RICH WILD

Hi,

Had my car remapped by Andy F on Saturday with an Apexi Power FC and all I can say is WOW! what a difference.

To those who don't know my car (the green one), it's a 97 UK turbo with just about every bolt on mod you can think of. It runs a TD05FE turbo at 1.4 bar and an MRT uprated top mount with standard 380 injectors and up until now the standard ECU.

It has made 386, 381 and 379bhp on 3 separate occasions at Well Lane previously and the on boost performance was very good, but it was quite laggy and lacked real low end and mid range grunt compared to how well it performed top end (say, above 4500). So, I got Andy to fit an Apexi Power Fc and map it to bring up the car's response a little.

I wanted to see just how far I could get on the OEM ECU before resorting to a mappable one.

The results where amazing. The car feels MUCH angrier and pulls really well now from low down, but it still feels as quick, if not quicker at the top end.
The difference is staggering.

Probably the most impressive thing is the reduction in knocklink activity that I have witnessed given the dramatic improvement in performance and the fact that I'm still running 1.4 bar.

On a sweltering hot day (about 30 degrees), giving it death on full boost, the very most I saw was one green light occasionally, in fact, at one point I thought my knocklink was broke because it wasn't doing anything.

Be interesting to see what my next RR graph looks like in comparison.

I'd recommend this mod to anyone. There are no downsides to driveability, the car starts, idles and runs exactly how it did before (I have seen some GEMS and Link cars that idle like a bag of nails), it's just a helluva lot quicker on the road.

Andy reckoned there was still room for more power (given the lack of knocklink activity) but I want to keep the car as a daily reliable driver (still on a standard UK box), so it's plenty quick enough as it is.

So thanks to Andy for a job well done.

Cheers

Rich

Peanuts

iTrader: (15)

rich,
good write up! Im waiting for a slot to get mine done with the same pfc/commander set up.

you say that your running a standard UK box at 380+ bhp !

any issues with that at all because Im worried mine will dump its contents on the m27 soon after mapping!
what clutch assy are you using (and with what flywheel)?

would you mind pm'ing a brief spec sheet of your car because those results are fandabydozy

RICH WILD

Hi Peanuts,

I've actually lunched the original box already and am now on a UK MY00 box, but I'm quite a transmission friendly driver. I don't do full bore standing starts or anything like that.

The clutch is AP organic and the flywheel is OEM.

Car spec is as follows:

Blitz SUS Induction
MRT silicone inlet hose
TD05 FE turbo
Samco intercooler hoses
MRT uprated topmount with MRT larger intake scoop
MRT lightened pulleys
standard 380 injectors
Walbro fuel pump
FSE reg
HKS EVC5 boost controller
Apexi power FC
ported OEM headers
ported Jap Innovations flexi uppipe
full Jap innovations decat exhaust
oil breathers removed
DIY earthing kit
HKS s40i Iridium plugs
Magnecor leads

Think that's everything.

Peanuts

iTrader: (15)

Ive got a 99 car so its the same box.
could be a result had there then.

other than that its just headers/up pipe and breather to do for 350+

which is nice!

Tone Loc

iTrader: (1)

Had an apexi in my car now for about 2 months...... compared to the Link i had it's like night and day. Would recommend the PFC to anybody. Brilliant bit of kit for the money

Good choice Rich

Tony.

Razor2001

Andy,

Any chance you want to take a vacation to Nassau, Bahamas and bring along a new Turbo and Power FC ?

Peanuts

iTrader: (15)

get a gang of four and pay the flights...!

might be by negotiation that one

Razor2001

LOL.....There is only one other STI on the island and I don't think he is the modding type...he has had the car for a while and its 100% stock...

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

i think the same way about mine as well only time i ever see mine light up is when i start the car

bighead

iTrader: (1)

Hi Rich, spoke to you on thursday at Jap-inno
I'm theguy with the mod P1
AndyF was supposed to fit and map my car on sat as well, but he has no Fc in stock
so will have to wait !

Probally will get u guys to port my headers ...before the mapping :0

there is alot of debate about which aftermarket ECU to use....from your result the Powerfc sounds like good value

Andy.F

Thanks for the positive feedback Rich, your attention to detail on that car has certainly paid off, it was a rewarding engine to map as it was so free breathing This is an ideal spec for a 97-00 car without going over the top.

Funny you should say that I'm in the states on hol in Sept and I'm doing an Apexi install/map on an Sti6 in New York whilst I'm there IIRC you have a new age Sti though and the Apexi is not available yet for that model.

Andy

dij

Cant wait to get mine done aswell.

Andy,you cant go on holiday,your country needs you (or at least the scooby owners do).

Any one else near to london looking for an Andy F remap?
We could split the traveling costs involved for Andy to get down here.

