Stage 1 Transformation (Exhaust, Chip, Intake)

[OUTRNNR]

OK,

Today when I pulled into my garage, I decided to goose it a little just to feel manly and hear that V8 echo off the walls. I started off gently and then really punched it so it would rev all the way up to 5000 rpm. Obviously, all this was while I was in park, so the engine wasn't under load, so it was revving quite fast. A very interesting thing happened when I was doing this: (If you haven't yet, take a look at my dyno runs above) Right at ~4250 rpm the engine was temporarily cutting out, it actually felt like I was bouncing off the rev limiter!! it didn't stop at this point it just bounced a couple times and kept going, but it was very noticible (I should also mention that some minor backfires were present on the way down from 5000 rpm). This cut in timing and/or fuel is in exact correlation with my dyno runs! I wonder if this is the same thing that was happening during my dyno pulls. I'm almost done with my 87 octane tank. Next tank will be 93 octane and I am going to do the exact same thing and see if I get the hesitation. I should note that I haven't been able to reproduce this hesitation during driving, even in 1st gear. If one of you guys feel like it, try this same thing and report if you see any hestitations like this at all...I'll report back after I try premium fuel.

 

[Casper]

hmm...i dont think mine does this.

 

[leesdawgs]

I tried it on the premium and I didn get that. maybe Ill try it again (I just like hearing it )....

Lee

 

[RonMAIDEN]

So,the chip idea goes down in flames;pretty much inconsistent with what I've seen on "chipped" cars on the dyno. Glad you'll be saving $$$.

I had an Apex S-AFC in my Eclipse and I had a Palm Pilot program that allowed me to monitor all the engine parameters and log my drag runs and see my timing curve and knock counts through the RPM band and adjust my AFC accordingly. Great device.

 

[OUTRNNR]

A little update for everyone:

First of all I have installed the Volant intake and reset the computer to adjust faster to the increased airflow of the intake. Pictures and comments of this intake can be seen on the Volant intake thread:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?s=&postid=169286#post169286

After driving on it for about 100 miles now, I can feel the changes starting to take effect. The car seems to pull harder from 3000 rpm to redline. Some things I've been wondering about though are the loud resonant noise from the intake and the change in sound at ~4200 rpm. I can't help but think all that roar coming from under the hood is costing me HP at the wheels. This loud roar only comes on under 100% WOT and if I let off just a touch, the sound disappears. It seems like the car pulls just as hard if not harder at 90% throttle without the loud resonant roar. Anyone else think this could be some kind of resonant phenomenon that could acutally be restricting airflow? I don't know but it seems like alot of energy is wasted making this loud but beautiful sound. At 4200 rpm something definitely happens in the engine, I'm not sure if its the vvt-i switching over or if its the acoustic control induction system (ACIS) activating. What happens is at 4200 rpm the sound gets louder. Not gradually but more in a step change (I'll try and post a video later). From what I can tell this is just a set of vanes in each intake tract opening and directing the air in a different, more direct path to the cylinder. I believe its purpose is to quell high rpm intake noise, but with the Volant, if this is what is happening at 4200 rpm, it just gets louder at this point. Also, I can't help but think this is the same thing that happened on my basline dyno runs, this has to be related.

I'm not sure what, if any effect this has on performance, we'll let the dyno do the talking. Speaking of dyno, I plan on getting back in there this weekend (hopefully). I'll do a couple of post-intake pulls to see how the curve changed from the Volant intake and what the hell happens at 4200 rpm. After that I will have the AFC installed and tuned and will report back on those results.


:biggrin2:

 

[Light_Mania]

The idea of changing the intake path at different rpms is to change the harmonic frequency of the path and improve filling of the cylinders with a fresh charge. Air flow in the intake path is constantly accelerating and decelerating as each cylinder sucks in its charge. You can take advantage of the intertia of the air column to "pack" air into the cylinder with tuned intakes, but for a given intake length it happens best at a particular rpm. By adjusting intake length dynamically, you can optimize the charge (and torque) at more than one rpm. The changes in intake sound reflect the changes in intake harmonics. I don't know myself exactly what the VVT-i engine does, and how the Volant intake affects these harmonics I have absolutely no idea!

