2008 Lancer CJ VRX - Build thread

[Avenir]

Hey Guys,

Semi long time lancer owner here, finally starting a build journey to share with you all. Its a 2008 VRX 2.4l 4B12 manual trans... Love the car and decided I want to actually put a bit more into it.

The poor girl has been hit 3 times though, twice by outside sources and once myself backing into a tree. It's getting repaired at the end of this month with the front end fully being rebuilt, which goes together well with the whole back end already being rebuilt!

At the moment not many parts have been changed yet but so far:
- OEM Lancer seat covers
- Brand new OEM Floor mats
- Brand new OEM Lancer Scuff plates (all doors)
- Brand new VRX badge (mine was originally stolen from previous owner)

Coming in the mail:
- K&N 69-6544TS SRI (i know the discussions about these, but I wasn't buying for just perf, but perf, looks and sound. After a tune and opening of the radiator cover I think it'll be okay)
- RA Snorkel (this will obvs help the SRI as well)
- Front Middle lip inbetween VRX pods
- Carbon fiber door handles
- Black tinted slimline Weathershields

I plan on putting in some XYZ coilovers, new exhaust (probably axelback), 4-1 Race Headers, then eventually a ECU tune to top it off. I'm usually pretty quick at saving for these projects so hopefully I keep you all entertained.

Avenir

[bumblebee]

G'day
Sorry to let you know
The K&N SRI is a rip off
All it does is make the car run lean
Worst case scenario you can melt a hole in your piston top
This is a bad detune of what your trying to achieve which I would assume is a tune and not a detune
Send the K&N back and get your money back while.you still can

The RA snorkel won't do Diddley squat for the K&N
Keep it however and drop the OEM air box back in
Before you do drop the OEM air box back in , make sure to wrap it in gold hear reflection tape as well as the RA snorkel

The K&N will give the illusion of making your car go faster
It does this by leaning out your AFR
Bad move

[Avenir]

Hey There!

All good bumblebee I knew about these concerns going in, although after doing some research I found the car is known to run a high 11 - 11.5 AFR out of the factory anyway..? Which should potentially help with the fuel economy. That combined with the heat shield, sound vs the air box, overall look of the intake, lifetime warranty of the pod filter (reusable/washable etc) and documentation like this: https://www.rpw.com.au/mitsubishi-lancer-cj-4b12-mivec/ explaining the panel filter providing no difference (YouTube vids say the same lol)/ the stock air box to be "quite restrictive" included with dyno tests of another K&N SRI, I went a bit against the grain on this one! I still totally respect your knowledge within the lancer community, and understand what you have mentioned.. but hey I drive the thing everyday I'll probably notice it being worse if does end up going that way. I also sorta thought if the snorkel does diddley squat for the intake it will probs do just the same for the air box with new filter.

I'll let you know my findings!

[lancerdarryl]

As Bumblebee said you are wasting your money with the K&N sri.There has been a huge amount of development and testing by our club members in this area.If you want to do it then go ahead it's your engine.

[Avenir]

Older photos.... still virtually the same as it was.

Put updated photos soon After the big fix

[bumblebee]

Out of interest, with your "research" about AFR , did it also include installation of an Wideband sensor so you know exactly what is going on in the motor?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/274327127100

These WB gauge are still on %50 off
If I were you I would get myself one

FYI
RPW have been known to tell fibs
Have a read thru this forum thru old posts and you will see
I can assure you , a decent panel filter with OEM setup will leave the K&N for dead
Been there and done that over the past four or more years of tuning the NA

[Avenir]

Thats okay Darryl I look forward to learning the process anyhow, and I could have stated more reasons as to why I chose it but I want to keep this as a build thread haha! I won't obviously get a tune done by RPW as that seems to be a consistently bad idea stated from most people in the group. But in terms of the intake, not so much.

Bumblebee I didn't look into any wideband sensors, as I never saw any mentioning of them. Not even off my brother who has done all of these mods on falcons, evo's, Integra's and Corolla's. I was probably going to get it dyno'd instead! But thank you for the tip.

Overall I did buy it for more then just one reason like I stated up the thread, and generally thought that the stock airbox with a filter was a rather solid but uninteresting approach to intake. Who knows I may even create my own airbox over the top of it or insulate it more, I have welded enough in my life to manage that haha...and half the job is already done because of the heat shield. Which it would be exactly like AEM intake for ralliarts.

Although a random thing I did want to ask was if anybody knew where to find a Genuine OEM Alloy shift knob??? They are on ebay but over 200$ including imports. Or even the OEM Fuel cover which is close to impossible to find in Australia. Even on amayama..

[bumblebee]

Out of interest
How are you planning to reduce the hot air being sucked in to the throttle body now you have purchased a hot air intake for it?

