Boxster Dyno, Drag Strip & Mods

[thelion]

On December 2nd 2003 my '02 Boxster 2.7 was bone stock and it had about 5000 miles on it and I wanted to get a baseline on the dyno (Dyno Dynamics of Australia). After one pull to blow out the carbon or whatever we did a 2nd run and it made 181.7 hp at the wheels. The power peak came in at 6400-6500 rpm.

I then brought it to Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton, FL for a few runs at the drag strip. My first time in long time (15+ years) and I ran a 14.403 @ 97.67 mph with a .724 reaction time and a 2.105 60'. I got creamed by a modified Mustang SVO with the factory supercharger. He ran a 12 flat. (Right 1st 2.4058, I was in the left lane).

I was having a good time even though the supercharged SVT walked all over me. Run #2 was against a late 80s Mustang LX 5.0 with a custom blue and silver paint job with the paint colors fading into each other. I screwed up my launch bad and ran a 14.761 @ 96.57 mph with a 1.143 reaction time and a 2.359 60' time, but it was enough to beat the Mustang LX 5.0!

The third run was against a brand new Audi RS6 with that 450 hp twin turbo V8. He was overheating or running poorly or something. I ran a 14.326 @ 96.99 mph with a .675 r/t, an a 1.855 60'. Strangely I beat the RS6! I saw his car being serviced at my dealer not long after that.

I then caught the horsepower bug and set off to try to find some more, heh. I added an EVO sport intake kit, the one with the cone filter, a Superchip 93 octane chip and a Dansk sport muffler that Performance Products has on sale for $760. To make a long story short, it turned out the old 124 version MAF didn't like the extra airflow and gave poor readings (said there was more air going through than there was) and my car was really running rich. You could see it on the dyno and the dragstrip. On the dyno I was running about 8 horsepower less than stock with the most losses in the midrange. The mixture was way off, stock I was running 12.8-13.0 on the mixture, pretty much a straight line across the whole rev range. After the mods but with a bad MAF I was running around 11.6-12.0 which is way too rich.

With the mods and the bad MAF (but before replacing the MAF) I ran against various Hondas and Acuras. It only took me one run to get a little frustrated. I ran a 16.300 @ 93.99 with a .665 r/t and a 3.027 60'. The second run was a 15.001 @ 94.47 mph with a .715 r/t and a 2.313 60', and the third run was a 16.184 @ 93.20 mph with a .778 r/t and a 2.650 60'.

After that, and a few more runs with the same performance numbers I brought my 986 to my dealer and showed him the dyno pulls with the shootout printout (before and after) and the dragstrip time slips. I reasoned that the MAF was bad because its the main component that tells the ECU how much air the car is able to suck in, the numbers and charts were obvious that my car was running really rich. The dealer put the car on their diagnostic equipment and saw my car was running really rich as well and proceeded to replace the MAF with the updated 125 version and change the P-Code in my ECU to let it know that a 125 version will be giving it the readings.

The car feels a lot stronger now with the new MAF. I'm going to Sebring on Saturday and I won't be able to get back to the drag strip until next week. I know I'll have a blast at Sebring, it's my first DE event! I'll post more drag strip time slips after I come back from the strip. I'll post my lap times from Sebring too. Happy New Year! And, I hope you guys are having as much fun with your Boxsters as I am with mine.

Tom

PCA Member since 2003

:jump:

[frenchy]

Let us know you new performance number if you run the dyno test again (find out if the modification paid off)

BTW

Make sure your cone filter is not a "oily" one (like K&N). The boxster (Bosh) MAF is very sensitive to oil residue. I know a few people that "busted" their MAF by using K&N. The oil on the filter get on the plate of the MAF, since these MAF rely on a termal difference between two point on the plate, that oil deposit (along with all the dust that will glue to the oil deposit) will screw up the MAF reading (and then the Engine check light goes on).

Jean

[thelion]

Jean,

I'll get some numbers by Fri Jan 16th, I ordered a 12 lb flywheel and a sport clutch. The stock clutch is pretty soft and the dual-mass flywheel doesn't let the engine spin as well as it would if it had the lightweight flywheel.

Are there paper cone filters? I have a cloth/oil one, it's an EVO intake and it's the included cone filter.

Tom

[frenchy]

Jeff would probably know if there are non "oily" cone filter. I think Madame NoFear has a EVO...

Toolpant?

Jean

[thelion]

I think I found a good solution - the Blitz SUS cone air filters. The element is made from a stainless steel mesh and doesn't require oil yet it flows much better than paper. I found it while searching the internet for paper cone filters which don't seem to exist.

Now I just have to take out the blue cotton gauze filter that came with my EVO intake and measure it plus the tube and order a Blitz SUS universal. I cleaned my 125-version MAF sensor with some isopropyl alcohol and Q-Tips but I don't know if it's still good or not, there was some black dirt on the leading edge of the exposed thermistor.

I'll let everyone know how the Blitz SUS works out.

