_ISF

OK had no idea one of those cars was an RCF...makes sense now as they make about 40kw (crank) more than the IS-F with higher compression etc. Was very hard to try and compile the cars and mods and this info was not clearly identified in the Facebook thread. I will update the original thread.

One thing is for sure, mods do not equal guaranteed power on these cars. Certainly some inconsistencies across the cars in the list below. Cars listed from lowest to highest power: IS-F 228kw (Kevin S) Mods: JoeZ intake pipe, Toms panel filter, X-force cat back exhaust (low figure due to ECU relearning after a reset) IS-F 232kw (Sparky) Mods: HPS silicone intake hose, secondary cats and resonator deleted (Autowerks dyno – just put here for reference) IS-F 234.9kw (Taz) Mods: 100% Stock (car was only purchased the day before from QLD) IS-F 241kw (Brad S) Mods: Silicone intake hose, Blitz panel filter IS-F 242kw (Jason C) Mods: TBA IS-F 249kw (Lucas) Mods: HPS silicone intake hose, AFE panel filter, gutted stock headers, X-force cat back exhaust (different dyno – just put here for reference) IS-F 245kw (Sparky) Mods: HPS silicone intake hose, K&N panel filter, factory exhaust manifold lower flange opened up from 2" to 3", secondary cats and resonator deleted (Autowerks dyno – just put here for reference) IS-F 255kw (Sparky) Mods: Autowerks tune, HPS silicone intake hose, K&N panel filter, factory exhaust manifold lower flange opened up from 2" to 3", secondary cats and resonator deleted (Autowerks dyno – just put here for reference) IS-F 255kw (Mark F) Mods: Injen intake, Autowerks tune, PPE headers, 2.5” dual exhaust IS-F 265kw (John T) Mods: TBA IS-F 265.5kw (Lucas) Mods: RR Racing ECU Tune, HPS silicone intake hose, AFE panel filter, gutted stock headers, X-force cat back exhaust (different dyno – just put here for reference) IS-F 275kw (Chris) Mods: PPE headers only (stock cat back, no other known mods) IS-F 275kw (Chris C) Mods: Takeda intake, tune, PPE headers, X-force cat back exhaust RC-F 275kw (Michael C) Mods: air intake pipe, K&N panel filter, cat back exhaust (NOTE: This is an RC-F which make approx 40kw more than an IS-F hence the high figure for mild mods) IS-F 275.5kw (Daniel M) Mods: Silicone intake pipe, K&N panel filter, PPE headers, custom 2.5” twin exhaust Trying to summarise this information somewhat (despite the inconsistencies): Stock = somewhere around 235kw ATW Intake pipe and panel filter = around 240kw ATW Intake pipe, panel filter and catback 2.5” twin exhaust = around 250kw ATW Intake pipe, panel filter, cat back 2.5” twin exhaust and tune (either custom tune (Autowerks etc) or RR Racing tune) = 265kw ATW Intake pipe (or aftermarket intake like Takeda/Injen), headers, and catback 2.5” twin exhaust = around 275kw ATW

Good price for what is basically the only locally available exhaust for the ISF. I have an xforce myself. Wish this was on offer 6 months ago when i bought mine - i would have snapped it up.

Just an update - RR Racing tune is now on the car as of last week and my custom rear mufflers and Magnaflow cats should be getting fitted next week. Tune feels good so far even though i have only driven about 30-40km since uploading it and had my daughter in the car so wasnt being too much of an idiot. Car feels peppier and throttle response is better. Keen to see what that bum dyno feeling translates to on the dyno (lets see if it does give me 30-50hp atw like RR Racing say). And my friend spotted my car parked down near the beach on the weekend (was freezing cold and super foggy) and took some photos of it for me. This was not planned, he just happened to see my car parked and decided to take a few snaps with his Canon SLR.

Just to set the record straight - the issue being discussed here has nothing to do with the RR Racing tune. This guy has posted on FB about how the engine has been stripped and all bearings, pistons, crank etc look fine. He is guessing its an issue with one of the heads or possibly valves but its yet to be correctly diagnosed. The guy has terrible punctuation so trying to make sense of his FB posts is not easy.

Bloody fast but no doubt big $$ spent and hours fine tuning and adjusting etc. Any idea if the gearbox and driveline is still stock? And i assume the engine has been rebuilt with forged pistons and rods at a minimum. Does anyone do cams for these engines?

^ yes that's what i was thinking. Not sure if any of those bluetooth OBD devices can deliver part of the information i would like? Any feedback from anyone on those devices in the Lexus? On a slightly different note, i loaded the RR tune file onto the car last night. Couldn't drive the car last night as i was looking after my toddler while wife was at work but drove it to work this morning and it certainly feels more urgent and throttle response is definitely faster. It was only a 10-15min drive and i spent most of that time letting the engine get up to temp and then couldn't really open it up properly because of traffic/school zones etc. I think ill take it out tonight after work and give it a good run. I will report back in a few days after i've driven it a bit and let the tune fine-tune itself. Once i am satisfied that the tune is all ok i will book the car back into the dyno for a re-test to see the differences - but so far so good.