As for Dynojet HP numbers, those are typically standardised to "STP" or standard temperature and pressure. At Denver altitude, with about 15% less air (and oxygen) per unit volume, the engine will develop about 15% less peak HP. The Dynojet software takes this into account and takes the raw numbers and adjusts them to what you would see at sea level at standard temperature. That is why OUTRNNR's results in Denver are so close to the guy in Georgia.

At Denver altitude, you would need lower octane to prevent pre-detonation or knocking, not higher octane. Peak combustion temperatures at Denver will be lower than at lower altitudes because of the reduced oxygen content of a volume of air, and the reduced fuel the FI system squirts as a result, so knocking at a given octane is less likely.

 

[OUTRNNR]

The idea of changing the intake path at different rpms is to change the harmonic frequency of the path and improve filling of the cylinders with a fresh charge. Air flow in the intake path is constantly accelerating and decelerating as each cylinder sucks in its charge. You can take advantage of the intertia of the air column to "pack" air into the cylinder with tuned intakes, but for a given intake length it happens best at a particular rpm. By adjusting intake length dynamically, you can optimize the charge (and torque) at more than one rpm. The changes in intake sound reflect the changes in intake harmonics. I don't know myself exactly what the VVT-i engine does, and how the Volant intake affects these harmonics I have absolutely no idea!

As for Dynojet HP numbers, those are typically standardised to "STP" or standard temperature and pressure. At Denver altitude, with about 15% less air (and oxygen) per unit volume, the engine will develop about 15% less peak HP. The Dynojet software takes this into account and takes the raw numbers and adjusts them to what you would see at sea level at standard temperature. That is why OUTRNNR's results in Denver are so close to the guy in Georgia.

At Denver altitude, you would need lower octane to prevent pre-detonation or knocking, not higher octane. Peak combustion temperatures at Denver will be lower than at lower altitudes because of the reduced oxygen content of a volume of air, and the reduced fuel the FI system squirts as a result, so knocking at a given octane is less likely.

Correct. The guy at the shop showed me un-corrected numbers and I was making something like 173 AWHP

Not sure if the Volant CAI had an adverse affect on intake harmonics. Only the dyno will tell...

To be continued...

 

[OUTRNNR]

OK,

I just got off the phone with Brian at URD and he is sending me a pre mapped PSC1-001 Split Second programmable signal calibrator with MAP, $270 shipped. He said if I want to get the mix any leaner I will have to do it myself with a Wideband O2 sensor. Right now I am running about 12:1 A/F ratio, and he estimates the pre-mapped signal calibrator he is sending will get me anywhere from 12.5-12.8:1. Hopefully this will be good for at least a couple horsepower, with the potential of fine tuning it myself. It ships tomorrow, and I will have it by the end of the week.

Dyno, here I come...

I will report the results when I get them. First will be the intake dyno, to report the difference that the Volant CAI makes. Then I will put the PSC1-001 on and see if any other power was made, then attempt to fine tune. I'll keep you guys posted.

 

[freezy74]

If possible, try to make a pull the same day before you swap stuff, just to take weather out of it.........

 

[Koz]

:corn:

Koz

 

[mikestang]

They have a 4-wheel dyno there? Very interesting, I've never seen one before.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

Man,NA sucks to squeeze horses from and costs too much.

Is there a reason you are after these elusive horses?

 

[OUTRNNR]

Yeah they have a 4 wheel dyno at Mac Autosport in Parker, CO. Pretty popular around here because alot of people drive AWD cars that they like tune and drive in the winter. Mac has the first AWD dyno in CO, or at least that's what they say. I went to HS with the owner's son and their shop is like 5 min from my parents house.

