Paimei

Thanks for your input. Were you able to log the other parameters of FHI\'s knock control strategy to reach your conclusion?

It would have been interesting to see the IAM and learned fine ignition correction on the stock ECU before it was removed. Running 18 psi boost and on the OEM ignition map it must have been pulling some timing. No wonder there was a significant increase in output. Looks like you have a boost spike from looking at the torque curve post mapping?

I have mapped more Power FCs than I can remember and can confirm that the Power FC ECU can control boost without the boost control kit if configured correctly. However on v1-2 applications this limits boost to 1.1 bar. Higher boost control can be obtained by fitting the boost control kit on v1-2 applications. All the boost control kit comprises is a 3 bar map sensor and a 3 port boost solenoid. On V3 applications and above the Power FC ECU can also control boost without the boost control kit up to 1.6 bar. The only limitation of Power FC ECU is that it cannot provide 3D boost control such as the factory ECU can with an ESL board fitted for example. This means that you cannot set boost level per rpm and end up with a flat boost profile. Therefore you cannot taper boost levels with rpm which limits your ability to obtain optimal efficiency from the turbo at high rpms. However most EBCs are also unable to do this except for the likes of the Apexi AVCR in any case.

It is possible to map for low and high octane fuels if using twin boost maps. The boost maps can be switched on the fly via the OEM ECU with a remap with the requisite software patch. The switching is done via a combination of rpm and throttle position. The ignition can be retarded and fuel enriched in the ignition/fuel map in the load cells accessed by the low boost setting for lower octane fuel. I usually set boost around 0.8 bar for 95 octane depending on the application. Conversely ignition can be advanced and fueling leaned out in the ignition/fuel map for the load cells accessed by higher boost setting when higher octane fuel is used. The user needs to be careful that the car is not driven on high boost with 95 octane in the tank of course. The approach is of course sub-optimal in comparison to fully independent twin fuel/ignition maps per the carberry rom or aftermarket ECU platforms. The downside is that with higher octane fuel in the tank you do not gain any efficiency at the lower boost setting.

I can map twin boost maps on most 01-05 WRX/Sti ECUs without using the carberry speed density ROM.

Sorry to hear this. It\'s a worry how many fully alarmed and immobilised cars are being stolen these days.

Is the crack at the same position in the bore as the damage on the piston?

Remember high combustion temps and det are self perpetuating and it does not always manifest as peppering on the crown or broken ring lands. Combustion heat can reach well over 1000 degrees c from det and aluminium alloy cannot tolerate anything like that of course. It would be Interesting to see a picture of the crack described at the top of cylinder and also the head gasket for that bore.

Looks like det to me. I\'ve seen the aluminium on the skirts torched from this before. Make sure you have a properly calibrated ECU for the application otherwise you run the risk of the new build having the same fate.

Hi yes it\'s TD04. I\'m east Auckland in Beachlands if you need any mapping work done. Cheers Alistair

I got mine from pro wholesale

Hi stock boost on the base map of this model is 0.95 bar/13.7 psi tapering to 0.65 bar/9.4 psi at the redline. I\'ve remapped a number of these and with an uprated panel filter, decat or sportscat exhaust and heat range 7 plugs and a custom remap they can kick out 280-300 bhp at the crank on 98 octane. Boost can be raised to 1.35 bar in the mid range giving a lovely thick wedge of torque. Here\'s one I mapped showing power an torque at the wheels.

I tried running without an FMIC ro TMIC when I was experimenting on running on 100% methanol. The difference in spool up was unbelievable but then some of this was attributable to the fuel chemistry rather than the reduction in pipework.

almost as fast as this 6 speed impreza ;-)

Here we go 386 KW/476lbft ATW 2001 WRX Wagon 2.35 CDB @1.9 bar 10% meth GT3582 (non billet) Spec C V7 Heads Factory STI ECU remapped to run speed density FMIC Bosch 44 DW 1300 cc injectors 6 Speed conversion Power measured on ECUTEK Road Dyno (mapped using open source) Built and mapped by me ;-)

Accurate AFR data is absolutely essential when mapping a performance turbo charged engine, \'conservative tune\' or otherwise. No amount of experience can guarantee the correct AFR without a feedback process to validate the result of the injector opening times on the map they have flashed onto your car. I would be very wary of any tuner who relies on zero knock correction in isolation as an indicator of AFR. This is utter madness and the mark of a cowboy.

