Best combo to lean out your engine

[sjrobinson]

I guess Im back in since I have time to put my system back in my car. Its healthier and I have a bit more knowledge and some good ideas.

My question is, whats the best combination of sensory 'trickers' have you found to work.

My car is a 97 Accord Ex with a 2.2L Vtec. So its a MAP sensor engine but just at the point where obd2 came in. Not too difficult to trick. I have an EFIE. Originally my combo was a pot on the map sensor and EFIE on the o2 sensors.

Would a pot on the IAT or ECT sensors work better?

My idea is to trick the ECU in a way that is most accurate to what your doing. So to lean out the engine perhaps tricking the IAT since it adjusts to whether or not the air allows for more ideal combustion (and knocking). HHO would essentially be mimicking cooler air right?

[valk01]

Id think you would want to add voltage to iat as it would retard ignition timing? From what ive read so far seems like adding hho would create perma knock cause it burns so much faster than the fuel/air?

Might also look into a piggyback fuel system. Being honda you have maby choices that will allow you to tune the engine however you wish.

[ultra_efficient]

leaning your engine can have adverse effects. first before tuning i will install a EGT gauge to see what my engine's normal EGT values are and what safe ect..... then i install a AFC in this case im using a SAFC1, then i tune a little lean at first to see how the EGT reacts to it then a tune a little leaner until i get to the edge of the safe zone. on the other hand lean tuning is very good when it comes to deceleration because it helps to cool the EGT. in my setup i also have a vacuum guage to monitor a vacuum switch that i installed and ofcourse you have to have a air/fuel ratio guage to see how lean your tune is at what RPM at what TP(throttle position) etc....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHdV5SBysdk

[sjrobinson]

I am aware of the leaning process. Ill take a look at the video.

I found an inexpensive exhaust temp gauge that I plan on using.

But what combo of devices do you find work best for tricking the ECU? I always thought an EFIE and Map sensor pot are sufficient but never got to test too much.

[maxgtr]

I am aware of the leaning process. Ill take a look at the video.

I found an inexpensive exhaust temp gauge that I plan on using.

But what combo of devices do you find work best for tricking the ECU? I always thought an EFIE and Map sensor pot are sufficient but never got to test too much.

I honestly think a wideband o2 sensor setup and an engine hack like safc or vafc , you can subtract fuel more precisely and actually know what afr you are at. More expensive options are emanage, emanage ultimate, and aem fic. With these and a laptop you can access afr, injection, and timing maps to make adjustments but you need a wideband o2 setup to know your afrs.

[valk01]

if you want full tunability, you probably want to get the wideband, egt ect and a stand alone engine managment system like a haltech sprint 500 or similar. fic will work but piggy back systems are always fighting the onboard computer.
I run a Split second afc in my boosted protege and the computer will always win unless the car goes into boost. the afc then clamps the o2 and maf voltages and adjusts the fuel maps as the stock ecu goes into map mode.

i still have to unhook the battery from time to time as it does learn around the afc given enough kms.

stand alone and a dyno tune session seems the way i think. most $1000 stand alones will have data logging function to record the afr's for a given rpm range. of course, it does require rewiring the better part of your car. definitely not advisable for a newer car. 2000ish vintage would be just perfect.

[sjrobinson]

Yeah, im submerged in the honda tuning world and have considered a chipped ECU for hho. That would run me about $200 maybe because Id have to figure out the fuel map with the HHO for myself. Kinda tricky there but it could be done for a lot cheaper. That would enable me to hook up a wideband to the ecu as well. I havent heard good things about piggy backs anyways. Its just as cheap for me to get a chipped p28 ecu out of an obd1 civic.

On my current car I think Ill just stick with individual sensor tricking.

I would like an acura tsx next. Good thing about those is that the ECUs can be reflashed. This would be useful for HHO but the thing is how do you get the ECU to behave a certain way when hho is produced and go back to stock when it is not? You would have to have two fuel maps and two ecus wouldnt work great because you wouldnt be able to switch your ECU when driving.