Hi all, I'm looking around at options for upgrading my car (01 WRX)

I'm considering running a VF23 @ 0.9 bar boost (13.5 PSI). I live in South Africa at the reef - about a mile above sea level and we have really shoddy fuel - 93 octane ULP. Currently my car has the South African tuned PPP (boosts to just over 1.1 bar - 16PSI) on the TD04L. My question is: Will 1.1 bar on the VF23 be too much at this altitude on the shoddy fuel? - I may be able to run it on 95 for some of the time, but not all of the time. I will probably replace the Up-pipe (with a cat-free one) to help keep the charge temp down, (rumoured to bring it down by as much as 100 degrees F). There are no MOT or any emissions regulations here (yet).

I guess it boils down to: Will the STD PPP ECU be able to look after the engine running the bigger turbo OR should I use a Dawes to limit the boost down to about 0.9 bar (say 13.5 PSI)

Any comment welcome. Thanks

C'mon - someone must have an opion on this.

Hows about if everyone not using std boost or turbo lists the
following:

1) Turbo in use
2) Max boost
3) RPM Max boost
4) Mileage / mileage since last rebuilt
5) Height Above Sea Level

?

I think it's your fuel which is causing the problem - however hard we try, we couldn't get it down to 93RON (maybe at Tescos :rolleyes:) but also no-one would anyway! So there's not going to be any experince, just a F^&k of a lot of caution. Anyone recommending anything might feel that they're contirbuting to your enging popping.
Well, I do anyway :) so I'm not going to say anything other than I think you're brave running any boost at all :D

No fear m8. These cars are weird things - I've seen them run at 1.4 bar (20 PSI) for 25000km (15000 miles) with no fault (although I'm sure det would be eating those pistons nicely). I've also seen
standard cars (GT's not WRX) let go for almost no reason at all.

I guess I must just be sensible - monitor knock, down boost on hot
days, use the best fuel I can find etc etc.

I'm just not convinced how altitude affects these cars. My car
will boost 1.2 here on coastal fuel and coastal altitude (97ULP) but will only give 1.1 with "feel-able" retard up here.

I guess I might just need the Apexi AFC and Boost controllers...