SAFC to be used as a Tune?

[Two-Fortee]

Hey guys, I have been looking into tunes for a while, and have recently been looking at the SAFC. I have a T28 turbo off an S14 installed, but I don't want to run past stock boost until I get a tune sorted out so I don't lean out. I'm on a budget, so I'm looking for something pretty simple, and I have a trade opportunity for an SAFC soon.

So my question is, can I run around 12-13 pounds of boost on my (untuned) ca18det safely with the SAFC keeping air/fuel steady and using it as a simple tune? Thanks.

Here are my mods so far in case you were wondering..;

Intake, 3" exhuast, GT28 off S14, HKS EVC Boost Controller, FMIC, walbro pump, stock injectors (soon to be 460cc). Thanks again.

[AZhitman]

NOT a fan of SAFC. Save up for an ECU tune... Hell, there's a couple guys here locally that are doing ROM tunes, you may want to hit them up.

[articzap]

Once you change injectors or turbos, the SAFC is not at all the best choice. Will it do it an alright job? Yes it will, but it is not in your best interest to run your car with that. SAFC is great for stock turbo and injectors where all you're doing is increasing the stock boost or adding some bolt-ons.

[jt15833]

have you been running the car with the t28? how is lag?maybe a comparison to the stock? I will be upgrading soon and am interested..

thanksj

[Indecisive]

My T28 is a bit laggy. It hits full boost (stock 7psi) by 3000rpm, but doesn't accelerate hard until 4000rpm..and then again at 5000rpm.

But then again, I've got a few mods with no tune.

S14 T28Starion FMICSSAC manifoldMegan Racing Turbo Outlet3" Turbo back exhaust Walbro 255

[Two-Fortee]

have you been running the car with the t28? how is lag?maybe a comparison to the stock? I will be upgrading soon and am interested..

thanksj

No major lag with a T28. Perfect turbo for the CA18.

But anyway, is it safe to run 12-13 pounds with just the SAFC as a tune?

[BEST1TUNING.COM]

I will go into alittle about how the SAFC works and why it is good for light modification and also why it may give you troubles with a greater need to increase or decrease fuel.

When you increase fuel using the SAFC, it alters the Air Flow Meter signal, telling the ECU it is getting a larger amount of air. If the ECU sees a larger amount of air, it delivers a greater amount of fuel.

When you decrease fuel using an SAFC, it alters the signal by telling the ECU it is getting less air and with less air the ECU delivers less fuel.

For slight adjustment this works well up to about 5% in either dirrection. Increasing above this amount may give you more or less fuel however it has a negative effect. Ignition timing is also dirrectly related to Airflow.

Too much % change in either dirrection will start to effect your timing greatly especially on stock mapping. Most of the popular motors (SR CA KA RB) have low resolution 16x16 mapping, which requires timing to differ greatly from column to column especially on the turbocharged motors.

Decreasing fuel by more than even 2% can raise ign. timing sometimes in upwards of 5 degrees, while increasing fuel will lower ign timing causing a great loss of power or misfire. Retarding too much timing can make AFR's go lean even though you are running more than enough fuel. Remember, a wideband measures oxygen, not fuel so if you are not burning the complete mixture due to retarded timing, it may look like you are running lean. Too little timing also leads to VERY high EGT's since the mixture is burning as its coming out of the exhaust port which can cause valve failure.

Too much ign timing may actually look like you are running rich if the mixture is burning completely before TDC, with out knock detection you would be unable to hear the motor knocking and would think to subtract fuel, worstening the situation.

The SAFC is a great tool for minor adjustment, and has an even better effect if the ECU is mapped correctly for the application and THEN adjusted with the SAFC which will avoid drastic ign changes.

[yourmomsrps13]

HAHA had to do itI had BEST1TUNING do my ECU and its is a world of diference, infact he will be doing my next tune for the T28R and also changing the rev limit speed too hehe. I cant stress to you how much he can do with your OEM ECU

[r34 gtr]

Using the SAFC as a tune is a terrible idea. I did it, it doesn't work. Go get the car tuned properly instead of band-aiding it.

