Adding Air and Fuel for Power (bypass ECU)

[Bruzman]

Objective: Increasing power safely without upgrading the ECU

"To increase power, you must increase both fuel and air. To do it safely, you must increase it in the correct ratio"

Increasing your Air is the easy part. I know how I plan to increase my air intake. Increasing the fuel on my Stock JA Starion is the hard part. To do this Safely, I plan on borrowing a O2 Sensor.
The Stock ECU on my JA starion is worthless. My mobile phone has more grunt. I was considering Mega-Squirt ECU because of the learning factor. The main reason for upgrading the ECU, is for Multi-Point-injection intake. However, bang-for-buck I'd be better off with a EVO engine swap, which would give me a better starting point and DOHC.

Questions:
What Air-Fuel Ratio do you recommend/use?
Does the JA dizzy produce enough Spark, or is it a needed upgrade when raising Air and Fuel Levels?

Air:

How I plan to do it!
1. First I plan to install a Fuel Cut Defender (FCD). This will allow me to increase the Boost over 12psi (Jap spec fuel cut) without the engine turning off. The best FCD I found was from Jay-Car and was $20. "VR4gone" wrote up a great article about it - http://forums.austarion.com/viewtopic.p ... ht=#147370
2. For tuning and knowing my limit's, I will then be installing a Boost gauge. It isn't necessary at all. These can be purchased for around $30 posted off ebay.
3. To get the best out of the Air induction, I would consider upgrading the Turbo. A larger ball-bearing would be the best way to go. However, my personal knowledge of Decent Turbo's that bolt onto the Exhaust manifold is nonexistent. Upgrading the Turbo would be too expensive if I couldn't find one to bolt-on. So, I'll stick with my Hi-Flow TC05 for now.
4. My Hi-Flow TC05's stock boost is 7psi. By Installing a Manual Boost controller I can increase the boost. If I can figure out how to correctly increase the fuel, I'd be happy to increase the psi out-put to 14psi. Possibly even higher depending on the Turbo's capability. Manual Boost controllers can be made for $10 or purchased for between $10-100.
5. To finish off with Air induction, I would install a Intercooler and exhaust wrap on the cold side piping. Compressed Air is hot. Intercooler's cool the compressed air. Cooler air has more oxygen, which increases power. Cooler Air also prevents the likely-hood of detonation. I have a JD intercooler and piping (Tho, it's for sale).

Questions:
(Air-3) Is there any Turbo upgrades that bolt directly to the stock exhaust manifold and dump pipe? (having hi-doubts)
(Air-4) What would you believe a Hi-Flow TC05 would be capable of? (Probably not much over 15psi)

Fuel:
Here's where things get difficult! The ideal way of increasing fuel on a JA Starion is to upgrade the ECU and add a Multi-point Injection intake with decent injectors. From there, it's all about tuning. Sadly, this could easily cost +$1500 depending on what you decide! I found that a EVO half-cut's can range from +$2500. Which include DOHC and better internals.
I've done some research, but I am here to confirm what I found.

How I was hoping to do it:
1. My current Fuel pump isn't stock. I did some research and I think it is making around 4psi. Changing to a Bosch 044 which has around 75psi is the plan. These can get picked up for between $125-$200 depending on how lucky you are.
2. Using a Adjustable Fuel Pressure Regulator to regulator the fuel as the boost increases. This is the mechanical way, and is the perfect way to bypass the ECU. I found this one - http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/6-FUEL-FACTO ... 3372fb64ae - for $99. It says it's suited to Bosch 044. "BASE PRESSURE ADJUSTABLE FROM 40 PSI TO 75 PSI, FUEL PRESSURE RISES ON A 1:1 RATIO WITH BOOST"
3. Increasing the Injector size. Not much is known about the Starion's injector size. Closest guess was 850cc. "VR4gone" used 2 890cc injectors effectively. $84 off ebay. Article - http://forums.austarion.com/viewtopic.p ... highlight=

Questions:
(Fuel-1) Is it correct that increasing the pressure, pushes more fuel through the injectors, more quickly. So each time they open, more fuel is put into the throttle body because of this pressure?
(Fuel-2) I noticed a fair few people don't use a regulator with a performance fuel pump. Wouldn't that cause the engine to run extra rich on idle or is it not needed at all?
(Fuel-2) I found most Fuel regulators use the 1:1 ratio. The 1:1 ratio seems pointless when considering the boost might increase a total of 21psi (From -7 to +14) while the regulator has a range of 35psi. Is this rise in pressure effective?
(Fuel-3) Does anyone know the actual JA Starion injector size?
(Fuel-3) Whats more effective and why, the fuel pump or injector mod?
(Fuel-General) is there any other mod I can do to increase fuel, that doesn't require a ECU upgrade.

