Rich_R

Deep

Didn't you have problems using the Unichip boost controller?

EvilB

I had problems when a bad batch of these were produced. Rather than wait until they had rectified the problem and manufactured some more I went for the EVC. Looking back now I would have gone for the APEXI AVC-R with gear & rpm based boost for the reasons I mentioned above.

I also like to be able to adjust the boost in-car for summer/winter, track stuff etc. You can't do that with the unichip boost controller by yourself - needs a visit to a unichip dealer.

Ric

The UK MY00 has the yellow 440cc injectors. Will post RR figures when I get the fmic fitted incl before and after figures.

Rich.

EvilBevel

Rich, makes sense... I might still consider changing to the Apexi unit, for the reasons you mention. Didn't know it was adjustable to gear as well ... hmmm. Unichip is RPM based only.

Can you still select an overboost protection level with the Apexi ? I'm pretty sure that the protection is totally gone with the Dastek unit. And pipes/hoses do come off...

Adam M

Have to agree with theo here, the link is not a great ecu as ecus go, it doent even compare to the jecs, it is just one of the cheapest ways to get a fully mappable ecu.

The unichip is a different product, but with decent boost control is capable of some great things. eg an idle that few ecus can match.

Crutially, an ecu or piggy back chip is only ever as good/safe as the mapper.

Adam M

mhi td04 i think.

NITO

Mark,

ok, so the ecu does run open loop when on boost but given the std ecu overfuels anyway, it's hardly running dangerously lean. As for duty cycle, it's something I'll check when I get back however like i've said many many times..the car is still running perfectly after 57,000 miles running this level of boost and nearly 10,000 miles with the larger turbine and fmic. I'll reserve judgement on whether or not I need to go with bigger injectors once I've measured duty cycle, but certainly with the smaller turbo I never had any problems.

As for a 0.3psi safety margin. I've found through experimenting that once the car gets to levels of around 1.25-1.3bar, particularly in colder weather where I was getting peaks of 1.4bar for numerous reasons at the time of testing I did get knock and the ecu retarded the timing accordingly. So 1.2 bar is within the safety limit so when i say absolute max it pretty much is the max you can run all day long with super without getting det, from what I've experienced with my car! I then run under this at 1.18 so that even when there is varying ambient temps etc I never see more than 1.22 and thats if i back of hard mid bend and re-apply which is the only time when i get a small surge in boost due to fmic and large turbine.

Nito

ps..I only bring up the evc here since ric is looking for something not too complex which he can control himself and which has been proven to work very well with my98 uk scoobs. For more info you just need to look at the dyno pages!

Deep Singh

EvilBevel,why do you think your comments are so worthy yet mine are ****.You can anorak away until the cows come home mate yet the proof of the pudding is in the eating as they say.
I have personal experience of both the products mentioned and if I pass comment on my views about them in a polite manner then I think you should be mature enough to reply back without using words such as bollocks/sh8t etc.Or you could be really mature and ignore them as not really worthy of comment,which is what I do to most of yours.
My opinion(and it is just that) is that if you got together all the Unichipped Scoobies that were running smoothly on safe boost and producing decent power(with a decent torque curve) you could fit them all in a very small place.Just my opinion.Shall apologise without reserve if I am wrong.

Rich_R

Theo

Not sure about the overboost cut - would seems strange not to have this feature. The EVC IV has this.

EvilBevel

Deep, OK, I do apologize for the rather strong & inappropriate words that may tell more about the alcohol level in my blood than they do about what I really wanted to convey.

I still think your "opinion" may be very biased because of a bad experience with one company/solution, and the obvious satisfaction you now have with the Link. As you point out though, that may have more to do with the knowledge of Bob Rawle than with the fact that the Link would be vastly superior, and the Unichip would be "unworthy of being mentioned in the same breath" (polite, maybe, but it does *not* add any value to the discussion).

