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Performance Product Technologies Question & Answer Forum
Topic: ECU's vs. Horsepower
Question: Can I Expect to See a Significant Performance Increase by Upgrading My ECU?
Response: This is a more complicated issue than just simply replacing the module. It is not realistic to only replace the ECU and then expect to be able to run a "large" prop, the reason being that this will in turn require more torque from the engine. The engines are calibrated at the factory to a high level of allowable spark and performance based on each engines particular configuration. Most generally you WOULD want to replace the ECU with a recalibrated product after making other changes to the engine (camshaft, headers, etc). The reason being that these modifications require the calibration to change because they are affecting the engine airflow. The reason an aftermarket calibrated ECU would be able to improve the performance is that it would adjust the spark and fueling of the engine. However, on a stock engine the ECU is already set to the limits of the engines current specifications. Therefore, if you simply look for an ECU that will just increase spark and fuel, it will likely induce detonation and long term engine durability issues. This is different from an automotive application as automobiles are calibrated with an acceptable level of margin that can be improved upon. The marine industry is so competitive on performance that they make a good effort to try and calibrate up against the acceptable edge of performance, without creating quality issues. In short, you should first look at installing a free breathing flame arrestor along with installing a quality high performance exhaust system. There is a considerable amount of performance to be gained on these components. Select the following links to see several product options:
Stainless Marine Exhaust
Gil Marine
CMI