I will most definitely be looking at the AFR's once the tune goes on and ive driven it around for a week or two. These cars are nowhere near as easy to extract data on as my previous car (VW) which was so easy to have every parameter you could ever think of logging directly onto my laptop and then i could put the data into a excel sheet to create graphs etc. Not sure how i will be able to access timing tables (i doubt the dyno place will be able to do this?)

That sounds awfully cheap - are you sure that price is accurate? Perhaps some extra costs are added such as dyno time on top of that price? BPS were tuning VW's when i had my Golf R a few years back and were charging more that that to do the Golf's. My RR Racing hand controller arrived yesterday (less than a week from order placement to it arriving). Will download my stock file tonight and send it off to them.

You cant blame the tune as the sole issue when the car had 120,000kms on it and they guy flogs the heck out of it at the track on a regular basis. Do we know if the car had any previous or existing issues/faults? I have a sneaky suspicion that something else was at play with that particular car.

Ok thanks 2bling and BLK ISF for your info and feedback (shame this forum is so dead...would have been nice for more feedback). Much appreciated. For what it's worth, i got a reply from Boosted Autosports who are a CPI dealer in Sydney - he said they cant do CPI tunes at the moment due to CPI restructuring their HQ or some other rubbish. So i've scrapped that idea. I made the decision to order the RR Racing tune and hand held controller (ordered last night 11pm and its already shipped...pretty quick turnaround). Cost was $1,180 AUD incl international postage once the USD is converted to AUD. So the price was good, service (so far) was very quick, and RR Racing have a very good reputation with Lexus tuning so im hoping this will end up as a good overall experience. The dyno will show the results (i will compare pre-tune and post-tune results on the same sheet). RR Racing use the Alientech Powergate 3 controller which i have used previously in another car so i am familiar with the device and the general process of applying the tune.

Lansvale workshop puts them in the same boat as Autowerks etc for me as its a 2.5hr trip each way. I was hoping CPI could offer a DIY style OBD II hand held device to tune the car so i could do it at home. I have used one of these DIY tuning devices on my previous car (2012 Golf R) and not only had excellent results but the convenience of being able to do it at my leisure at home was well and truly worth it. And on top of those factors, the OBD device doubles as an error code reader so thats a bonus too.

Thanks for the feedback guys - much appreciated. I have tried contacting CPI via various methods and got a response last night at 11.30pm via Facebook asking where i was located to which i replied NSW Australia. They then told me to contact the Australian CPI page to which i replied that i already had and have not had a response. I also told them the Aust CPI Facebook page looks fake/ not legit. I think i will write them off as an option. Looks like its RR Racing for me then. 👌 I'll be going back to the same dyno i have used pre-tune (pre-tune results were 249kw atw with xforce exhaust, gutted primary cats, AFE drop in filter and HPS silicone intake pipe) to see the gains from the RR Tune.

So im looking into a tune for my IS-F in the next few months and as always, I research everything before I buy to see what is out there. Obviously RR Racing is a well-known and a very well regarded brand when it comes to Lexus tuning, but there are other options available. I have had some experience with custom tuning in the past, and although they achieve very good results, the fact that the closest tuner is a good 2.5hrs from me pretty much rules them out to me as they are not a convenient option. So I am interested in an OBD II tune that I can do at home using a hand held device. Although these tunes tend to lose a little power compared to a custom tune, the convenience of being able to do it myself at home is worth it in my opinion. Out of the US based companies, I am only really considering RR Racing. But in Australia, I am interested in the CPI option even though it is several hundred dollars more expensive than the RR Racing option. I have emailed them to ask some questions. CPI also offer Zipmoney/ZIppay so that is handy to be able to pay the tune off over a few months interest free. Please share your thoughts and experiences with any of the companies below – or let me know if I have missed any worth-while tuners and I will add them to the list. US Based Tunes RR Racing – the original people who cracked the ISF’s ECU (as far as I know) and arguably know the ISF the best out of all other tuning companies. Specialise in Lexus performance parts and tuning. http://www.rr-racing.com/RR-Racing-Lexus-IS-F-ECU-Upgrade-Tune-p/isftune002.htm (includes hand held OBD II device) Price: $799 USD + int’l postage Vivid Racing (VR Tuned) – looks like they offer tunes for a very wide range of cars and brands (jack of all trades but master of none?) https://www.vividracing.com/tuned-ecu-flash-tune-lexus-isf-50l-vvti-p-151347481.html Price: $800 USD for the tune and $200 USD for the hand control device + int’l postage TTFS (Tuning Tech FS) – looks like they mostly specialise in Euro cars but also offer some Toyota/Lexus and Nissan tuning. http://tuningtechfs.com/lexus-is-f-performance-ecu-tune/ Price: $775 USD + int’l postage Australian Based Tunes Autowerks Sydney Price: Approx $1,500 from feedback I have heard BPS (Bayside Performance Services) Brisbane Price: Approx $1,500 from feedback I have heard Euro Car Upgrades Well regarded company from my days with VW, although I have never used them. They are resellers for other tuning companies so its quite possible the tune they offer is actually developed by one of the other tuners in this list. https://eurocarupgrades.com.au/lexus-is-f-is-f-remap-re-flash-ecu-for-exhaust-upgrade-chip-tuning-no-faults-error-free.html Price $1,195 CPI – South African based company specialising in tuning for European cars (mainly VW/Audi) but also offer a tune for the ISF. They claim a 39kw peak increase and more mid-range and throttle response. They are quite well regarded (and I believe they hold several records for fastest ¼ mile time etc) in the VW/Audi world. I have emailed them to ask some questions. See attached marketing advertisement i have found via Google search. https://www.boostedautosports.com.au/products/lexus-high-performance-ecu-tuning Price: $1,679