If MAP has been swapped the next place I would go looking is the crank sensor. If the ECU and Crank sensor drop out of sync this will usually cause the symptoms described. It usually happens around the same RPM that\'s why I asked the question earlier. Saw this once when the crank sensor was ok but the harness plug was not pushed fully home after a rebuild.

Surge would not drop the tacho to zero and cause a hard cut like that. This is engine management related. Suggest ruling out a map sensor on the way out first. They can go on the blink without throwing a code on the early ecus.

Does it also happen at a specific rpm?

Is this triggering a check engine light and have you checked for any stored DTCs?

I experimented with this technique back in the late 1990s on my race engine to see if I could improve on pick up on the crank I was seeing at the end of the season. I bought jeweler\'s illuminated and magnified spectacles so I could see the residual ridges left on the bearing faces either side of the grooves and polish them off with a very lightly abrasive cloth. I alternated seasons with grooved an non-grooved faces and it made no visible or measurable difference. I concluded that without any visible or measurable improvements, and the fact that I was not experiencing complete bearing failures before or after using this technique, that without access to a control engine on a test rig backed up by detailed oil analysis, I could not validate whether it made any difference and discontinued as it wasn\'t worth the hassle. Over the years with the EJ engines I have built for both competition and non-competition purposes, I have found that the biggest influence on longevity of bearing life, particularly the big ends, is a combination of very close scrutiny of the bearing faces and the correct clearances, assuming other hygiene factors such as oil quality, pressure and temperature are satisfactory of course. I examine the bearing faces with my jeweler specs to look for protusions and imperfections not visible with the naked eye before I put a mic anywhere near them. Due to close examination you would be amazed at the number of sets of bearings I have returned to a very reputable competition bearing manufacturer due to bearing faces being lightly damaged in packaging or the bearings themselves containing FOD due to poor quality control in production. I have also found that there is a specific clearance which you must stick to exactly and consistently for the big ends for the best results.

THe cross section area on evo bearings is greater though in comparison to the narrow EJ bearings which are a product of the boxer crank configuration. When you remove material from a bearing face by drilling a hole(s), remember you are actually reducing the CSA further so the extra oiling is not necessarily helpful. This is more of an issue for the big ends of course where uniformity of the bearing face and clearances are critical.

You can use the Torque Performance guy for $150US. Very highly regarded on NASOIC. My Bro in-law has use him to tune his STi. He does tunes if you dont have a wide band. Remote mapping without a wideband in my view is akin to playing russian roulette with your engine. I have mapped identical cars on paper with the same mods using my own base map as a starting point which I know to work well for that spec of car and the AFRs outcomes have been very different. In some cases up to 1 AFR point leaner which is enough to kill an engine if left uncorrected. There are multiple factors which can affect this. Without a wideband reading you have no way of knowing this. I\'m not trying to be a kill joy but keen we are all aware of the risks.

I would not recommend tuning without a set of det cans. A trained ear can hear the onset of knock before the ECU\'s knock control strategies will react to it. These can be manufactured from a set of ear protectors and a garden hose connected to a piece of pipe bolted to the engine to transmit noise much the same as the acoustic telegraph pipe system you see in ships in old war films. I use a professional electronic solution with headphones (Phormula Knock Analyzer Pro) however I appreciate that this is a bit of a financial outlay if you are tuning just your own car, rather than many vehicles on a commercial basis, so the home made solution may be preferred. I would be very wary of any professional tuner who relies purely on the ECU\'s knock correction stratgies when tuning a customer\'s car.

Indeed - the engineering capability of FHI never ceases to amaze me. Sadly all it takes is somebody not to follow the correct procedure for changing the oil to kill a big end and spoil the tea party.