twentyeggs

I am onto my next Maxima project and this is to tune my ride. I have access to a free dynamometer but I would have to buy the software for the Maxima and the credits and the price for it is ungodly.. so I am looking into street tuning.

[edit]

What do you guys have as an engine management system, where did you get it, how much, how user friendly is it, and how do you like it overall.

for the original post read down, its been quoted.

Clashez

iTrader: (5)

A thread by twentyeggs this should be good.......

what are you mods if you don't mind me asking, I'm using the apexi super afc-2. I paid 150 for it brand new never used from another orger.

storms has one for sale $180
http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...-g35-rays.html

twentyeggs

my engine mods so far are: a SRI, Block off plate, 3" custom exhaust, and a electric cutout placed right after the 3rd cat.

Future Mods: pretty much i am going to mod the car with anything and everything available, turbo included, i need to finish up my schooling and start working a decent job before i invest the 10 grand its probably all going to cost before im satisfied and ready to move onto the next car.

near future mods: i plan on getting some IM spacers. and a race line y pipe..

i found a First generation Apexi VAFC for 80 bucks used. im going to pick that up tomorrow. unless someone on here says its no good. the dude, told me it only works on hondas with vtec engines. but i have a feeling he only thinks it messes with RPM and not fuel to air ratios.

i didn't search for it yet, but if anyone knows off the top of your head where i can find a wiring diagram for it, i would really appreciate it.

lol oh come on, im just asking some questions about things i don't know anything about so i can learn more about our cars and carry on with the modding disease i will have till the day i die.

i really hope the popcorn will go unneeded..

036mtmax

iTrader: (11)

So are you saying you put your exhaust cutout after all your cats ??

twentyeggs

each header has 1 cat, then it goes to y pipe with the 3rd un-metered cat, and that is where i attached my cutout. any higher or lower on the exhaust setup and it would not sound as good as it does.

where would you have put it?

036mtmax

iTrader: (11)

So did you put it after the third cat or before ??

Clashez

iTrader: (5)

Hey i'm in on the learning part to, I have one installed in my car but never mest with any of the settings just the basic set up . I need a Wide Band

you should have had the cut out before the pre cat, I guess you could always take the cat out and have it replaced with a pipe

Crusher103

iTrader: (10)

This must be quote incase of future edits.

036mtmax

iTrader: (11)

If you dont have headers or at least your pre catts gutted i wouldn't even bother with a cutout but i def would have at the least put it before the third one lol..in for dyno #s cutout open and closed

twentyeggs

that is exactly why i didn't.. i have plans on getting a racing line y pipe and that will delete the 3rd cat.

twentyeggs

i will never get headers, i want to pass smoke more than i want the performance gains.

the cutout does help reguardless of the position. it eliminates all the piping and mufflers which helps reduce resistance by a lot! with the Y pipes i should be even better.

I bought the cutout 90% for the sound, which is also why i bought the expansion chamber and welded it right before the cutout. it added a deeper tone. I played around with all kinds of positions and junk since i did the project my self. this location was the best i found.

aackshun

iTrader: (3)

Osiris/UpRev

/thread

036mtmax

iTrader: (11)

Dude you posted the link for the 5th gen piggyback tuning thread when you started this thread..You should have read a little more about it even though there are a couple differences and such between the 5th and 6th gen ecu's but at least you would have got the basic concept of which one does what and got familiar with tuning period..insert foot in mouth

Crusher103

iTrader: (10)

Constructive? You want me to be constructive? Lemme try this idea you speak off.

First question before you even get into how to tune etc, do you know how an engine produces power? Because right now you are just speaking nonsense about cutouts and etc. If anything you will LOSE power putting a cutout on a basically stock maxima.

twentyeggs

is this the wideband that you got? i did an uprev search and i came to this..

http://secure.uprev.com/cipher.html

for $200 that seems a little cheap.

would i be able to adequately tune my car with the cipher/apexi VAFC1 combo?

aackshun

iTrader: (3)

http://secure.uprev.com/osiris-engin...ris-tuner.html

twentyeggs

which is why i am interested in all this programmer stuff, i want to be able to use my cutout and get the most of it instead of using it just for sound from what i was told with an open exhaust, i need to adjust my fuel:air ratio to make the most of it.

