FD3's and replacement ECU's ?

FD3's and replacement ECU's ?

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Discussion

Pierscoe1

Original Poster:

2,458 posts

268 months

Friday 10th September 2004
quotequote all
just a thought.. what with desperately trying to save up for an FD...

if you have one, and an ECU such as the Apexi PFC or whatever, could you have a different map (presume it has switchable maps?) that basically switched the turbos off, for example having a boost target of 1psi or similar.. and would doing so give you slightly less laughable fuel-economy figures?

anyone know what kind of economy that engine should produce if it wasn't turbo'd ??

just a passing thought..

FLAT_STEVE

1,534 posts

254 months

Saturday 11th September 2004
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Erm... If you're concerned about fuel efficiency then maybe an FD isn't the car to practise it with!

I can kinda see your point but it probably wouldn't make a huge difference, the RX-8 has no turbo's remember and gets similar MPG (late teen's)...

iaint

10,040 posts

245 months

Saturday 11th September 2004
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It would be possible to have the 2 boost settings in the PGC so that one is stndard and the other is very conservative.

This would make a difference to mpg but be a pain if you needed the power on tap (i.e. chav @ lights wanting your lane scenario). You'd also lose the abilit to have a slightly higher boost setting for fun moments!

If you're worried about mileage (as steve said) don't get a performance motor - they all suck! Or, alternatively, use right foot restraint. I managed pretty gool mpg (close to 30) when running in the engine. I get 17-19 normally and 6-8 round a track.

Iain

Pierscoe1

Original Poster:

2,458 posts

268 months

Saturday 11th September 2004
quotequote all
I will have an FD. There are no if's or but's concerning that. it is the ONLY car that ticks all the boxes for me...
I just was thinking about ways of making the ownership a little less straining..

iaint - I didn't know it was physically possible to get those sort of figures.. I though the absolut best you could hope for ever was ~20. If that's the case, then I needn't worry.. I am able to use right-foot-restraint for the boring journeys... so that's ok.

also wasn't aware that the 8's were so bad in that respect...

thanks to both

Piers

>> Edited by Pierscoe1 on Saturday 11th September 18:17

DanBoy

4,899 posts

250 months

Saturday 11th September 2004
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Buy a 50 quid nova for those short trips to work...

New job soon.

FD not long after.

tuttle

3,427 posts

244 months

Saturday 11th September 2004
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Piersc1 -What I think your getting at(& I'm prolly wrong)Is, juice used relative to boost levels.When using lots of boost,thats when they like to suck serious amounts of the juice down.By the way if go the Apexi PFC route & want to use the PFC to control boost levels,you must buy the Apexi solenoid unit(cheaper if you buy them both together).The Apexi PFC ECU will not recognise any other controllers.
So if you have any half decent boost controller it'll have at least 2 settings, hi & low boost-you will get better mileage at your low setting-but, unfortunately ecconomy & performance are mutually incompatible

iaint

10,040 posts

245 months

Saturday 11th September 2004
quotequote all
tuttle said:
Piersc1 -What I think your getting at(& I'm prolly wrong)Is, juice used relative to boost levels.When using lots of boost,thats when they like to suck serious amounts of the juice down.By the way if go the Apexi PFC route & want to use the PFC to control boost levels,you must buy the Apexi solenoid unit(cheaper if you buy them both together).The Apexi PFC ECU will not recognise any other controllers.
So if you have any half decent boost controller it'll have at least 2 settings, hi & low boost-you will get better mileage at your low setting-but, unfortunately ecconomy & performance are mutually incompatible


You have a bit of woggle room without using a stand-along boost controller. The PFC without boost controller is somewhat limited by the waste-gate spring and size but, IIRC can manage from 0 boost to 1.2 bar. Anything over 1bar on stock internals and you're asking for trouble though.

I have mine mapped for 0.8 bar and 0.9 bar on the low/high settings and that 0.1 bar makes a noticable difference! Chose not to run it on track like that though as even 0.8 bar causes serious heat on track conditions.

On 0.9 bar I see 87% injector duty and could possibly get away with 1.0 bar but it really would be too much risk for the potential gains.

Iain

PS. I have uprated fuel pump, injectors and a new i/c and rad setup coming soon so 1.0 bar may be the high boost setting then... mmm.

Pierscoe1

Original Poster:

2,458 posts

268 months

Saturday 11th September 2004
quotequote all
actually pretty spot-on there tuttle!!

is the heat problem seriously something to worry about on track?

I would hope to do maybe a couple of trackdays a year in it.. and won't be looking for any more than 280bhp.. in fact I would be fine with a factory-standard car, but wouldn't mind a PFC or similar in order to adjust the stuff we're talking about..

Diverging slightly.. how many times have you had the FD on track... what's it like there.. stories and info etc etc

iaint

10,040 posts

245 months

Sunday 12th September 2004
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Popped my track cherry recently: Trax @ Silverstone.

Car was brilliant apart from not having got round to putting the 5.1 racing fluid in the breaks (which faded due to boiling on lap 4!).

Can't compare to anything else but it seemed pretty forgiving. Though I wasn't going to make a few corners due to going in too hot but car gives loads of feedback under breaking and when on the power.

Only one really dodgy moment when I was too rough on a down-change at the end of the pit streigh (4th to 3rd). Let the clutch up too fast while breaking hard and back end tried to overtake me - brief lift on the breaks and back on them in time to flick it right... and breathe again!

I'm running somewhere > 300bhp and no real oversteer - just a couple of times where I had to modulate the throttle on corner exits. Got up to ~130 on hangar streight and 100 on the pit streight which isn't too shoddy imho (for a newb!).

Need to get some decent suspension on it (still on original '92 kit) and get a bigger rad on there as water temps got pretty high buy lap 7.

Passengered in a couple of others and they seem (in the hands of a decent driver) to be really compliant motors.

In the wet is a different scenario though!

Iain

tuttle

3,427 posts

244 months

Sunday 12th September 2004
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Iant.If your having brake boiling probs even when using 5.1 grade fluid,you could try silicone based fluid-its supposed to be almost evap free & it wont spoil your paint work eitherOr perhaps some extra venting to wheel area-might be a bit intrusive/destructive tho

iaint

10,040 posts

245 months

Sunday 12th September 2004
quotequote all
tuttle said:
Iant.If your having brake boiling probs even when using 5.1 grade fluid,you could try silicone based fluid-its supposed to be almost evap free & it wont spoil your paint work eitherOr perhaps some extra venting to wheel area-might be a bit intrusive/destructive tho


I'll see how the R600 fluid works out. I suspect that the car is running the original fluid which is some 12 years old...

The disks are quite well vented and are pretty good as far as it goes (black diamond grooved and cross drilled with hawke ht-10 pads) - so grippy when hot that is was getting the abs to kick in @ 90mph without much effort!

I'll look into the silicone stuff if the R600 doesn't do the job.

Cheers,

Iain

Pierscoe1

Original Poster:

2,458 posts

268 months

Sunday 12th September 2004
quotequote all
about the ABS, I had real trouble with that at Brands.. in the braking zone for paddock bend, it's a bit bumpy, which was enough to give the ABS a real hard time there.. I know a few people who take the ABS fuse out for trackdays.. as it really hinders your performance. apparently this is ok.. just remember to put it back in for the trip home!!

iaint

10,040 posts

245 months

Sunday 12th September 2004
quotequote all
Yeah - am going to unplug the ABS unit next time and see how I get on!

Iain