CAI and freer-flowing intake pipe give you a very slight boost up top, and those Crawford Performance intake blocks makes that top-end "power" come on about 1k rpms lower (around 3500 rpms in my 2020 Sport). It's a good combo without sacrificing reliability, considering the FB20 is never going to make great power without adding a turbo or supercharger and making it unreliable and on the verge of grenading while still falling short of even 200hp. If you don't like driving in the upper rpms, then there's no point in modding the engine at all in this car. If I still have my 2020 hatchback Sport when I retire in a few years, I might look into a FA20 (STi) swap, just because Subaru hasn't made a WRX/STi hatchback for a long time and that's what I really want.
A factory tune isn't for gas savings. Although, thats one small consequence when compared to aftermarket tunes. Automakers could tune cars for better fuel economy. However, that's not altogether good for reliability... Certainly, there are more factors involved such as drivability, emissions... It's tuned so the engine doesn't grenade itself. Simply put. Safety really. Aftermarket tunes are probably the worst gambles imo. Unless done properly with a dyno and a bunch of engine mods on the bottom end etc. Subaru engines are super fragile especially turbo ones. They get far too hot and have inherent flaws (which can be rectified). The safest and cheapest way to improve torque is via perception really. Throttle response. Sharpen it up. Easiest back for buck mod. Bar none.
You can be damn sure car companies have gas saving as one of the top requirements for economy cars. I agree with you, reliability is one of the higher requirements for engine tunes. The other factor is the wide range in which cars are driven. They need to tune for crazy hot and crazy cold. Elevation, and difference in driving styles. It is a complete compromise. Turbo cars from Subaru are yes more touchy when it comes to power and heat. I will also agree that driver feeling through throttle response is very much a part of it. Aftermarket NA tunes, on a dyno are very difficult to acquire. I think if Subaru offered driving modes in their lower end models it would really show what their engines can do. The aftermarket tune's throttle response is so much more touchy than the OEM tune. It's like driving a completely different car.
Intakes for these cars are the biggest waste of money. Almost any mod is worth it instead. The oem intake is good enough for the 2.4 and 2.5l engines so its sure as hell good enough for the 2l once you add a cotton filter and from what ive heard without a tune you lose power. AVO turbowold only recomends CAI for cars over 400hp and a cotton upgrade filter is good enough for anything less on subarus newer intakes. Also changing to 5w30 negates the need for the air oil seperator and prevents burning, though, if youve run 0w20 for a while the damage is done and itll even burn 10w40. I did a 5w20 change at 1000km and im at 75000km and at my 10,000km change the oils see through and none burnt.
You are correct. The same airbox is used on the 2.5L engine with a higher output. The aftermarket ones really are just for looks to keep the motor heads in us happy. Aftermarket intakes and exhaust change how the engine flows in different RPM ranges. Of course it's good to have a tune to maximize drivability and efficiency with your aftermarket setup. I also run 5w-30 in this engine.
The off the shelf tune from Throttle Happy coated me about 200$ USD about 6 years ago. That being said. The additional upgraded tune, I paid an extra 50$ since I was a return customer. I think other tuners typically cost 500-700$. Your mileage may vary. GOOD LUCK!
I reached out to Throttle Happy tuning in Australia. He typically gives out off the shelf tunes for NA Crosstrek and Impreza's but if you are lucky he will provide a custom tune. Gains? Ridiculous throttle response. Maybe 2-3 HP up top, but a boat load of torque that never used to be there in lower RPMs. If you are looking for straight HP. You'll want to move to another platform. The FB20 is really only good for 160-165hp (20-25 above the stock) without internals. Raising the RPM range might net some more, but then the stock lifters may not be up for that. Or so I've heard. That's why the fa20 (86/BRZ), similar 2L but has a higher RPM cap that gets it to 200hp. Good luck!
