first start/setup opinions please.

[rconlon67]

Situation:My car has been off the road for 2 years as it jumped timing right near the time I was graduating college. I decided that It was time to officialy retire the car from its DD role and turn it into a project car. I got myself a DD and the DSM has been off the road ever since.
Since then I have been slowly, and hopefully smartly, reading/saving$$/rebulding the entire engine the way I want it to be. I have built a 2.3L engine(eagle
rods, crank, wiseco pistons, ARP hardware, OEM pumps and belts...all the normal good stuff)
My question is, I am finally getting close to turning her over for the first time and I am not sure which direction I should go for the first startup. I have installed FP3 cams in the head and have the 2.3L engine so I am not sure if starting up the car with the stock ECU and Fuel system is a good idea or not. I am tryign to decide what the better option would be.

I also have a LC-1 WBO2 and a new knock sesor installed.

1)try to start the car with the stock ECU and fuel system that I know works, but then I would have no control over the fuel. I would keep the boost low, but that goes against some of the startup procedures I have seen. (motoman)

2)Install the EPROM ECU(Ive never used it so I am not 100% sure if it works or not, bought it used off someone from the classifieds)., DSMLINK, the 1000cc injectors, walbro255, fuel lines, Fuel pressure regulator etc, I would have control and extra fuel, but I am worried about havig too many variables or having the large injectors dumping too much fuel and washing out the piston rings during the first start etc. I have never used DSMLINK before so I am worried about tryign to learn while tryign to break it in @ the same time.

16G(for now), 3in turbo back, MBC, K&N, ACT2100(for now)....

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
RyNo

 

[My1GLaser]

I am a similar position, as I am about to start my car for the first time today. I only have 400 miles & 1 month of tuning on my first 1G before it was totaled. I am running DSMLink in a known good ECU, but running a 2G MAS instead of my MAFT for the reason you stated of too many variables and too steep of a learning curve on my brand new forged motor.

I would personally want to control fuel, since a stock A/F ratio will be too rich IMHO. You could control the fuel with the AFPR to lean it out slightly and watch the wideband if you are confident with your tuning.

Depending on how close you are to starting it, I would send the ECU to Tom & Dave to give it the once over and then run the car with DSMLink. Very cheap insurance and I would rather run with DSMLink than guess on fuel. You could still keep your current fuel setup if you weren't confident about new injectors after you get your ECU back.

I just reread and realized that you haven't used DSMLink before. READ like crazy before you start it and you should be fine. If you have access to the DSMLink forums you should research for a bit. Even use the program and look thru some graphs and get an idea of how it works. If your chip is burned for the injectors and MAS you are using then you can run it right out of the box. I am personally leaning out global and pulling a few deg timing. Don't want to wash down the cyl and knock with my 9:1.

I don't know what you plan on using for tuning and logging in place of DSMLink, but it won't be better for sure. Besides hitting fuel cut @ 5500 with the stock ECU and the 16g, depending on boost level your are running. Plus the flow you will get from the cams and the 2.3. My vote is def DSMLink. It is a cinch to use. The only issue I had was calibrating my GM MAS & MAFT, which I have eliminated for now. Good Luck.

 

[rconlon67]

Thanks for the input!
I have accesss to DSMLINK forums and have been reading alot. I feel confident, but just nervous as I have never done anything like this(just head swaps, turbo upgrade and clutch jobs) before.
The chip I got burned, is for 1G with 880's. but I ended up, long story but, I got 1000cc injectors as a free upgrade from the 880's I was originially gonna get. so thats where I see another varible coming into the story.
I guess for now I will look into sending the ECU away, reading more on DSMLINK, and plan on installing the entire fuel system.


Good luck on your start up!

Thanks,
RyNo

 

[My1GLaser]

Thanks. Just a little more yard work and I'm turning the key.

I understand exactly what you mean. I have worked on cars for 15 yrs, but never rebuilt a bottom end. What a nerve-racking first experience. Mostly because I am very meticulous and damn if you can't just drive yourself crazy over .001" clearance somewhere. I had quite a few sleepless nights. Sh_t, I even cc'd the head myself cause I was worried about the CR I went with. Anyway...

Here is a link to the Wiki with the injector setting info. baseinjectordata [ECMTuning - wiki] Really, it doesn't matter what settings the chip came with. All you need to do is go into fuel and switch to the 1000 inj settings. It shouldn't be an added variable there except for the deadtime is blank for PTE inj, which I suspect you have. Someone there should have the same inj as you and know a good deadtime to start with. It affects idle more than WOT tuning, so it shouldn't be much of an issue for the break-in as long as it is reasonably close.