Quick Review-OpenFlash (Dyno Test) - Stock vs. Vishnu Stage 1.0 vs. Vishnu Stage 1.1

[King Tut]

Does anyone find it weird that FRSTEVE only signed up on this forum this month and every single one of his posts thus far has been about OpenFlash including starting two new threads about the product?

[Anthony]

9/11 was an inside job.


But seriously though, that is a good observation. Could be just a guy who's just focusing on this right now, or there could be some fuckery afoot. Good call.

[FRSTEVE]

Originally Posted by Fast_Freddy

Hey Steve, likewise. The Borla UEL header is un-catted and changes the exhaust sound a lot even with the stock catted and muffled front pipe. With just the header installed the exhaust is a good bit louder at WOT but only a little at idle and when daily driving. The header also adds that UEL Subaru sound others crave but I can take or leave.

Adding the 200 cell hi-flow catted Tsudo front pipe increased the sound level quite a bit and with it, much more of the undesirable rasp and metallic sound properties associated with headers and metallic substrate hi-flow cats. To the best of my knowledge the oem cats are ceramic substrates with 400 cell density.

IMO the best sounding exhaust for this and most cars can be had with a good cat-back. OTOH, replacing the header, cats and first half of the exhaust system will gain the most hp/tq. Replacing the full exhaust system produces the most hp/tq but is usually obnoxiously loud and raspy with excessive drone. It's possible to do a great sounding full exhaust but it ain't easy and is usually pretty loud even if you can mask the metallic rasp and drone. My 2 cents.

Thanks for the detailed response. So did you keep your rear section to control the rasp? I've heard a few local FRS/BRZ with completely catless systems with aftermarket headers ... it sounds obnoxiously loud and terrible (rasp and sputter).

[FRSTEVE]

@Shit Luck - I think you confused me with Fast_Freddy. I found your thread and he's the one quoting you not me.

@KingTut - this is my first mod on this car (other than the $100 muffler special, that's nothing worth writing about) and i only got my car a month ago. I've been lurking on the forum for months before my account was created to learn more about the platform. You'll find me posting more in the future, as soon as I get deliver of my various aftermarket parts. I have been reading a lot of your threads and they have been extremely helpful to me ... so I'd like to say "thanks!".

[King Tut]

Originally Posted by FRSTEVE

@KingTut - this is my first mod on this car (other than the $100 muffler special, that's nothing worth writing about) and i only got my car a month ago. I've been lurking on the forum for months before my account was created to learn more about the platform. You'll find me posting more in the future, as soon as I get deliver of my various aftermarket parts. I have been reading a lot of your threads and they have been extremely helpful to me ... so I'd like to say "thanks!".

I would like to say you are welcome. You do have to admit it was a little odd that you popped up and happened to be local to Vishnu and used words like "so inexpensive". I still consider a $500 handheld tuner a serious expense. I look forward to seeing your dyno plots when I get home, since imageshack is blocked at work.

[FRSTEVE]

Originally Posted by King Tut

I would like to say you are welcome. You do have to admit it was a little odd that you popped up and happened to be local to Vishnu and used words like "so inexpensive". I still consider a $400 handheld tuner a serious expense. I look forward to seeing your dyno plots when I get home, since imageshack is blocked at work.

I hear ya on the "inexpensive" term ... its relative.

I had a BMW in the past and if you want to see expensive, see the markups on same length of 304 stainless 3" tubing vs. what the prices are for this platform. There are many decent exhaust options for under $1000 (when compared to my AE exhaust which was nearly $2000). And turning a non-FI car to an FI car can be had for mid-$3K (your choice supercharger or turbocharger). That IS inexpensive when compared to other platforms getting FI is at least $8K endeavor.

This is a great platform .. this is my first "lightweight" car, everything I had in the past was mid to high 3000 lbs. I've had gutted track cars in the past, but they were still at 3000lbs.

Lastly, this is the internet ... so you can't believe everything you read and its rare that you can convince people to change their opinions or otherwise. So I could be a vishnu employee or not, but I've met a few local owners they are the only one who could really vouch for me (but they could be lying too).

