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FK8 Going stage 2 - thoughts?

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180
So this might be a bit of an essay...

I'm thinking about a remap and pondering whether to go stage 1 or 2. Will stage 1 be enough for me day to day, yes but I'm thinking I might as well do it properly! There are a few good places up here but no out and out Honda specialists. JM Imports seem to be the best bet but there is also a place called BTG Performance that have done a few FK8s.

Anyway current mods are a K&N filter and 3 inch custom cat back and a tuning box. Obviosuly the tuning box would go the journey. I'd just be looking at a decat/sports cat and not intercooler and induction kit etc. I run it on 97 as there's nowhere immediately local that does 99. I'm not chasing numbers but still I've been told to expect in the region of 400hp.

I don't think I'll bother getting Hondata or Ktuner and probably just go for a straight ecu flash which JM and BTG both do... I think via Ecutek. Any thoughts on this, anyone done it?

As for decat vs sports cat what are the views noise wise? I've got a baby on the way and I'm thinking decat plus the 3 inch will just be too loud so it will either be sports cat with the custom system or going back to stock with a decat. I've heard 2 videos on YouTube with a decat and stock exhaust. One literally sounded no different and the other sounded much louder but pretty perfect for what I'm after! Has anyone on here done this?

In any case I might have the tuning box up for sale, less than a year old, from Bluespark Automotive. You'll get 356bhp, my car was actually what they used to develop it so that's the legit dyno figure. Ideal for warranty purposes! Retails for £299 I'd be looking for £199.

My exhaust is also a 3 inch custom cat back from the Exhaust Doctor in Newcastle. Worth nearly £800 new, I'd take £500... sounds awesome and has milltek style slash cut tips.

Thoughts, advice, offers?
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Although mines not done yet, a ktuner remap on a dyno by paul at tpw engineering, with an induction kit and downpipe is what I’d recommend for around 370-400 bhp.

Follow him on insta at king_tuna1 for lots of fk8 content. Think tdi north is furthest north in Warrington
 
Thanks I've got him on insta already, actually messaged him a while back. Warrington is too much of a trek for me. JM imports have about as good a rep as you can get on jap cars albeit not type r specialists so think I'll probably end up getting the map there. They quote gains of 70-90 hp at stage 2.

Plus I'm not really bothered about ktuner or hondata and extra features etc. Just want the map doing so I can set and forget sort of thing. Not to mention the extra cost for buying the unit.

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Keep me in the loop on the bluespark ;) (One inane question; Does it impact the "feel" of comfort / sport / +R modes? Wouldn't have thought so "too much" as it's just throttle mapping by mode)

Best place to go would probably be the US forums - For 400 I'd have thought a sports cat would do it (Personally, I'd avoid the decat - Everyone has to breathe that at the end of the day, and it makes legality much simpler)

You can go mental with bolt ons, but a cat isn't exactly overboard and would surely see you to 400. - If you like sounds, I'd suggest a PRL intake too - TBH I'm satisfied with the standard exhaust + PRL intake, sounds great in the cabin.

An IC might help too, but that's moving into rather more involved territory :p
 
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Keep me in the loop on the bluespark ;)

Best place to go would probably be the US forums - For 400 I'd have thought a sports cat would do it (Personally, I'd avoid the decat - Everyone has to breathe that at the end of the day, and it makes legality much simpler)

You can go mental with bolt ons, but a cat isn't exactly overboard and would surely see you to 400. - If you like sounds, I'd suggest a PRL intake too - TBH I'm satisfied with the standard exhaust + PRL intake, sounds great in the cabin.

An IC might help too, but that's moving into rather more involved territory :p
Will do

Like I say not chasing numbers, to be honest I'd like to keep it below 395 as I'm insured up to a 25% increase in bhp... Not sure how they'd find out if it was over!

I'm not interested in an intercooler or anything more, like you say you can go crazy. Not worth it for a daily that might get tracked once or twice!



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re insurance, if you had a crash and god forbid someone died, that's when they'd get the fine tooth comb out, including searching forums like these of course

A decat is a fail as well each MOT, so it would be a sports cat for me.

