Steve Wong custom chip installed...

[eurocarrera]

Hi Steve, I have one for you. I have a 1985 Euro Carrera, with the higher compression. I am just about to put on a Dansk pre-muffler from Pelican, and I would probably run a K&N air filter. Plans are to upgrade to a wider throttle body, and an adjustable fuel pressure regulator in the next few months. What chip would you recommend, and would it matter whether or not I had yet to install the wider throttle body or the adj. fuel press. regulator? Thanks

[Steve W]

Bill, absolutely there is some gain to be achieved, as long as you run quality premium fuel. I would not bother with the adjustable fuel regulator as the stock injectors are more than capable of supplying enough fuel for your motor. Guys usually do that because they have no other way of enrichening the fuel mixture such as by programming the fuel maps, or they modify their car so much so as to max out the injector capacities. The premuffler is a good idea as it would basically revert your Euro to a true Euro car with it's exhaust. The throttle body boring may give you a little more throttle response, its benefit more noticeable with other engine modifications - but it's not pertinent to the chip programming.

The basic modifications to the ignition and fuel maps of a European chip are as follows:

a) part throttle fuel maps are increased by 5-6 % throughout, increasing net torque and hp.

b) idle and full throttle fuel maps are left alone, as they are already ideal for the car's setup.

c) the part throttle ignition maps are modified with 4-8 degrees more ignition advance throughout, and about 5-6 degrees more in the full throttle ignition maps, improving efficiency and throttle response

d) rev limiter revised to 6800, or whatever you would like to specify.

Again, you need to run good gas, as the European car's higher compression puts you more at the limit. If you have predetonation issues now in hot weather, then I would limit the modifications only to the fuel maps.

[scottb]

Steve: I'm in LA, so I might just take you up on that offer.

Scott

[gumba]

Steve, I'm getting ready to change the exhaust system on my '86 3.2 from a straight pipe & stock muffler to the SSI w/sport muffler. Using your chip I'm I going to ge noticeably more power with the SSI/sport muffler compared to a straight pipe w/Dansk sport muffler? The motor is in my '73 Targa so smog isn't an issue.

[Steve W]

Scott, sure, just contact me anytime.

Gumba, the whole stock heat exchangers with a premuffler vs. SSIs has been debated many times. But since you are coming from a straight pipe, you should notice a difference just on the exhaust change. I never had experience with a straight pipe, but Bruce Anderson once told me straight pipes don't seem to do much for a 3.2 except create noise, but the European premuffler is an exception. Combined with a sport muffler, it has been dyno proven to produce about 11.5 hp at 6000 rpm. The premuffler is responsible for about 8 of that hp. SSIs are supposed to produce about 12 hp also. A few years ago I switched from a premuffler setup to a SSI/Monty combo and noticed no change in power. Needless to say I was disappointed in the $2000 spent. But it wasn't until I customized a chip to specifically address the fuel requirements of the SSIs did I notice the power increase. The problem stems from the fact that at full throttle, the DME injects only a fixed preprogrammed amount of fuel, determined by the full throttle fuel map in the chip, and no matter what modifications you do to your car, the DME will not adjust and add more fuel, and fuel=power. Matching your chip to your setup is always the best thing, and matching it to the SSI/sport muffler exhaust will only maximize the power potential your modifications are capable of producing.

The following image is a chart illustrating the variation of air/fuel ratios with respect to power. On this graph, it shows maximum power at an afr of 12.6:1, with max power on a 911 engine being somewhere between there and 13.0:1, which incidentally is where the engine is least likely to predetonate. You can see that slight variations in the afrs at that point have minor effects on the power delivered, however, as you get leaner, the dropoff in power starts to drop appreciably. So if for example, your stock chip was optimized for a stock car to deliver a 13.0:1 afr, but you increased your engine's breathing capacity by 10% with exhaust and/or engine modifications, your afr would now increase to (13.0 x 1.1) or 14.3:1, quite a bit off from the max power ratio, and increasing you motor's predisposition to knock. If we can minimize the motor's tendency to knock, we then have more margin to safely increase the ignition timing for even more power. If we increased the injected fuel by 10% we would then go back to the 13.0:1 afr [ 14.3 / (1 x 1.10) ]

[eurocarrera]

Steve, what specifically do you mean by quality gas? I regulary purchase Chevron 91 - which is the highest I can get for California. Do you just mean to stay away from the middle and lower grades? I noticed a big difference in performance when I went from cheapo gas to techron alone.

