[Dean]

I do believe a ECU tune was part of every step of my suggested order: "Wastegate port, flash, exhaust, flash... Somewhere in there, replaceing the stock paper filter with a high flow, snorkle mod(Does the STI have a snorkle?), and/or intake wouldn't hurt." Doing any intake changes in association with one of the other steps imediately prior to a flash, should not yield any "engine shortning" effects.

I also have an ongoing issue with the supposed danger of CAIs. In one breath people comment on how incrediably inteligent the Subaru ECU is, and then in the next claim it can't handle a MAF reading that is a little out of whack. What exactly is the tollerance for MAF sensor callibration, and what is the variation in stock intake tract flow? All of a sudden, the ECU is going to ignore EGT, knock, and O2 Sensors, and take the MAF as gospel? I just don't buy it.

I would bet the ECU actually continiously balances all of the sensor inputs into it's A/F calculations/settings, but I admit, I do knot know what it does. I have actually seen next to zero actual science behind the CAI discussion. Most is anecdotal at best, and often associated with people who have done a significant amount of other tuning, not just the CAI.

I am not saying CAIs are the greatest thing since sliced bread, only that an optimized intake tract can enhance the performance of just about any vehicle. Optimizing it in some way in association with other mods and an informed flash is probably a good thing.