Harrier,

Earlier TunedRX had mentioned putting in a cold air horn. I just did it using the front of a bullhorn where the air resonator used to be and have had a tremendous power gain. I have to test it at the track next weekend to see the numerical effects, but I am worried about a lag (though it is not a turbo). Dyno testing is way too expensive down here.

You are correct that turbos can lag. I have a friend down here with an EVO8 that has serious lag issues. I beat up turbo-powered cars at my track, when they go into lag.

Again, until TRD or somebody else can get a supercharger to get 100+ gains for the RX, I will take the turbo and any lag.

 

Great, RX has a bumper hole that almost line up to where the resonator was, air horn will collect unobstructed air and stuff into the engine as you built up speed. Good mod.

 

I dunno what an air horn is. I suppose it's like the Pontiac Ram-Air setup. It helps some, maybe 5 extra horses at highway speed. It won't have lag either, but it can clog up the air filter quickly as debris and bugs get in. Also it's hard to dyno test a ram air setup unless you can find a dyno with wind tunnel.

A friend of mine has a TRD supercharger for his old Toyota Tacoma. He dyno tested it and it gave him extra 57 hp and 65 ft/lbs of torque. Not bad for a compact truck. I would spend $2,000 for extra 57 hp on my RX300.

I suppose anyone can pump enough air to make over 100 hp, but that'll require racing fuel at US$6 a gallon. I need something that works with 91 octane at most.

 

Some shops have a huge fan blowing gusty wind toward the car when doing dyno.
More air means more particles for sure, but it helps that K&N drop in filter is placed in RX's air box, na evelated position to the air horn (which is just a collector connected to the inlet pipe). Bigger particles have longer way to make it to K&N vs some CAI where the filter is placed right under/behind the bumper. Cheers

 

Just about all dyno and emission facilities use fans. That's not equivalent of a wind tunnel. BMW has a $5 million wind tunnel testing facility.

The fan is used to cool down the radiator and the engine for protection and better performance on the dyno. A hot engine puts out fewer horses. Car&Driver did a good article on this issue a while back.

 

From my computer and based on my trip to work and back for several days, my MPG dropped a little over 1 mpg, and it does appear to be eating up more gas. Nevertheless, I am purely delighted by mod and its power. It feels like much more than 5 hp. Sometimes, if the air enters right it has the feel of my buddy's RX-7 twin turbo. If ever bother to get a digital camera, I will try to post some photos of it.

When I get back to the states, I plan to install the turbo and am favoring the Squires Remote Turbo System.

For now, still trying to think up of some more mods.

Believe me, UP here in Mexico City, I need all the HPs possible. Some friend's 1/4 mile times have dropped up to 3 seconds over sea level.

 

I was thinking about one of the first two Voltage Systems below, but the third is interesting (but $$$),

http://www.eautoworks.com/html/ORD-1-1-1-31229.cfm

Only have seen this at above link

http://store.racinglab.com/sunhyvosy.html

All over the net on the one above

http://www.lextasy.com/lexus_alternator_1469_prd1.htm

I already made my own grounding wires and have them hooked up the to the chassis, cylinder head and transmission, but still trying to find a good place on the throttle body.

This turbo package for this 1MZ-FE is interesting, because they also mention the ES300 and other 1MZFEs for the future at the bottom.

http://performance.narcs.net/1mzfe.htm

Someone in the ES forum was doing a similar project as we speak.