Hypothetically, if one wanted to have a second-hand sprintex kit installed in or near Sydney, where would one go?

I know there are at least a couple of guys in NSW with them (I know of TZABOY and WOOK). Where did you guys go, and how much did it cost?

EDIT: Seems the NSW Sprintex dealer is Tweakit?

Also can a Greddy Emanage be used with the Sprintex blower?

Hypothetically, if one wanted to have a second-hand sprintex kit installed in or near Sydney, where would one go?

I know there are at least a couple of guys in NSW with them (I know of TZABOY and WOOK). Where did you guys go, and how much did it cost?

EDIT: Seems the NSW Sprintex dealer is Tweakit?

Also can a Greddy Emanage be used with the Sprintex blower?
Dude if you happen to score a 2nd hand unit, i'll install it for you because its a piece of piss to install!
Any decent piggyback will do the job for management as long as it has enough outs to support the 7th injector (believe it or not im keeping mine with the new injectors im using)

I could install it for you, then you could tow it (maybe drive it) to your tuning shop and they will do the rest.

You could go to tweakit, but they'll charge you $125 an hour plus parts

Cheers Jase,
if this goes ahead I'll PM you and we should be able to work something out :)

Yep easy to install yourself, I managed :nuts:

Only PITA is removing the drivers-side engine mount to get the belt on.

It does take a good solid 2 days work the first time you do it.

I have the full wiring and installation photos etc if you need them - just give me a yell.

Yep easy to install yourself, I managed :nuts:

Only PITA is removing the drivers-side engine mount to get the belt on.

It does take a good solid 2 days work the first time you do it.

I have the full wiring and installation photos etc if you need them - just give me a yell.
I definatly wouldnt be doing the wiring for him thats for sure!

Meh, the wirings easy. Thats the part I had the least trouble with. I'm happier with a soldering iron than a spanner, thats for sure (or in the case of the sprintex SC, Hex key).

IIRC its only about 6 wires to the ECU, and only one intercepts something (crank angle sensor)

Cheers
Heath Young

Meh, the wirings easy. Thats the part I had the least trouble with. I'm happier with a soldering iron than a spanner, thats for sure (or in the case of the sprintex SC, Hex key).

IIRC its only about 6 wires to the ECU, and only one intercepts something (crank angle sensor)

Cheers
Heath Young
well i'll install it, and you can wire it

Has anyone tried using an Greddy Emanage Blue with the spintex? Any reason why it might not work?

Absolutely no reason at all.

You can intercept your injectors, and dial in extra fuel here as well, I think it will run an additional injector, and it will also (with the right harness) run a MAP sensor too.

Not sure about IAT sensor, but people are using them with turbos no problems.

One good thing about the sprintex ecu is that it has a tune on it - if you get the factory reset program, you don't need to buy an unlocked one either. :rant:

Where do I go about unlocking the Sprintex ECU :)

Also can I keep my spark plugs, or do I need new ones with different temp and gap?

Also can I keep my spark plugs, or do I need new ones with different temp and gap?

I've heard that it's a good idea to go one range colder, to guard against preignition. Don't quote me, but I seem to remember someone on here saying that the Sprintex came with it's own plugs, which were the correct hear range.

"With modified engines (those engines that have increased their compression) more heat is a by-product of the added power that normally comes with increased compression. In short, select one heat range colder for every 75-100 hp you add, or when you significantly raise compression. Also remember to retard the timing a little and to increase fuel enrichment and octane. These tips are critical when adding forced induction (turbos, superchargers or nitrous kits), and failure to address ALL of these areas will virtually guarantee engine damage."

That's straight from the NGK website.

Get different heat rating plugs, I melted 1 once

any decent ecu will run it, as long as its got enough outputs.

I just had a chiptorque XEDE installed and tuned today with my new 440cc injectors and other crap. No dramas at all and finally got some decent driveablity out of the thing

any decent ecu will run it, as long as its got enough outputs.