DreXeL

My Andy F map would benefit from a tweak when I change my problematic VF34 for a TD05FE, I'm in Bristol but I don't mind driving to London to meet up with you and Andy.

Scoobcity Daz

can i ask how ur runnin 1.4 bar constant on a standard UK turbo wit the engine goin bang?

have u uprated pistons etc?

Peanuts

iTrader: (15)

Dij, Drexel,
Im ready I think for a mapping session but Im half way commited to doing it with some fellow Hants members.
when did you have in mind?

Andy

SiHethers

Rich

Nice spec, and not too dissimilar to what I'm close to achieving.

How do you rate the MRT TMIC and larger scoop as I'm thinking of going down this route with my MY99? Do you keep the rubber seal on the undertray to ensure the flow is directed across the IC, or do you have to modify/trim it. The MRT top mount looks a fair old thickness, so I expect you would need to trim it at least. Or does the new scoop come with it's own seal for the IC?

Cheers

Simon

RICH WILD

Scoobycity Daz,

The engine is totally stock. There's a lot of garbage spouted about the weakness of UK engines. As long as the fuelling and cooling are catered for, 1.4 bar is not a problem at all. The gearbox is more at risk than the engine.

I have uprated the fuelling (pump and reg), and I run Optimax and Millers all the time. I have also fitted better intercooling and have tried as much as possible to feed the induction kit with as much cold air as possible.

Take all the right precautions and monitor AFRs and knock etc and it shouldn't be a problem.

Thanks Andy for the compliments re the car.

IPALMER

iTrader: (5)

I thought you were TOTALLY committed to us ? ?

RICH WILD

Si,

The MRT TMIC is superb. It does the business and it looks the pooch's privates too. No bumper cutting, no lag and easier to return to standard than an FMIC.

The core is so thick, the whole undertray has to go.

I haven't got a shroud yet to direct air onto the cooler, it's just wide open, but Andy recommended that I fit one, so that's the next job for me.

Then after that I'm hanging up my modding hat on this car and I'll concentrate on the other one.

Rich

Peanuts

iTrader: (15)

Iain,
get you pfc's then ya cowboy

rich,
are you using the pfc to show knock/afr or still running with all the extra gauges?

RICH WILD

Peanuts,

using Knocklink and Lambdalink.

Cheers

Rich

Peanuts

iTrader: (15)

I have a commander and was under the impression that knock would be visible on that, coupled with AndyF mapping to have the CEL indicate excessive knock?

might have to do some thunking again....

Andy.F

Commander will show knock level and the CEL will be set to flash at a preset limit determined during mapping.

Andy

Peanuts

iTrader: (15)

Thanks Andy, that was the gist that I got

what about afr?
still need a meter or have you another plan for that also...

markwild

Rich, had mine done on Sunday by Andy too !

Spec is : (98 UK Turbo)

K+N 57i Induction
TD05 FE turbo
Hybrid FMIC
550 injectors
Walbro fuel pump
FSE reg
AVC-R boost controller
Apexi power FC
TSL largebore uppipe
full TSL decat exhaust
NGK 7Bs

Earthing kit at home waiting to be fitted

I need to sort out some cold air to the 57i, as its breathing in mega-hot, from the engine bay - guess its headers and inlet hose next to be a similar spec ...

I do have a bit of a snag to sort first though - The hose between the first and second FMIC hardpipes keeps coming off (Andy - it happened again this morning !). Think that the second pipe is free to move (its not fastened to the body at the top end) and is twisting on the mount at the bottom, so the gap between the pipes is increasing - i.e. only the hose is holding them - I've made a temporary 'clamp' with a cable tie - I'll see how I go on - maybe replace the hose with a samco one from demon tweeks......

Other than that I'm also running 1.4bar on a my98 uk turbo - Can't imagine I'm anywhere near that power though ( ! ) - but its certainly 'nice'

Andy, wrt the spool up issue, I've set about replacing the D/V with a forge one, and I'll get a scoop from DR when he re-opens next week ....

I suspect that Rich's car is a little further on than mine, but it certainly helps to know where you're aiming -

Mark

PS _ wrt knock, the knocklink is totally quite, except a flashing green (just one, but continually flashing) when cruising at 85-90 - its done that for a while -

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

i run 1.6 bar on mine and mine doesnt knock and its standard internals

DreXeL

As soon as I can get hold of another turbo. I already have a Power FC (mapped by Andy) and my map would just benefit from a tweak if I fit a TD05FE. I notice there is an 05/06 -20g for sale at the moment, if I get that I will definatley need a map tweak, would Andy be able to squeeze me in to??

RB5_245

Did you get the 05/06 on yet steve?

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

its in the garage now its took forever to get my injectors but the date is set 22nd august ill be in sunny scotland for the weekend

Andy.F

Not sure whats happening yet Ben, I'm still being 'drip fed' ECU's from Japan and this is delaying things.

Andy