Here's a quick question for the masters on this board...

I just installed Evosport Underdrive Pulleys in my '05 Crossfire Limited, and oddly enough, I really cannot feel much of a difference in terms of butt-dyno gains. I know that the install job was flawless, so it can't be a service issue. I have been told that the ECU needs time (more specifically, some drive time) to adjust to most modifications. If this is the case, how many miles do you feel that I need to drive before the ECU fully adapts to the change?

To be honest, I might have had too high of an expectation for this mod... and this is getting in the way of me feeling the "slight" increase in power. ^^

 

You're not going to feel much as far as butt dyno gains are concerned. While they advertise 13 hp, I'd say its probably more like ~7 which is not too much of a gain to notice.

 

So Dave, are you implying that the ECU doesn't require any time to adjust?
If so, and if this is all the power I'm going to get, I will be mighty frustrated...

Any other thoughts?

 

I was told by an Upsolute (ECU reprogramming company) that to get the full benefit from an ECU upgrade, I would have to have a pulley set installed. He did mention both Renntech and Evosport.

The bottom line from this tech was that the pulley set will get you a little and the ECU upgrade will get you some, but both together will yield quite a bit. (I think he stated over 30 hp for my SRT6).

 

What would that run? $$.

 

I wonder if the same theory applies to the normally-aspirated 3.2L. I would be surprised if the ECU / pulley combo provides similar yields (power gain), but then again, guess it wouldn't hurt to try (with the exception of the burning hole in my wallet).

I would truly appreciate some feedback from NA Crossfire owners with ECU / pulley modifications as well (boy.. this thread is already off topic!!)

 

its a completely different thing in an na car. im sure the pulleys they were telling mmz about were supercharger pulley's that would increase his psi and yes, would greatly gain from ecu adjustments. i may be wrong though, maybe they meant accessory pulleys, which wouldn't make much sense.

 

No, it was the same crank overdrive and accessory underdrive pulleys that Evosport makes. The pulley on the supercharger for the SRT6 is an electrically activated unit similar to the ones on air conditioning compressors on most cars.

The main reason for the pulley set on the n.a. cars is to reduce the drag on the crank if I remember correctly.

Cheers!

 

hmm, that's weird, i'm surprised that ecu adjustments would have an effect on accessory pulleys. i guess that's why they are engineers and i'm not.

 

A quick update. It may be the cold weather here in Seoul, Korea (around 1~2 degrees Celsius) or that the engine management system is finally getting adjusted to the pulley mod, but I am beginning to feel a definite difference in response.

Can't say it's pulling the skin off of my face during acceleration, but the engine revs MUCH quicker to redline in first and second, and I am beginning to notice some wheel spin during 1st to second gearshifts (with an Autostick!) Definitely an improvement since 2 days ago, when I felt as if I had just blown money that I could have invested in an engagement ring.. haha.

I am still wondering what kind of power gains (not manufacturer claimed, but realized by real-life X-fire owners) have been netted with a ECU / pulley (underdrive, not overdrive) combination. I searched on the threads, but nothing was really there to substantiate the ridiculous price of the ECU (Powerchip).

It will surely help me with my purchase decision. Thanks guys.

 

you should expect at least 20 hp from that combination.

 

Yeah, that's the general consensus with this combination. Since I have already installed a Borla cat-back and K&N's, I am guessing the output may be slightly higher than that. Now, the question of the day is, would 20+ extra horses be substantial enough to "FEEL" an improvement in performance for a car weighing around 3,000 pounds. And by improvement, I am talking about something that far exceeds the general "oh man... I THINK the car is faster now.. yeah, I really THINK it is!" type of estimations of most modders out there.

Unlike many other people, I don't really rely on dyno results when it comes time to feeling power increases ~ I only rely on my senses (to be fair, I DO rely on dyno results before I make purchase decisions on performance products) At the end of the day, performance is something that should be felt by the good ol' butt-o-meter rather than "indicated" by a host of numbers and graphs. ^^

 

best way to tell is actually quarter mile times, mostly trap speeds.

 

well if power is what your looking for, how much money are you willing to part with?

I just checked out the price on the EVO underdrive kit, and it's really not that bad a deal, since it only cost $375 and makes 13 hp, not a bad deal, hmmm I might have to get one of these myself.

 

Honestly, I'm not looking for "serious" power. That would be too much of a financial burden. Unfortunately, the cost of aftermarket modifications in Seoul is exorbitant. For instance, my borla cat-back purchased via a local distributor cost me an equivalent of
$1,300 dollars.

Eibach Pro-Kit? $700.

Evosport Pulley Kit? Try another $700.

The list goes on and on.

Fact is, import car tuning, especially of the German and Italian caliber, is considered a premium hobby here in Korea. Whatever price the tuning shops quote, stands. For instance, a Kleeman Supercharger upgrade will cost me approximately $14,500 here at a reputable tuner here in Seoul. Ridiculous? Absolutely.

So yeah ~ even if I craved for more power, it would literally run the risk of me having to live in the streets lol. So I have lowered my expectations to a degree of power enhancements that will at least temporarily quench my immediate thirst for speed.

Guess the next step will be to take the car out on the drags, official or non-official, just as X'ed has recommended, and see what the baby has got!

 

Actually the kleenman supercharger kit isn't too overpriced as long as that includes installation, ecu remap, it's really not a bad deal. Your taking a $21,000 car and giving it the power of a $45,000 car.

You have to understand that the Mercedes engine is already at 90% power out put in stock form, there really isn't anything left to squeeze out of it.

 

Now even Daimler Chrysler Korea is trying to rip me off... just received a price quote for a SRT-6 front bumper cover from the parts department. The price they quoted me in Korean currency is equivalent to
about $450 dollars US. Man, does everyone charge DOUBLE here or what?

Ugh... the price of upgrading your car...

 

I think the US price for the SRT bumper is around $350 here.

 

DynamicS, thanks for the input. All this work and expenses just to get the most out of the remaining 10% ~ kind of idiotic in more ways than one! But the horsepower bug is a dangerous affliction, and a strong one at that. Hard to overcome.

As for the supercharger, I believe the price includes the product and installation, but NO ECU REMAP. They claim the supercharger is a direct bolt-on, and would not necessitate a ECU optimization. For some reason, this sounds like a load of bull... my 0.02.

 

Actually, the cheapest price I found was at Chryslerpartsdirect.com at $232 including tax. But given that I live in Korea, the shipping cost alone will be another $100 bucks or so I believe.