I know it's very long to read and I thank you for taking the time to do it. I just want to get an idea of what I can do for power increases :)

[rodney007]

Love the enthusiasm!!


:D :D :D :D :D

[kiwi_EX]

Try using the search function on this forum you will find heaps of answers to how to get more power out of the Starion.

Step 1 with the standard ECU. Decent free flowing exhaust and a new downpipe off the turbo (the factory ones are so restrictive). Open up the airbox so it can get more air in. Fit an intercoler and decent piping. Wind the bost up to somewhere in the 12psi range. And as a general rule yes the ECU will adjust the fuel to match the mods you have done here.

Thats it you're now done on what the standard internals can handle. The top ring land on the standard SOHC pistons is extremely prone to breaking with any more power than this and you are wasting your time with anything else on standard pistons.

Step 2 if you are not happy with the above then it is new internals and decent pistons and mutipoint. Or the other option is to go twin cam.

Just remember if you spend $2,500 on an EVO engine package you will spend at least the same amount again getting it to work in a starion with things like new manifolds etc and sorting a gearbox and other stuff.

Happy to be shot down on the above but this is what I have gleamed from 8 years of reading information on these forums.

[coop1er]

What Air-Fuel Ratio do you recommend/use?
Does the JA dizzy produce enough Spark, or is it a needed upgrade when raising Air and Fuel Levels?

Between 11 and 11.5 to 1 air fuel ratio when under full load.
For moderate power increases and when in good condition, the JA distributor is fine.

(Air-3) Is there any Turbo upgrades that bolt directly to the stock exhaust manifold and dump pipe? (having hi-doubts)
(Air-4) What would you believe a Hi-Flow TC05 would be capable of? (Probably not much over 15psi)

No. But plenty of turbos will bolt up to the manifold.
A Hi flowed tc05 could probably make 24psi but it probably wouldn't work well. 14psi is a good pressure to run for your planned mods.

(Fuel-1) Is it correct that increasing the pressure, pushes more fuel through the injectors, more quickly. So each time they open, more fuel is put into the throttle body because of this pressure?
(Fuel-2) I noticed a fair few people don't use a regulator with a performance fuel pump. Wouldn't that cause the engine to run extra rich on idle or is it not needed at all?
(Fuel-2) I found most Fuel regulators use the 1:1 ratio. The 1:1 ratio seems pointless when considering the boost might increase a total of 21psi (From -7 to +14) while the regulator has a range of 35psi. Is this rise in pressure effective?
(Fuel-3) Does anyone know the actual JA Starion injector size?
(Fuel-3) Whats more effective and why, the fuel pump or injector mod?
(Fuel-General) is there any other mod I can do to increase fuel, that doesn't require a ECU upgrade.

Yes increasing fuel pressure generally increases fuel flow through the injector.
Whether you need a new fuel pressure regulator, depends on how it works with the new pump. Sometimes the oiriginal regulator is to small and fuel pressure is high, sometimes it works out ok.
A fuel pressure regulator is referenced to manifold pressure. So at 0psi boost pressure there might be 36 psi fuel pressure. At 20 psi boost pressure, there will be 56 psi fuel pressure.
Everything I have seen or read indicates that a JA/JB Starion fuel injector is around 850cc/min.
It is normally better to fit bigger injectors.
There are control boxes you can buy that alter the signals to or from the ECU which can be used to increase fueling.

For a cheap upgrade in your case, I would recommend fitting your hi flowed tc05 (although there is more power in a tc06) and exhaust and intercooler. Fit a new fuel pump (maybe Bosch 910 or Walbro 255) and check fuel pressure. Make sure your fuel pump wiring is ok. Replace the regulator with an adjustable one if necessary. Fit your fuel cut defender. Fit an adaptor in the exhaust to accept a wideband Oxygen sensor. Back off the ignition timing a few degrees. Roadtest and set boost pressure to around 14psi and check air fuel ratio. If everything is good then slowly bring back in the ignition timing stopping before there is any pinging.

[JA83]

jesus... maybe you should leave it too a mechanic...

[GormzZ]

Yeah as mentioned easiest mods to gain a quicker spool and increase in power that i've thought were

1. Turbo back exhaust upgrade
2. Intercooler with hard pipes
3. Hard pipe intake with aftermarket filter
4. Boost controller then up boost
5. Lastly Fuel pump + Regulator to finish it off.

There basically what im doing to start of being going to the mpfi side.. Should gain decent power/torque readings from this and give of a decent note. But yeah after the above options your either looking into mpfi which requires new ecu and what not.. or dohc swap.

[redzone]

i cant fucking handle italics anymore

[vr4gone]

I run 12.8:1 A/F at WOT. Anything richer will shorten the life of your O2 sensor and root up your cat converter if your using them. I run a wide band and they ain't cheap to replace.
It's foolish to throw away 98 RON @ $1.68/L.