experiences with FWDPerformance calibrations

[median]

I am interested in getting a calibration from FWDPerformance and was wanting experiences people have had with them, everything from how it idles, to warm restarts, to boost curve, or whatever other information you think is relevant....

Please list which car, engine, and stage of calibration when talking about your experience.

[ShelbyMopar89]

1989 Daytona Shelby 2.2L Stage 5.
Major cold start issues on the first one, you would have to start the car at least five times before it would stay running. After it was warmed up it ran great. Although the cal is very very rich. I understand why she does this to keep every Joe from blowing up their car, but it does make it harder on the guys that actually tune their car. She replaced it for free for a "new" stage 5 that addressed the cold start issues. I still have some cold start issues, I only have to start it twice most of the time, if I feather the gas I can keep it running. It still surges for a bit....idle hi then drop, idle high then drop but it seems to settle out a lot quicker now. I just rebuilt the engine and I am only running 5 LBS right now so I do not know if I will still be pig rich in the higher boost levels, last time I had to back off my base fuel pressure big time. Right now at 5 LBS I am running 11.1-11.5 on an Innovate W/B with EGT's around 1400 with the Devils Own alky injection starting at 5 LBS (#3 nozzle) All in all the cal is a pretty good cal to drop in and go, but could be revised for somebody that actually tunes their car. Hope this helps.

[turbokid]

I have heard about the pig rich issue. A wideband and an afpr can tune that!

[The Pope]

A few years ago they did some changes to the stage 5 and cleaned it up. The last one I got was a stage 3, best 2 bar I've ever driven. It is scary that the stock one was that bad compared to it. I also got a 87 trim cal, it went lean at 9 PSI and thats with a 255L pump, 60 PSI base fuel pressure and the cal on +3. My new engine flows well lol. Now I am going to use it with the 72lb injectors and try to tune it, then send it back in for any other changes. But by the time people go to a 3 bar and have mods expect to need a few adjustments. APR and a wideband are really needed, I am buying up scanners to adjust my timing curves on my 2 trim cal cars.

[median]

good info, keep it coming

[ShelbyMopar89]

Quote:

Originally Posted by turbokid I have heard about the pig rich issue. A wideband and an afpr can tune that!

Not the idle issue, cold start closed loop operation.

[jonnymopar]

Wow, I was about to start a thread about exactly this information, but I was hesitant because I did NOT want it to sound like a vendor bashing thread. I am currently having some issues with a FWD Stage 5 cal, but I have ordered many more things from them and they've been quick to ship and have been good to me.

However, I am having the same issue stated above with my Stage 5 cal. This is on a 1989 Daytona with a full 2.4 DOHC swap. Cold starts, the car will give me the same trouble stated above. I'll have to feather the gas to keep it running. Sometimes it dies on me coming to a stop, but not all the time.

Warm restarts... MAJOR issues. I went and got my car inspected the other day. Pulled it into the garage, shut it off, checked everything out. The guy went to start it back up to put it on the dyno for emissions testing and the car would just crank endlessly. After about 5 minutes of trying to start it, it finally started, but again, you had to feather the gas for about the first minute to keep it running. The same thing happened to me again once when I stopped to get gas. Crank the daylights out of it and eventually it starts. If I go back to a stock Turbo II cal, it starts up and idles perfectly every time regardless of whether it's warm or cold.

Now for the good: when the car is running, it is ultra smooth and responsive!! Drivability is excellent. Much better than running the 2.4 on the 2.2 cal!! The stock 2.2 cal would fart and pop if you were heavy on the throttle. The FWD 2.4 cal is way smoother. It definitely feels like they got the fuel and timing curves perfect. As far as running rich, I have an Aeromotive 1:1 regulator, so that was a quick fix for me. I'm still actually a bit on the rich side as it is, but the damn car takes off like a rocketship with the FWD cal.

[charger R/T]

I haven'y bought a cal but did buy a 93 R/T not running with a 15 PSI FWDperformance cal. I swapped it into my 92 R/T with the +20 injectors and it runs great I did need to get an AFPR to drop fuel pressure a bit but it runs great and I get the same mpg if I stay out of the extra boost.
Tim

[turbo minivan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by turbokid I have heard about the pig rich issue. A wideband and an afpr can tune that!

^wrong! i have 2 stage 5 FWD cals, 1 regular stage 5, and 1 custom stage 5, BOTH start pig rich untill the o2 sensor warms up and takes over the fuel tables. often i have to start it twise and then keep my foot on the pedal till the EGT gauge reaches about 800*, then it will idle ok. i also have about 4 other custom cals from diforent places, and THEY do the same thing! even the ones people say have been "fixed" still do it. i have an AFPR and a wideband and its not an issue of adjusting the fuel pressure, its the cold start tables in the cals. it is frustrating sometimes, but im used to it now and have kinda accepted that no cal is gona start as nice as a stock computer.
both FWD cals run AWSOME though once warm and under boost. my custom stage 5 has handled 32psi on my 2.5L van and the EGTs were 1500* and not moving!... but i also have alcohol, so dont just crank er up and expect miricals...like anything of course.