I just had a chiptorque XEDE installed and tuned today with my new 440cc injectors and other crap. No dramas at all and finally got some decent driveablity out of the thing

So wheres the thread showing this latest addition?

Sheesh - no rest for the wicked is there :nuts:

Have a search for my thread on plugs, I give an alternative to the very expensive IRIWAY series plugs specified by Sprintex (NGK equivalent part number) and a very good source for them.

Cheers
Heath Young

I don't know who you're going to get to tune it, but make sure you stay very rich above 4000 rpm.

+1 to the list of broken pistons :(

.wook

Has anyone NOT broken pistons?

Not exactly confidence-inspiring:cry:

Has anyone NOT broken pistons?

Not exactly confidence-inspiring:cry:

lots of guys haven't broken pistons. I think you'll find they're running standard tunes and/or have never taken their car to the track/drag strip.

cheers,
.wook

Where do I go about unlocking the Sprintex ECU :)

good luck with that. from what Heath has said in another thread, there's a program that can wipe the SMT6, so you unlock it, but lose the Sprintex tune. I personally would want to keep the Sprintex tune to compare with the custom one.

and you have to be a dealer to get the program.

cheers,
.wook

Has anyone NOT broken pistons?

Not exactly confidence-inspiring:cry:

I can't see what has made you decide on a sprintex kit over n/a. Sprintex kits out of the box make pretty lame power for how much they cost and given any type of beating break pistons with its stone age 7th injector setup.

If you do a n/a rebuild you'll be replacing pistons/rods anyway and have a bearable street car with the same if not more power for the same price or less. I think you said it in another thread, cthulhu's build could have been done for 8k in one hit and you've got some mods done already.

I can't see what has made you decide on a sprintex kit over n/a

Originally I was gonna get it at a price I couldn't say no to. Now it's gone up due to bids from other parties, so I'm weighing up my options again.

Basically what appeals over doing an NA build is the convenience of a 1-2 day drive-in-drive-out proposition (assuming nothing goes wrong of course). Plus I like the noise :P

For the same cost I'd be making about the same power out of an NA build. That's doing it the right way, taking no risks on reliability.

+1 for the 1-2 day install time.

when you consider that pulling apart the engine to install pistons, cams, rods, etc... needed to get ~230kw out of an NA engine would take about a month, a day or two is awesome.

and out of the box, the Sprintex kit won't break anything. the only people I know about who have broken engines have played with the tune.

.wook

Yairs. Run it too lean, pistons decompress themselves. :cry:

Something that most people havn't considered is water injection - the sprintex standard tune uses an air temperature sensor to measure the (very hot) exhaust temperatures of the supercharger, the hotter it gets, the more fuel that gets added, and the more ignition retardation.

Drop your intake temps, and it will be far more drivable - and more reliable than screwing with the tune. I melted a cat, so I'm getting that sorted soon so I can have more of a play with the WI setup.

Heath, I know you have been working on a WI setup. What sort of cost am I looking a for a decent WI setup? When is your setup likely to be ready?

Sounds like the way to go is definantely to stick with the stock sprintex tune, and then look at WI.

So it seems its the pistions that are first to go once the Sprintex Tune is played with.

That being said, if the pistions were replaced with Forged units (retaining the same compression, or alteast, very similar) would the problem still exist ?

So it seems its the pistions that are first to go once the Sprintex Tune is played with.

That being said, if the pistions were replaced with Forged units (retaining the same compression, or alteast, very similar) would the problem still exist ?

you'll probably never get an answer for that question, as most people who have blown a piston (or two) will not *just* replace the pistons. having the heads off and the engine out leads itself to making more changes than that... for example, I'm planning on throwing forged pistons and rods in, probably a Ralliart cam, flowing the heads, bigger fuel system, water/meth injection, blah blah blah.

that's if I actually decide to rebuild it.

200fwkw thru an auto 'box! yee haw!

cheers,
.wook

From what I have been reading, the rods are able to withold quite a bit of power, so i assumed better pistons might stop them braking.

But, we will never know untill someone trys it out, lol.