Ron, yeah it doesn't seem like I'm going to get a lot of power here, I estimate 5-10 whp. In the research I've been doing, it seems like the Toyota ECU has its own mind made up about how much air and how much fuel it wants to burn no matter what mods you decide to add. That's why alot of these intake and exhaust mods don't add the power that you would get in, say, a Tahoe or something, its because as we all know, the computer adapts to changes. The plan with the AFC is to trick the computer in to thinking its running rich (by intercepting the O2 signal) so it will either add air, reduce fuel, or both. This way the mix is leaned to 12.5-12.8:1 to get optimum power from the fuel (I'm at 11.9:1 now). Also, another large reason I did this is because when the warranty expires and I have enough money I plan on supercharging to a max of about 5-6 psi. As I'm sure you know, boosted applications require precise air fuel control, and the PSC1-001 has a MAP sensor input to aid in this process.

**UPDATE**
I know I told a few of you that I was going to the dyno today. Well I'm not now because URD didn't get the PSC1-001 to me on time. Maybe if they get the part to me tomorrow (by mail) I can take it in tomorrow afternoon but the shop is booked all day for an SRT-4 dyno day, if I can't get it tomorrow it may be next weekend. However, I PROMISE I will get a pre and post tune dyno and post the results here. Remember that I have added the Volant CAI since the last time I was on the dyno so the pre-tune dyno will also reveal the truth about the intake on the vvt-i V8. Stay Tuned.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

So,how many more miles til the fun begins?:

 

[OUTRNNR]

So,how many more miles til the fun begins?:

Haha, well I'm at about 17k now, and what's the powertrain warranty? 30k? So about another year, year and a half...

:awais: :beer:

 

[the_bear]

Haha, well I'm at about 17k now, and what's the powertrain warranty? 30k? So about another year, year and a half...

:awais: :beer:

Powertrain warranty is 5 year 60k miles.

Regular warranty is 3 year 36k miles.

-Eric

 

[Koz]

Where's the BEEF?

Koz

 

[OUTRNNR]

Where's the BEEF?

Koz

In a box sitting on my kitchen counter. The part came yesterday and was supposed to show last friday. Now I can't make it to the dyno until sometime next week becasue I'll be busy all weekend. The BEEF will be delivered.

 

[OUTRNNR]

OK latest update...

I went in at 3pm today to get the Split Second PCU installed for AFC and timing tune. I got there at 3pm, but some friend of the owner was there and wanted to do a quick pull, no problem I had the rest of the afternoon and wasn't going anywhere.

The guy pulls in a Hummer H3, I'm like, "Are you F*cking kidding me?", but as it pulls in the garage I hear the unmistakeable whistle coming from under the hood. That's right folks, a blown I-5 H3. The guy who was dynoing it built a FULLY custom S/C kit with air-water intercooler running 8 lbs of boost, eight!!. Stock internals, stock computer (he cracked the code to take out timing and adjust air/fuel numbers).

The funny thing was it only put down 250 AWHP and 220 AWTQ. I put down 212/250 with just exhaust. So with intake and the PCU I'm getting installed I'm estimating somewhere around 230-240 AWHP so I imagine I could still hang (especially since I weigh about 500 lbs less and have better gearing than the H3). But I digress...

I rescheduled for Thursday at 10am, so expect to see dyno numbers early afternoon on thursday. The BEEF is a comin'!!!

Check out the latest pic of the Runner, taken atop Loveland Pass last friday....

 

[rolla_dink]

I believe it uses a knock sensor. As far as I know, there is no way for the engine to know what octane fuel you are running. It just listens for the pings and adjusts accordingly.

x2 ^^^ exactly. This is what we have been finding when we tune both engines on the corollas. The vvt-i 1zz and the vvti-L in the 2ZZ.

Oh and Please Keep Us Posted! Brian at URD helps the boosted corollas out a lot plus I'm looking for good results before I start tuning the 4Runner.