Just got my PFC. It is used, so I am hoping it works. Anyway, I have been doing alot of reading about the PFC over the last couple of months (Forum, Dale's FAQ, and the manual).

Let me say that I am afraid to install the PFC. I have had the car for a few years now and previous to that I had a TII. I have done alot of work to both including replacing the motor on the TII after I popped the motor.

The fear I have is blowing the motor on my FD after I install the PFC. I plan on using the base map on the PFC until I can get it tuned.

I have been running a Pettit Unlimted ECU for years now with no problems. The car runs great with it, but I wanted to get the PFC to be able to upgrade the car further and make sure that I am being safe in terms of fuel/timing/boost.

Here is what I have:

RB Catback
RP HF Cat
Down Pipe
K&N Filters
SMIC
Stock Injectors
Manual Boost Controller
Running 11PSI on stock sequential twins


Am I safe running the base map with the mods listed above?
Should I do away with the MBC and utilize the PFC for boost control?
If I keep the MBC, is there something I need to do to the boost settings on the PFC?

Are there any other modifications I need to do to the PFC (i.e. richen fuel at idle/startup)? Can I even do this without a Datalogit?

My last fear is losing my AC, but I guess I won't know about that until I install the PFC.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

If the PFC is not too old, it should have the base mod map. It's timing is very safe for your few mods. Only AFRs need to be checked after installation.

Other stuff should be changed for better startability, safety, and better injector transistion. Your tuner shouild be bale to do all of this if he/shee is up to date on the current PFC/DL tuning techniques!

 

It is an FD3S4 model which according to Dale's FAQ is the newer one. Is the base mod map the one that is preprogrammed? I will have to reinitialize it since it was set up for a single turbo car.

Anyone have any answers on the boost control?

I plan on taking the car to Steve Kan whenever he has a tune date near Chicago.

 

The PFC built in EBC is not sophisticated but will do fine with your barely modified engine.

 

I just read something about having to change some settings due to my 9.5 lb flywheel. Is that true? Seems unrelated.

 

^
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im running the base map no problem with way smoother boost compared to stock ecu

my mods

pfc
hks intakes(rs)
oem intercooler( yeah i know)
80mm downpipe
80mm hiflow cat( rx7 store)
racing beat catback dual( ver2)

loveing it!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Thanks. I got the 4 ecu terminal pins pulled and put the pfc in last night. The commander looks like it is working and I am not getting any of the sensors highlighted on the sensor check, so that is good. I also did the intialize process (wish it would say something confirming that it has been initialized). Correct me if I am wrong

1. etc screen
2. select yes in the initialize screen
3. cycle key off then on.

Haven't started it yet. I will be adjusting the idle adjust screw this week and running it through the idle learning process.

Now if I can just figure out the MBC/PFC boost control question that I have. I have read a few posts about it and can't find a good answer.


BTW, thanks for the confirmation Chuck. I thought that sounded weird about the lightened flywheel. Must have been someone screwing with someone else on an old post I read.

 

A good friend of mine has a 94 with street port, FMIC, 550/1300, stock turbos sequential. I helped him tune his car. We just used the stock PFC boost control (option 2 high boost setting), set to

1.0 kg/cm^2 68 duty
.90 kh/cm^2 76 duty

something like that. Boost pattern is 14-10-14 (this is 93 octane). It's my understanding that this is decent compared to most people's setups. In your case, you are running 11psi right now. So you can keep the stock "low boost" setting in the PFC (option 1), the one that reads .80 kg/cm^2 . You probably don't need to do much to the boost settings assuming you remove the MBC correctly and put the ECU back in control of the wastegate and precontrol actuators. My friend was using the stock restrictor pills IIRC.

Someone else on here recommended that you set the Turbo Transition settings in Settings 1 to 4000-5000-6000 if you go down the settings vertically (under the high setting, leave low settings alone). I haven't tested this yet.

You will definately need to pull some timing up top though, and maybe add some fuel.

 

I am guessing that the stock restrictor pills are gone since the MBC was installed (before I owned it) and is connected with silicone vac hose.

Is there any way to find the right size pills and put them in the silicone hose or is there any way around this? I wonder what would happen if I just took the MBC out of the line and reconnected everything. It is just a simple bleed valve.

 

The high setting changes where you transition under different engine loads. Ex. for 4000k you would transition under 60%+load, 5000 = 40-60% load, and 6000 = 20-40% load. If you have a lot of air flow mods it's probably good idea to drop it down some so that the transition isn't as violent. I have my 60% set to 3760 which makes for a smoother power band, as I was getting about a 60-70hp jump when it was set at the stock setting, and would basically just blow the tires off after transition in low gears.

The low settings change when you drop out of seq. mode back to single as the rpms go down.

You could actually take some needle valves from home depot and put in the lines and adjust them as needed instead pills. This will take some time to get them adjusted right but is doable and allows for adjustability later on.

 

OK, so I have done alot more reading. The PFC is installed, 4 pins removed, The idle screw set 1/2 turn out. I have been waiting to start the car due to lack of time.
I think I have a better understanding of the PFC. The million dollar question now is..Will it be safe to run the car with my current upgrades running 10 or 11 PSI without tuning it for a couple of months? Apparently, I have the base mod map. Someone abouve said I need to pull timing up top and add fuel. Am I safe doing this with the comander? If so, how? How much fuel should I add? I don't have a wide band, so I am not sure if I will have enough fuel. Are the AFR readings on the commander fairly accurate?

I am getting conflicting answers in all of the old posts I have read about the safety of the base mod map. SHould I put my Pettit ECU back in the car until I can have it tuned? In order to have it tuned I am waiting for Steve Kan to come to my area (hopefully this summer) for a tuning session.

OR, do I keep the PFC in, untuned, with the base mod map and hope that it is safe? Do I just not push the car before I can have it tuned?

 

I would say you are "probaby" safe with the Mod map since you have a hi-flo and not a MP, but I would check the AFR's and the knock.

The timing is retarded not advanced, like Chuck said in the second post of this thread. If you want to add fuel to be safe, I would add probably 3-5% fuel from row 14-20. You go into the inj. map and just add some fuel, it tells you how in the manual, which you need to read if you haven't.

Also the PFC doesn't read AFR's, it only reads from the stock sensor O2 sensor which it uses for idle and cruising.

It's up to you on which ECU you use, if it's been running fine with the Pettit and you haven't done anything, you know it is safe. If you don't feel safe with the PFC then just wait til you can get it tuned and put it in before you go.

 

Thanks. Man, I watched both of your videos. The autocross vid is enough to make me sick.

How does one know that rows 14 -20 are the rows to add 3-5% fuel?

 

Thanks, I need a camera so I can get some vids of my own.

11-20 are the rows under boost. And 11-13 you aren't going to use except a touch, and you're not going to blow your motor in these rows unless it is totally screwed up. You can't use 19-20 with the stock map sensor, unless you rescale the rows(need a datalogit), so if you don't want to mess with them don't.

Row PSI
P1 -27
P2 -24.1
P3 -21.2
P4 -18.3
P5 -15.4
P6 -12.5
P7 -9.6
P8 -6.75
P9 -3.85
P10 0
P11 0.95
P12 2.37
P13 3.8
P14 5.7
P15 7.8
P16 9.7
P17 12.6
P18 15.5
P19 18.4
P20 21.3

 

Good News. Was finally able to start the car. Started right up. Went through the idle learning steps. A/C works! Idles perfectly.

Took it around the block and didn't boost past 5 PSI (cause I'm scared to).

Can't wait to get it tuned and drive it for real.