Heath, I know you have been working on a WI setup. What sort of cost am I looking a for a decent WI setup? When is your setup likely to be ready?

Sounds like the way to go is definantely to stick with the stock sprintex tune, and then look at WI.

for WI kit, check this stuff out...

http://www.full-throttle.com.au/Engine/Boost%20Cooler%20Petrol%20SC.htm

.wook

when you consider that pulling apart the engine to install pistons, cams, rods, etc... needed to get ~230kw out of an NA engine would take about a month, a day or two is awesome.


Depends on exactly what you are doing. If it's just higher CR pistons and new bearings, and you have a spare set of heads ported and ready to go, I would expect to have the car off the road only for 2-3 days.

Where it takes much longer is if you don't have everything ready to go. E.g you pull he heads off and send them away to be ported, send your rods away to be strengthened etc.

Mine will be ready when I get five minutes to spend on the bastard :rant:

I'm looking at using either the autospeed 'spraying systems' nozzles or aquamist nozzles (more selections available in aquamist) coupled with an ulka 30 bar(yes, that right 400psi) pump driven by an inverter (with variable frequency control).

Most of the designs out there either have too low a pressure (noisy 150psi agricultural pumps) or poor nozzles, or poor controllers (or a combination of all three).

Aquamist is the best out there at the moment, but their stuff costs a BOMB (their controller uses a HSV - high speed solenoid valve for fluid control) and there is some question of longevity of the HSV.

For a decent WI system, you could go a spraying systems 160cc/min jet, coupled with an ulka pump, inverter and a pressure switch - not optimal, but better than a lot of stuff out there.

I took the inspiration for my pump controller design from a coffee machine - varying the frequency (but not the pulse duration) of a vibratory pump non-linearly varies the flow. Having the pump very close to the injector makes the response very fast, and you prime the pump with another (low pressure - 1 bar) windscreen washer pump. Ultimatly you end up with close to 450psi at the nozzle, which makes for unbelievable atomisation - best cooling you can get (the smaller the droplets the better the charge cooling).

Mount the nozzle prior to the throttle body (remove one of the resonators, bottom one is good) and mount the nozzle in a welch plug - spraying at 90 degrees to airflow, you seal the blower well, and your water vapour is well distributed too.

The only problem with my design is that the voltage at the pump is LETHAL. Pulsed 360V DC is not a recipie for good health. Well insulated connectors are a must. :nuts:

for WI kit, check this stuff out...

http://www.full-throttle.com.au/Engine/Boost%20Cooler%20Petrol%20SC.htm

.wook

Thats actually not a bad looking kit. Those pumps can be noisy though.

Stage 2 GM MAF/ MAP sensor version is a good idea - its like my controller, but uses 0-5V or frequency (mine uses injector duty cycle, 128 load points - overkill :nuts:, but makes an ideal extra injector controller)

What brand of variable frequency controller are you using? I've installed a few in the past, but all have been industrial type units used for DC motor control.

So it seems its the pistions that are first to go once the Sprintex Tune is played with.

That being said, if the pistions were replaced with Forged units (retaining the same compression, or alteast, very similar) would the problem still exist ?

Depends what's actually causing them to to break in the first place. If it's excessive lean-out caused by something like the 7th injector not firing, OEM fuel pump ****ting itself etc, forged pistons will blow just the same. Detonation kills any piston, regardless of if they are forged or not.

However if the factory pistons are breaking not because of detonation but simply because of they are too weak to handle the boost on "healthy" AFRs, then yes forgies will solve the problem.

The reason the factory pistons seem to survive on a rich conservative sprintex tune is by running rich combustion temps are cooler, which is easier on the pistons.


From what I have been reading, the rods are able to withold quite a bit of power, so i assumed better pistons might stop them braking.

But, we will never know untill someone trys it out, lol.

Yeah, our rods seem quite strong for what they are. RPW's magna makes 350+ wheel kw, and AFAIK the factory rods have been up to the job, though they were shotpeened, resized and had ARP rod bolts fitted. To my knowledge often rod failure isn't in the rod itself, but the rod bolts letting go.

