First Ecu Mod Coming Along.
12-05-2003, 02:45 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Swampland, FL
Posts: 93
Dont know how many 8 owners here read the other forums, but here's a mini-recview of a soon to be out piggyback unit for 500 bucks.
I am just about half way through the testing of 'Zoomers Fuel Computer mod, and I want to report how it's going , so far....
First, let me state that I had never met 'Canzoomer' before I bought my shiny gas cap from him a few weeks back, and that is the only business dealing we have ever had.
But who could resist when he offered to let me test one of his Mods?..... I had already read his proposal to reduce fuel back to optimum above 7000 rpm, and wanted to see how that would work in practice.
Average gas mileage for the period has been around 18/19 US, (22/23 UK, 12.3 litres per 100k) including some full bore runs, lots of revs, (and more than a few 'Borla flames!') bearing in mind that my mileage has always been right around these figures, lots of highway, so I would say I am not seeing ANY change in fuel consumption.
I was certainly not decided on buying one, I was really only interested in the mod to return my car to the 'original design/JDM' spec, and wasn't too interested in using the new peak power, since it would be at the highest revs, where I rarely go, and only useful for extreme acceleration, or dyno runs.
The night 'Zoomer and his techs installed the equipment is one that will not soon be forgotten -They put an Air/Fuel test meter bung in the exhaust and then slipped the computer mod into the wiring harness (there is a scary amount of wires going to the stock ECU!) then we each test drove both the cars, to see if the Borla would affect the mixture or the engine behavior.
Any RX-8 pilot knows the slight hesitation of the 'runner changeover' during full throttle, at around 4000 rpm, then again just above 6000, and WITH the mod these are still present, HOWEVER, right after the first dip, as the engine approaches 5k, the car LEAPS forward as it never has before, then 6k, 7k, 8k, BUZZER!, all follow REAL quick!
It is like night and day from 5000 up!
This I did NOT expect....I was ready for the acceleration to be still strong above 7000, to not go limp as it approached redline, but instead, the entire second half of the rev range was transformed. Not even like a V-TEC peak, more of a step change from there on up. During full throttle runs in third gear, the tires where breaking loose every time we hit that '5K leap'! Obviously this was partly due to the cold road, but I never had to back off the throttle at 5000, going uphill, before......
I am over fifty, a previous rotary owner, and not easily impressed, but I felt recent new forum member 'AZIZA K' said it best......."Like OMG this is SO amazing!!!!!"
I haven't yet seen a dyno run or been told how much more power there is, and as I said, peak horsepower at the top of paper charts is not worth squat to me, but the immense mid-range push I experienced is EXACTLY where, and what, was needed.
I don't know the extent of the changes they did with the new fuel computer (and if I ask, I may go missing!) but I will be looking for some assurances that THESE settings will be in the production version, because I will definitely be installing this, and I want it just like this tester!
THIS is the car I bought and paid for!
THIS is the way it should have been from day-one!
It is going to be SO painful to return the test rig......
I am just about half way through the testing of 'Zoomers Fuel Computer mod, and I want to report how it's going , so far....
First, let me state that I had never met 'Canzoomer' before I bought my shiny gas cap from him a few weeks back, and that is the only business dealing we have ever had.
But who could resist when he offered to let me test one of his Mods?..... I had already read his proposal to reduce fuel back to optimum above 7000 rpm, and wanted to see how that would work in practice.
Average gas mileage for the period has been around 18/19 US, (22/23 UK, 12.3 litres per 100k) including some full bore runs, lots of revs, (and more than a few 'Borla flames!') bearing in mind that my mileage has always been right around these figures, lots of highway, so I would say I am not seeing ANY change in fuel consumption.
I was certainly not decided on buying one, I was really only interested in the mod to return my car to the 'original design/JDM' spec, and wasn't too interested in using the new peak power, since it would be at the highest revs, where I rarely go, and only useful for extreme acceleration, or dyno runs.
The night 'Zoomer and his techs installed the equipment is one that will not soon be forgotten -They put an Air/Fuel test meter bung in the exhaust and then slipped the computer mod into the wiring harness (there is a scary amount of wires going to the stock ECU!) then we each test drove both the cars, to see if the Borla would affect the mixture or the engine behavior.
Any RX-8 pilot knows the slight hesitation of the 'runner changeover' during full throttle, at around 4000 rpm, then again just above 6000, and WITH the mod these are still present, HOWEVER, right after the first dip, as the engine approaches 5k, the car LEAPS forward as it never has before, then 6k, 7k, 8k, BUZZER!, all follow REAL quick!
It is like night and day from 5000 up!
