Karen's Build
- Thread starter AdorableKaren
- Start date
AdorableKaren
Asian Elite
Thanks 
and thanks for the heads up.
and thanks for the heads up.
ThatTmoGuy
New member
What woman doesn't like some hard pipe in her hand
Can't wait to get a video of it installed, lets hear AK roar.
Can't wait to get a video of it installed, lets hear AK roar.
sx sonic
New member
A few tips if you tackle this yourself.
-remove Cat bracket bolts, the hard to see one is the "Hidden Bolt" (requires ninja prowess to remove ;p)
-undo the V-band from up top, take the bolt all the way out and wiggle/slide/finaggle the clamp over the lip onto the DP
-remove midpipe bolts and remove cat
-clean off turbo flange (towels and ideally brakekleen or similar)
-install new ZZP DP in reverse order. Don't forget gasket for DP to midpipe connection.
-Enjoy new racecar sounds!
-remove Cat bracket bolts, the hard to see one is the "Hidden Bolt" (requires ninja prowess to remove ;p)
-undo the V-band from up top, take the bolt all the way out and wiggle/slide/finaggle the clamp over the lip onto the DP
-remove midpipe bolts and remove cat
-clean off turbo flange (towels and ideally brakekleen or similar)
-install new ZZP DP in reverse order. Don't forget gasket for DP to midpipe connection.
-Enjoy new racecar sounds!
AdorableKaren
Asian Elite
I've been on pause for awhile now. Ran into some bad luck I think lol. I don't really like to post my car troubles on here because I love the sonic. A few weeks ago I lost all radio sounds. No fm, am, xm or usb. The car also lost all safety sounds. No turn signal sounds, no seat belt indicator, nothing. First time I took it in they thought it was a blown speaker then they checked the wires. I was hoping it would be an easy fix like change the fuse but they had to order a new head unit. A few days later they installed the new head unit. All sounds were fixed everything was great until I put the car in reverse. A huge black screen pops up and tells me to service the rear view camera. Fast forward to today I am again at the dealer waiting for them to program that out. Good news for later this week I have springs, wheels, and spacers scheduled to be installed. Hopefully I can get my sonic back on track.
AdorableKaren
Asian Elite
Updated first post with pics!
Since the intake I noticed my temperature no longer shows up on the mylink audio screen Does anyone know where the outside temp thingy is located? lol I think it got unplugged during the install.
Since the intake I noticed my temperature no longer shows up on the mylink audio screen
Does anyone know where the outside temp thingy is located? lol I think it got unplugged during the install.
AdorableKaren
Asian Elite
Thank you, I will look again. I was looking so hard everywhere lol.
1967stella
New member
Yup that is where it is.. If u look at the front of the bottom grill it is on the far left
AdorableKaren
Asian Elite
Yeah it's cool. They have vids on youtube of the plate on different vechicles, an infiniti I believe. But haven't got around to take one on the sonic. I originally got it because Ohio requires a front plate but I get your idea now. I just don't like the look of a front plate on my sonic and I got pulled over pretty quickly driving around without one. I drive with the plate hidden unless I have to whip it out if I get pulled over again.
AdorableKaren
Asian Elite
It's awesome you should.
I was thinking of running bigger injectors on 93 octane. Is this possible? On sof I mostly see bigger injectors being used with e85.
sx sonic
New member
It's possible and it's worth a couple HP at peak power to redline but it's not really a performance upgrade until you run E-85.
AdorableKaren
Asian Elite
Ahaha no should be up tomorrow. Crappy fourth of July weather here.
AdorableKaren
Asian Elite
Yeah wanted to do it to protect the motor not for hp gains. I would love to do e85 but it's not widely offered around me :\
sx sonic
New member
Gotcha, the big thing it would prolong is injector life.
With most of the bolt on mods + tune the stock injectors are close to 100% duty cycle at and after peak Tq/Hp; which is wide open, full on, no break spraying fuel; also known as "static".
As with most electronics being on all time shortens component life. Maybe not immediately but sooner than anticipated. For injectors a max of 80% duty cycle is ideal at WOT.
Another downside of "static" injectors is they lose the ability to precisely meter fuel and Cannot at any additional fuel after going static. This Could be really bad if more fuel is required; think knock, detonation, excessive cylinder temps, loss of power, dead engine, other bad things.
Luckily for us the last one doesn't look like a concern as the trifecta tune is running overly rich while the injectors are static. Basically an extra safety feature to keep the engine from failing from inadequate fuel at max powwaaa (the downside is a few hp left on the table, a safe trade off)
TL;dr bigger injectors should extend injector life. The engine should last a long life either way.
And also yes bigger injectors are required for E-85. As you already know, I just feel am obligation to mention this for those that May not know.
Swordsmith
242hp/252 ft-lbs BNR EFI
E85 isn't widely available anywhere. The best plan, IMO, is to get the injectors and to install an alcohol sensor, and get your Trifecta tune updated to run anything you want, that way you aren't tied to fuel range of an alcohol pump, but can still use E85 when available if you want the added power.
If you're never wishing your Sonic had more power than it does, though, there's no reason to worry about getting E85 at all, it's usually less economical (on a miles per dollar basis) than pump gas, even though it is cheaper per gallon, it isn't -sufficiently- cheaper to offset the loss of mpg.
But if you aren't running around WOT much, then there's also little reason to bother moving up to the bigger injectors and then running pump gas; the troubles there are centered around going static at high demand, if you rarely go past 2/3rds pedal, then you're well within the duty cycle limits of the stock injectors.
I can see a combination - you love to run around with the pedal to the metal but there's really no way you're ever going to go far enough afield to get to an E85 station - where you would want the injectors and not bother with the flexfuel conversion... it's just a less likely circumstance. How far is your nearest E85, 25 miles? 50?
If you're never wishing your Sonic had more power than it does, though, there's no reason to worry about getting E85 at all, it's usually less economical (on a miles per dollar basis) than pump gas, even though it is cheaper per gallon, it isn't -sufficiently- cheaper to offset the loss of mpg.
But if you aren't running around WOT much, then there's also little reason to bother moving up to the bigger injectors and then running pump gas; the troubles there are centered around going static at high demand, if you rarely go past 2/3rds pedal, then you're well within the duty cycle limits of the stock injectors.
I can see a combination - you love to run around with the pedal to the metal but there's really no way you're ever going to go far enough afield to get to an E85 station - where you would want the injectors and not bother with the flexfuel conversion... it's just a less likely circumstance. How far is your nearest E85, 25 miles? 50?
AdorableKaren
Asian Elite
Ahaha after reading that I probably need bigger injectors. I like to go fast I drive like a maniac. I just googled e85 is 40mins from me. That isn't bad but I have been wondering about unleaded 100 because for some reason that is more available at pumps to me than e85 lol. I don't really know what that would do for my car if anything or if trifecta could update my tune from 93 to 100?
I drive like a maniac. I just googled e85 is 40mins from me. That isn't bad but I have been wondering about unleaded 100 because for some reason that is more available at pumps to me than e85 lol. I don't really know what that would do for my car if anything or if trifecta could update my tune from 93 to 100?
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