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1,208 Posts
Let me start off by saying that my goals when going single were very simple. The quickest spool, lots of low-end torque, and a turn-key car that is "set it and forget it". I don't even have a single gauge in the dash. I want it to run and drive like stock. I shouldn't need to monitor AFR once the car is tuned and the setup hasn't changed.
With that said, my goal was almost fully realized, with the exception of proper boost control.
I ended up using the MAP ECU 2, an innovative wideband, and the MAP ECU-recommended GM solenoid for boost control.
This $75 GM solenoid came to be the bane of my existence.
On paper it looked fantastic. It was priced right, MAP ECU 2 controlled it, it had the ability to program a different boost pressure every 1000 RPM, and I could switch between high and low boost by using two toggleable maps with the flick of a switch.
My setup is very unique. I am using a GT35R with a T3 0.63 exhaust on a T4 cast manifold with a T3 adapter flange welded on. Basically everything I can do to promote quick spool.
Once the setup was put together, it went off to the dyno for tuning. I spent about 6 hours of dyno time just screwing with the piece of shit boost controller and it still would not hold boost properly. At full boost (3400rpm), it would want to overboost, and then the EBC would try to prevent overboost by over-compensating duty cycle and thus dropping the pressure down. I could barely do a few pulls that actually held 18psi, but I did manage a few.
Not much later, MAP ECU sent me a new version of their firmware that they said should fix this issue of the EBC being too compensation-happy.
I did some street tuning and it looked promising. But the problem still was that you had to keep adjusting and trying new gain and duty cycles; each of which required a WOT pull, and on the street it isn't very easy to do without risking some jail time and impoundment.
I thought we had actually got it to hold 18psi at one point, and then it threw another curveball my way by randomly spiking to 30+ psi. It was totally random. Nothing in the tune or settings would change. Literally one minute you go WOT and it holds 18psi to redline, and then the next minute you attempt the same thing again and it shoots to 30. What a cunt.
I decided I had enough with this and I read some posts from Mr. Ken Henderson regarding HKS as a whole, and some other threads of his talking about the superior technology in HKS boost controller stepper motors. I settled on the HKS EVC EZ, because I want to set it and forget it. I don't need multiple levels of boost. I want to set it once at 19 and tuck the boost controller into my glovebox and never look at it again.
This controller does just that. It has an ON/OFF switch and a dial. That's it. Turn the knob and boost goes up. The end.
After the horrible experience with this POS boost controller I expected HKS to outperform it, but not by this much! Wow, let me tell you....
The moment I installed this and did my first pull, the boost was fucking perfect. I mean literally perfect. Looking at the log, you could take a level tool and put it next to the screen and it will be the most rock solid straight line you will ever see. Unbelievable. It doesn't even need to learn. There is no internal memory, there is no 12v constant power source. This thing just knows how to hold boost.
Since installing it I even picked up more low-end torque because this unit keeps the wastegate shut tight until it needs to open.
For the money I spent on the dyno with this shitty GM solenoid, I could have bought 3 of these boost controllers and spent my dyno time actually perfecting the AFR and timing.
From now on I am a die-hard HKS fan. You really do get what you pay for, and now I understand why Ken uses HKS wherever possible. Absolutely top-notch above-OEM quailty.
For those of you who want to see what the car did on the dynapack at about 18psi with the old boost controller, please see here. Peak HP that day was 488whp on another run:
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I also plotted my graph against a few popular cars so you can understand how amazing this GT35R setup is, and why it truly is a response machine:
![]()
With that said, my goal was almost fully realized, with the exception of proper boost control.
I ended up using the MAP ECU 2, an innovative wideband, and the MAP ECU-recommended GM solenoid for boost control.
This $75 GM solenoid came to be the bane of my existence.
On paper it looked fantastic. It was priced right, MAP ECU 2 controlled it, it had the ability to program a different boost pressure every 1000 RPM, and I could switch between high and low boost by using two toggleable maps with the flick of a switch.
My setup is very unique. I am using a GT35R with a T3 0.63 exhaust on a T4 cast manifold with a T3 adapter flange welded on. Basically everything I can do to promote quick spool.
Once the setup was put together, it went off to the dyno for tuning. I spent about 6 hours of dyno time just screwing with the piece of shit boost controller and it still would not hold boost properly. At full boost (3400rpm), it would want to overboost, and then the EBC would try to prevent overboost by over-compensating duty cycle and thus dropping the pressure down. I could barely do a few pulls that actually held 18psi, but I did manage a few.
Not much later, MAP ECU sent me a new version of their firmware that they said should fix this issue of the EBC being too compensation-happy.
I did some street tuning and it looked promising. But the problem still was that you had to keep adjusting and trying new gain and duty cycles; each of which required a WOT pull, and on the street it isn't very easy to do without risking some jail time and impoundment.
I thought we had actually got it to hold 18psi at one point, and then it threw another curveball my way by randomly spiking to 30+ psi. It was totally random. Nothing in the tune or settings would change. Literally one minute you go WOT and it holds 18psi to redline, and then the next minute you attempt the same thing again and it shoots to 30. What a cunt.
I decided I had enough with this and I read some posts from Mr. Ken Henderson regarding HKS as a whole, and some other threads of his talking about the superior technology in HKS boost controller stepper motors. I settled on the HKS EVC EZ, because I want to set it and forget it. I don't need multiple levels of boost. I want to set it once at 19 and tuck the boost controller into my glovebox and never look at it again.
This controller does just that. It has an ON/OFF switch and a dial. That's it. Turn the knob and boost goes up. The end.
After the horrible experience with this POS boost controller I expected HKS to outperform it, but not by this much! Wow, let me tell you....
The moment I installed this and did my first pull, the boost was fucking perfect. I mean literally perfect. Looking at the log, you could take a level tool and put it next to the screen and it will be the most rock solid straight line you will ever see. Unbelievable. It doesn't even need to learn. There is no internal memory, there is no 12v constant power source. This thing just knows how to hold boost.
Since installing it I even picked up more low-end torque because this unit keeps the wastegate shut tight until it needs to open.
For the money I spent on the dyno with this shitty GM solenoid, I could have bought 3 of these boost controllers and spent my dyno time actually perfecting the AFR and timing.
From now on I am a die-hard HKS fan. You really do get what you pay for, and now I understand why Ken uses HKS wherever possible. Absolutely top-notch above-OEM quailty.
For those of you who want to see what the car did on the dynapack at about 18psi with the old boost controller, please see here. Peak HP that day was 488whp on another run:
I also plotted my graph against a few popular cars so you can understand how amazing this GT35R setup is, and why it truly is a response machine:
