WRX and boost controller set up - anyone running one?

[mikeyr]

So, my bugeye WRX has come with a Blitz SBC-ID boost controller which TBH I understand very little about!
This is my first forced induction engine so I'm still coming to terms with the slight lag and as of yet I've kept the boost controller set to "off" as I am wary of reaching hyperspeed in a cloud of engine parts!

I'm not looking for an improvement in top range acceleration but wondered whether certain settings could give me a little more power low down to give the engine a slightly less schizophrenic manner?
Currently it feels like nothing, nothing, nothing then whoaaaaa everything starts to blur as the turbo kicks in! However, I'm also wary of making the already thirsty engine eat more petrol...

If I've got this right it looks like "gain" is the response time and "set" is the actual amount of boost?
http://www.team3s.com/Blitz%20SBC%20i-D%20manual.p...

Is my best bet to try the auto settings or scroll through the previous owners 4 channel settings? Or best of all, anyone else got a stock bugeye WRX who'd like to share their experiences/settings?

[Vixpy1]

Using a boost controller with an unmapped wrx is asking for trouble, get it mapped

[ScoobieWRX]

mikeyr said:

So, my bugeye WRX has come with a Blitz SBC-ID boost controller which TBH I understand very little about!
This is my first forced induction engine so I'm still coming to terms with the slight lag and as of yet I've kept the boost controller set to "off" as I am wary of reaching hyperspeed in a cloud of engine parts!

I'm not looking for an improvement in top range acceleration but wondered whether certain settings could give me a little more power low down to give the engine a slightly less schizophrenic manner?
Currently it feels like nothing, nothing, nothing then whoaaaaa everything starts to blur as the turbo kicks in! However, I'm also wary of making the already thirsty engine eat more petrol...

If I've got this right it looks like "gain" is the response time and "set" is the actual amount of boost?
http://www.team3s.com/Blitz%20SBC%20i-D%20manual.p...

Is my best bet to try the auto settings or scroll through the previous owners 4 channel settings? Or best of all, anyone else got a stock bugeye WRX who'd like to share their experiences/settings?

My professional advice would be.......

Get rid of the aftermarket boost controller. Complete and utter waste of time, specially at your power levels when you already have very highly capable 3D boost and wastegate control on the factory Denso ECU.

All you really need to do as an upgrade is fit a 3-port electronic boost controller to replace the factory 2-port controller. Then your wastegate will be able to hold more boost than std and your ECU will be able to control boost more accurately. Sell the aftermarket controller and spend the money on a new Perrin or Prodrive 3-port boost control solenoid that comes with the extra loom to plug into your engine bay loom. If you want to save money get yourself a used 3-port electronic boost control solenoid from an early v.1 or 2 classic Impreza and just hard wire it in.

A properly mapped ECU coupled with the right mechanical/physical mods which don't cost the earth will make up to 280bhp on the std turbo and injectors with practically bugger all lag.

You don't get rid of lag by slapping an aftermarket controller on and hope you can make more power with just boost. There's ignition timing and fuelling to take into consideration along with a host of other changes that have to be made via the ECU to get your turbo to spool up earlier and more quickly and to make sure your engine runs absolutely tickety boo!!

The fact your car has come with this aftermarket controller tells me that it's likely the car hasn't been treated with any degree of mechanical sympathy. Using just boost as a way of making more power just makes the engine run lean because you're trying to squeeze in more air for a given amount of factory std injected fuel. You won't be able to detect detonation until your engine has gone pop and i'm willing to bet your engine will be detting it's arse off when you've dialed in too much boost because you don;t know what you're doing with this controller.

Like Vixpy said.....Get it mapped!!

Edited by ScoobieWRX on Thursday 24th June 23:42

[mikeyr]

Thanks guys - as I suspected the controller is staying firmly off!

So, not that I have the money to play around but how do these work (in an ideal reemapped world). What sort of gains could you achieve? Can't imagine fuiel consumption could get much worse?

[ScoobieWRX]

mikeyr said:

Thanks guys - as I suspected the controller is staying firmly off!

So, not that I have the money to play around but how do these work (in an ideal reemapped world). What sort of gains could you achieve? Can't imagine fuiel consumption could get much worse?

With the right mods and after remap you should be looking at anything up to 280bhp and 300-310ft/lb Torque.

Decat uppipe - last cat replaced with straight through short pipe to join the middle pipe with resonator - high flow flat panel air filter - Snorkus delete mod - 3-port electronic boost controller - remap.

This setup leaves the std downpipe with its built in 600cell cat to get you through emissions. If you have a friendly MOT center just get a stainless steel 2.5" fully decat exhaust system. Don't be tempted to get a 3" system because it will rob you of torque, and with your small turbo and 440cc injectors that's more important than power because decent torque is what will make your car reasonably quick.

[JollyGrnMonster]

bugeye wrx doesn't have 440cc injectors.

the mpg should improve if mapped properly.

it could be mapped on the standard ecu with the boost controller still allowing you two boost levels and the off setting if you wanted or as suggested removed and replaced with a 3port boost solenoid and remap etc and sell the boost controller to gain back some cash.

If you are going to the trouble of replacing the uppipe cat then you may as well put a larger secondhand turbo on it at that point.
Far easier to replace the downpipe car.

The standard td04 turbo is a 280bhp maxxed so just depends on the mods on the car as to what it will map when mapped, standard car with remap about 260bhp.

Simon

Edited by JollyGrnMonster on Thursday 1st July 20:57

[ScoobieWRX]

I've just opened up every std EDM WRX ROM from 01 - 05 and looked at the injector scaling for each version. They are all scaled to 420.23cc which would make them 440cc injectors, not 380's.

[JollyGrnMonster]

no that would make the scaling in the maps that..

try flow testing the injectors

[ScoobieWRX]

Industry standard flow testing doesn't use petrol to test injectors but uses n-Heptane. n-Heptane has a higher viscosity than Petrol therefore standard WRX injectors will flow much less at std fuel pressure. They may well flow around 380cc of n-Heptane but they flow a lot more petrol than that.

I've read the results of testing done on standard WRX injectors using Petrol, not n-Heptane, and these particular injectors which were indeed standard and from a newage WRX, flowed 447cc of petrol.

I've now also seen test results on 1000cc injectors using n-Heptane and petrol. These injectors also flowed more petrol than they did n-Heptane i.e. c.850cc of n-Heptane compared to c.1035cc of petrol at the standard fuel pressure.

Baring in mind we don't run cars on n-Heptane IMHO i feel it's more relevant to know how much petrol they flow. Cleary our software/programs although they use the same raw data they do indeed use different conversion values for different reasons which then give different scalings.

Although technically neither of us are wrong i'll stick to what i know.

[bigjonboy]

what is a "schizophrenic manner"

Edited by bigjonboy on Thursday 15th July 21:10

[mikeyr]

Jon - meant as if it's got two personalities, e.g. on-boost and off-boost. When the turbo kicks in it flies, when the turbo hasn't spooled up it couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding! So like two personalities, one fast, one slow.

[bigjonboy]

i see

Edited by bigjonboy on Friday 16th July 19:46