Blacktop Link G4+ ECU

[rocket]

Hi Club4ag! I have an MR2 with a healthy 4ag 20v BT. It's running on the factory BT ECU, vehicle wiring integration was done with a WireGap harness.

I'm planning to swap in 1zz coil on plug. Have coils in hand, SQ Engineering bling for mounting is on the way.
Have a CAN bus Bosch LSU 4.9 wideband in the mail.

The main goal of my impending project is to use a Link G4+ Monsoon ECU to run the BT. I have a Toyota ecu socket in the mail to make an adapter pigtail, kinda want to avoid hacking up too much of the existing wiring. Eventually I'd like to put on a mild cam (keeping vvt, it sounds so burly) and someday maybe run 3-5lb boost.

I'm fishing for tips here. I have heard there are issues with setting spark advance safely for first startup, read conflicting info about the cam sensor under the distributor (need 24 tooth cam+1 tooth crank, maybe the reluctor is too weak to provide reliable cam angle etc) and generally have a little doubt about the best way to achieve success. Also the Monsoon doesn't have a knock input .

Who's running Link g4/g4+ here? This is my first standalone attempt and I'm looking to learn by others where possible and experience everywhere else. A base map would be awesome, I'm not sure where I should be starting with for safe timing and sane VE. Anyway, I've been reading for weeks, watched a bunch of HPA videos and attended a live tuning webinar on Link g4+'s. I'm new to Toyota (Subaru's only all 14 years I've had a car) and would greatly appreciate any aftermarket EMS advice you experts are willing to impart!

[totta crolla]

Getting reliable signals from the distributor sensors can be a problem for aftermarket ecu's and from my experience with an AEM ecu you would be better off fitting a crank trigger wheel and a Hall sensor. A camshaft angle sensor is required if you want to use VVC and you might get away with using the single trigger from the cam sensor in the distributor for this.

[rocket]

You're the second person who I've interacted with who specifically mentioned AEM has trouble with these. I'm definitely steering clear of their hardware. Haltech seems to work on the 24t cas without fuss according to the guys at BGRS, and Link was recommended to me by a shop a couple hours up the interstate who claim expertise with the 20v and success with Link. If I can't get a cam signal on the Link I'll abandon it for Haltech. I'll consider modifying the sensor itself before bolting on a crank trigger - that said, there's probably a high likelihood that I'll be back here telling y'all how the trigger wheel is the best way just like you said.

I definitely want to keep VVT (mistype? I don't know what vvc is ). Does the 1t spinner under the 24t wheel track the intake cam or the crankshaft? Seems like you would need it to track crank "home" or else how would even the factory ecu be able to do vvt aware corrections?

I appreciate your time, thanks!

[totta crolla]

I used VVC, generic for variable valve control and you are quite right VVT is correct for Toyota. I believe the problem with the sensor is more to do with noise and filtering rather than the actual signal produced by the sensor.

[rocket]

That's very interesting. Might need a scope finally! At any rate, if I get a weak signal, I'll do shielded wires first and rely heavily on hopes. Thanks for the terminology clarification, I'm definitely on the steep part of this learning curve.

Just signed for my wideband and loom, one more package and I'll no longer have an excuse to tarry! I'll document my findings as I go over the coming weeks.

[matt dunn]

I have had pretty much all the different versions of the Link ECU's on my 20V race car over the years.
I have a Link G4+ Storm in it now. I have never had an issue with the standard 20V dist signals to the ECU,
and have also wired up quite a few other 20V link ECU and have not had trigger issues with any of them.

You need to wire it correctly to make it work, but there is a pretty good diagram from Link for that.

[rocket]

Thanks Matt. I'll quit worrying about it for now. I accepted wiring it correctly as a precondition for the thing to work at all.

Do you just set up a static rule for VVT? Between x and y revs, and above z coolant temp? I had wanted to consider a throttle position vs rpm map as another input but I don't see how.

[matt dunn]

I just run a simple vvt on at 1500 rpm and off again above xxx rpm.
On the dyno you can find the best vvt switch off point for your setup, probably 6k to 7k rpm somewhere.

I am not a road car so we have not spent much on driveability.

[rocket]

That's fair. I'm very focused on driveability, I'm sure I'll learn a lot over the coming months. As soon as I'm comfortable with the basic mechanics of tuning I'll rent a dyno. Want to have reasonable confidence that the time will add value.

How do you deal with detonation, Matt? My Monsoon doesn't have knock control - I feel kind of naked without it. I'll definitely go with conservative timing until I can dyno test a minimum best timing, but even there I don't have assurance that knock cannot happen. Man I'd love ion sense to be productized... I'd pay a lot to have closed loop spark (just dyno tune best peak pressure point) *and* closed loop fueling.

[matt dunn]

For dealing with detonation I solely rely on the skill of my tuner. I don't tune my own car, I take it to a professional tuner to get done on a dyno with good detonation listening equipment, and leave it at that.
And then make sure the fuel I use comes from a good source.

[rocket]

Bold but respectable. I hope my skill is up to the task; I'm also not running a race engine though, so it's unlikely that my engine's ping events are quite as catastrophic as yours in case I do screw up momentarily. I'm considering setting up a 2nd VE and 2nd ignition map to toggle to when VVT is activated. In this way I can get really detailed crossover points and technically *could* use a map on TPS/RPM to enable/disable VVT. The cost is that I'd have to tune the engine twice - once with VVT on, once with VVT off . I'll talk with Link about this, but I think I'd only attempt it with a dyno.

[rocket]

Ongoing gallery I'll add to periodically: https://goo.gl/photos/dYZ5FhLNzUxaHtFV6

Made the patch harness today. It was more of a hassle than I anticipated; I'll find out soon if Link installed the factory smoke or not

[rocket]

ECU plugged in and works so far so good.
* Fuel pump does a key-on 2 second cycle.
* Water and air intake temp sensors read within a couple degrees of what weather.com says the temperature is.
* TPS didn't work but then I plugged it back in and it worked fine. It was exciting seeing the throttle going up and down on my laptop screen

Installed the 1ZZ coils today. Used SQ Engineering hardware for the mounting points and distributor cap delete. Looks pretty good I think.
Still need to wire the ignition and wire+install the o2 sensor. Couple new pics in the album.