This I did NOT expect....I was ready for the acceleration to be still strong above 7000, to not go limp as it approached redline, but instead, the entire second half of the rev range was transformed. Not even like a V-TEC peak, more of a step change from there on up. During full throttle runs in third gear, the tires where breaking loose every time we hit that '5K leap'! Obviously this was partly due to the cold road, but I never had to back off the throttle at 5000, going uphill, before......
I am over fifty, a previous rotary owner, and not easily impressed, but I felt recent new forum member 'AZIZA K' said it best......."Like OMG this is SO amazing!!!!!"
I haven't yet seen a dyno run or been told how much more power there is, and as I said, peak horsepower at the top of paper charts is not worth squat to me, but the immense mid-range push I experienced is EXACTLY where, and what, was needed.
I don't know the extent of the changes they did with the new fuel computer (and if I ask, I may go missing!) but I will be looking for some assurances that THESE settings will be in the production version, because I will definitely be installing this, and I want it just like this tester!
THIS is the car I bought and paid for!
THIS is the way it should have been from day-one!
It is going to be SO painful to return the test rig......
12-07-2003, 12:23 AM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Jensen Beach, FL / Sylva, NC
Posts: 2,934
That guy is all over the place I am dizzy. First he said high rev power is not important to him then he carries on how hard it pulled from 5K to redline (where he never drives his car anyway) then he concludes by saying it really isnt important to him to have the high rev HP but loves all the extra power. He keeps contradicting himself.
That aside it sounds like thay are on to something good here.
I am going to test drive an 8 finally in the next week or so. I would like to get one in the next year or so.
That aside it sounds like thay are on to something good here.
I am going to test drive an 8 finally in the next week or so. I would like to get one in the next year or so.
12-08-2003, 12:12 PM
#6
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Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Swampland, FL
Posts: 93
Heh. I didnt get that at all. I understood he didnt think it would matter to him but he was impressed and loved it. Anwyays he has posted a few other times about it, although no real info as of yet. We are hoping for a web page with dyno plots and some more info soon.
12-11-2003, 08:35 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Memphis, Japan
Posts: 427
Re Amemiya and R magic both have ROM tunes now for the RX-8.
As well I just seen in option magazine where Trust has a turbine kit for it and they used E-manage as an ECU. Also Blitz has a supercharger kit for it.
This story was a comparison between a turbo setup and a Charger kit. The normal car used in the Turbo modification dynoed 210hp and the turbine added a little more that 50hp to bring it pu to 265hp. It appears to me that maybe Trust tuned the car before adding the turbo because the super charged car in normal testing only dynoned 179hp. Also the Charger car used a normal computer and the peak power was lower......looks like about a 25hp increase.
Unfortunaley I can't read the whole article well enough to convey exactly what they did but there is some good news about tuning the RX8 out there I guess.
As well I just seen in option magazine where Trust has a turbine kit for it and they used E-manage as an ECU. Also Blitz has a supercharger kit for it.
This story was a comparison between a turbo setup and a Charger kit. The normal car used in the Turbo modification dynoed 210hp and the turbine added a little more that 50hp to bring it pu to 265hp. It appears to me that maybe Trust tuned the car before adding the turbo because the super charged car in normal testing only dynoned 179hp. Also the Charger car used a normal computer and the peak power was lower......looks like about a 25hp increase.
Unfortunaley I can't read the whole article well enough to convey exactly what they did but there is some good news about tuning the RX8 out there I guess.
12-11-2003, 08:38 PM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Alexandria, VA
Posts: 787
Originally Posted by Ranzo' date='Dec 11 2003, 08:35 PM
Re Amemiya and R magic both have ROM tunes now for the RX-8.
As well I just seen in option magazine where Trust has a turbine kit for it and they used E-manage as an ECU. Also Blitz has a supercharger kit for it.
This story was a comparison between a turbo setup and a Charger kit. The normal car used in the Turbo modification dynoed 210hp and the turbine added a little more that 50hp to bring it pu to 265hp. It appears to me that maybe Trust tuned the car before adding the turbo because the super charged car in normal testing only dynoned 179hp. Also the Charger car used a normal computer and the peak power was lower......looks like about a 25hp increase.
Unfortunaley I can't read the whole article well enough to convey exactly what they did but there is some good news about tuning the RX8 out there I guess.
As well I just seen in option magazine where Trust has a turbine kit for it and they used E-manage as an ECU. Also Blitz has a supercharger kit for it.
This story was a comparison between a turbo setup and a Charger kit. The normal car used in the Turbo modification dynoed 210hp and the turbine added a little more that 50hp to bring it pu to 265hp. It appears to me that maybe Trust tuned the car before adding the turbo because the super charged car in normal testing only dynoned 179hp. Also the Charger car used a normal computer and the peak power was lower......looks like about a 25hp increase.
Unfortunaley I can't read the whole article well enough to convey exactly what they did but there is some good news about tuning the RX8 out there I guess.
Just kidding, thanks for the info. Any pricing?
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