Also, in regards to the K& N filter that I already have, but plan to put back on - would that help or deter from the performance? Can you compensate in the chip for the extra air flow? Thanks!

[Lorenfb]

You can get the same results by a simple adjustment of the AFM without
wasting money on a chip and without the potential problem of pinging or
detonation. This can be done any time the exhaust system is changed
and the mixture needs to be adjusted.

Check this website (systemsc.com) under Technical. It may have some
useful info.

Good Luck
Loren
'88 3.2 without chip or pinging, no octane booster needed

[Lorenfb]

Additional Note:

For those guys with Euro pistons/high compression, be prepared to use
a lot of octane booster or maybe consider switching to 120 octane if
you can find it.

Good Luck
Loren
'88 3.2

[NoLift911]

I can attest to Steve's wizardry on the chip for my 84 Carrera (Steve I still owe you 2 chips in return, sorry!!! )

Anyway I have a RUF sport muffler(one in dual out) with a fabspeed euro-pre-muffler. The chip really wakes up the whole combo. Driveability is increased overall as well. Best money an mod I ever spent made was Steve's chip. He also took the time to work with me on a custom setup and did not stop sending me chips until I was totally satisfied.

Jeff
nolift911@hotmail.com

[Steve W]

Bill, the European Carreras which have a 10.3:1 compression ratio were designed to run on 98 RON/88MON octane fuel, which is equivalent to 93 octane at our pumps (our CLC average system). This contrasts to the US Carreras which has a CR of 9.5:1 and require a fuel quality of 87 CLC octane. Since we have lost our 92 octane fuel here in California, and all we can get is 91, putting in 89 or 87 will definitely decrease your performance, if not also be bad for the motor. A K&N filter replacement by itself will not do much to increase your airflow, though you could try cutting some large holes in your airbox cover, there seems to be some flow improvement on cone filters with adapters which funnel the air into the square opening of the air flow meter. The adapters generally start with a mouth of a larger surface area, and progressively taper down to the rectangular opening of the air flow meter, much like the intake stacks on the top of a set of Weber carbs, or like the intake runners on the new Carrera GT. Small mods like this are best if combined with other modifications.

Hey Jeff, good hearing from you. Glad to hear the combo has been working well. No sweat over the chips, you've probably long lost them by now after that flood.

[mwbaum]

I also just installed a Steve W chip in my stock 85 Coupe...kept the factory rev limit intact. Fantastic difference! The "lag" is gone...the car spools up much more quickly....MUCH zippier around town....the car "feels" much lighter and much more nimble....highly recommended! Thanks Steve.

[JonT]

Steve--do you customize chips for 3.6L's? I already have an Autothority chip and was wondering if you can improve on this. Thanks

[Steve W]

Hi Marc, I knew you'd like it. The chip uncovers all the power Porsche meant the 3.2 to have, but because of all the U.S. restrictions with respect to emissions, among other factors, we just couldn't get it. I've optimized it in all the right places, and it's safe for your car, as I'm not overly aggressive with the ignition timing.

Jon, 3.6 chips are in the works for the future. Can I improve on your Autothority chip? Maybe - here's a recent email from a fellow Pelican who ran an Autothority chip in his 911 before he installed mine:

"Steve,

Your chip arrived yesterday and I installed it this morning. Everything went fine with the installation...your instructions were very helpful.

Car drives very nicely. Seems to pull stronger in the low and mid-range RPM's. Top end seems about the same as the Autothority chip I had been using. I can see where someone installing your chip to replace the OEM chip would really be impressed. I'm impressed and I had a Autothority chip!

Do you have any sense for the incremental HP gains with the euro-exhaust system, sport muffler and your chip? I have to think that combo is probably good for 20 HP...but you may have better data.

Thanks again.

Regards, Bruce"


BTW, I recently received a copy of the factory chip from a 964 Carrera C2 3.6 RS. These are the specs for the car, excuse the French:

CARRERA C2 3,6 RS
Moteur
Moteur de 964 (3l6), avec boitier spécifique, délivrant 260 CV ŕ 6100 trs/mn (type M64/03).
Couple : 325Nm ŕ 4800 trs/mn (310 Nm pour carrera 2)
régime maxi : 6720 trs / mn
Compression 11.3
Carburant SP 98
Carburation et allumage : Appareil de commande DME spécifique (angles d'allumage avancés).
Régime de ralenti identique ŕ carrera 2
Performances officielles : 0 - 100 en 5.3 s
Poids du moteur : 226 kgs

Would it work for a U.S. car? Hmmmm . . . . . .

