HEY ok so... I am planning on getting some things right now before I install my S/C and wondered if this was good/bad, etc..

For sure:
9lbs pulley, or 2.87 (same thing)
JWT oil pan spacer
1 Degree colder spark plugs
gates 6 rib 93" belt (better belt than vortech)

Ok, these are items I am thinking about so what do you think:
S-AFC II (should I?)
AEM wideband
Turbo XS RFL (loud *** BOV that fits on vortech kit)
Guages (boost, EGT, Oil temp, Fuel Pressure, what all should I get)

Also, i am torn between the Apexi guages and the Defi. The defi match the stock colors of the interior, but i want to eventually turn the orange lights blue and leave the needles red, which then matches the Apexi guages, but I don't know who knows how to do that etc...

I have a bunch of other stuff on my list, but those items will have to wait a while...

Thanks for any helP!

 

Oh yeah, it's the Vortech... oops forgot to put that important part into the equation.

 

With the Vortech kit, you'll get the split second box. So anyone with the R4 Software and a laptop can tune the car. in this case, the S-AFC would be redundant, and unecessary.

Your gauge collections looks solid. Here is my personal preference in terms of gauge prioriity: boost, wideband A/F, Fuel Pressure, EGT, Oil Temp. I have the first three....and no plans to add the others.

When deciding on a boost gauge, I really prefer the PSI readings vs. BAR. Unfortunately, only two companies makes the boost gauges in PSI readings. Autometers (which suck) and the Defi D-Series...which I like. As you mentioned, the Defi D-Series gauges match the stock Z lighting perfectly, and I highly recommend them.

Oh last thing. The AEM wideband is a nice looking unit, but mine went defective after 6 months, and apparently AEM has found a known defect with them, and they asked me to send it back for a full replacement. It scares me when mission critical items fail. It was showing me MUCH richer than I actually was...thats a disaster with F/I. And now, it has stopped working all-together. So now, I am looking to replace it with a unit from Innovative Motorsports called the LM-1. They have a gauge style unit as welll, and its cheaper and more loggable to boot!

 

thanks for the info. Exactly what I was wanting to learn..

anyone else?

 

Oh Cat....you may want to send ECU and get the L spec flash . I would hold off putting the 2.87 pulley on . The kit comes with a 3.33 and then there is the 3.12 , The 3.12 will give you 9lb's boost . The 2.87 will give you 10 to 11lb's and at that boost , its getting to the edge . Run the stock pulley [ or the 3.12 ] for a while to work the bugs out of your system [ and there will be bugs ] The gauges are your prefrence , Im running AEM wideband and I like it . Also have a digital Dual boost/fuel press. gauge

 

Stick with the 3.125 pulley, Cat. It has the S/C topped out at 6600 rmp and the 2.87 pulley tops out at I think 5800 or right around there, plus you have to grind part of it to make it fit properly.

Also (I can't believe I didn't tell you this already), invest in an Auto Tap or similar. You'll throw codes and it's SO much easier to just plug in your computer to read them and clear them as needed. Someone recommended www.digimoto.com to me and it does exactly what I need it to. Costs a less than the AutoTap, but they sometimes take a little while to ship.

Oh, and I'll second the Innovative Motorsports stuff. I have their external wideband O2 and it's excellent.

 

I have the Tech Edge WBO2 and am happy with it... other than the ugly black box it has for a guage. The sensors on ANY WBO2 are going to go out somewhere between 4 and 12 months depending on how many miles you drive your car, the location of the sensor, etc. The reason I chose the Tech Edge is that the sensors are around $40 to replace. It also has datalogging capabilities. Plan on replacing a few sensors and look at the price of the sensors.

The AEM is as good as any of the others, but the sensors are expensive. Ditch the SAFC, and go for the Defi guages. They match now, and when you want to change them, anyone on the board will buy them, just because they match the stock lighting. As far as guages... I agree with GQ. I currently have boost and 2 EGT's, and a WBO2. I will be getting rid of the EGT's and adding a fuel pressure guage.

 

Why get rid of the EGTs guys ... aren't they more "tell-tale" and real time than the slow to respond AEM wideband02 gauges?

