Learn to tune your own car

[SomeGuy_sg]

It is best to mount the box in the cabin as temps are better there.

The O2 sensor must be mounted at least 12-48 inchs from the engine. Upstream from any cat.If you are turboed , than the O2 sensor would be after your turbine side. a rough guide is x10 of your exhaust diameter. So if you have a 3inch exhaust, the O2 sensor would be about 30inchs from your engine

The sensor should be mounted to the exhaust between 2-10 o'clock positions. This is to prevent themoshock to the sensor caused by liquid fuel and or condensed water in the exhaust.

As always, calibrate the sensor as per instructions.

information taken from what i could remember from autronic/ngk/innovate manuals

 

[Alchemis]

got it....
10 and 2 o clock... need to check for clearance... because those are the location near the car body... :)

will update when i got it working.

 

[maxezin]

Im interested to tune but how to i go about it ?I dont even know how to read the Microtech handheld.

Suggest if you can highlight to me how to go bout it

Thansk

 

[phat7]

Maybe we could arrange to meet and discuss further how we go about specific styles of tuning.

Managed to tune Alchemis car last night. Good response by progessive timing increase leading to boost and tappering back in boost. turbos come on nicely but still having bouncy boost at top which leads me to think its a leak or possibly turbo being the issue. overall it seems better but i was only looking at knock as an indication. Once the wideband gets in then we can seriously linearize fuel/boost and timing hopefully.

 

[SomeGuy_sg]

Bouncy boot at top ? Mm...What boost was he running at ? i doubt anything below 15psi or 1 bar would cause such a problem. A leak mostly like fault would be not being able to boost after a certain amount. What boost control are you using ?

 

[Alchemis]

yeah.. it's bouncing up and down when i throttle it hard.. when i do it the mild way... it doesn't bounce...

i believe my turbo-exhaust gasket is bad... causing me to have some minor exhaust leak somewhere down there that causing the turbos to spin un-even motion.

damn..... sound like it's time for a turbo rebuild... this time porting the turbo is a good idea.. allowing fast spool and better wastegate control :P

 

[Alchemis]

oh yeah my boost controller.... internal powerFC boost controller :)
it wasn't like that before... i believe wear and tear is unavoidable.

 

[SomeGuy_sg]

Interesting problem. Try a slow WOT. does the boost still spike ?

 

[Alchemis]

slow WOT....
which means the peddle does not all the way down.....let's say 50 % throttle..
it doesn't spike... and does not fluctuate...
when doing a fast WOT
100% peddle all the way....
even below 4K RPM it fluctuates when more than 0.5 bar boost...
the turbine sound fluctuates as well not just the boost reading...

this points me to the turbine is weak... because

if the turbine is okay... the boost reading fluctuates means somewhere inside the engine is leaking vacuum... and the turbine whistle sound solid and does not fluctuate...

either the fins or the gasket seal is bad in my turbos... leaky exhaust in them....

 

[phat7]

i would suggest that you look at both the vaccum boxes on the top on engine and the other behind the power streering pump.

 

[Alchemis]

after this tuning session.... the car difficult to start...sometimes can sometimes cannot.... my old man blamed i tuned the car wrongly....

now engine blown :P unable to start totally... the plugs are soaked with water...
death of o-ring... cost me RM150 tow back the car from Aman Suria.
next step.. rebuild.. mild street port... new o-rings, new apex seals, if my housing still usable, i'll use it....inspect my water pump as well.

now my old man blame me for tuning the car with dev....

what else i shouldn't miss when rebuilding ?

 

[jasonlel]

Oh no... Sorry do hear that dude. Darn...

after this tuning session.... the car difficult to start...sometimes can sometimes cannot.... my old man blamed i tuned the car wrongly....

now engine blown :P unable to start totally... the plugs are soaked with water...
death of o-ring... cost me RM150 tow back the car from Aman Suria.
next step.. rebuild.. mild street port... new o-rings, new apex seals, if my housing still usable, i'll use it....inspect my water pump as well.

now my old man blame me for tuning the car with dev....

what else i shouldn't miss when rebuilding ?

 

[- D i a b l o -]

ehem ehem..BRAPBRAPBRAPBRAPBRAPBRAP..renngggg!!!!! *ching*.... 500horsepower.?

All the best on the rebuild project CB.you gonna need it mate!

 

[phat7]

I got your message this morning. Its sad to hear the engine blew the coolant "o"rings. Wondering though what caused it? Fuelling was the same as before. We only stabilized the boost response, idling and advanced non boost timing figures by 1 deg. Water temp was good at 87C, Intake temps at 45C-60C and knock at max 40 under load. This things should not have caused any kind of water related damage. Oh well so many factors to look at. Please tell your dad tuning does not necessarily cause coolant o'ring damage but rather other factors like previous exposure to cracked radiator and ast could amount the coolant system on its last legs.

This is part of the reason i'm very hesitant to help because the blame will always be on the samaritan. Oh well. Do tell us what you plan to do.

after this tuning session.... the car difficult to start...sometimes can sometimes cannot.... my old man blamed i tuned the car wrongly....

now engine blown :P unable to start totally... the plugs are soaked with water...
death of o-ring... cost me RM150 tow back the car from Aman Suria.
next step.. rebuild.. mild street port... new o-rings, new apex seals, if my housing still usable, i'll use it....inspect my water pump as well.

now my old man blame me for tuning the car with dev....

what else i shouldn't miss when rebuilding ?

 

[Alchemis]

yeah can't avoid it as you know that older generation people doesn't speak so much about facts and explanations.
but he never bugger me anymore i explained to my mom that listens to me and she translated it :)

now get back to the plan.......

1) strip the engine and determine the root cause of failure
2) determine what must be changed
3) determine what needs to be changed when it's stripped down regardless good or bad to safe guard future
4) source for a 99 spec turbo as i know that my turbos are tired
5) i might need dev's Y pipe if he got it back....
6) mild street port
7) what kind of Apex seal to go for ? Hurley ? Atkins ? or just OEM Mazda 2mm ? or any aftermarket 2mm ?