NA 1.6: 90-93 M45 w/PowerCard Pro Experience

[Pharo_X]

I've been quite frustrated over the last couple of days/weeks trying to nail my boost and M45 problems.

I started out with these mods and car ran like crap. Bogging the minute car is under boost. Backfires and stutters the minute gas is stomp. Lots of jerking from a dead stop when pedal is pushed, like it's about to stall.

-M45
-305cc Supra injectors clean, tested and flow within 1%.
-150mm Overlay crank
-62.5mm nose pulley
-TDR idler pulley set
-TDR intercooler
-RX7 AFM
-DDM Air Filter set
-Magnecore 8.5 ignition plugs
-NGK step colder plugs
-JR timing box 3 clicks from Max Retard
-Moss oil cooler
-stock fuel pressure/ stock fuel pump
http://www.t-netzone.net/miata/photos/92_j-r/engine/IMG_4107Front%20Engine_sml.jpg

Recently, took off the 150mm overlay crank and added the PowerCard Pro.
WOW!! I can honestly say, big difference. Not too much tinkering with, besides the straight forward wiring and pretty lights.

PowerCard Pro Pin Out:
http://www.t-netzone.net/miata/powercard/PowercardPro.jpg

ECU Pinout Diagram:
http://www.t-netzone.net/miata/powercard/PowerCardPro_ECU_pinout.jpg

Adjusted the settings to:
Green:0-3750rpm fuel trim = 0
Yellow:3750-5250rpm fuel trim = 0
Red:5250+rpm fuel trim = 0
Green-Blue: Accelerator Pump fuel = 5-6
Yellow-Blue: Main Boost Fuel (added per PSI) = 0

So far, at these settings, I'm able to run the Miata correctly. But I feel that it's still not as good as it should. The launch from a dead stop is still lots to be desired. I'll play around with Green-Blue and Yellow-Blue a bit to get it running better. (Note to self : Get Wideband O2/Gauge) Boost is tapering out at a little over 5psi with the small nose pulley at around 5300rpm. What gives?

The idler pulley may be the culprit. As the other day, the car was making a loud whistling "weeeee..." noise, from the engine area, the minute boost kicked in. Turned out to be that the belt was too tight and the idler pulley may have been seizing also. Sprayed it with some WD-40 and loosen up the belt a little and noise is gone.

I'll probably also need to swap out the 305cc's for some tan injectors, if the Miata is suffering from fuel drowning.

Anyone else with successful experience doing NA 1.6/M45/PowercardPro please chime in and give your mods and settings.

Thanks,

Ric

[FormerDatsun510Man]

Ric,

Where did you purchase that PC Pro? Is it one of ours? I ask this because we also have the Red-Blue zone for adjusting high rpm fueling vs. low and mid rpm. I think from the sounds of it, either you need smaller injectors or perhaps a reflash for the PC Pro to give it better adjustability for your setup. Have you dynoed your setup?

I also think your boost sounds low and the belt may be slipping. With the pulley ratio you are running on the M45, that is equivalent to an MP62 running about a 115/65 which on an Air/Air Intercooled Hotside should be about 9-10psi at redline (7-8psi at 5000rpm). That is probably the first thing to fix. Second, a wideband would be a great thing to get. The AEM wideband gauge is really inexpensive now and works very well.

Also, one thing that concerns me is it appears you are using rubber flex hose for the outlet of the intercooler pipe. Even if it is reinforced with steel wire, that is really not meant to withstand pressure. I think it is possible you may have a leak there under boost which may contribute to the lower than expected observed boost. I would suggest a metal pipe with silicon couplers to replace it.

Bill

[Pharo_X]

Hi Bill,

Thanks for the response.
I got the ProCard from Gary @ TrackDog Racing. He's been helpful so far, but if there's possibilty to get the reflash you speak of for the extra Red-Blue zone, that would be awesome. I have not had it dynoed yet, as I'm still trying to get it to a point where I feel comfortable enough to run it pass 5500rpm, as I sometimes hear the belt slipping a bit.

I do have the metal pipe, but it was just impossible to get it to clear the tall Koyo, and with the TB angled down on the 1.6, I would have to custom fab a pipe to get the right angle. I even spoke with Gary about it, and he said they've tried, but couldn't clear the Koyo. He said the PWR rad clears, but I'm just not flexible in swapping rad for that reason only.

There is a metal connector that holds the flex hose and coupler. I will try and recheck for leak, as this totally didn't come to mind.

What would cause the belts to be slipping? Bad pulley? or wrong tension?

Will work on that also, to see if I can get more boost in, because at the moment, the blower is working too hard to barely get to 5psi.

Please let me know how I can get the Powercard Pro reflash. The photos of the card in the 1st post are of my card that took and pegged out.

Here's a little video log I made. Please help verify when you get a chance.

http://www.t-netzone.net/miata/videos/miata_whistle.html

Thanks for any help.

Ric

[FormerDatsun510Man]

Sounds like a boost leak. I think it is likely either the flex hose, one of the silicon couplers, or another thing to consider is the bypass valve actuator (little black canister that has lever to pull the bypass valve open/close) may have failed and is leaking. To check the bypass valve actuator, with the engine idling blip the throttle. The lever should be pulling the bypass valve open during idle. When you blip it, the lever should relax and shut the bypass valve closed. If the bypass valve actuator is torn inside and thus leaking boost/vac, then the bypass valve may not close all the way and thus the boost from the supercharger will not be maximum (usually see 2-3psi in this case).

The 4-rib belt is sort of problematic from my experiences sorry to say. The metal pulleys and proper alignment is about the best advice I can give you. I had to mess with washers behind the idler pulleys to get the belt to track straight on my old Hotside. Only once the belt is staying on the center of the two idler pulleys when revved, can you then try to adjust the tension on the belt and get good results. Admittedly, you have to overtighten the belt to keep it from slipping.

Finally, I looked at your setup in a little more detail and realized you are back at the 130mm stock crank pulley. That changes things. That means you are now running the M45 at a 130/62.5 pulley ratio. At that ratio, going through the Air/Air Intercooler I would expect about 6-7psi at the most.

Anyway, it sounds like you have a few things to get figured out first before worrying about the PC Pro settings. With the mechanical problems fixed first, it might very well be that the PC Pro programming you are running is just fine.

Bill

[Pharo_X]

Ok, the flex hose checked out ok, the clamps are on quite tight. But the actuator didn't quite pass. The arm didn't come down all the way to close when I blipped the throttle. I guess that's why its not holding the boost as well as it should.

Will be ordering an actuator replacement along with a wideband and go from there.

Also tried adjusting the Green-Blue to 6 and then down to 3, while leaving everything else at 0; and the car didn't really like it. As the engine rev and boosts higher in the RPM, I can start to here a bit of misfiring.

Tried adjusting the Yellow-Blue to match and resulted in a lot of stuttering also. I guess that adjustment will have to remain at 0, for now.

I might take a little vacation in Dec., the week after Christmas, to see you guys for a dyno/tune if that's possible.

Thanks for all the suggestions and inputs,

Ric

[FormerDatsun510Man]

Glad you found the boost problem. The bypass valve actuators are a common problem.

Concerning the PC Pro, the functions and ranges of adjustments are likely different than our's since it is Track Dog Racing's programming. The sort of ranges that a fuel setting can have can be anything... they are flexible in this regards. The number of lights is just a relative setting for whatever the programmed range of adjustment is. The only way to find out that range would be to contact Track Dog Racing. I can certainly help you out with our programming though if they were flashed with that.

Bill