+1 for the 1-2 day install time.

when you consider that pulling apart the engine to install pistons, cams, rods, etc... needed to get ~230kw out of an NA engine would take about a month, a day or two is awesome.

and out of the box, the Sprintex kit won't break anything. the only people I know about who have broken engines have played with the tune.

.wook

not wanting to get into the NA vs forced induction argument, but the s/c option allows 230kw without having to rev beyond the redline. Everything happens before 5500 rpm, we rely on gobs of torque being delivered early rather than relying on rpm.

imo the last thing you want to be doing in relatively heavy vehicle is compromising the amount of torque the engine delivers, which is the first thing that suffers when agressive cams and massive amounts of head work are done.

btw mine broke without any assistance from me.

btw mine broke without any assistance from me.

As in you blew pistons on the stock sprintex tune? Were you using a factory fuel pump?

What brand of variable frequency controller are you using? I've installed a few in the past, but all have been industrial type units used for DC motor control.

I make my own :)

Takes pulses from a PIC (using the onboard PWM, 25% duty cycle, varying frequency) run them through an monstable 555 (to keep a constant pulse width), and a pair of decade counters in series divide by 10 divide by 10 to get 1000 (1Khz = 10Hz) - pic wont do 10Hz on its own, only minimum of about 850Hz IIRC.

You then use these pulses to produce a variable frequency output with a stupendous resolution (to 0.001Hz) as a byproduct. Crystal locked, low error. Overkill but pretty neat.

Cheers
Heath Young

As in you blew pistons on the stock sprintex tune? Were you using a factory fuel pump?

I blew pistons on no tune. The SMT6 failed, the 7th injector did not fire and the rest as they say is history.

Verdict: Do not rely on a 7th injector.

Recommendation: Put a robust ecu in that can service 6 bigger injectors and a bigger fuel pump. Run the 7th at minimum duty - only because I think there is still some cooling of the charge when a little bit of fuel is squirted in the 7th.

I blew pistons on no tune. The SMT6 failed, the 7th injector did not fire and the rest as they say is history.

I stand by my earlier assertion. aside from hardware failure, the only Sprintex'd cars to blow pistons have been re-tuned.

cheers,
.wook

Does the SMT6 have any capability of ultilising a knock sensor? That would simplify things greatly (unless people re breaking pistons without significant detonation).

I stand by my earlier assertion. aside from hardware failure, the only Sprintex'd cars to blow pistons have been re-tuned.

cheers,
.wook
My retune is booked in for the 17th of this month. I already have a Walboro 255 L/h high pressure fuel pump in the tank. So the tuner needs to make sure it's running rich high up in the rev range to keep it a safe tune? Hopefully my pistons don't blow up in the near future as well.

Anyone else binned pistons on the stock Sprintex tune?

No knock sensor capabilities unfortunatly. It isn't the most well equipped of piggybacks, but it works.

Made in South Africa, but so are a lot of new 3 series BMW's - go figure.

My retune is booked in for the 17th of this month. I already have a Walboro 255 L/h high pressure fuel pump in the tank. So the tuner needs to make sure it's running rich high up in the rev range to keep it a safe tune? Hopefully my pistons don't blow up in the near future as well.
Am i right in thinking this or...?

IIRC (I'll dig up the info later, its on my other other computer) the best AFR to aim for at 4K+ RPM is around the 13:1 level - sprintex tune is supposedly 12:1 at this point, but as most people point out, this is neither good for power nor fuel economy.

I would still suggest a water injection setup for the longevity of the engine. Reducing combustion temps and stopping preignition is where its at. Also allows you to run a standard (92 octane) fuel instead of uber pricey 98 or 95 (I use E10, 95 RON no problems - much cheaper too :nuts: )

The other option is to change gears sooner too :doubt: 4K+ RPM changes is a bit harsh on the old box.

IIRC (I'll dig up the info later, its on my other other computer) the best AFR to aim for at 4K+ RPM is around the 13:1 level - sprintex tune is supposedly 12:1 at this point, but as most people point out, this is neither good for power nor fuel economy.