Just an update after a good 6 weeks or so with these Bremtec pads fitted. Absolutely no noise/squeaks what so ever which i am very happy about. I think they emit a bit more dust than my previously Winmax W1 pads but nothing worth complaining about as both are better than the factory pads which were super dusty. No noticeable difference what so ever in street driving so im a happy chappy - i wish i had bought these initially as they are working well and were very well priced.

RDA disks will be perfectly fine for a street driven ISF - so if they fit your budget go for them.

The dyno operator said he had issues with the car wheelspinning on the dyno so he had to feed the throttle on rather than just mash it.

Its the scale he used on the graph that exaggerrates the torque dropping off at high RPM.

Pre-Tune Dyno Check Well the car was very consistent (all 4x runs were within 3kw of each other) and there was no difference in power/torque delivery by keeping the active airbox open. The best run today was 249kw. Im currently researching tunes and will be getting the car re-dyno'd at the same place once tuned to see the different. Hopefully 20-30kw more after the tune and some stronger mid-range.

270 after the tune for you? Which tune if you dont mind me asking? Im unsure whether to just go with the RR Racing OBD II tune (convenient, well priced and saves me having to drive 2.5hrs to get custom tuned) or go see Autowerks for a custom tune. Id really like some more low end power and a few extra hundred RPM up top would be great too.

Apologies if i have hi-jacked your thread....but i installed the handbrake pedal on the weekend. I had some 3mm steel sheet laying around which i cut to size and then drilled a 6mm hole to attach it to the existing pedal arm using a M6 bolt and nylock nut.Once attached, the Lexus pedal just slipped over the steel sheet and voila. Looks great and is easier to "find" with your feet when you need to use it.Took less that 30 mins from start to finish so its a nice quick mod. Thanks for the idea.

I've booked my ISF in to my local dyno on Friday afternoon (Mainline dyno @ Newcastle Dyno Centre). Curious what everyone thinks it will make based off best guesses and some of you with first hand experience. Engine related Mods: AFE filter HPS silicone intake pipe xforce exhaust gutted primary cats Im hoping for around 260kw at the wheels which with a 20% drivetrain loss will equate to around 330kw at the crank. Considering the car came with 311kw from the factory plus the mods im assuming will be about right. The other thing im going to do is test back-to-back whether there is any loss/gain from disabling the airbox flap so that it remains open at all times. Curious what others think?

Busy weekend and today on the ISF.... Wash and mini detail Installed carbon fiber roof spoiler Another oil flush and oil change Wheel balance and alignment Installed new Frush multi layer exhaust gaskets on my xforce exhaust (confirmed the crappy graphite gaskets that came with the exhaust were leaking in several spots) Re-aligned xforce exhaust to sit a bit neater Arranged for custom rear mufflers to be fabricated to replace the xforce rear mufflers Gutted my primary cats (sounds dirty now) Installed my RR Racing O2 sensor conditioner device Booked her in on Friday afternoon for a dyno run at my regular place (hoping for around 250-260kw)

Well i had the day off today and got a wheel alignment and then went to my exhaust guy (Premier Exhaust for anyone in Newcastle - he is great) and we put the car up on the hoist to have a look. He has a BRZ in the workshop that they are doing an LS3 conversion on.....damn that will be a fun car. Discussed some options such as adding 2x extra resonators or swapping out the rear mufflers. I decided to ditch the rear xforce mufflers and my options were 2x stainless steel 2.5" Magnaflow or 2x custom made mufflers (which could have a chamber inside to muffle the sound more, filled with stainless packing and also allow me to have twin tail pipes). The custom mufflers are going to cost about $100 more each over the Magnaflows but it's worth it to me as they will fit perfectly, and have several other things i wanted (twin tips etc). So they have been ordered and will be 2-3 weeks apparently. Will update with pics later. Then i came home and gutted my primary cats.....she sounds a bit dirty now (more like a C63 AMG sound). And then within 10 mins of driving i got a CEL for cat efficiency so i installed my RR Racing O2 conditioner device - so far so good.

^ probably a timing chain issue on the MPS (stretched chain and/or chain tensioner issues). Or VVT not operating correctly. Pretty common on those engines....especially the earlier BK models.