[JonT]

thanks Steve--keep us 3.6 guys posted!

[BER]

I wrote Steve the note (see above) about replacing an Autothority chip with Steve's custom chip. As I said in my note, there are noticable performance improvements in the low and mid-range RPMs. Overall, I am very pleased with Steve's custom chip. His "customer service" is world class.

I have a K&N cone air intake system and Dansk euro pre-muffler and SS sport muffler (one in, one out w/84MM outlet). I have my idle CO set at 3.2% using the Gunson CO Tester. Here in the mid-Atlantic we have ample access to 93 and 94 octane gas; I use Sunoco 94.

I talking with Steve, his custom chip and my intake/exhaust system set up should get my 3.2 ltr. engine close to the euro spec engine's output of 231 HP. I have never had my car on a dyno, so I do not have any emperical proof on which to base my assumption.

Thanks again Steve. No relation, just a satisified customer.

Bruce

[DG624]

Dear Steve,

I have a '86 Carrera with no changes (K&N). I was interested in bringing the car up to around 250 HP with exhaust, ignition and chip. Is this possible or do I need more compression? Do I also need intake improvements? I feel that the car is good above 3000 but nothing at low RPM. Would there be a difference in a chip made for SSIs vs GHL with CATs?

I don't want to lose mileage or relibility. I was told that the factory has the cars set up to run more rich to avoid detonation and that a chip could improve overall performance and mileage. I don't want to lose relibility.

[Steve W]

DG, getting 250 hp is going to take a lot of work and $$$. To get close to that, you are going to have to modify or backdate your exhaust, use a sport muffler, ExtrudeHone your intake manifolds, install 964 cams, perhaps twin plug your heads, install a mass flow sensor and put in a good chip. I program a different chip for the different exhaust configurations - this is gets you the most over a one size fits all deal. All of the modifications above, including a properly programmed chip does nothing to reduce your mileage or reliability. In fact usually, because most of these modifications actually improve the efficiency of the motor and system as a whole, your car runs, idles, and breaths better, oftentimes running cooler. An example is a mass flow sensor which makes your car's idle rock steady because it's so much faster and accurate at measuring airflow. It has none of that dreaded sub idle drop some cars get as they age.

I hate to give hp numbers because it's the combination and system of modifications that produce the net result. If I were to generalize though, you can use this as a guideline:

Base hp for an 86 3.2: 207
europremuffler: +8 $200-300 plus labor
sport muffler dual out for above: +2-3 hp $400
backdated exhaust or headers w/sport muffler: +12-14 $2000
chip matched for above: 12-15 hp $230
mass flow sensor: +10hp $1100-1800
964 cams: 8-10hp $600-800 plus labor
ExtrudeHone manifolds: +7hp $600 plus labor
Twin plugging: minimal, but crisper throttle response $2000

Bear in mind that not all the hp gains are at the peak rpm at 6000, so just simply adding up all the figures is not going to give you an accurate figure. How you time a cam, for example moves the torque curve either up or down. Anyways, it's the collective area under the power curve starting from idle to redline that's important, and where we spend most of our time. I would suggest doing the reasonable things first to get the most bang for your buck, because once you pass that, it's a parabolic climb at $100-150 per hp.

[don911]

Steve,
How do I get a hold of you? I PM'd you last week. Please send me an e-mail @ don_911_2000@yahoo.com.

I'd like to talk chip with you. Thanks.

[Steve W]

Hi Don, seems like the PM function has been acting up because I have been getting return errors also. Best is to email me: stevekw@pacbell.net

[burton73us]

Steve W put a chip in my 1986 Carrera and then I put on a Dansk pre-muffler that I purchased from Pelican. The big increase came from Steve’s chip.The Dansk pre-muffler made it a little more powerful but the biggest increase came right after I drove away from Steve’s place. The price for a Steve W chip is a great deal. It is well worth the money $230. to perk up the power. The Dansk pre-muffler and new bolts and nuts and gaskets from Pelican, $400. delivered. I took it to a muffler shop and they put the pipe in for $45. This was a week later, so I know what I was feeling. Steve W chip, great deal, Dansk pre-muffler was a bit of bread for not that much bang. Over all, the car is much faster and as I keep driving it. I find the rear 245 Goodyear F1s spin much more in left turns from a light than before. The power is as people have posted. I am not going to put it on a dyno but the numbers must be higher. Thanks Steve.

Bob