Hi guys

My question is mostly for those who have a PFC but don't have a clue how to tune that thing.

I thought I would go with a ecu like Pettit or M2 but I am reading a lot of things about how good the PFC is. The thing I like about it is the part where you can monitor so many things like the duty cycle. I wondered if I should go with the PFC instead of the other type of ecu.

I don't have access to a dyno and there is nobody close to where I live that is able to work on RX-7. I like the monitoring option but I am scared of blowing something since I don't have a clue how to tune it.

What is your experience of using this without someone doing it for you on a dyno? Is the ecu still good even if it is untuned or is a pettit ecu better?

I plan on putting an intake, CB, DP, MP, IC, pulleys. That's about it, I don't have plan on putting a single for the moment. Maybe hi-flow twins.

Please, I need your experience and your comments.

Thanks a lot

puma

 

You can send the unit to have it tuned for your modifications. I've heard good things about XS as tuners. If you dont put on a MP, the base maps would do just fine...So maybe that's God telling you to help save the environment by keeping a cat on
Oh, and just because you dont know how to do it, doesnt mean you cant learn, right? I went with the PFC, which I haven't installed, but I dont have a clue how to tune it either. There are a lot of knowledgable people on the board that can help you out. The added features, and great testimonials I've heard about the PFC are just too good to ignore and go for a "piggyback" ECU.

 

well not that i won't learn it but i have no place to tune it. The problem is not to enter the data, it is to know which data to put to the right place.

unless it is possible to have some really good map from the forum, it is hard to have something nice for your mod ans yes, i will put a midpipe.

puma

 

Ill race you slowly up to 3000 then when you get the dreaded buck i will laugh...and thank the gods for my pfc..

 

If your going to go big PFC is the only option. Going small in the long run should throw you in a different direction, but its all good.
Peace Love Wankel
Ryker

 

HAHAHA! LMAO...
picturing a real exaggerated version of this race in my head.
stupid imagination.

 

unless you are planning on going high flow twins/single and larger injectors, there in no need to run a PFC. figure $700 for a Pettit Unlimited and $1200 for PFC w/ cammander. PFC doesnt offer real advanteages for a mild setup over a remap, other than getting rid of the 3K ****.

is $500 worth it to get rid of the 3K hesitation? you decide.

my dime minus a nickel and three pennies.

 

I went with the PFC, cause it's more of a long-term investment, you know that one day your FD will be single

Try to get it from a wrecked FD or something, you'll get it a lot cheaper...

 

Go with the PFC.

Here's why:

-My car runs 1000% smoother with 93 k than my friends did with a Pettit Unlimited and 60k mile car. Engines are both good.

-You will be able to monitor all aspects of your car that the stock ECU monitors; one of the best features.

-NO 3k hesitation; on some cars it's worse than others.

-Easier tuneability.

-Much faster. And if you have the right mods, you can change your boost to a little higher setting if you really wanted; very quick change.

I run mine at 13 to 14 psi and the car has run great for over a year. It's kinda ' fast ' too.

Good luck.

 

Then I'll gladly pull it out if I get to keep it.

 

Now you are definitely smoking some of that *** crack!

You go with your 8 bit processor and cram it up your ***!

With mod vs. mod, a tuned PFC car will definitely outperform your old school pettit ecu. I've driven in both. It doesn't sound like you have driven in cars that have had both ECU's. That's a good way to make an educated guess; no knowledge whatsoever of what you're talking about.

By the way there was no reason to be rude.

 

Ok, I understand what you're saying that PFC is just another plug-n-play ECU. However, it is the better choice as far as most ECU's go. If you are going Haltech, you must be planning on some major work, otherwise it's overkill.

However, learn to read. My experiences, not your ideas, are based on a TUNED PFC.

"With mod vs. mod, a tuned PFC car will definitely outperform your old school pettit ecu."

You are right, an untuned PFC runs way too rich, which definitely accounts for your 10 to 11 bench racing HP, plus more. And if you are going to be so adamant about how much you know all your bullshit, post the link to the dyno sheets. Otherwise you can keep your own bullshit to yourself.

 

If you can find it that would be great. I would like to see it.

My PFC was tuned by Ray, and it still runs way too rich. I am seeing about .94 on the O2 under full throtle, which doesn't mean much when tuning since it is the stock sensor.