I would still suggest a water injection setup for the longevity of the engine. Reducing combustion temps and stopping preignition is where its at. Also allows you to run a standard (92 octane) fuel instead of uber pricey 98 or 95 (I use E10, 95 RON no problems - much cheaper too :nuts: )

The other option is to change gears sooner too :doubt: 4K+ RPM changes is a bit harsh on the old box.
Yeh i will definitely look at getting on of your water injection kits when you finish them. But before that i'll still be getting a retune to try and extract more power. Obviously i will speak to the tuner regarding what i want before he chucks the car up on the dyno.

Yeh i will definitely look at getting on of your water injection kits when you finish them. But before that i'll still be getting a retune to try and extract more power. Obviously i will speak to the tuner regarding what i want before he chucks the car up on the dyno.

Well it doesn't have to be one of mine (just so people don't think this is a sales pitch! I havn't actually finished mine yet, I keep modifying the design) but it would be a good idea for engine longevity.

If your tuner is competent, there is a map switch utility on the smt6 units - hook this up as your 'safe' map for when your level switch on your water injection tank shows a low level (and lights a bulb to show you need to refill as well).

This is a major point most people forget. The WI is no longer functioning because its out of water, and wonder why they hole a piston :nuts:

Well it doesn't have to be one of mine (just so people don't think this is a sales pitch! I havn't actually finished mine yet, I keep modifying the design) but it would be a good idea for engine longevity.

If your tuner is competent, there is a map switch utility on the smt6 units - hook this up as your 'safe' map for when your level switch on your water injection tank shows a low level (and lights a bulb to show you need to refill as well).

This is a major point most people forget. The WI is no longer functioning because its out of water, and wonder why they hole a piston :nuts:
I would rather buy your kit since it's being designed on/for a Sprintexed 3rd Gen (although i presume it could be used on any car).

But yes i am aware of the switchable map on SMT6 and plan on getting another tune whenever i go down the path of water injection (will have to anyway).

BTW, any eta on your water injection kit yet? :D

IIRC (I'll dig up the info later, its on my other other computer) the best AFR to aim for at 4K+ RPM is around the 13:1 level - sprintex tune is supposedly 12:1 at this point, but as most people point out, this is neither good for power nor fuel economy.
To keep everything running cooler and to reduce the chance of things blowing up wouldn't it be better to run the AFR around 11:1 after 4000 RPM? If i went for an AFR of 11:1 instead of 12:1 or even 13:1 how much of an effect would it really have on fuel economy and power output? Currently i get around 550km from a full tank of 98 RON petrol.

Well it seems I have secured the blower :)

I will definantely start with just running the Sprintex tune, then perhaps retune but with a very rich/safe tune - e.g 11.5-12:1, some margin of error left in ignition timing.

Perhaps later with WI leaning it out to 12.5-13:1 would be safe.

It seems the guys who have blown pistons were running custom tunes with AFRs of around 13:1?

just with regards to the AFR... mine was pretty much 12:1 all the way across the board.

with stock pistons and no water/meth injection, I would stick to less than 12:1 at greater than 4000 rpm. mine ran fine on the street for 3 months over summer, and then cracked a piston on a cool day at the track, so if you're not taking it to the track or strip you might be alright at 12:1... but I wouldn't risk it unless you can afford a rebuild.

my parts list for the rebuild so far comes to around $4k.

cheers,
.wook

OUCH! :shock:

Safe AFR's are definitly the way to go then!

OUCH! :shock:

Safe AFR's are definitly the way to go then!
I take that ouch to be for the $$... or maybe the piston.

but yeah, I'm not just rebuilding it back to where it was. I'm adding one of those WI kits, forged pistons, bigger fuel system and more boost. had a good chat with Jase about it over the weekend.

mmm, lots of power!

cheers,
.wook

Well today I dropped off the car + Sprintex kit and Tweakit for fitment:)

Will be sticking to the Sprintex tune for now, and most likely go WI in the near future.