ACE Header Independent Testing Results and Review - 199.6WHP on CA 91 Octane

[brzaapi]

Driving impressions: @Jmonty @Hawk77FT

Well, you know that feeling in a stock BRZ where you go to hit the gas, lets say on the highway in 5th (maybe 6th, but I don’t use it much) and you get that initial torque feeling of acceleration. Then as soon as you feel it, you lose it and your BRZ kind of bogs and you don’t really go anywhere. Well that’s gone.
The car doesn’t fall on its face anymore. It builds power strongly up to 7k. I would like to report back after a track day or P-Club AX session. I can tell a lot more when I can rev it out. But, for daily driving the extra torque and lack of dip is very nice.

The best way I can put it is this. You know when driving your FT86 (stock) and you go for a pass or some maneuver ….and everything works just right. The air temp is good, engine is running strong, you shift just right, and you hit a good rpm on the engine. MAGIC!!!. And then you wonder why can’t the car do that all the time, that actually made the car feel pretty quick. Well, now the car responds favorably like that all the time but with an extra 10% of Ummff thrown in. Its not FI, but the car finally feels like it has matured into an adult FA20. That doesn’t make it another engine, its still an FA20…but it’s a much better version of itself.

How does it sound:
Disclaimer – I love 4cl cars, but I hate the sound of most 4cl engines.

First, I am still running the stock cat back (mid pipe and muffler), and that is not likely to change soon. I am also running the ACE front pipe along with the header, so that is bound to make a little more noise. It is louder. It doesn’t sound bad, it doesn’t sound great. But please remember I am the last guy you want to hear exhaust opinions from. I am picky.
It sounds better with the windows down. If they are up the note you get is not as pleasing, than when the windows are down and you get less cabin echo.

Upon start up its loud and little obnoxious, but within 5 seconds the volume decreases quite a bit and its not to bad. In 20 or 30 seconds when the car begins to drop down to a more proper idle, you can barely tell you have a header installed. When revved (not under load), it sounds pretty good. No rasp, but a little cavitation and hollowness to the note. Still it sounds modded, but not stupid. Its obviously a little louder under load. When you take off from a stop. There is a quick tinny cavitaton sound and then no real extra noise until you hit around 3700rpms. By 4000 rpms its louder. Its not a fart can, but its not as smooth a note (im picky) as I would like. It stays loud all the way thru, but for some reason I much prefer the note above 5000rpms. I don’t know why. Maybe because when I am above 5000rpms, I am having fun no matter what. I find the sound to be a little more obnoxious than I prefer. I imagine most will be happy with it. If it was my daily I may not have removed the front pipe. But its not, so who cares.
I have not been outside the car as it has passed by. I will do that soon, and report back. But although the sound doesn’t excite me, the header itself very much does.

[curtdragon]

Can you post some videos with sound?

[brzaapi]

Originally Posted by curtdragon

Can you post some videos with sound?

I already planned on it. I will report back soon. For the record, I like the way the car sounds when youre revving it out. And its still very easy to cruise through a neighborhood and not wake everyone up. I cant wait to really hear it on the track. But on the street I am low key guy. If it was quieter, till about 4500rpms that would be great. But no real complaints, just observations.

[Cop]

Blue line is OFT w/ Tomei UEL. Yellow/orange/upper green is Ace + tune + post ACT clutch. Lower red and green is where I was having issues pre ACT clutch.

[sw20kosh]

Originally Posted by Cop

Blue line is OFT w/ Tomei UEL. Yellow/orange/upper green is Ace + tune + post ACT clutch. Lower red and green is where I was having issues pre ACT clutch.

My ACE Header and FP + 91 octane made 169 whp on that dyno. It went on to make 187 whp on e85. Bone Stock makes ~148 whp.

[Cop]

Originally Posted by sw20kosh

My ACE Header and FP + 91 octane made 169 whp on that dyno. It went on to make 187 whp on e85. Bone Stock makes ~148 whp.

Time to go e85

[StormTrooper]

Custom tune or canned?

[steve99]

@brzaapi

get you tuner to reduce ignition timing post start to -4 from -15
disable cel code P050B
reduce maf offset after start in neutral and in gear
reduce idle rpm to 1400 max when cold in all idle tables

will idle nice and quiet on cold starts without obnoxious bark

that stuff is all to heat up primary cat which you dont have

[brzaapi]

Originally Posted by steve99

@brzaapi

get you tuner to reduce ignition timing post start to -4 from -15
disable cel code P050B
reduce maf offset after start in neutral and in gear
reduce idle rpm to 1400 max when cold in all idle tables

will idle nice and quiet on cold starts without obnoxious bark

that stuff is all to heat up primary cat which you dont have

Thank you sir. I will be sure to pass this along and discuss with him. I appreciate the heads up. I understand everything you mentioned, except what do you mean by MAF offset?

All my tuning knowledge so far is book based. I have no real world knowledge or experience. IN other words I know enough to be dangerous.

Thanks again. You are always a help.

[Cop]

Originally Posted by StormTrooper

Custom tune or canned?

Custom

[dill916]

does anyone know which header was used for this test? im looking at CSG's store and theres multiple 4-2-1 headers.

[sw20kosh]

Originally Posted by dill916

does anyone know which header was used for this test? im looking at CSG's store and theres multiple 4-2-1 headers.

Type A 350 collector. Type B 350 collector will be similar.

[steve99]

Originally Posted by brzaapi

Thank you sir. I will be sure to pass this along and discuss with him. I appreciate the heads up. I understand everything you mentioned, except what do you mean by MAF offset?

All my tuning knowledge so far is book based. I have no real world knowledge or experience. IN other words I know enough to be dangerous.

Thanks again. You are always a help.

maf offset after start add extra fuel, stock table adds heaps to heat up cat so you can reduce it. If you dont reduce it car will still idle high even though you reduced idle target tables. This only effects post start

[CounterSpace Garage]

Originally Posted by dill916

does anyone know which header was used for this test? im looking at CSG's store and theres multiple 4-2-1 headers.

Type-A 350 collector is the one used in the test.

Originally Posted by sw20kosh

Type A 350 collector. Type B 350 collector will be similar.

Type-B 350 collector has been discontinued due to Type-A catching up with production demands. We are working to get a pallet shipment in some time with Type-A headers + some new specimens that ACE has been brewing up. Thank you for all your patience!