What was Mazda/Callaway thinking with internals and EMS????? ::First impressions::

[The Average Hom]

What exactly is a SSAFC? I'm buying an MSP with some work done(no internals though) I figure it is some standalone system like hondata or a megasquirt?

 

[03MSP86]

Exactly, its pretty much like Neptune/Crome and Hondata mixed together... Its not a soldered in Chip, more like a piggy back like Hondata that you can plug into and tune.... Solder into your ecu wires, plug into your laptop, load your maps, and hopefully enjoy....

And just a suggestion. Ignore the first page. I spoke wwwwaaayy too soon! This car is amazing. My clutch is blown thats why it feels slow. And honestly, be smart about it, and its as reliable as any other car. I personally turned down the boost.

 

[Preferio]

I figure it is some standalone system

Exactly, its pretty much like Neptune/Crome and Hondata...

Wrong. It's a piggy back unit.

 

[03MSP86]

Exactly, its pretty much like Neptune/Crome and Hondata mixed together... Its not a soldered in Chip, more like a piggy back like Hondata that you can plug into and tune.... Solder into your ecu wires, plug into your laptop, load your maps, and hopefully enjoy....

And just a suggestion. Ignore the first page. I spoke wwwwaaayy too soon! This car is amazing. My clutch is blown thats why it feels slow. And honestly, be smart about it, and its as reliable as any other car. I personally turned down the boost.

uuummmm kay? Continue to read instead of 2 lines.... MORE LIKE A PIGGY BACK LIKE HONDATA YOU CAN PLUG INTO AND TUNE.... mustve ignored that part............

Neptune and Crome are tuneable soldered in chips whereas Hondata you can plug into, but it controls wwwaayy more than SS-AFC. Doesnt really compare other than install....

 

[spicy yellow]

Just got my SSAFC in the mail last week and installed..........WOW, that little black box is the truth! I'm glad I got that thing, no engine hesitation as promised and once I buy a wideband O2, i'll hook that up and do some real tuning. The difference in having the SSAFC and not having it is like night and day, I feel like the MSP is a whole new car! MSP86, if you haven't done it yet or considered it, GET YOU THAT BOX! On a side note, it's interesting that the actual electronics of the box are covered in harden black goop and only the serial port sticks out. I guess SS wants to protect their intellectual property and prevent people from copying their boxes.

OK guys, I'm a newbie and this is my first post (well reply i guess) so forgive me if i'm not doing this correctly. I'm considering getting the SSAFC as well. My question: does it measure the air/fuel ratios as well in order to be able to do its job? If that's true, why do I need to get a wideband O2? I have the same question about EBC - do I need to get a boost gauge after getting an EBC?

 

[Spiced MSP]

it does not measure your air/fuel mixture. You need a wideband to monitor that. If you get version 2 of the afc, you can datalog your mixture along with boost and a couple of other things. You will need a boost gauge as well if you get a boost controller and plan to up the boost. The afc already displays your boost as a result of the internal MAP sensor but I doubt you would want to drive around with an open laptop all the time just to monitor boost pressures.

 

[spicy yellow]

it does not measure your air/fuel mixture. You need a wideband to monitor that. If you get version 2 of the afc, you can datalog your mixture along with boost and a couple of other things. You will need a boost gauge as well if you get a boost controller and plan to up the boost. The afc already displays your boost as a result of the internal MAP sensor but I doubt you would want to drive around with an open laptop all the time just to monitor boost pressures.

OK, so what I'm hearing is that if I get version 2 of the afc, I can get by w/o buying the wideband? Or did I hear you worng?

For the boost, I thought EBC's are supposed to be continuously monitoring and self adjusting the boost at the set level so you don't get spiking (unlike MBC's) - kind of like a set-it-and-forget-it deal. If that is true, I can set the boost levels by watching my laptop. Once set, would I have any need to watch the boost levels anymore? Do we not trust the EBC?

I'm trying to save money, but don't want to be foolish about it. Thanks for your help.

 

[float_6969]

There is a lot of setup that goes into an EBC. You don't just tell it you want 10psi of boost and it takes care of the rest. I suppose you could setup the EBC with the boost data output from the SSAFC, but that would be a big pain in the azz to be honest. And if you're on such a tight budget that you can't fit a a wideband and a boost gauge into it, then maybe you need to re-thing modifying the car.

Honestly, those 2 gauges should probably be the first modifications you make to the car. You should always install gauges first. It will teach you how the care behaves normally. Then when you modify it, you'll be able to tell whether things are working or if you have any issues.

Also, I would be planning on a CAI and intercooler before the SSAFC. The stock intercooler is pathetic and will let the motor knock in stock form.

 

[StealthWyvern]

I think BEFORE you up the boost you need and should mod it to make it realiable first.. IE: ditch the plastic IC pipe, be it by going FMIC or just hard pipes. Then address the diff issue if its stock one or you don't know if it is. Then you can start to get into making more power with a SSAFC and so forth. BUT i feel you should get a WB way before you get a SSAFC and learn the car and the factory tune way before you think about thinkering with it.

 

[float_6969]

^this!

 

[spicy yellow]

Thanks guys. I agree with you. I was planning on all those typical bolt on mods that you're saying, and I don't mind buying the right stuff to monitor/control the engine. I just don't want to buy something that would be redundant in a year after I get everything bolted on and tuned. For example, is there an engine management that can also control the boost?

I got started on the SSAFC idea only because a vendor told me that adding the hardpipes and IC often worsens the hesitation. So I thought I'll make sure I have the tuning equipment first - the SSAFC wasn't really to squeeze more power.

Do yourecommend any other gauges other than boost and wideband? I want to minimze that "triple gauge pod on the pillar" look. I want a sleeper car but a well tuned reliable one too.

My planned mods are:

- hard pies + SMIC
- would like to avoid RAI because I'm trying to keep it quiet - though I wonder if a cold air box would keep a RAI quiet
- exhaust - debating 3" or 2.4"; debating turbo back or cat back or downpipe only - want to keep it quiet but with minimal sacrifice on power.
- boost at 8 or 9 psi - I would not get a MBC or EBC if the psi does not get into dangerous spiking but doubtful, right?

 

[Preferio]

Skip the SMIC and hardpipes... Go with an eBay kit.

 

[float_6969]

I just pieced together a brand new liquid to air kit and it ran me less than $700 shipped (includes new bypass valve and everything needed to eliminate the stock bypass valve) IDK if we're allowed to say the name of a vendor if they don't advertise here, but AFAIK, they're not in competition with any of the paying vendors. If it's OK, somebody LMK and I'll link the site and give a parts list.