You do realise that even on a dyno if your really serious about setting up the ECU you will need a wideband right ?
Good luck getting an OEM alloy shift knob.
I suggest you check out a lot called
B Blox

Get the heaviest gear knob you can get

I have never met a a guy with an Evo who doesn't have a WB install done to it , only the guys who aren't serious in Evo land don't have WB on their vehicles.
I strongly urge you before you get to far down the track of wanting to tune your car to read a few text books on the topic
A few author come to mind
Greg Banish
Jeff Hartman
A. Graham Bell (Maitland , New South Wales)
And last but certainly not least
David Vizard

Before you go too much further into buying stuff you don't need, please read thru this also

viewforum.php?f=49

Enjoy

[Avenir]

There's various different ways to remove engine heat, and prioritise cold air into any vehicle. Some of it you guys have explained in other threads, from different hoods, front inlets, snorkels etc but like I said I didn't buy it just for that reason and I think you guys need to respect that, saying things like "can't teach stupid" is not a way to feel superior its just rude, because I didn't want a carbon copy of every other lancer thats the point... that was missed.

B blox actually looks like a good alternative thank you

[Nat]

Well said Avenir, and welcome.

[bumblebee]

Ok
So you don't want a carbon copy of every other lancer
There's plenty of us who have proven the K&N CAI your getting is a great way to detune your vehicle
And
Your still going ahead with it
Ok
Have fun
Once you understand how your ECU works and get some data logging done to see what happens then you might understand what your doing
If your not interested in learning that's your choice
Enjoy

Out of interest
Have you figured out who writes the ECU tunes for RPW yet?
It's not me , but someone else who is on this forum

Have a read thru the NA section on the forum I linked you to and see what others have done before you there is much to be learnt from there rather then try and reinvent the wheel

If you're serious to tune you car
Get a wideband that I linked t
o on eBay
And get a tactrix open port
https://www.tiperformance.com.au/produc ... -ecuflash/

[Avenir]

Thanks Nat appreciate it,

No not really, I have read a few other members on this page enjoy their SRI's as well, especially after a tune. I got it installed last weekend with the RA snorkel and actually quite happy with it. The induction sound, overall look and the feel of the drive has been better. Not sure about faster yet as I haven't driven enough (especially highways), but it definitely accelerates smoother in the lower rpm ranges with the combination and being 6.7hp advertised (which it wont be that high) its pretty hard to gauge anyways. I haven't even opened up the radiator cover yet so the intake is most likely getting choked anyhow, so I plan to do that soon.

No I have no idea who writes the tunes for RPW, honestly don't mind who does... Just heard here that people don't recommend there's.

I have read a fair bit out of that thread, it has solid content in it, I most likely wont move my horn, but I'll definitely open the radiator panel as wide as it will go.

Also got the weathershields today so hopefully put those on soon as well. In terms of tuning I am a little ways behind that part yet, still have to get 4-1 extractors and exhaust before I do that.... Most likely cat back 2.5inch Any recommendations on good cat backs?

Waiting in the mail:
Black Primer + Black Rim Paint + Black Plastidip for front panel
B Blox Platinum Shift knob - Decided against Alloy OEM $250 is just pure scalping
Front Middle Lip from Body Kit kingdom
Carbon fiber door handle covers

Tactrix I have looked into but not overly confident to dive all into it yet as I dont have time from Uni and Work.

[bumblebee]

Simplest way to test your tune is down a drag strip with professional timing gear
Test it stock
Get a time
Change something and do another test

If your ECU hasn't been changed then the K&N intake will absolutely give the illusion of going faster
Why?
The ECU is now running leaner
Run too lean , and it's not pretty

As for the car back , there was a link I gave to you in the NA section that shows a ton of stuff

If you click that link on the first page you will see this

viewtopic.php?f=49&t=25532

About cat backs

Enjoy

[Avenir]

Don't think it would be that simple.....respectfully, its entirely up to the drivers performance too down a drag strip, I'd probably need 4-5 runs to get a consistent result. Human error and all that.

Yeah I have heard about this, although after hearing off manic mechanic and chunky9, 2 users with SRI's similar to mine their AFR's were fine. Not saying it doesn't rule out my lancer but to my knowledge the ECU should still target the same AFR whether it be higher or lower. Even read from Merlin that apparently the ECU learns enough driving patterns over time and it's efficiency can grow some time after the battery being disconnected. Not sure how authentic this info is but yeah. If it runs lean it'll be okay until I get a tune considering it runs rich from factory.. ( which every lancer agrees on that point right?...).

Had a look at your link, seems pretty interesting. I am more hesitant on an axelback now then what I was, but wouldn't a catback with 200cel cat be enough to open it up... Without having to do a lot of the extra's (resonators etc.)

[bumblebee]

Ok
So at this point in time you have no clue what your performance was when you first started this
You have no idea what your quarter mile time is
No data logging
No idea what your AFR is
Merlin has done a heck of a lot of work on the ECU tunes over the years and knows his stuff for sure
However
Before you go much further down this path, you need to ask yourself how far down this path you want to go without having a real clue as to what's really going on under the bonnet

You do realise that AFR is effected by a truck load of variables right ?
Are you doing throttle body , extractors, cams , injectors or anything else?
If you are then you really need to go back and click on the links and get a wideband and a tactrix and get data logging working real quick because you are flying blind without it

Did you notice that manic mechanic does not use a K&N hit air intake?
Not all hot air intake are made the same .
There is a very limited ones that actually work and K&N is absolutely not one of them