LS400 light tune

[krisby]

I get to drive an LS400 at work most days and once my other business sells I plan on buying this one for myself, so I'm trying to find what I can do to it to make sure it will keep me happy. Apart from driving it, I know very little about the car, or atleast the tuning capabilities.

I would immediately chuck in a K and N air filter, and as posted on other threads, change the wheels and possibly the mufflers/backboxes.

however, I would like to know what else can be done on a low budget, can the ECU be swapped out or do you have to get a piggy back?

What sort of gains can be expected from something as little as a muffler swap and air filter replacement, and possibly ECU replacement.

I'm not after a huge increase in power, in fact I'm not really sure I need anymore anyway, my main objective would be to get a little bit more noise out of the lady fart quiet engine and exhaust system.

Thanks

 

[Peewee]

This motor gives no power for cheap dollars.

Air filter will get you maybe 1kW if you place it right, but most likely you will loose a few kW. A k+N panel replacement might do something.

Just swapping the rear mufflers might give you a couple of kW, nothing major.
Will just be a tad noisier.

ECU replacement is talking big dollars, and not that much gain.

Even custom intake, full custom exhaust, and aftermarket tuned ecu has only given me 50odd kW.

 

[thefastj]

same with any non-turbo'd car tho.

watch out with oiled filters (like K&N) as the oil can interfere with the AFM if it is placed too close.

mufflers?? do the WHOLE exhaust for best value-money performance.

 

[krisby]

fair enough, maybe I will only do the kandn flat panel filter and sports mufflers to start with, see if I need to do anything else (needs a great word).

I just thought cos the motor was so quiet and refined that there was a whole lot of geegees waiting to be freed for very little money, apparently not.

Not too worry, as I said, I'm not too fussed about the anymore performance anyway, the main thing is the sound and the handling. I would spend the money on handling before touching the performance.

 

[Peewee]

I just thought cos the motor was so quiet and refined that there was a whole lot of geegees waiting to be freed for very little money, apparently not.

Yeah, you'd hope that was the case. But unfortunately it wasn't.

The reason why this motor is to quiet and refined is because the cams are so very conservative, in both lift and duration.

After doing ECU, custom intake, and full custom exhaust, I'm up about 60/65rwhp on stock.
But a set of mild cams will add another 100-110 to that figure quite easily.

 

[krisby]

aha, that would explain it. Cos those motors are common for powerboat racing and they do tune the bejeesus out of them, and I have a mate here that is dropping in an LS400 motor to an old Supra, the ugly late 80s one.