However, I am planning to take it to XS sometime soon and have them dyno tune it correctly.

I will try to find someone around here with another Pettit ECU, as my friend has sold his car. Either way, whichever is faster, I prefer the PFC. That was my opinion, but based on driving in two cars, one having a PFC tuned by Ray, the other with a Pettit Unlimited. Oh, did I mention we raced a few from a dead stop?

 

Everyone has their own opinion on which ecu is best. Now I have a PFC and bought it because it matched my personal needs. I eventually want to go single, and have a really fast XS tuned car that is reliable and that I don't have to look at a laptop. I just don't trust myself in the tuning. All tuning is not the same, I don't trust SR motorsports tuning. As far as I have heard Ray does NOT have the power Xcel tuning software. So he is just tuning with the commander and doesn't alter the base map. If you take any car with any mods and a pettit ecu and then take the same car with the same mods and dyno tune it at XS with the power FC and power Xcel software it will produce more power more efficiently. Now that being said, the car GSXR may have seen may have had a pettit ecu that perfectly matched the mods on the car, and the power FC did not. Anytime you have a situation like this the tuning is the key. The Pettit would always outperform the power FC if it's maps matched the car better. So everyone should buy what fits their car and their needs the best. I live in L.A. so XS engineering is next door (yeah for me) but for someone on the east coast I would recommend a haltech if you have a tuner that knows what they are doing (or if you do). If you just have a few bolt on's and you don't mind the 3k hesitation or the AWS, then buy the Pettit.

eric

 

sorry, what is aws?

certainly not all wheel steer...

 

AWS = accelerated warmup system

It happens when you first start your car, cold engine, and it revs to 3k RPMs.

Eric,

I have heard the same rumors about SR Motorsports. I'm not sure what to think; at the time he tuned mine I don't believe he had a dyno in place yet. However, Apexi posts SR as a Power Excel shop; go figure.

I definitely want to get mine to XS. But I might wait until my engine goes. Right now I have 93k on it and it still runs strong at 13 psi; no problems except for the secondary leaking a little oil. I just purchased a brand new set of turbos to go along with the inevitable rebuild, so I may wait.

Excellent advice, get what fits your current needs best and fits into the plans for future upgrades.

 

I'd like to chime in here since I have had the PFS PMC, a M2 stage 3 ecu, and now the PFC. From a least list and forum opinions, Brian's maps are little more conservative than Cam's for the same mods. So given that, the same car with the same mods, but switching ecu's between M2 and Pettit, the car would theoretically make more with the Pettit ecu in place.

With that said, My car felt like it would fly with the M2 ecu, peak RWHP was 316 at 12 psi at 6400 RPMS. Another thing that made it feel fast was the switchover....from about 4800 to 5000 rpms, I jumped 70 rwhp and 70 ft/lbs of torque (slight boost spike). It would put a grin on any persons face, also a bit twitchy on the road, hoping it didn't kick in on a curve. When I put the PFC in, the car felt slower. Looking at the O2 reading, I was at 1.12 to 1.17 at WOT, way to rich. After making a few tuning runs, I got the reading down to the .98 range, but didn't want to go further until I get on a dyno with a wide band. So I headed to the dyno just to get a baseline HP reading. Results - 321 rwhp at 12 psi. at 6300 rpms. Eventhough I was making more HP, the car still didn't feel as fast, which I attribut to the fact that I don't have that surge of power when the 2nd turbos boost would kick in. But looking at the power curves, the car is alot more faster WITH the PFC....WHY? More area under the curve. The 2nd turbo's boost is making power before 4500 rpms, where the M2 ecu would be around 4800 rpms. I'm not sure what the O2 reading would have been for the M2 ecu on that 316 run and I wish I had, but I think that with the PFC, I've already made more HP than with the M2 with the same mods, more area under the curve as well, I can make even more HP as I dyno tune it a little more. I have the dyno graphs if anyone wants them to compare.

HAve you gsrx1000 dynoed your car yet? At what PSI?

Tim Benton
93 rx-7 321 rwhp
91 rx-7 160 rwhp

 

BTW, I'd race you at 13 psi, not that I care who wins, but just meeting some other FD's in the area is always cool with me. Hell one of the best races I've been in lately was with a single turbo 3rd gen making 401 or to the wheels. Man that was sweet. So I'll take you up on the race, only if we can grab a drink afterwards

Tim Benton