A friend of mine just picked up an 02 HO and is looking for a small box. One that doesnt tap the wire. Now I know the HO's respond differently because of the extra timing and smaller plungers in the pump and such. The EZ is a timing box correct? Does the VA adjust timing as well or would it be better suited for him? Any other suggestions are welcomed. Thanks guys.

 

Almost any box that adds around 60-70hp is a timing box with slight fueling mods. The exception to this is the tst boxes and blue chip. The boxes with more power than that start to add extra fuel. I have a Van Aaken and have been very happy with it. I had a problem with it, but I think that it is the injector nozzles that I installed. Anyway, the VA or EZ are great choices, but he will want more power in the future. I sure wish I would have gone with a comp. Now I am forced to get a tst powermax 3

 

The HOs actually have LESS timing in the stock ECM program, and thus respond a little better to regular timing boxes: EZ, VA, Power Puck, etc.

The VA does timing, but very little. It's pretty mild overall, and a good overall box, especially for the money (<$400 new). www.vanaakendevelopments.com

The EZ is popular, but I feel it has too much timing added (just a tiny bit), and is notoriously unreliable. It works fine (when it works), but isn't optimum, imo.

If your friend doesn't want to tap the wire (and void pump warranty), then boxes like the TST powermax (in any flavor), Edge Comp, and Blue Chip are out. These all tap the wire.
www.edgeproductsinc.com
www.tstproducts.com
www.bluechipdiesel.com



Personally, I'd wait for the release of the new "Smarty" downloader. Yes, it's gonna be a little more expensive (IIRC, around $650 off their website), but the timing programs are a LOT better, and you end up with *ten* different softwares to choose from. it also makes more SOP power than any other non-tap box out there, especially on the bottom end. I've had an EZ, a VA, and I've had the chance to try an ECM (with the smarty/catcher software), and the Smarty wins-- no contest.
www.madselectronics.com

 

Ya What he said.
Tell him to hold tight for just a bit longer so he can get a sMARTY. Looks to me to be the shiznit.

dan

 

I'd also recommend waiting for the Smarty to come to public release. It will be pricier than the VA or EZ box and price competitive with the Comp and TST w/remote.

I ran an EZ for about 2 months before I decided I needed more power. The EZ was a nice power adder but eventually the grin wore off so I put in some DD3's. Now it's time to add more.... so with warning, once your buddy starts modding I hope he can stop.

 

I have the Van Aaken V5 on my HO and am very happy with it.Great
low end power and good throttle response. I'm going to stack mine
with either a Blue Chip APB or a TST PM3.

 

Really? Why on earth did i think they had more, maybe in all my reading i got confused or something. Anyway, thanks for your help and will definately pass this info along.

 

I would go with the van Aaken V5 box. The power comes on early and is probably the best mild HP box out there imo. It's also cheaper than the others.