It's all depends on what you're wanting. In my case, I wanted improved mid range pull and response. I got it by installing a Berks 70mm TP to my stock CR exhaust. It already had a FIPK intake. Installed FlashPro and got it tuned. I'm happy with the results. VTECH engages at 3900 RPM at WOT.

The car accelerates tremendously fast and my fuel mileage has not suffered. Best of all, I can use the HP and TQ without having to rev the car past 6000 RPM. Highly recommend my setup for decent performance gains.

 

hmmm... have you dyno'd to see new gains? It's pushing me to do this. Good to hear it from those who've done it

 

Yes it was.

 

I have a ap1 stock but am planning on doing this to improve mid range power. what are you guys using to tune your ap1? I find going EMS for NA bolt on mods to be very excessive.

 

I am currently using a Greddy E-manage which has made my car run considerably better (flat AFR, 3,800 RPM VTEC) where previously it was not hitting desired AFR's at WOT with the mods that were on the car. I actually just made a deal on an AEM and will be going that route so that I could have full control over everything possible, so the Greddy will be coming off the car. I also didn't like the idea on spending so much for an ECU when so little power is gained in NA form, but as a tuner, I want to have access to everything.

There was a noticeable difference between this (almost a fully stock tune w/ intake, header, TP, exhaust):



And this (13:1 AFR @ WOT, 3,800 RPM VTEC)

 

^^^ YamahaSHO, As an E-manage user/tuner myself, I am just curious what added tuning control you feel you would be gaining moving to the full EMS over the E-manage? I can think of a few important things I would be giving up interestingly enough, curious to your opinion. Personally the only instance where I feel the E-manage would show its lack would be in a Turbo set up. Ironically that's what its primary roll was to tune with on the Greddy turbo kits. I haven't experienced any compromises in tune quality or safety on my NA or high boost SC set ups with its use on the S2k.

 

One of the things that bugs me is fighting tables in the ECU that I cannot see. It got me when at an AutoX, when the engine heat soaked, it started idling at 18:1. I had pulled some fuel in this region originally because of the large fuel correction (to which I logged a 100% stock S2000 and it was the same). I did end up changing my knock tap to a water temp tap so that I could add fuel when it warmed up (the IAT is in a bad spot on the <06 models).

I like to build my timing and fuel tables based on load and have full access to them. I want to see the ECU hit commanded values. I know that you can modify the injector signal and latency to add larger injectors, but on top of only modifying a signal the ECU never sees, you can only adjust latency as one value and injectors don't work that way. I have a set of injectors I've held off on installing until I get the AEM in the mail because of going E85.

It's not so much an issue with an NA setup, especially on E85, but I cannot stand logging from two units at the same time to find things like timing, knock, AFR, fuel trims, etc. I've played with known good settings for a higher rev limiter and LC and they never seemed to work well. I didn't dig too far into it because I'm used to just setting parameters in the ECU and have it do those things. I also plan to use a different IAT sensor and move it before the TB and inputting that into an ECU will be, for the most part, set it and forget it.

The E-manage is actually very good at what it does. It's not hard to understand and run with . You really have a very limited amount of parameters you can adjust, which also helps with understanding the unit. I bought my AEM before taking out my E-manage and selling because I simply cannot drive the car with a stock tune as it was terrible. It did very well with bringing my AFR's in check, however, to make it flat like I require, it would require a bit more work than I think is needed, similar to the graph I've done below (moving/tightening RPM axis, etc). Having regularly tuned OEM and aftermarket ECU's that allow me to do what I want, I knew that I needed to switch over. Initially, I wanted to stay cheap and stay within STR class, but I've already put myself out of that class, so I had nothing really holding me back. I will be able to get a much more crisp tune this way in a way I fully understand.

 

I like what hes gone. 245hp with few bolt ons, tune, and VTEC at 4000rpm.. that's some decent power.

 

I gained a peak 20hp/15tq in between 4500 and 6000 rpm where I had a drop in power before VTEC.
With E-Manage Ultimate and VTEC at 4500 rpm. Tuned on Dynapack.
235/164 with only a K&N FIPK and Berk 3'' catback using Berk 70mm. HFC, stock header, stock F22.
No interference from the oem ecu with a few tricks, mainly TPS volage to trick it into open loop at low TPS.
Love it.

 

235whp?