Hey all,

Just wanted to pass along my impressions so far about the Microtech LT-8. Brandon and Ray from BR7 Racing came up from Florida and spend the weekend installing and tuning the system. Sunday they show up and the install begins. By evening the car is running and the tuning begins. The install went a little longer than planned for a few reasons that were uncontrollable and unforeseen. Brandon and Ray took the car for the evening to tune and Monday morning I get a call saying I cannot have my car back it is too much fun. After threatening their lives I got my car back and they took me for a test ride.

On that ride things didn’t seem better than before, close but not better. That was because I was a passenger, things changed when I drove it. DAMN! Is all I have to say! Idle is better than before, it starts better than before (even impressing a local friend who has a Motec installed on his Turbo), throttle response is crisp and instantaneous, midrange torque is present and noticeable and high-end power is right at or a tad bit better than before. The VDI is now wired open and the 6port sleeves have been completely removed for sometime. Due to this, I was expecting a see a lull on the lowend. Nope. Nothing.. Seems to be no difference at all. All this with just minor street tuning!! Dyno tuning is to come. Overall driving is MUCH MUCH better. BTW-This is all butt-dyno results, dyno results to come.

This system is cool! Well worth the effort to install. I was at a brick wall with my car. All the bolt-ons that I could think of, then only thing left to do was to port the motor. For the money, this has to be one of the best modifications.

Honestly I was scared of standalone engine management systems, mostly because I know squat about tuning. The software interface seems simple and easy to understand. That still is to be determined since I am trying to locate a laptop. I am lucky though since I have several friends with Haltechs, Motecs, or have experience in turning.

Stay tuned for pictures and further reviews.

 

Awesome, brandon gave me a report the other day on it. You're running that much RWHP without the mtech? Wow, hopefully we'll be impressed with the new dyno #'s.

 

Excellent Carl. We have an NA and his first Impressions on the setup...finally. I was going to ask on pics and further reviews, but you saved that at the bottom of your thread. Besure to Include a dyno sheet aswell. I look forward to a follow up.

 

wow, that is really great that we have sumone with a microtech on his n/a.
Definietly keep us updated.
I bet you gained more top end then you thought.
I am really psyched about seeing your dyno graph spreadsheed

 

Okay, I got some pictures up on my webpage. Just a few, there really isn't too much to show. The wiring harness kinda blends in, but if there is something specific you want to see about the setup, lemme know.

Click for my page

 

is that a 3 bar map sensor? on the strut tower?

 

Yup. It turns out that w/ the 3 BAR option, you lose a couple of load points down low - which means that things can only get better. Hah! If this is the worst it gets, I'll still be happy as hell!

Actually, I'm a pretty picky guy, and I know we could get Carl's idle a bit leaner (and thus slightly less stinky) if he had working 6 ports, and his MAP line is in the wrong place (I r teh dum), so pump2 triggers under load. Oh, and he needs a bigger airfilter (that thing it tiny!) and a real exhaust! That RB header, midpipe, and HKS catback just isn't cutting it... I'm thinking true dual. 'Cause now we'll be able to tune to take advantage of it!

Oh, and I can't wait to get a real N/A version on his car. Hoo boy.

All told, I'm pleased as punch.

Brandon
BR7 Racing

 

Pleased as punch? Pleased as PUNCH??? *slaps self silly*

 

lets see the dyno!!!

 

Actually, the way it is now is less stinky than before. Before with even with the cat on there I would drive it around and get out smelling like exhaust. Yesterday driving it around, nothing. Smells great.

As for the airfilter, it you want, we can try a bigger one, but from what I am told, there is no difference between what I have and something bigger.

 

Any new information on the performance gains and tuning process?

 

Sorry to hold you guys off. School kicked back in for the summer and my evenings are filled with 3 hours of the most boring crap I think I have ever had to deal with.

Anyway, enough with the sob story.

Since last weekend, the car has been tuned it and the AFR levels are constant in the low to mid 13s. Problem is that they are not as level as the should be. There are only 6 transition points (very few for vacuum, plenty for boost, but I don't see any of that) so we ran into the problem of a correction led to changing something later on in the RPM range. So, after getting the AFRs as good as we could get them the final official dyno run netted a 3hp gain and 1fl/lbs of torque increase (Peak).

When Microtech releases the non-turbo edition of the computer, they all the load points will be for vacuum, thus allowing greater control over the AFRs. Like I said, there are only 6 load points for vacuum, the rest are for boost.

I know, I know, it doesn't sould like much, but we did some more street tuning messing slightly with timing and the trailing gap. That netted some buttdyno power.

Also, keep in mind, the VDI is wire open, so I am loosing power down low. We are back to where we were with the VDI working as it should, so when I reconnect the VDI there should a noticeable power gain across the board.

Ray did the tuning, which was his first real test at tuning so I think, and I can fully understand why, he played everything a bit conservativly. Brandon is wanting to come back up and see what he can do. He has apparently had more time with the software and thinks he can get somemore power.

As for overall driveability, things are perfect. Again, much much better, midrange torque feels much better, throttle response is instant. Even with some slightly disappointing dyno results, I do not regret this mod. It has really dialed in the car and made things so much smoother. Plus, Brandon thinks he can squeeze more power out of the car.

oh, the real big kicker, gas mileage went from 17mpg to 22mpg!! That is a mix of highway (mostly) and city. I am sure that if I was able to stay out of the throttle more they mileage would have been better.

 

there are 6 load points every 500rpm so if your mixtures are moving around as the revs change they need to make adjustments in the approate rev maps.

Dale

 

Six load bands is a bit corse but should be sufficient for decent tuning.

Don't tune by load bands, tune by rpm bands. For example, tune the idle first, then 1000 rpm from load band 1 through 6, then 1500 rpm from load band 1 through 6, then 2000 rpm from load band 1 through 6, etc. If the new Microtech EMS interpolates, then make sure that you tune one rpm band below idle (500 rpm), one rpm band above redline (8500 rpm?), and one load band above atmospheric (load band 7), even though your engine will never get there - just make a good guess based on the adjacent band's tuning.

Don't use AFR numbers to tune for power. They are good for tuning for economy, as you have found out. You have access to a dyno, so use that for power tuning. What you are looking for is an increase or decrease in torque for a given increase or decrease in pulsewidth for a given map point. The butt dyno is good for finding flat spots.

 

Very good advice guys. The big problem is that Ray was sort of thrust into a role he wasn't expecting On top of that he's still not very comfortable with the Microtech software's interface. Kudos to him for giving it his best shot, however. I'm trying to work out some time that I can make a trip up there myself - Ray didn't even touch timing, and I know that Carl's still running too much split and not enough advance (and I need to play with the dwell).

So yeah, I'm pleased with the mid power gains, but there's a good bit more peak power to be had by gar, I'm gonna have it!

Brandon
BR7 Racing

 

This is all very interesting indeed, BUT...

Carl, your dyno run netted you an entire 3 RWHP and 1 FT/lb torque. As far as I'm concered, this is negligable and could have been caused by any number of things. (air temp difference from your last dyno run, different spark plugs, better gas...etc)

I know Brandon wants another crack at tuning this setup. However, until he does I fail to see any benefit over a stock EFI running running a Super-AFC.

I guess I'm playing devils advocate. I really want to see you put down some impressive numbers with the Microtech. But until I see proof, I'm not easily convinced.