Alright.

So I got a buddy that's selling his AVC-R for 350..

Should I take it?

Or should I save up and get the commander?

I don't plan on doing anything crazy to the car.. but I do want to do basic bolt on's and stuff.

Thanks!

 

definitely get the power FC and commander man...

 

+1 PowerFC and Commander. Although if your planning to turn the boost up or go single you will then need a MBC or EBC to control boost levels properly.

 

Not that I don't trust you guys.. But what does the FC do that the AVC-R can't?

 

With the FC you can completely manage your engine. It replaces the original ECU. The AVC-R is only an additional boost controller.

 

kaischen is spot on...but dude i suggest u do a bit more research on what exactly the avcr n power fc do...big big diff...no offense but i suggest u spend a lil more time learning abt ur ride before u get to the mods bit...

 

yeah, I haven't even bought the damn car yet. lol

I'm just really excited about finally getting an FD!

okay guys. Thanks for the advice. I'll go with the FC.

Anyone know where to get cheap or used ones?

 

You can get a Brand New PowerFC and Commander for $900 from RX-7Store.net, atleast thats what i payed for mine. They also pre-program a base map for you to ride around on untill you can get tuned. . . I will warn you though, the base map shouldnt be drove arround on forever and its REALLY Rich. You can sometimes find them used here on the forum for $600-700. I also agree ahad tho, you should do a little more research on parts/mods you want before you buy them.

Best of luck, and congrats on getting a FD!

-Zach

 

Personally I would get the AVC-R, the PFC only controls boost with the stock twins and sequential system that I know of. You can use the AVC-R with any future setup that you choose to go with, and I hear it has some nice bells and whistles to it.

 

the pfc can be ordered with a boost contoller type setting. it doesnt control boost very well i have heard. you actually might want to hold off on the pfc till you plan on moding the car. the car will have to be tuned once you put it in.

the greddy profec controllers seems to be popular in the rx7 community, since they are very easy to setup and use. i also have one and i would reccomend it over the apexi

 

I was not aware of that. I though you had to buy a seperate PFC boost control unit that plugged into the PFC... cool. I learn somthing new everyday!

 

Okay guys. So if I don't plan on going single turbo. Just upgrading little bolt ons like CAI, header, intercooler, things of that sort.. Should I get the FC controller? Or is that over kill?

My RSX is a headache unless you buy Hondata/Kpro so I just want to know if I should get an ECU controller before I run out of money. lol

 

Get the AVC-R and the PFC imo. the rx7 can be kind of touchy, ive heard that if you buy new exhaust you could blow the engine without an ecu.

 

Get the pfc one of the best mods along with a good tune. Your bolt ons effect the boost levels and you will be hitting fuel cut and damage your engine. A boost controller is not needed unless you want to run more than stock boost but you should definitly have a pfc before you do that. And you can find them used here for decent prices i paid like $700 shipped for mine.

 

it prob comes with a soleniod and an inlet and outlet control box. but they'll be pretty much hidden in the bay

 

partly true. you can not always run whatever boost you like dependant on your upgrades(flow mods). once you hit certain boost levels(12psi for instance) other things need to be done for support. i consider a boost controler a must for any tuned or untuned setup above stock.

 

I have spiked over 10 with a mid pipe and intake but to keep it under not just a boost controller will help you you will have to port the wastegate on the turbo which is also something you should keep in mind with you exhaust options. I mid pipe and or any high flow exhaust will make you have some boost creep unless you port the wastegate.

 

If you are staying with sequential twins, you should just get the Power FC and forget about the AVC-R. The Power FC can control the stock twins decently if you have everything working right... I can get 14-10-14 (not a perfect transition but respectable) on my friend's sequential FD running all the stock boost control plumbing. Plus you get the benefits of an EBC anyway... you can raise and lower the boost quickly if you know how to use it. Plus the PFC stock boost control settings (duty cycle settings) are decent, while the AVC-R takes more time to get dialed in (some claim it is very difficult to tune). You also get some [rudimentary] control over the precontrol solenoid.

If you are going single turbo eventually, you will likely want the Power FC and a separate electronic boost controller (AVC-R or something else), as many people claim the single turbo boost control kit is not very good (I've never used it personally).

Either way though, you may want to consider a ported wastegate.

 

Right now I have a tune on the PFC from Steve on my seq turbos running 11-12psi. Say I want to go non seq with my twins, does that mean i would have to get a re-tune? Would the PFC not be able to control the boost anymore?

 

Get the car first…. seriously.

Read up on it as well….before you try to mod it (we don’t have headers).


The PFC is not the smartest nor the most cost effective “first mod”. Actually it can be at the end of the list if you keep the boost at 10 psi (with the stock twins). The FD can be very reliable and be quite fast if you mod it intelligently. Do it wrong and it will cost you.

Sorry man I don’t have a good feeling about you. Nothing personal it’s just a feeling that you are too eager to modify. In modding this car thread lightly, fully understand the ramifications of every mod you plan to do. Most importantly don’t cheap out on this car, be cost conscious but not cheap.

 

So far my searching has come up with both yes and no answers without much detail, who do i believe ?

 

- Sequential and non-sequential have the same boost control requirements. Remember, above 4500, a sequential setup is operating both turbos together anyway.

- The PowerFC (and commander, if you want the handheld controller) is a standalone ECU that can also change boost control settings on the stock solenoids. However, the stock solenoids have limitations and so there is a separate boost control solenoid kit that puts the PFC on par with other electronic boost controllers. I've heard this boost control kit is hard to find though.

- The AVC-R is a boost controller only. If you're not planning to run above 10psi for a while, this would be a very good first step. Then you wouldn't need to use the PFC to control boost. I'm not a tuner, but it's always seemed obvious to me that 1) first control your boost, and then 2) tune for that boost level. Without 1), 2) is a waste of time.

Dave