0victory0

iTrader: (4)

hi, i have a classic MY00 impreza, looking to tune it a little. At the moment i have back box, centre section and air filter. Im looking to change fuel pump and know that if i start changing down pipe and injectors im going to need a re map. i know that the standard turbo is apparently good for bout 280ish bhp, but due to the dreaded credit crunch cant really afford to start changing the injectors, turbo's and remap. what i was wondering was is it possible to change my ecu for say like a rb5, or say a prodrive tuned impreza ecu straight swap just plug in and go?
cheers
craig

joz8968

iTrader: (13)

There are no OEM UKDM ECUs available that will up your bhp/lb ft. You have the best UKDM ECU i.e. a MY99/00 215bhp/214lb ft that's been designed around the small TD04L turbo.

That said, the MY99/00 UK car gets the 440cc injectors as standard, so perhaps you could fit a JDM MY99/00 ECU and the fuelling may still be okay(???). The map on these ECUs have been designed around the bigger VF29 (WRX) / VF28 (STi) turbos with boost upped to, I think, 1.1bar - so I'm not sure if the UK turbo and engine will be inefficiently overworked etc. For example, the fueliing/timing map cells could be wholly inapropriate for the TD04L(?). Best bet is to contact JGM - he'll put you on the right track.

If either of those JDM ECUs are okay to use, then I think you have to swap over the cam and crank sensor pins in the ECU end(?) - once again Simon will help here...

Splitpin

The MY99-00 PPP ECU does and is available secondhand, albeit rare and at a premium. There's also a non-subtle difference between the AE802 ECU fitted to the MY00 and the earlier 800/801 version on the MY99. The 800 and 801 have a leaner fuel map and more aggressive boost control which results in a small power gain which, subjectively, feels bigger than it is.

That won't work. Aside from the fuelling, boost control duty cycles, compressor maps of the TD04L and VF28, and almost everything else being different, the JDM ECUs need wiring loom alterations so it's not even a plug and play swap. It's not just the cam and crank sensors, IIRC a couple of other pins are different too.

It's not hugely difficult to make the electrical changes needed to get it working but doing so effectively deletes the EUDM immobiliser which may have effects on victory's insurance. Even then, you'd quickly find that the result was a big mismatch.

Craig - if you want a small but noticeable power blip without spending a load of money, what about a manual boost controller?

joz8968

iTrader: (13)

Yes, totally forgot about the PPP option. If the OP can find one - then that's best option... or MBC controller as Splitpin mentioned.

And yes, I ultimately thought it wouldn't be suitable to use the JDM MY99/00 ECUs ... just wanted the OP to be aware of all his 'options' (whether suitable or not, lol), that's all.

0victory0

iTrader: (4)

hi, thanks guys for your replies. Am i right in thinking that the manual boost controller just increases boost? doesnt this run a risk of damaging the engine and with out a remap would there be enough fuel being delivered?
cheers
craig

Sleazy Badger

You can run a manual boost controller and up the boost to say, 1 bar. But I would recommend you get the fuelling checked out to make sure that you aren't running lean. I had a dawes device fitted and set at 1.0bar for around 12 months before I eventually got my ECU remapped - no problems at all.

0victory0

iTrader: (4)

hi badger, can you just get the fuelling checked without a remap then?

0victory0

iTrader: (4)

[QUOTE=Splitpin;8663245]The MY99-00 PPP ECU does and is available secondhand, albeit rare and at a premium.

what sort of power figures would the PPP ECU give and is it a case of plug in and play. would it also have to be from a car the same year or from 98-00,
cheers

Splitpin

Correct. It takes boost pressure control away from the ECU and allows you to set a maximum yourself.

It can do if you go too far but as with all things, it's a question of degree.

The green label AE802 ECU that is most likely in your car (you can check very easily which one you have) has a richer main fuel map than the earlier AE800 and AE801 versions, and even those two are quite rich in comparison to what you'd see from a custom remap. What all this means is that you should have quite a bit of headroom for moderate boost increases without putting your car at risk. You can easily monitor the engine's response to a boost increase via a Knocklink or similar device.

The 802 ECU also has very "soft" boost delivery so your car will, relatively speaking "feel" a lot quicker if you go to an MBC, as it will develop more boost more quickly and at lower throttle openings than you're used to.

The PPP conversion was rated at 240bhp and similar levels of torque, if I remember correct, although I'm also pretty sure that that was on the standard catted (and quite restrictive) downpipe, so going to a good open neck decat or sports cat replacement should give you a fair bit more again. It should be plug and play, and you need one from a model year 1999 or 2000 car. In terms of how much these go for secondhand you'll get better bang for buck by going the manual boost controller route with your existing ECU.

0victory0

iTrader: (4)

cheers split pin, standard boost is 0.8 bar if im not mistaken. do you know roughly what is a safe boost pressure is? have heard could go upto 1.2ish bar, is this right and what sort of extra power we talking? ive found a blitz controller Envy Performance & Styling Ltd: Dual SBC Spec R
is this the kind of thing your talking about? i have seen on ebay the cheapo versions but the dont look too safe as i dont currently run any gauges in the car. also where is the ECU positioned so i can have a look see what ive got, have had quick look bu ti mean was just a quiky,lol but couldnt see it
cheers
craig

Splitpin

Standard boost target should be 0.9 bar in the middle of the rev range, altho it tapers down towards the red line. As to what a "safe" pressure is, that's another piece of string question - and depends on a variety of factors, not least the general health of the engine and the type of fuel you use.

You can't/don't want to go to 1.2 bar, as this is the level at which the ECU controlled fuel cut is set - so in an ideal world you'd set at a level just below this - maybe 1.1-1.15, provided your car can run stably at that level. Before someone else suggests it, you could of course use a fuel cut defender to artificially increase the available boost limit but that's an easy way to get into trouble.

Power-wise, have a search round here to see what others have got. With a good downpipe (which you should really look at before spending out on the boost) you'd probably be shooting for 260-280 as a ballpark, but as mentioned above it'll feel like more.

No personal experience with that one but it's an option, yes. It's at the more expensive end of the scale though. The handy aspect of it is the built-in boost gauge but equally a numeric readout like that, even with its peak hold function, isn't as useful, in many ways, as a simple analog needle.

There certainly is some cheap tat around but equally there's some good stuff at much lower prices. About the best manual boost controller is the hybrid Dawes Device -although you'd need to allocate some extra money on a good boost gauge. However if you went for something like a Dawes you'd also be able to afford a boost gauge and something to monitor knock, while still spending less than the Blitz.

Daresay search button will answer questions like this so worth giving it a try from time to time. Just for now, ECU is located in the front passenger footwell. You need to remove three or four plastic clips holding the carpet down then pull the carpet back, undo the three bolts and nut holding down the metal footplate, and the ECU will be underneath. The thing that tells you which one you have is the last five characters of the part number, although this is linked to the colour of the label. Chances are you'll see a (green label) AE802.