CAI and freer-flowing intake pipe give you a very slight boost up top, and those Crawford Performance intake blocks makes that top-end "power" come on about 1k rpms lower (around 3500 rpms in my 2020 Sport). It's a good combo without sacrificing reliability, considering the FB20 is never going to make great power without adding a turbo or supercharger and making it unreliable and on the verge of grenading while still falling short of even 200hp. If you don't like driving in the upper rpms, then there's no point in modding the engine at all in this car. If I still have my 2020 hatchback Sport when I retire in a few years, I might look into a FA20 (STi) swap, just because Subaru hasn't made a WRX/STi hatchback for a long time and that's what I really want.
A factory tune isn't for gas savings. Although, thats one small consequence when compared to aftermarket tunes. Automakers could tune cars for better fuel economy. However, that's not altogether good for reliability...
Certainly, there are more factors involved such as drivability, emissions...
It's tuned so the engine doesn't grenade itself. Simply put. Safety really.
Aftermarket tunes are probably the worst gambles imo. Unless done properly with a dyno and a bunch of engine mods on the bottom end etc.
Subaru engines are super fragile especially turbo ones. They get far too hot and have inherent flaws (which can be rectified).
The safest and cheapest way to improve torque is via perception really. Throttle response. Sharpen it up. Easiest back for buck mod. Bar none.
You can be damn sure car companies have gas saving as one of the top requirements for economy cars. I agree with you, reliability is one of the higher requirements for engine tunes. The other factor is the wide range in which cars are driven. They need to tune for crazy hot and crazy cold. Elevation, and difference in driving styles. It is a complete compromise.
Turbo cars from Subaru are yes more touchy when it comes to power and heat.
I will also agree that driver feeling through throttle response is very much a part of it. Aftermarket NA tunes, on a dyno are very difficult to acquire.
I think if Subaru offered driving modes in their lower end models it would really show what their engines can do.
The aftermarket tune's throttle response is so much more touchy than the OEM tune. It's like driving a completely different car.
Intakes for these cars are the biggest waste of money. Almost any mod is worth it instead. The oem intake is good enough for the 2.4 and 2.5l engines so its sure as hell good enough for the 2l once you add a cotton filter and from what ive heard without a tune you lose power. AVO turbowold only recomends CAI for cars over 400hp and a cotton upgrade filter is good enough for anything less on subarus newer intakes.
Also changing to 5w30 negates the need for the air oil seperator and prevents burning, though, if youve run 0w20 for a while the damage is done and itll even burn 10w40. I did a 5w20 change at 1000km and im at 75000km and at my 10,000km change the oils see through and none burnt.
You are correct. The same airbox is used on the 2.5L engine with a higher output. The aftermarket ones really are just for looks to keep the motor heads in us happy.
Aftermarket intakes and exhaust change how the engine flows in different RPM ranges. Of course it's good to have a tune to maximize drivability and efficiency with your aftermarket setup.
I also run 5w-30 in this engine.
What did the tune cost you total?
250
The off the shelf tune from Throttle Happy coated me about 200$ USD about 6 years ago. That being said. The additional upgraded tune, I paid an extra 50$ since I was a return customer.
I think other tuners typically cost 500-700$. Your mileage may vary.
GOOD LUCK!
Where did you get a tune from? What did you gain from it?
I reached out to Throttle Happy tuning in Australia. He typically gives out off the shelf tunes for NA Crosstrek and Impreza's but if you are lucky he will provide a custom tune.
Gains? Ridiculous throttle response. Maybe 2-3 HP up top, but a boat load of torque that never used to be there in lower RPMs.
If you are looking for straight HP. You'll want to move to another platform. The FB20 is really only good for 160-165hp (20-25 above the stock) without internals. Raising the RPM range might net some more, but then the stock lifters may not be up for that. Or so I've heard. That's why the fa20 (86/BRZ), similar 2L but has a higher RPM cap that gets it to 200hp.
Good luck!
@JasonLeung-4roller not looking for power so much. I'd like to get rid of the fake shifts in my forester!!
@@anthonyjulson8840 dude! Just put it manual mode!
@JasonLeung-4roller no......other way around. I don't want it shift like an automatic.
@@anthonyjulson8840 the fake shifts are annoying because it defeats the purpose of cvt!