I have a MY97 UK Turbo wagon which I purchased a couple of weeks ago.

Yesterday the engine died without warning and had to be recovered by the RAC.

I got the car recovered to Rowleys Performance Engineering in Cullompton, Devon.

The cause of the failure was due to an FMIC pipe coming adrift. So nothing major, but now the car seems to be massively over fuelling.

I want to pick the brains of you knowledgeable members on here as I am thinking of getting some work done to the car while it is there and am wondering if it is going to be worth my while spending the money.

I will give you the current engine spec.

Apexi Power FC
IHI VF28 Roller Bearing Turbo
Hybrid FMIC
Yellow 440 Injectors
3" open bell mouth decat
Up-pipe and Down-pipes heat wrapped
Samco Hoses
GFB Lightened Pulleys
Blitz Exhaust
Walbro GSS341 Fuel Pump
Catch Can
K&N Cone filter

I had a long chat with Phil today, he did make it clear that he is not a fan of the Apexi Power FC as it gives limited control compared to other options available. So I asked Phil what the options where and he said Simtek. He also mentioned the words Anti-Lag and Launch Control which made me go all tingly inside

I have given the go ahead to remove the Apexi Power FC and replace it with the Simtek with the Anti-Lag and Launch Control as I really would like to experience the pops and bangs

Yes yes, new turbo every five minutes I know!

My next question is what else would be a good idea to upgrade while it is there?

Maybe the injectors? Manifold?

I am not sure I want to start changing pistons or any other internals at this stage.

The car was previously running 1.3bar of boost, so I would imagine it was making around 280 to 300 BHP, do you think thats about right?

With the current mods and the Simtek, what do you reckon it will be seeing, about the same?

What do you think would be a safe BHP figure with the addition of the Simtek and the current mods?

Lots of questions in there I know, but I like to know where I am at before splashing the cash!

Cheers

DoZZa

 

Id leave as it is fella, not a bad spec and about the most id like to put through the stock engine/box.

 

You think keep the Apexi or go with the SimTek?

 

I think he was just trying to sell you a simtek. The power FC would be able to cope with those mods no probs yes the simtek can run mafless and has the option for launch control ect but I feel this would have been a personal preference as to the upgrade, sounds like it just needed a remap if it was over fuelling. But I also do not know Phil and he could be a really sound bloke??? How much power do you want, when talking pistons ect are you looking for 400-450+?

 

I have never used Phil for work on any of my cars.

But I am a pretty good judge of character and I would not say he was trying to sell me a Simtek, before the Simtek was mentioned he said that there was other tuners that would do the remap on the Apexi cheaper than what he could. £350 was the price to remap the Apexi. £1200 for the Simtek to include map and Anti-Lag and Launch Control.

I can sell the Apexi for £400 or there abouts and the cost to remap the Apexi would have been £350 so only a difference of £450. Not much considering how much better the Simtek is.

Power wise, I would be happy with 320-350 for this car.

I think I will save the big bhp figures for a newer car in the future.

 

£350 to map an Apexi isn't cheap and I'd keep the Apexi for what you're after

 

OK. If your going to save big power for a newer car I would defo stick with the FC as you should be able to get it mapped for about £250 hence saving a bit of coin for a newer project as such...Or if you are minted buy everything lol. A simtek is a great piece of kit but I think if your not going to bother as such with big power then you will not appreciate it as much. Like I say all depends on what power ect you want. I had a 350bhp classic and was using 550cc injectors with a Power FC.

 

So you think forget the Simtek?

I was looking forward to the Anti-Lag and Launch Control though!

Hmmmm, in two minds now.

 

So apart from the anti lag and LC there are no gains to be had from the Simtek with my current mods?

 

that antilag is pretty pointless tbh, just makes a bit of noise. Launch control however is awesome fun but it will break you gearbox/clutch unless they have been upgraded. If your based in the devon area i suggest you give martyn or alan a ring at enginetuner regarding mods/mapping and future upgrades, you wont go far wrong with them.

 

Apart from ALS/LC is second thing,which you can consider is Mafless plus switchable fuel maps.

Cons for Simtek is cold idle(which is mappable and can be fixed) and no knock control.

Apexi Power FC have too ALS and LC is available too i think,but still using MAF.
Apexi is good ECU if you are not looking for extreme BHP in near future.



Jura

 

You are now at the point it gets extremely expensive, you either cut your losses and flog what you have and buy something much newer or you spend a fortune on a 14 year old car.... I'd sell now tbh.

Tony

 

Definitely give Martyn a ring- he's well into the 1,000s of Apexi maps by now! Nobody better to give you the facts. A 1997 WRX gearbox will **** itself on your first launch btw! That will be expensive!!

