hey guys i have a 2000 s40. ive done some intake mods. what else can i do to this car to safely get a little more low down power and maybe free up some existing HP. exhaust? a couple turns tighter on the wastegate actuator? anyone have any suggestions?

 

best option is to get the ECU flashed with a more aggressive curve and consider upgrading to a 14T turbo and a 3" downpipe. 14Ts were standard on the HP Euro models.

 

unfortunately there doesnt seem to be anyone who has a program for the ECu for the 2000 model. i have heard of the 14t swap but i also heard that the motor internals might not like it. as for the exhaust i was going to do a turbo back exhaust from the CAT thats bolted directly to the exhaust. maybe 2.5 inches?

 

Regarding the ECU, Rica Tuning out of the NL has a couple of US based agents, there are others but most are in Europe so you need to see if they have a US distributor. Dunno about the motor internals not liking at 14T, but when doing turbo upgrades its best to follow a blue print or take a conservative approach. A simple recurve with the 12T turbo can probably get you from 160 to 190 HP and with a downpipe close to 200 HP. (My VW CC has 200 HP from a 2.0L and it can really hustle.) The bigger turbo means better responsiveness and better air at high RPMs) Once you start getting past 220 or so HP, you will need to consider other bits like a bigger intercooler, running 93 octane exclusively, water wetter in your cooling system, a better blow off valve, stouter hoses and so on...

 

I emailed rica and a couple of their dealers here to see if i could make something happen. that tune looks awesome. dramatic curve difference. i would do the 14t but it would have to have bigger injectors and a fuel cut defender and thats gonna take some cash. but i have heard you can just bolt the 14t right on and not tune at all but im not sure thats true.