henry1229

Hi - I understand that the jury is largely still out on whether or not intakes add any permanent power. It seems that even those that do temporarily add HP/TQ will still end up back at baseline numbers once the ECU adjusts. Do the ECU tunes offered by RR Racing and others prevent this ECU adjustment, thereby preserving the intake mod gains?

I guess I should also introduce myself - I just bought my first ISF last month! (moved up from an IS350) I was so excited that I bought a plane ticket with 2 hours notice, flew up to Washington and drove it back down to LA. I purchased the car on 12/21 and have already driven nearly 2,000 miles in it, and its getting Joe-Z exhaust installed tomorrow!!

Thanks so much for any guidance. I've been reading obsessively on the ISF for years now but haven't come across an answer to my question above.

blackisF08

iTrader: (2)

only intake to produce actual gains in the isf is the rr racing tuned intake, with the tune it permanently stays there till you remove it

jat0223

iTrader: (1)

Keep in mind that the rr racing tuned intake produces gains only in conjunction with the headers and exhaust. The intake becomes the bottle neck only after you've added exhaust and headers to free the exhaust completely.

jdmSW20

iTrader: (12)

Yeah intake isn't the bottle neck on this car even after you've done the exhaust side

moleb

I have also been wondering about the RR Tune. I want it but I only have borla cat back. All the info I find is really cryptic cornering the gains on a stock isf or catback only isf. Im sure RR would get a lot more sales if they released a transparent and understandable break down for the tune with light mods.

henry1229

Thanks for the replies y'all. I should clarify that I'm NOT talking about the RR Racing tuned intake, as I've already spoken with RR Racing and I understand that it is not a necessary upgrade without exhaust and headers. I am not yet sure I want to put headers on (CA), and I'd like to retain the dual-mode characteristics of the stock airbox.

I read the thread below, where FIGS tested the Takeda and Injen intakes, finding a loss of power over the stock box. Later in the thread many people were theorizing that the power loss is caused by the ECU compensating for increased airflow.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...-takeda-8.html

Then I read the following thread, where his aftermarket intake setup netted a solid gain. His testing regimen was methodical and well done, so it seems that there can be some benefit from aftermarket intakes. The question is just whether that benefit is permanent.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...em-review.html

Clearly there is a lot of variance in how our cars respond to an aftermarket intake. I like the dual-mode characteristic of the stock intake, but would enjoy a throatier sound and any potential power gains I can get. I'm specifically wondering if an ECU tune could help an aftermarket dual mode intake such as the Takeda or JoeZ lock in the gains experienced by someone such as k20trick above.

isfvss

Keep the standard air box,put a k&n filter (or equivalent) HPS maf pipe, and RR tune, don't over think it if you don't want extractors and the RR intake, done.

henry1229

Thanks, isfvss. What's an extractor?

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

In the US it's a volumetrically tuned exhaust for a two stroke engine. I suspect down under it's an equivalent term for what we in the US call headers.

isfvss

Hey lobux maybe you should come over and checkout the Summernats, catch up with farmtruck and checkout the extractors and bring Henry.

henry1229

That makes sense, thanks lobux. I was actually hoping you'd chime in on this post. Do you know anything about ECU tunes helping to retain aftermarket intake gains?

​​​​​​Isfvss I heard that toilet bowl water swirls the opposite way down there, care to clarify?

isfvss

Google it and look it extractors at the same time.

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

The only thing I know for sure is, if you don't change the target values the ECM is looking to achieve, you will lose any gains fairly quickly as the ECM will tune them out.