air filter is a marginal increase over stock. I can tell you I didn't see any noticeable gains in adding my Roush intake over the open air filter I had before. I didn't do stock to open testing though.

 

[closedeyesopenedmind]

You are correct in the aspect that the factory intake really isn't that restrictive and could be left alone but you will probably make more of a difference with a aftermarket filter. I can only speak for my self but for around 300$ you can put a solid good looking intake on the car that will give you an ability to further customize your car and I am sure has to make at least some kind of difference going from a 2 piece plastic unit to a single round aluminum piece like with the Cobb unit. For the few of us that are trying to get every ounce of advantage over the next person the intake is just something that ends up on the car. I am sure that people do it for many different reasons this is myne. After doing all the other mods exhaust, down pipe, aux fuel, big turbo, building the motor, blah blah blah it just falls into the list of things that need to be done. If you are trying to save your self some money and do minimal mods then you will be perfectly fine with the stock intake. At the end of the day each owner is different and is looking to accomplish a different task with their car.

I get what you're saying and I agree completely. If money was no issue, I probably wouldn't have the stock anything on my car. I settled for an aftermarket filter though. At the time for me though, it was either a beautiful intake setup or an accessport and tune. No-brainer

LucasOfEarth

 

[kshatt06]

I get what you're saying and I agree completely. If money was no issue, I probably wouldn't have the stock anything on my car. I settled for an aftermarket filter though. At the time for me though, it was either a beautiful intake setup or an accessport and tune. No-brainer

LucasOfEarth

I am pretty sure you went with the accessport and if so you made the right decision the intake was actually the last mod I did before the big turbo. If you haven't already, start looking into an intercooler and forget about the intake for the moment. I did the mods in this order. Intercooler, accessport, downpipe, cat back, intake, gtx2867, killed motor, built motor, clutch, gtx3071, aux fuel. Plus all the little odds and ends filler stuff.

 

[closedeyesopenedmind]

Wow, you must be driving a pretty dialed-in car! Sounds like what I would want my st to be when it grows up. I hear you as far as the order of things go. I REALLY fought with myself between the fmic or tune. Even though I live in Oregon (pretty mild usually), I do want to get rid of the stocker and I had every intention of replacing it in April/May. However, I made a very stupid decision one night a while back that pretty much made putting money into the focus (at least for a while) a very foolish endeavor. Makes me kinda sick to think about, but hey, there's life! Next summer though definitely. I'm thinking the steeda or the fswerks. So, what did you have done to the motor, rebuild-process-wise?

LucasOfEarth