blink_977

sorry for dumb question, but which one can give more power?

Ruben19

think about it.

blink_977

can anyone give a better advice?

roadsqueegy95

ECU as long as u get a tune. lightened flywheel doesnt acculy GIVE you more hp, it just frees up some and lets u rev faster

Juan_Mitosis

If you mean actually TUNING your ECU, then the chip it is. If it's a shitty generic chip. . then small BK fries are better than that. Flywheel changes driveability a lot if its REALLY light.

botero_vti

I think that the flywheel is better, don´t give you more hp, and the torque is less than the stock flywheel, but your rmp´s up so faster than with chip... the chip is better in an stock car only to activate the vtec before the stock, for example, mi civic activate vtec at 5.600 or 5700 rpm, with the chip i can activate at 4.500 rpm(depend the chip), and in the dyno curve don´t win hp, just move more, but in horizontal line... isn´t power! just motor sing...

shailoche

Almost any car will be better off with an ECU that is tuned for that motor. Stock ECU programming is always on the safe side and leaves a certain amount of power on the table. With a chipped ECU you can take better advantage of any bolt-on (Intake, Exhaust) upgrades that you have as well as tapping into some of the "factory reserved" power.

Factory reserve simply means that the factory does not push the engine to it's physical limits. When you tune the ECU you can take more risks with the engine and push it beyond what the factory intended. But the power you gain isn't 100% free. If you alter the factory settings you will decrease the life of the motor if you aren't careful.

Don't chip your ECU just to get the VTEC to engage earlier since that doesn't really help. Driving your engine on the VTEC lobes in lower rpm ranges actually decreases power and kills gas mileage. Some guys on the forums are convinced that early VTEC activation makes their cars more powerful. If you search the internet carefully you will find that the opposite is true.

In the end you will get more out of an ECU upgrade than you will out of a flywheel replacement. Just make sure you get a good quality tune with your ECU and you will find your motor will last longer and be more powerful.

93SI-GSR

'shailoche' gives excellent advise in the previous post....you need to do the upgrades to your car which can include a lightened flywheel....then, get your ecu chipped to accomodate your additions for the best power gain and driveability.

Jimster480

do you have any other mods? or is it bone stock? because if it is dont get it tuned yet. The lightened flywheel will make the car faster but dpeending on how light it is it will affect driveability. I have a 8lb on my car and its pretty bad, if i dont shift fast the car jerks around. Because the RPM's drop too fast.

waaBAAH

i personally prefer more mass on my flywheels.. i think it helps rotation while the rotation is going.

tie a 5lb weight to a string and swing it around...now tie a 2lb weight around a string and swing it.

which one is harder to stop? whcih one is easier to keep going around and around.

you silly boys and your lightned flywheels...sure your car revs faster in neutral and its shiny..but cmon

civic_driver

At higher RPM, like on a race car, you do need a light flywheel though. The lighter it is, the faster it can go.

mattliston

ECU--controls everything for teh engien. fuel curve, ignition, injector cycles.

FLYWHEEL-- faster revs, a loss of inertia

a lighter flywheel might throw down another 1-2hp to teh wheels (crank HP stays the same), but its main purpose is response, not power.


keep in mind, factory tuning on the ECU is for reliability and gas mileage. tuning it can get you an easy 5-10hp depending on whetehr its stock or if you have boltons.

Personally I would tune it

anothersickhatch

to be honest, a chipped ecu could, in fact, make you car run even worse. these manufacturers just guess on a base map that your motor would run best on and dump fuel where it isn't needed. now, if we are talking a tunable chip, like hondata, the tuner can use this to make your engine run better than the factory ecu. better gas mileage, better reliability, and more power.

i actually took my factory flywheel and had it lightened and balanced. it ended up weighing in at around 14 pounds and its perfect for daily driving.

mattliston

chip the ecu, you can burn a new chip with a chip burner. look into ostrich and crome pro

Jimster480

personally, eCtune is win. Thats what I had my car tuned on. But like I said before, dont get it tuned unless you have bolt-ons.

ej1love

u ask this question cause u only have money for one or somethin? cause they are 2 totally diff things... if u can find a real chip get it, then tune; for the fly find a weight that will match ur setup...

Juan_Mitosis

Exactly what I've said

If it's some generic chip, don't do it

If someone is actually gonna tune YOUR car and burn a chip specifically designed for you, on the dyno, then the chip will make a very fun difference. I went from 143 whp to 153 whp and from 103 ft/lbs to 112 ft/lbs just from tuning the ECU with ECtune. Get a good tuner in your area. . and enjoy. Of course, I have I/H/E. On a stock car, gains will STILL be there, but much more mild.

Kista20

honestly I would do the ecu first it just depends on what all you have done to your car. If you have an engine that is all stock I can't see getting it chipped first. If you modify the air/fuel/exhaust it will help a lot with a chipped ecu.