Hi, All

Been doing quite a bit of reading, and I think I have figured out what mods will suit me best, but at the risk of confusing myself, I am interested in some opinions...

My 06 MCS is totally stock right now. I value keeping the sound levels close to stock while increasing power, WITHOUT sacrificing driveability. I do not plan to do extensive modifications - here is what I have in mind:

a) 15% reduction pulley with shorter belt, and colder iridium plugs.

b) JCW factory CAI kit with oiled foam filter instead of paper element

c) RMW dyno tuning services

d) two other things I am considering are a JCW catback exhaust, and JCW 380cc injectors...and I want to have everything installed before taking it in for tuning. Here are my questions for you folks:

1) Given the above mods, with no plans to do anything further, will the injectors make any difference, or are they not necessary?

2) If I go ahead with the exhaust, do the injectors become necessary for proper / max performance as a package, once tuned?

3) If I had to choose between injectors OR the exhaust, which one should be the priority?

I am equally concerned with both power output AND smooth running / driveability. In other words, I would buy either the injectors or the exhaust, or both, if they would make a significant difference in either power OR driveability, after tuning is complete.

So, please reply with opinions and / or experience...the injectors and exhaust are quite expensive, and given I plan no further mods, I am not sure how much difference they will make.

Thanks!

Doug

 

It looks like you have a good general idea of where to start.

It isn't necessary to get a shorter belt with a 15% pulley, but it might be a good idea to go ahead and replace it while its off.

From a performance standpoint, the JCW exhaust is going to cost you $$$$ and give you very little gains, however you will get a lot better sounding exhaust tone and it will probably feel faster. You might want to look into a one-ball exhaust modification for similar gains for less than $50.

If you know you are going to get a RMW or similar custom tune, I would go ahead and get the larger 380, 400, or 440cc injectors. I wouldn't be in a rush to purchase these, but look around for a good price on a set of used injectors because you likely won't be able to get a custom tune in your area for quite a while. Without a custom tune, larger injectors will make your car run richer than usual, taking away top end power.

I have 440cc injectors installed on my 2005 MCS engine now and haven't had it tuned yet. My car doesn't pull as strong from 5000-7000rpms as when it did before with stock injectors. However, with a tune, that will all change.

And welcome to NAM!

 

Hi,

Many thanks for your feedback - much appreciated!

There is a rumor that RMW just might be coming to my area in November - not yet confirmed...fingers crossed!

I looking into the whole one-ball thing, but I am not interested in that. I have listened to some sound slips or cars with that mod, and I don't care for it...and it doesn't seem to offer much except a louder tone, slight weight savings, and an unbalanced exhaust system that may be less durable than it was before.

Yes, the JCW pipes are $$$, but I have driven a 2010 JCW car (I realize it's not the same thing - turbo vs. supercharger - but it was the only comparison I could find in my area), and it sounds nice. Just barely louder than my stock 06 MCS (maybe 10% louder), with a bit of a bass rumble...not tinny or obnoxious at all.

Having said that, I would not buy the JCW exhaust for that reason alone...I would only buy it if it would ALSO help power and / or driveability in combination with my other mods. If the difference in power would be really small (with my proposed state of tune) and the car would still drive very smoothly (post tune) with stock pipes, I will save the cash for new tires or something else.

I will plan to replace my SC belt while installing the pulley...that just makes sense to me, and might as well go slightly shorter to accommodate the smaller pulley.

With the relatively mild state of tune I am looking at, is there any advantage to going with injectors larger than 380? I am still not totally convinced they will make any difference at all, even after tuning...

Any more opinions?

Thanks!


Doug

 

If I were you I would invest in the injectors. I would do at least 440's maybe even 550's, which Jan can scale down. Like cooper99 said, an exhaust will give you only a small increase and if you do the bigger injectors, that can give you room in the future if you ever do more modifications and ensure you get the most out of the tune because you wont be running out of fuel. From what you said it sounds like you don't want to increase the sound level which the exhaust will do. Give Jan a call or email him and tell him your goals, he will point you in the right direction! Good luck!

 

But if you get 440's and higher, you can't use them without a tune. So you practically have to install them RIGHT before the tune. Am I correct?

 

Thats what I originally thought but cooper99 said he is running them without a tune, its just not performing well.

 

Interesting... 440 or 550? I'm surprise it doesn't throw a code.