[DriftingisLame]

I use an SAFC for minor, in car adjustments, its never more than 5-8% correcting. My major adjustments I 'ballpark' fixed with a remapped/socketed ECU. I like this setup.

[yourmomsrps13]

but what most of us are trying to say is spend your momney on a ROM tune instead of wasting your money on a SAFC

PS please tell me your name is a joke Driftingislame

[articzap]

but what most of us are trying to say is spend your momney on a ROM tune instead of wasting your money on a SAFC

PS please tell me your name is a joke Driftingislame

Where can you get chipped ECU's and the program to tune with?

[DriftingisLame]

PS please tell me your name is a joke Driftingislame

Its a joke to those who take it Jokingly, and its serious to the people who choose to be offended by it.

I thought it was funny, and I really hate the drift bandwagon. I dont like that its being made out to be a sport, as sports are competative. Judging drifting holds something in common with competative figure skating. That being said, I like to drift occasionally, its fun, I just dont take it as seriously as most.

I really really really dont like when people drift on the streets, where they put others at risk. Those people are most likely of the younger cockyer crowd, the one's that my name is targeted to offend

[yourmomsrps13]

gotcha ok cool i agree but i also have to say in defense to friends of mine who have just got into drifting that they came to events, traveled all over with us and saw the madness we call a lifestyle and the bug bit them...hard so they "jumped on the bandwagon" but hey i guess i did too 5 years ago. I guess i also jumped on the surfing bandwagon considering its been around way before i knew of it, i saw it ,thought it was cool and wanted to do it.this is not a discussion and im sorry for getting off topic its just a question and answered view but the post has been covered. so i hope no one is angered by this.

PS i thought your name was funny because its like our shirts "Drifting ruined my life" with a bum on it

[yourmomsrps13]

Where can you get chipped ECU's and the program to tune with?

BEST1TUNING.com

[MeanGreenS13]

find something with timing control... the CA is very touchy when it comes to timing

[r34 gtr]

find something with timing control... the CA is very touchy when it comes to timing

This statement is disgustingly true

[dash]

A few CA18s tuned via Greddy Emnage blue.Only a few bucks more than the SAFC but it can alter ignition timing as well as fuel. Needs a laptop tho.Some had misfire issues when advancing timing via emanage. Trick was to advance the CA18 base timing and set the Eman timing curve all on retard. In essence offering the same effect. It works.... some ~300hp

[Two-Fortee]

ok thanks a lot guys. Ill try and stay away from it and just get a ROM tuned ECU. Seems like a better plan. The only ***** with that is getting re-tuned when I get different mods, and trusting the people that are tuning it.

[yourmomsrps13]

ok thanks a lot guys. Ill try and stay away from it and just get a ROM tuned ECU. Seems like a better plan. The only ***** with that is getting re-tuned when I get different mods, and trusting the people that are tuning it.

If you go with BEST1TUNING you wont be disappointed also if you change mods then you can just tell him whats done and he will send you a chip for whatever youve done. BEST1 is also working with a USB interface ECU so he can just email you the changed map instead of shipping.. :patent pending:

[articzap]

BEST1 sounds like a great tuning company. Anyone else have good/bad experiences with them?

[BEST1TUNING.COM]

Hi this is hanna from best1tuning. I can post some dynosheets in a few weeks of some of my tunes or if you guys have any questions about the new boards feel free to ask. with Nico's permission I am going to spend the money to create a forum dedicated to ECU tuning and support for my tunes to make this easy for you guys. If its something you think you are interested in I will definately do it. If anyone has ideas for electronics that would help them let me know, if there is enough request I will design it. Most of the proceeds from the tunes go towards R&D for new features such as MAP support which is already close to release for the SR20 using both a-N TPS based load for ITB as well as denso 3 bar map sensor use for turbo applications. I am planning on making this available for the CA if there is enough demand. It will be very reasonably priced with full support.