briforbes

My Apexi Power FC and Commander arrived this afternoon. Before I arrange to get it fitted and mapped, I was wondering:

Does the unit control boost? I.e. when it is being mapped, will the mapper be able to increase boost, or do I have to have some sort of external boost controller like the Apexi AVC-R or similar?

scoobydoo4u

the fc controller is basiclly the same as the avcr , will let u do the same things , alter boost and duty ect , although would not mess about with it to much after the mapper has mapped ,,,,,, ive got both and use the AVCR rather than the fc controller ,, less chance of ballsing something up!! as u cant alter fuelling etc on the avcr , but can alter start dury , duty boost etc within the paramiters of the map

rabskyline

contact andy forrest.he will tell you all you need to know..in port seton !

briforbes

Thanks guys, just wanted to check as I didn't buy the boost control add-on, so thought I was going to have to fork out for more bits. Once it's mapped, I don't plan on changing the boost.

I hope to get Andy.F to map it for me....just thought I'd check on here first before I got in touch with him.

Cheers,

Brian.

silent running

No the standard boost solenoid carries on controlling it. The three port is a better option though if you are still running a 2 port.

Andy.F

What year is your car Brian ? That will dictate the maxmum boost available on the OE sensor and whether it has a 2 or 3 port solenoid from the factory.

Andy

briforbes

Hi Andy,

it's a 1997 Version 3 STI. I believe it has the two port solenoid, and higher boost limit than earlier models?

MarkFitz

I've gotta 97MY UK running 1.3bar with the oem sensor and PFC boost control, - so you should be all set for your mapping session.
Might be a plan to source a 3-port solenoid. I stuck a 2nd hand apexi bcs on mine before mapping and didnt experience any instabilities or overshoots when we started cranking the boost set-point up. Not sure how the oem controller would have behaved.
The only downside i've found with the PFC boost control is it's inability to control boost with rpm and gear. I'm still running a TD04 and it would be good to back-off boost above 5500rpm. I've also gotta think about protecting my gearbox in low gears, so an AVC-R would be nice.

LongTimeLurker

Slighty OT : I've got a MY97 UK currently running a stock td04 and am curious by what you have put as i'll soon be having mine mapped with an PFC. What happens above 5500rpm and would you really shred the gear box? btw what your car running at after the map bhp / torque wise?

ta

R4LLY

iTrader: (1)

Your model won't need a boost control unit to increase the boost, the PFC alone will be enough to increase the boost.
I had my STI 3 RA mapped by Andy and he mapped it to 1.3 bar midrange without a problem on the standard two port. However if you can pick up a cheap second hand 3-Port it would be advantageous as the boost can be controlled with an increased level of accuracy.

An AVCR would be a great addition as you can hold a higher amount of boost in the lower gears; however it is not a necessity.

MarkFitz

Hi Mate,
I'm currently running a SS decat DP and BB, OEM I/C with samco Y-Piece, DIY ported headers, and GGR induction kit. Mapping was done with PFC and a wideband all talking to datalogit. The boost response with the TD04 is really good, especially with the breathing mods - I get 1.3bar from 2500rpm, but once the flow rates start to really pick-up (5500rpm+) the turbine acts as a restrictor, - causing a very rapid increase in exhaust back pressure, which in turn raises in-cylinder temps and drops power, hence running the engine at high boost under these conditions achieves nothing in terms of performance but works very effectively in terms of overheating.

AndyF has a TD04 conversion available that free's up the top end a bit, without compromising the boost threshold so that's probably gonna be my next 'performance' mod, after I sort out charge temps and fueling.

I've not put the car on a RR, so no idea what max power is, - should be in region of 260-280bhp.

I've taken some accel recordings (racelogic vbox) of my car vs a decat STI7 and when I compare accel vs eng speed, my car is producing significantly more accel (wheel-torque) than the STI up to 4000rpm. Unfortunately, I'm running a 120k UK spec gearbox with a P1 clutch and already have too much lash. Ever since the remap I've noticed fairly nasty thumps and clonks coming from the 'box when I plant it at peak torque rpms - uprated trans mount will help but I'd rather have 0.9 -1.0bar in 1st and 2nd so that i get better driveability and durability. Can drive around it so not so much of a problem really.

Cheers

LongTimeLurker

Many thanks, have you considered a td05 instead? From what i understand ported headers + up pipe lessen the lag normally associated with the 5 compared with the 4? It's a route i'm considering taking as the more i read about the td04 and my power aims the more i'm looking at a different turbo + injectors.

MarkFitz

TD05 would be the sensible route for 300bhp+ but I really like the low-end response with the TD04. I'd highly recommend doing the headers and Y-piece. Before I did mine I could'nt drive in 5th gear at 30mph, - the car felt really lumpy and took ages to dig itself out of the hole. These mods alone made a noticeable improvement to the off-boost response, allowing me to stay in 5th gear for entire sections of b-roads where I previously would have needed to drop into 4th for the exits. In real terms I think the mods drop boost threshold by about 250rpm.

Next big move for me will be to plug in a 2.5 short block and match it to a higher flow turbo, but for now I think I'll probably try out Andy's TD04, -which should be good for around 300bhp. It's worth checking out his website if you're considering a turbo upgrade. He's got some really good data that shows the trade-offs between the most popular turbo options, - before I looked at them I was considering a TD05 as well, - I guess it's a question of what your requirements are.

Shmerman

iTrader: (14)

I have a similar setup....TD04 decat DP and centre, I have a newage TMIC on though to keep the temps down.
My PFC is mapped to 1.3bar.

I have had it on the RR and got 279bhp and 298 ft lbs with a great flat curve

LongTimeLurker

Headers / up pipe is something i'd defo doing (via Harvey who is just first class). I'm in two minds regarding the turbo route as i love the love down grunt the td04 gives me but i don't want to be left behind in the 30-70 and 50-100 stakes (all on private roads me lord ).

The td04 hybrid is something i've considered but as with anything it comes down to cost, and i want to do as much as i can prior to having the car mapped so i'm not having to keep going back for re-maps.

Thanks again for your input, really helping

LongTimeLurker

Can you give a before and after verdict of the car? Really curious, esp away from the lights performance and it's motorway type power. ta.

Shmerman

iTrader: (14)

The difference is a lot more than I was expecting. It pulls a lot harder now. 3rd feels like 2nd and 4th like 3rd gear. Not a huge difference once past 100mph but its get there a lot quicker.

However my clutch didnt last that long running that sort of torque - had done 70k on original so decided to uprate to an exedy organic from API with the lightened flywheel.
I would change any of the mods I have done so far and have been happy with my setup for 6 months now.

So if you are to hike the boost up and your on your OE clutch, I would advidse you to leave some cash available for an uprated one for when the time comes.

briforbes

Thread Hi-jack anyone?

LongTimeLurker

Spot on thanks

Only slightly, feel free to carry on