also, i've done 5 runs with my cut out open and 5 runs with it closed against my buddies mustang gt. i know this is a crude way of testing it with all the uncontrolled variables but what i found is with the cutout closed its a drivers race. we tied most of the time and he won by an inch on one race. with it open i lose low end but i catch him and win by a car length every time. so i can tell you that i didn't "lose" any performance if anything i gained some by eliminating the resonator, restrictive kink, and stock mufflers.

twentyeggs

i know what each thing does, but i learn best when i hear about stuff from the beginning. i don't want to assume i know something when there is a possibility i understood it wrong, and then believe in misinformation.

when i know something, i want to really know something.

please quit picking apart my thread and help.

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

Explain to me why it wasn’t helpful?

Crusher103

iTrader: (10)

To start, cutouts are usually only useful on cars that have high lift and duration cams, otherwise its just because you want to make a lot of noise at the flip of a switch. The only exception i have seen to this are K series hondas but we dont drive those. I can tell you from experience you are not ready to deal with cams, so you might aswell just sell the cutout.

If you want more power out of a VQ35 a 3" exhuast is what is needed. 2.5" is quieter but you sacrifice almost 10hp with it vs the 3". Headers, especially on the 6th gen with its extremely restrictive cats&precats will also free up a good amount of hp. Depending on the state you are in you might be able to get away with a test pipe you might not, in my state as long as the car doesn't throw a code then i pass, so i run a test pipe.

A cheap and easy mod most people that own dremels dont even pay a dime out of pocket is to delete the VIAS on the intake manifold, what is known on here as a BOP(block off plate). When we are talking about nissans most of the power and characteristics of the motor is all locked inside of the intake manifold. BOPs are a good place to start.

Cold air intakes, pop chargers, and Short ram intakes are all essentially the same, the question you have to ask your self is do you want a loud intake or a quiet one, if you want loud, Pop charges and Short rams are the way to go, cold air intakes make a few more hps but 2-4hp is not big enough of a difference to really make a huge fuss out of.

piggybacks, stand alones and widebands you dont have to worry about until you are close to full bolt-on, by that time i assure you, you WILL know what they do. Right now they will just blow your mind. Start at the basics.

twentyeggs

im not confident that i understood everything the right way enough to click
"confirm order." it was helpful i guess, but i wanted to hear what other people have to say about it, and their set up, before i decide on which to buy.

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

I'm talking about the thread about piggybacks in the 5th gen forum.. a re you talking about?

MoncefA33

iTrader: (6)

The tuning concepts from the 5th gen thread still apply.

The applications/availability for tuning a 6th gen is different. VAFC won't work, SAFC2 will. (From what I've read). I'd do some more looking into UpRev for the 6th gen ECU, seems like one of the only options that is actually more powerful than a SAFC2.

Crusher103

iTrader: (10)

Also read up on how a motor runs, compression ratios, Air/fuel ratios, NA vs forced induction tuning, how a 4 stroke motor works. this will all answer a lot of questions you have and will help you with any car not just the maxima, This article will help you start to understand:

http://www.importtuner.com/tech/0612...ics/index.html

twentyeggs

thanks man that was really helpful.

i do have a Block off plate. an intake. The reason i got the cutout was not for performace (although i do think i gained a tad bit, wont be for certain until i dyno it), I have always run full exhaust setups in my cars, but for this car i didn't want the constant drone. so your right, i did it so that at a flick of a switch, i could have a great sounding car, and when I'm driving the mom or girlfriend around i can keep it stock quiet. i get the best of both worlds.

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

Ok, you lost me here. Why type of dynamometer, and what type of software?

CMD and a few others have software (plug-in tuner) that ties into Dynojet and allows tuning through it, but, it’s not available for your car.