Tom

[Vampyre]

The Mustang LX is not a 5.0 liter V8 engine.

The LX has 2.3 Liter 6 banger, and alot less HP then a 5.0

[KC911S]

Uh.. ok

First, the 2.3 that came in the base LX is a 4 not a 6. Second, the LX was available as a 5.0, they're actually pretty common. I really doubt somebody would seriously drag a 2.3 LX, it'd be like a 20sec 1/4 mile!

[thelion]

Here is my dyno pull from the other day. I'm going to the drag strip again tonight, our PCA region doesn't have any auto-x this month and my next track session is at Sebring on March 27th. The drag strip isn't as fun as a road course or auto-x, but it beats sitting at home watching Speed channel.

[GoodVibeGroove]

THELION,

I was wondering where you purchased your powerchip from? I am having trouble finding it, when I go to powerchip.com, they only show units for ford chevy and dodge...

Thanks,

Scott

[GoodVibeGroove]

I think i found it. www.powerchipgroup.com I was curious though, if your using the EVO intake, what made you decide not to use the DME upgrade they offer from GIAC? It looks like the GIAC chip produces better power from their dyno.

I'd love to hear from anyone using the GIAC upgrade (sold by : EVO : rennsportsystems and others) ESPECIALLY anyone living in a high altitude area like me, I am having terrible MAF problems using an EVO cold air intake at high altitude (with or without an oiled filter) I can't go more then 10 minutes without it triggering the CEL. I am hoping a chip will do the trick!

Has anyone tried an e-ram on their boxster yet? http://www.electricsupercharger.com

If so, any MAF problems?

Edited May 30, 2004 by GoodVibeGroove

[adsach]

mr TheLion,

I don't see a muffler chip and Evo as able to take you from 181.7 to 264.5 HP, and I don't know the adjustment factors on the Dyno Chart.

Do you have dyno numbers that compare RWHP to RWHP?

[rxbox]

seems like a huge gain....great if its true but chassis dynos will always have some bit of error

to add more horses you may want to try a high flow cat with elimination of the oem precat (bound to set a few cel's but the ecu will learn)

http://www.fvdmotorsport.com/Exhaust2.htm go to the bottom of the page for the boxster addons

tom, the energy in your post shows how much fun your having...i would love to hit 1/4 mile but i hate the lines around the chicago areas during test and tune....and i always get wheel hop with dropping the clutch

keep us posted with your achievements please!

ric

[Lux]

I have to agree with rxbox and adsach. Your 264hp number seems very unrealisitc. My guess is at most a 15-20 rwhp gain from the chip, intake and muffller. And that's with running 93 octane in cool, dry weather; not hot and humid FL weather. However, since I'm new to the Box scene I could be wrong. :) I'm basing my experience from my previous (but similiar) car, the E36 M3.

BTW, I'm not trying to rain on your parade...just being curious. :cheers:

BlackBox

[thelion]

That's not 181 to 264 at the wheels, it did 225 at the crank, stock, and 265 with the mods for a gain of 40 hp, that's with the sport cats, headers, muffler, EVO intake, and custom chip. It was an expensive as hell way to find 40 hp. My friend did the same thing to his Boxster S and he's making 302 hp at the crank, same cost to do it.

[rxbox]

ohhhh....right....

how much was the total for the boxster s mods....?

302 at the crank is about 270 horse(15%loss)

right?

tom the guys who is currently postponing my supercharger from tpc...claims 30 horses at the wheel gain

the eaton supercharger with plumming cost 5000 plus about 10hrs labor

(i was planning on doing a before and after chassis dyno)

if there is a cheaper way to get close to 300 ....im interested

please elucidate tom

thanks

ric

[Lux]

It was an expensive as hell way to find 40 hp.

Yeah, I hear ya...speed costs $$$.

BTW, good info you're posting. Keep it up! :thumbup:

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BlackBox

[adsach]

... a gain of 40 hp, that's with the sport cats, headers, muffler, EVO intake, and custom chip.

HEADERS - that's what I missed the first time around!

40HP sounds about right for the 2.7L.

[clubhead]

I know this thread is > 7 months old but I'm experiencing exactly the same symtoms as you... bhp/torque drop with the Evo intake kit. Some suggested a faulty MAF. Check your PM :)

My questions are :

1) Did you manage to locate a universal Blitz filter that's small enough to replace the one supplied by EVO? The ones I saw are all much bigger.

2) Can the dealership diagnose a faulty MAF without the usual CEL and hunting idle symtoms? I'm inclined to replace the MAF but the price the local dealership is charging ($700 w/o labour) puts me off...

[JP-"S"]

That e-charger has been bashed allot yet there was a 928 a few months ago in a porsche mag(do not remember what one) that was using one. My whole issue with these are they have two settings on and off. My idea would be on cars post 2000 since they use the drive by wire system. Somehow tap into that were that e-charger would spin faster with more throttle. Please someone tell me I am crazy. Thanks