[turbokid]

^ I just talked to a guy with an 86 GLHS at the mopar show and he said he was running PIG rich even at warm up so he had to adjust the Fp
so not wrong just different instances for different people
Thanks

[tryingbe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by turbo minivan have kinda accepted that no cal is gona start as nice as a stock computer.

I disagree. I'm using my customized version of the ladybuy60 calibration with 83 lbs injectors and 3 bar map. No cold start or warm start issue here. Idles nice for both warm and cold start.

You'll be amazed on how stupid easy it is to adjust fuel tables for starting fuel. Takes maybe 1-2 minute to scale down everything...

MoparChem.com • Index page

[jonnymopar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tryingbe You'll be amazed on how stupid easy it is to adjust fuel tables for starting fuel. Takes maybe 1-2 minute to scale down everything... MoparChem.com • Index page

I've never messed with writing or modifying cals before, and I don't even know what the code looks like, so I apologize if this sounds stupid: would there be a way to "cut and paste" the starting fuel tables from a stock cal into a different one? I know it's illegal for anyone to *sell* cals with Chrysler code in them, but it's not illegal for an end user to mix and match code on their own cars, right??

I'm just kind of panicking right now because I just talked to Cindy a couple days ago and she said she'd be gone all this week. The Chrysler Nationals are in 2 and a half weeks and I REALLY want this car there. Except for the start up and idling issues, everything else is fine.

[The Pope]

1% of people out there can do there own cals

0% out there as a real vendor building flashable SMECs or other computers

You can buy an adjustible FWD trim cal and a FPR. The other nice items are already there. For most make sure your cars sensors and so on are right before running a custom cal. Then most need very little fuel tuning and done.

One of the most powerfull 8v's I can think of is running a stage 5, not there own cal.

As of now there is no vendor selling D cal ready flashable computers, or chem for that matter. SDS, FAST and MS are custom wired setups. No one sells them as a bolt on but FM and there FAST setup is near $4,000 all done. Doing your own cal on your engine is best, always will be. BUT since that breaks us down to a wopping 1% or less of people out there that can do the wiring and the adjusting, that route is NOT the best. If everyone did it there would be about 20 TDs left in existance after the vast majority scattered there engines and scrapped the cars.

[tryingbe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonnymopar I've never messed with writing or modifying cals before, and I don't even know what the code looks like, so I apologize if this sounds stupid: would there be a way to "cut and paste" the starting fuel tables from a stock cal into a different one? I know it's illegal for anyone to *sell* cals with Chrysler code in them, but it's not illegal for an end user to mix and match code on their own cars, right?? I'm just kind of panicking right now because I just talked to Cindy a couple days ago and she said she'd be gone all this week. The Chrysler Nationals are in 2 and a half weeks and I REALLY want this car there. Except for the start up and idling issues, everything else is fine.

For the most part, you don't have to deal with codes directly. And Chem even have pre-set fuel injectors so you don't have to adjust the individual fuel table, if the calibration is setup for it.

I don't understand why FWD performance customers are still having starting fuel issue... it is very simple to make corrections on their calibrations for something as simple as starting fuel...

Examples:
[IMG]http://www.************.net/tryingbe/dodge/fuel1.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://www.************.net/tryingbe/dodge/fuel2.jpg[/IMG]

Pope,

People that makes their own calibration, for the most part, are not trying to make money. When you're not trying to make money, how can there be a vendor?

Program such as D-cal and Moparchem are FREE. There are quite a few different calibrations for different year out there you can download for FREE. You download those calibration, you download the programs, you adjust the calibration for your need, fuel injectors size, 2.2 or 2.5 timing, etc, ask question... burn your own chip and set the boost to 6 psi and test drive, watch your wideband, and CEL light for knocks, takes notes, adjust your calibration and repeat.

Yes, it takes a lot of trial and error and lots and lots of time, but it's still faster than waiting for shipping.

To take an advantage of those program, all you need is a socketed LM, SMEC, and SMBC computer, a burner, lots of time and reading. No wiring needed to be done, unless you want to connect your laptop to the computer, but that's very optional.

For those who rather have somebody make the calibration and burn the chip for you, send me a PM with your e-mail address.


jonnymopar,

It will be difficult for anyone other than FWD performance to adjust the FWD performance calibration. You either have to wait for them to do it for you or have somebody else burn you a completely different calibration. If you want more info, pm me with your e-mail address.

[jonnymopar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tryingbe jonnymopar, It will be difficult for anyone other than FWD performance to adjust the FWD performance calibration. You either have to wait for them to do it for you or have somebody else burn you a completely different calibration. If you want more info, pm me with your e-mail address.

Why so difficult? Do they use a different program than ChEM? I sent you a PM. This stuff looks very interesting to me.