What I like about the Ktuner v1.2 is that maps will be selectable on the head unit...including the asbo pop and bang map. so speaking of cats I might need a new one...:lol:
 
It's kind of a myth, sort of, that removing your cat is illegal. If the car still passes omissions tests then there isn't an issue. A lot of insurers, including mine, will specifically list a decat as a mod. Its VOSA not the police or the insurer that would say the car doesn't meet omissions limits and thus isn't roadworthy.

That being said we all know a decat will almost certainly not meet omissions limits. I'm still a year and a half away from my first mot but not sure I could be bothered with the faff of swapping over to a cat each time so sports cat could the the preference. Scorpion do one for £450 not sure how many cells, I've seen a company called function werk also starting to sell them for £435 which is 200 cell. Could be a shout!

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Keep me in the loop on the bluespark ;) (One inane question; Does it impact the "feel" of comfort / sport / +R modes? Wouldn't have thought so "too much" as it's just throttle mapping by mode)

Best place to go would probably be the US forums - For 400 I'd have thought a sports cat would do it (Personally, I'd avoid the decat - Everyone has to breathe that at the end of the day, and it makes legality much simpler)

You can go mental with bolt ons, but a cat isn't exactly overboard and would surely see you to 400. - If you like sounds, I'd suggest a PRL intake too - TBH I'm satisfied with the standard exhaust + PRL intake, sounds great in the cabin.

An IC might help too, but that's moving into rather more involved territory :p
Just reread this. Doesn't impact the modes at all.

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odd that you say no to an intercooler, from what ive read the US guys are saying its a must have mod?
they recomend it first, then high volume induction / decat or sports cat with exhaust and a tune to get the most from the bolt ons.
apparently the intercooler and stock downpipe are bottle neck's for the fk8
 
It's all about £, I'd have the lot if money was no object. Well actually I'd have a Ferarri! I'm not going to track the car loads, maybe once or twice, if at all. I just want a bit more when I stick my foot down hence thinking a down pipe would do the trick.

Up here JM imports and Btg performance both say I'd be looking around 400 without an intercooler. However I've had one place, The Performance Centre in Sunderland, tell me an intercooler isnt an option but a must for stage 2. However they're the cheapest of the 3 so making me question them.

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i'd still be concerned pushing 400 or close to it on a stock intercooler considering guys in the US are over heating on stock coolers when pushing hard, especialy since your probably going to be running a lot more boost too.
the stock intercooler seems tiny compaired to the likes of Forge / PRL / HKS etc..
 
JM actually offer a 'stage 2' package without an option for intercooler, they market that as 'stage 3'. They're running an open day in a couple of weeks so hoping to get chance to speak to someone and quiz them a little.

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If I was you I’d forget the sports cat / decat. It really doesn’t need it. Better to spend your money on a good intake and intercooler.

The reason you’ll need an intercooler is the more power / boost you run the quicker heat soak sets in. Yes you can get 400bhp without one but trust me if you try to boot it the engine management will just cut power as soon as the temps increase. On these that didn’t take long. You’ll struggle to get more than a couple of laps in on a track before it overheats (assuming you’re pushing on). Kid of wastes your money mapping it if you don’t get the full benefits.

I know you said you don’t want to pay for KTuner but with it you can keep and eye on things and back off if needed. It’s a good bit of software.
 
Thanks for the input guys. To be honest I'm actually just thinking about going stage 1 at this point and leaving it there.

It's interesting about the overheating thing though, I know it seems to be the number one issue but seems like Paul West doesn't necessarily agree.

For me it might get to the track once or twice, if at all and I certainly wouldn't have the stones to hoof it so think I should be OK!

I'd love ktuner or Hondata, especially switchable maps that I've seen via ktuner just not sure I could justify the money, I always think that it could go towards a deposit for a better motor!
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Well that's a given. The dealer has already clocked my cat back and I'm sure if something went bang Honda would want a report from the Ecu and question why the sensor values are reading a little higher form the tuning box.

The way I look at is that I could have bought a slightly older but better motor out of warranty and tuned it. Still the same risk



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I only advise that as I have been there and done that with the warranty thing when my first FK8 was rejected ..
 
I had no mods at all. Completely standard , 4th gear lock out on an early fk8. It was bad enough rejecting it when it was standard .. with mods it would’ve been a no go.
 
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