 

+1 bearing in mind you can buy a mint 99' wagon for 2k, whats the point.

Apexi PFC is just as good at the lower level of tune as the simtek. Yes there are differences but not £895+vat +ALS+vat there isn't

FWIW ALS is a bit meh! unless you have a six speed to test the LC the AL is pretty yawn, and pops and bangs ain't exactly mapping rocket science

I'd cut my losses unless it's the mintest most sexiest wagon you've ever seen

 

Anti lag is great fun but to be honest that's all you'll really see is just pops and bangs and possible turbo failures. I wouldn't bother to be honest mate. Mine is going to be 450bhp soon and I'm still using a power FC

 

Thanks for all of your input chaps.

I have made the decision to cut my loses and simply get the car back on the road with its current spec.

I will be getting a newer Subaru next year so might as well save all the hassle and cash wastage until then!

Once again, thanks.

 

^ I've stopped using it mate does get **** off hot using the ALS, coupled with turbo wear and blowing the shyte out of the exhaust wadding it's all a bit meh

 

 

I have been going over my conversation with Phil yesterday and to be honest I do think that I might be being given a little story.

So I may not be as good a judge of character than I thought.

As above, the car failed after a red line gear change in 1st to 2nd gear.

This blew one of the intercooler pipes off which has been confirmed by Phil.

I did a little search on here for the same symptoms as mine and found THIS thread which also states that the resolution was simply replacing the pipe. Read the first and last post in that thread.

However during my conversation with Phil yesterday he said that the starter motor was not happy and needed replacement, I had never had any issues with the starter motor previously.

The intercooler pipe has been connected and the the plugs have been changed, the car now runs and ticks over fine.

However Phil says that the car is still over fuelling quite badly and will not rise above 2,000 rpm.

I would have though that this would have been due to the pipe coming off and the pipe being put back on would have resolved it!?!?

I did at first think that that the RAC chap may have touched the Apexi PFC and changed one of the settings causing the over fuelling, however I have been in contact with the RAC recovery chap today and he says he never touched the Apexi as he wouldn't know how to use it.

Another thing that Phil said is that the engine might have skipped a tooth on the cam belt causing the over fuelling. What are the chances of this happeneing?

Now I dont want to start or cause any trouble within the Subaru tuning community but I have done a search on two local Subaru tuners and the results of this search lead me to believe that I have had the car recovered to the wrong garage.

One garage has lots and lots of positive praise, the owner of which is an active member on here.

The current garage the car is at has very little in the way of positive praise, but no negative ones off the same bat.

After all, this is my car and my money I am talking about so I want the best that can be possibly done for my car and money.

I dont want to be spun some sort of yarn about this and that needing changing, when in fact all that needed to be done was a simple pipe being replaced and a set of new plugs.

I think I will be having the car collected from Rowleys and taken to Alan Jeffery as I know he knows what he is doing and wont rip me off by creating imaginary work, and this is from simply reading all of the praise for the man on this forum. And as someone above has said, Alan has done many maps on the Apexi and I feel that Phil has told me that others can map the Apexi cheaper than him as he does not know himself how to use it, and the reason he charges £350 to map an Apexi is because he gets someone in to do the job.

Sorry for the longish post!

 

£350 for Apexi remap is too much,which i know normal and standard price for Apexi remap £250


Jura

 

which car is yours mate, was at rowleys today for a local club rolling road day, saw some interesting graphs, 410ft lbs on a hawkeye with exhaust and filter ! pretty good for a td04 lol

 

It was the blue wagon, pretty shaby bodywork on her but I mostly drive through country lanes these days so I dont want to be damaging a mint car.

The way the holiday makers drive around these lanes, I sometimes have no option but to get well into the hedges to avoid a smash!

If I still had my spec c now, I simply wouldnt drive it, lol.

Anyway, I have requested that the car be collected and delivered to Alan Jeffery.

 

I was surprised the engine was deemed terminal after an I/C pipe blow off ?!?

I take it this fella isn't a Subaru specialist then

 

dont remember that one tbh but after some of the things i saw today you have defiantly made the right choice switching to enginetuner !

 

I think mappers are these days asking for £250 to £300 for Apexi maps.

 

Yes agree,depends on mappers,but still is cheaper than £350.


Jura

 

I'm not to sure but I think if you add 20% vat which by law Rowleys have to charge to a figure between £250 & £300 you will get a total of around £350!
I did notice however Rowleys confessed to Dozza that they are not the cheepest when it come's to Apexi. Infact they send Apexi customers down to Martyn....

 

Have look on this £249 including VAT for Apexi Remap

http://www.slowboy-racing.co.uk/inde...mart&Itemid=73


Jura