I am in the exact same boat as Cat (congrats btw), we can be install buddies, lol .... but haha mine is already here

I am looking at the Defi D gauges, and my preference was Boost, EGT, Fuel press ..... I dont know I dont know ....

 

I meant to post in here earlier but i guess i forgot to hit submit reply lol.

Anyways, what made you decide to get the vortech cat? Just the cheaper cost.

 

well I liked the Vortech system, I feel that all the different kits have postive and negatives.... I was saving for a APS TT initially, but yes a price had something to do with this spontaneous buy...

Thanks for all the info guys! I am looking into all of it.

 

Actually, the AEM wideband (When its working), or any other quality wideband are very fast responding and accurate to the .1 of an A/F point. EGT's are sometimes used as a surrogate for a wideband, but I'd rather just have the wideband....if I had the choice between the two. EGT's are not a good enough indicator of lean vs. rich...or EXACTLY how lean or rich you really are. Detotnation/pinging can occur welll before you'd even see a spike in EGT's.

Tig, you are correct in that most wideband sensors are lucky to last for 12,000 miles. And the AEM replacement sensors are now only $50. They recently cut the list price in half! But the issue, according to AEM, is with the elecronic hardware in the guage unit itself..not the sensor. That is why I cant totally recommend the AEM.

In a perfect world, I would have very single gauge known to man. But space and attention-deficit-disorder require that I choice which 2-3 guages are the most important. Have you ever tried to look at 3 guages while going WOT down a track? It's virtually imposssible.

 

how much is the defi guages go for? what series would I want, the BF?

 

I like the defi D guages..

what is the difference between the D and BF defi guages?

 

How about the dynojet wide band commander? Any thoughts or reviews on this one?

http://www.widebandcommander.com/

 

D series are their entry level gauges...all electronic except boost (its mechanical so has the vac line running to the gauge). Nothing fancy here - no playback, no warning. The BF uses the Defi control box. All the sensors plug into the back of the control unit and then a single wire connects each gauge. With the control unit you can set your warning levels, do playback and do instant peak hold.

BF Amber: http://z1auto.com/prodmore.asp?model...mt&prodid=1266

D Series: http://z1auto.com/prodmore.asp?model...gmt&prodid=726

With the AEM maybe it was a bad batch? We've sold around 60 so far since their introduction and have not had a single one come back

Adam

 

That is false information on the 2.87 pulley. No grinding needed and the car pulls all the way to redline.

 

Yes...for some reason [ still havent figured it out ] My 2.87 pulley didnt fit right and tore up the edges of the jackshaft assembly . All others havent had any problems with fitment . The 2.87 will keep building boost to redline , 6,800rpm or 7,200rpm what ever yours is at .

 

I don't know if they've changed the pulley or not, but you had to modify them originally. And yes, the car still pulls, but the S/C is spinning at it's max before redline with it.

 

Its not spinning at its max per se . It starts to get out of its sweet spot for making boost thats all

 

I've had the AEM UEGO and Wideband Commander. The UEGO was dead on arrival and I'm waiting for it to come back from AEM. In the meantime I've had the Wideband Commander installed and I have mixed feelings about it. On the plus side, it looks like a traditional gauge, displays down to 10:1 in the gauge (vs 11:1 in the AEM), reacts fast, but is smooth and not jumpy once you are WOT. It has a control module and software that lets you feed in additional signals and datalog. The dyno operators who were checking it out claimed it was dead-on compared to the A/F readings they were reading. I am feeding the analog output of this into my profec E01 and it works great.

On the negative side, the gauge looks downright cheap compared to my Defi-D gauges (I believe the gauge is made by Autometer). There are no options in face color or bezel. My O2 sensor literally took a dump after 2 days and a new one had to be installed. Replacement sensors are around $100, but I've heard that you can find them cheaper elsewhere. And now I'm having a problem with the needle in the gauge sticking to the LED after it is powered off. Literally have to pound on the gauge to knock the needle loose

If I had to do it again, I would only get a boost gauge, find a way to feed in A/F and EGT (or fuel pressure) into the E-01, set some alarms and be done with it.