My only recommendation (which I do follow), take forums as a datapoint, practice using your brain to see if the data makes sense, don't trust it and verify for yourself.

[MyRx]

Originally Posted by FRSTEVE

To the guys getting alignments - what did you settle on?

Fronts: Camber -1.9, Toe -1/16". Rears: Toe -1/16", camber is not even in the rear (stock parts).

Originally Posted by Bach415

So... I guess you're set for another chase around Palomares to 84 next time we meet? Haha

For sure. We haven't seen you in a while so yes, try to make it on 9/28 @ BWW.

[Shiv@Openflash]

Originally Posted by MyRx

Fronts: Camber -1.9, Toe -1/16". Rears: Toe -1/16", camber is not even in the rear (stock parts).



For sure. We haven't seen you in a while so yes, try to make it on 9/28 @ BWW.

Good info. I'll come along for the drive too. Maybe FRSTEVE can come as well to confirm that he is actually a real person

Full disclosure: Steve has been a customer of our for 10+years. First with the WRX (old school NASIOC members may remember his name), then the BMW 335 (first single turbo 6at), and now with the FRS. He was also the person who talked me into getting this car.

[FRSTEVE]

@MyRx - thanks for sharing your setup. Are there plans to get some rear camber adjustment? If so, which LCAs were you looking at?

[Shiv@Openflash]

Originally Posted by King Tut

I would like to say you are welcome. You do have to admit it was a little odd that you popped up and happened to be local to Vishnu and used words like "so inexpensive". I still consider a $500 handheld tuner a serious expense. I look forward to seeing your dyno plots when I get home, since imageshack is blocked at work.

Not trying to stir the pot here but if you think a $500 flashing/diagnostic handheld device is expensive, do you consider your ecutek tune to be more expensive? Expensive is relative but usually hardware, which you can resell, holds value better than a software license which you are stuck with if/when you decide to move on.

[MyRx]

Originally Posted by FRSTEVE

@MyRx - thanks for sharing your setup. Are there plans to get some rear camber adjustment? If so, which LCAs were you looking at?

At the moment, no. Wheels n tires are more justified. Besides, there are more folks with stock setups that can be helped with an alignment. But if I was shopping for LCAs, I'd just get what is recommended and does the job right. Half degree difference in the rears is minuscule.

Back to the topic, my win8 is a not being cooperative at the moment even with the patch...

[Trigonx]

When do we get that version 1.1 tune!?

Thanks for the dyno plots FRSTEVE, I knew I felt more power in the mid rpm range. Just wasn't sure if the butt dyno was correct, but the real dyno shows it.


edit: Found the 1.1 OTS Maps!

[King Tut]

Originally Posted by shiv@vishnu

Not trying to stir the pot here but if you think a $500 flashing/diagnostic handheld device is expensive, do you consider your ecutek tune to be more expensive? Expensive is relative but usually hardware, which you can resell, holds value better than a software license which you are stuck with if/when you decide to move on.

I don't consider any of it to be inexpensive. My EcuTek tune and license will be sold with the car, and I can still sell my EcuTek cable. I have spent over $1500 for EcuTek and tuning thus far.

[Fast_Freddy]

Originally Posted by mad_sb

EDIT, I swear when i looked this earlier it said E85... but i don't see it now... Anyway... This would be good to compair with a stg2 map on a car with the same header and exhaust setup.

No E85 here, just 93 from Royal Farms. I know it's not really fair to compare gains between stock + tune and header/front pipe + tune and it's in vogue to hate Visconti these days but I was very impressed that he could add 17whp so quickly. I've had this tune for over a month now and can't find any fault with it.

Originally Posted by FRSTEVE

Thanks for the detailed response. So did you keep your rear section to control the rasp? I've heard a few local FRS/BRZ with completely catless systems with aftermarket headers ... it sounds obnoxiously loud and terrible (rasp and sputter).

I kept the stock mid-pipe and axle-back and it sounds pretty good. Still very quiet except initial start-up and WOT, no drone and very little rasp. I'm not sure what to do next because I'd like to gain the extra ~10whp I believe still to be had from exhaust work. Maybe Greddy SP Elite, Invidia Q300 or Perrin resonated. I'll try to remember to make and post some sound clips.