Have you read through these threads?
http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...ng-thread.html
http://forums.maxima.org/all-motor/3...s-reading.html
http://forums.maxima.org/all-motor/3...mt-6-7-eu.html
http://forums.maxima.org/all-motor/5...ther-info.html

And this post:
http://forums.maxima.org/6422772-post18.html

Also, refer to this forum for most questions for clarification on any questions generated from the above links.

http://forums.maxima.org/all-motor-61/

If you have not read them yet, read through them, thoroughly, download your FSM, get in touch with the EC portion of it, (sleep with it next to your bed, spend 3-4 hours with it each day for a month).

twentyeggs

i did work as a diesel mechanic for 3 years before i went back to school. i know how an engine works, i know what i need to make it faster in regards to tuning, i've watched my dad dyno, adjust and tune a car, but this is all done with his lap top.

i am completely new to little lcd display devices called piggybacks stand alones and wide bands. its a whole new way of tuning for me, so that is what i am trying to understand is how they work compared to doing it with a dyno program like HP tuners or dynamax. i know how to navigate the software with those programs but not these programmers.

great article btw.. ill be referring back to it when im actually tuning.

this is exactly the information im looking for with this thread.

i just don't wanna be the idiot that buys the wrong thing. im sorry if you think the thread is overkill, but it isn't to me.

why wouldn't the VFAC not work? i thought the only difference between the VFAC and the SFAC is how many tuning points it offers, the VFAC being the better one offering more points of correction.
????

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

http://forums.maxima.org/4716959-post8.html
http://forums.maxima.org/6036528-post33.html

MoncefA33

iTrader: (6)

Not sure, there are some random threads that say one thing or the other. If I remember correctly, the VAFC and SAFC1 won't work with a 6th gen ECU, but SAFC2 will.

There's a bigger difference between VAFC and SAFC. VAFC is designed for Hondas, and the airflow configs are different because most Hondas use a MAP sensor. This has proved harmless for 4th and 5th gens but apparently doesn't cooperate with 6th gen ECU. What I would do, is search around this section of the forums and get more accurate information on this topic.

BUT...the AFC units are kinda primitive/limited in their capabilities. For maximum power, go with something that has direct ignition & injector control.

twentyeggs

thank God for this thread then, i was getting ready to buy the VAFC1 tomorrow from a dude for 80 bucks.

OK correct me if im wrong, I need the Cipher for data logging, and i need the Osiris for flashing/programming the ecu.

any other products out there that you guys have used?

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

From some of my links, which by the way are related to the 6th gen forum since I've been through this before, so this thread isn't new. Granted some of the info may be dated, most items apply.

twentyeggs

thanks man, i really appreciate it!!

I guess since all the information asked in the original post, we can turn it into who has what and how they like it. ill edit the origional post so we can get on topic. Thanks for all the help and advice! it was much appreciated.

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

It's not an ECU... read the link for it.


No problem, back in the day I really wanted the A34 crowd to get into this modding crap out of your car business, and thus far, most if not al have left. Although the dedicated 6th gen site has done quite a bit of stuff. But yes, always willing to help out.


Of course there's krazy6, but I'm hurt with him since he wont get headers.

Clashez

iTrader: (5)

ok now i understand damn 700 dollars is a lot of cash for the uprev

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

UpRev makes Osirus and Cipher.

Osirus can alter items and monitor/log.

Cipher can alter very limited items, and monitor/log.

I paid $400 for Cipher back when. As stated prior, you have to pay to play and Osirus will not work for a 5.5 gen easily.. not that it should matter in this sub-forum.

twentyeggs

haha, yeah i would really love to get some headers, but passing smog is important to me right now. I plan to do everything else under the sun tho. when i graduate the first thing i do with a good paying job is do a custom turbo kit and a LSD. ill do something with the headers then.. there's a shop that does all F/I and they will measure and bend all the piping I need as well as hook me up with all the right parts.

can't wait.. im obsessed with sleepers.. my buddy has a VW beetle that can kill an evo/STI

Clashez

iTrader: (5)

Yea i know i'm some what ready to play , so this is better then Emanagment then or just something totally diffrent

twentyeggs

so if Osirus "standard" can data log AND re-flash (looks like it comes with 3 credits), then that is all i need right?

that sounds better then getting an AFR and a wide band

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

The A34 has stock WB's, so you have the WB so you can then log AFR.

Also, come on man, read the links in post #31 which by the way was reposted from post 26 and partially from post 12.

And again now:

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=551565
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=543703
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=393979
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=400307
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=401526
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=394902

MoncefA33

iTrader: (6)

Lots of people pass emissions with headers.