Look, we have seen enough companies going from "god" status to "filth of the earth". Read the first 6 pages of the Drivetrain history, and you'll see what I mean. This BBS needs less "opinion" and more information. I understand that a bad experience can really put you down on a product, but I'm pretty sure that you can also find a few disgruntled Link users, especially when they were not "treated" by Bob. The fact that Bob - who started out as an enthousiast - now is considered a guru, and his starting maps are probably used all over the world, is a real achievement, but it also says something about the generel "level" of Subaru tuning. You don't pick a piece of hardware, you pick a mapper.

Before anyone gets this wrong: I think he is one of the greatest guys on this BBS, and if I would have lived in the UK, I would certainly have gone the Link or Motec route, mapped by him. But we all pick our choices, hopefully based on *information*, not on testosterone.

As for that little corner... my car does 0-200 km/h in 17.3 secs, as measured by a few unbiased people. Slow ? Fast ? You make up your own mind. And smooth ? Yes, very.

Feel free to ignore this message as well BTW.

Rich : yes but I will be there just for the social... the little off my car had at Easter has made me think very seriously about the Ring (read, I'm a bit scared now).

To close, I have just been informed that I may be wrong about the Unichip boost controller not having an overboost protection. Will post as soon as I have some more info.

Theo

Edited because of pretty bad spelling ...


[This message has been edited by EvilBevel (edited 21 June 2001).]

GavinP

The end result you get from fitting a Unichip or Link is 90% down to the person doing the mapping and 10% to the hardware used.

There are people who can produce superb results with basic equipment (i.e. Link) and vice-versa. If you want finer control, then you get a Motec (assuming you don't want to hard-wire an ECU in).

They are different products however and the idle/cold start for a Unichip is unaltered from the original JECS ECU AFAIK.

I have a BRD Link and had my MOT this week. 15 minutes swapping the ECU over, put the AFM back in and drive down to the testing station. Emissions spot on - fun dropped off!

One hour later, Link back in / AFM removed and the car has some torque again!

People baulk at the cost of the Link setup but it has some second-hand value so when you change car, you can sell it on (it would need re-mapping though). It's not like it is going to wear out, is it ?

The supplier/person mapping the unit is the most important factor here - the equipment used is simply a means to an end.

Thanks

Gavin

Hyperex

Bravo Gavin, totally agree with you.

Hyper

Deep Singh

Yes I agree.I was not trying to put any company down Evil.I was(in a very inarticulate way) trying to say that the Link has done for my car something that the Unichip could'nt.As I have no technical knowledge opinions are based purely on what I feel behind the wheel,I think that alot of people out there like me who are not technophiles just want a drivers view(obviosly mine just being one)
Evil,as for the alcohol level in your blood,it was probably lower than mine when I wrote that "same breath" line mate!! No offence taken, Deep.

EvilBevel

Deep, cool, lets bury the axes OK I'm making a mental note not to post too much when not completely sober

Gavin, agree totally... was trying to say the same (mapper, not the "mapped hardware" is important). Needed a few more words to accomplish that though

Adam... TDO4 (L or not ) doesn't seem to tell the full story ... new WRX also has the same TD04 mention, yet it is (according to Subaru) a different turbo ... I even suspect the TD04L on the MY98 being different from the one on the MY99.

Would be interested to hear if anyone has more information on the (alledgedly ?) different versions of the "same" turbo.

Theo

R19KET

[QUOTE]Originally posted by NITO:
The uk engine is only safe upto an absolute max of 1.2bar anyway..before you run into potential piston problems so it would be well worth sticking to around 1.18bar to be on the safe side.

Nito, my comments were based on this statement. Det' is another issue, but common sense tells us, that if we increase the boost enough, without modifying the ignition map, it's going to det' at some point.

I think you're missing the point about the injectors. I'm not saying your car is running lean, I'm saying that if you're running 1.2bar, with a FMIC, and big turbo, the injector duty cycle will be max'ing out, especially if your quoted power figures, are remotely accurate.

Injectors have a recommended max duty cycle of 85%, they can be run a little higher, but it gets to the point, where they are so far over, that you're playing with fire.

You may be lucky, and your car may run for 100,000mls that way, someone elses car may have a failure after 1000mls, who knows, but I certainly wouldn't be telling other people it's OK to do........

Mark.