Bad News...Help?

[kTrainHurricane]

Long story short, my car overheated and the head warped/headgasket blew. This was discovered on the dyno, as the car started to blow white smoke after about the 3rd pull. We found that the #1 plug was wet and stopped the tuning. I pulled the head off, had it shaved down at the machine shop, and ordered a Cosworth 1.8mm headgasket. Since I would have needed the timing done at a shop anyway, I brought the car to Billet Design to be completely put back together - figured it would give me some piece of mind too that it was done correctly (have been taking the car to them exclusively since I've owned it).

They called me a few days after I dropped it off and said its all back together but wont start. THey hooked their computer up to it and it wasn't reading that I had an ECU in my car at all (have Apexi Power FC). They pulled my computer and put it into one of the shop's SR20 Silvias, and it wouldnt connect to it either. They called Apexi for me and said that the computer gets tempermental when things go wrong with the motor. They said its usually something like a fried capacitor and is ~$100 fix, but will take 3 months! :eek2:

Billet told me they are working on finding another alternative since this is my daily driver and I can't wait three months. The only other thing I could think of is buy another Power FC but I really didn't want to have to spend $700+
Anybody have any ideas or suggestions to help me out???

[kTrainHurricane]

Just to clarify the car overheated on my way to work - I let it cool, filled up with coolant, and drove it home. Since then it had been fine and acted as if nothing was ever wrong - I took it to be dyno tuned about 2 weeks after this had happend. Marco at Billet said it probably warped the day it overheated, but pushing it on the dyno made it worse/apparent

[homeslicej2]

If Apexi says the FC won't work until it's fixed, and you don't want to/can't buy another unit, if you still have your stock ECU, you could send it to Enthaply for a ROM tune just to get you running for the next few months until the FC is fixed. It would be cheaper than another FC unit ($399). That's the only idea I have. I'm not familiar with standalones for our motors other than some basics.

[kTrainHurricane]

thanks ...any other suggestions?

[CamryOnBronze]

How crazy is your setup? if you are running a T25 on stock injectors and stuff, a stock ECU would be fine. But if you've got a lot of fuel mods and stuff then I guess you would be worse off- that might help with the advice. :)

It sounds like you're either going to have to buy another PFC or wait the three months- I don't think there are any other options that people will come up with, depending on your setup of course. Crappy situation for sure man.

[tricky_ab]

Yeah it comes down to spending less and having a hell of a wait (3 months is not too bad in reality) or pony up and buy another one and eat the cost.

[kTrainHurricane]

Here is my setup:
-S13 Red top sr20det ......under 40k miles all seals replaced and new oil pump installed
-Head has new valve springs and retainers
-New Cosworth 1.8mm headgasket
-ARP studs
-ACT 6puck
-Apexi Power FC
-MSD 720cc injectors
-Walbro fuel pump
-Top Feed Fuel rail w/ -6 lines
-Z32 fuel Filter
-FPR
-Greddy T67 w/ turbo blanket
-top mount turbo manifold
-Greddy Type-RS BOV
-Z32 maf
-3" DP
-Tial 38mm WG
-3.5" thick FMIC
-Mishimoto thick radiator
-Dual eletric fans
-3" catback
-J30 rear diff w/ redline fluid

I guess right now i'm considering buying a used one (if i can even find one!) then selling one of the two once my original gets back from Japan...whenever that is. The other alternative was buy a hooptie '92 Camry or something off craigslist for $1,000 then sell it once my computer gets back

[doomviillain]

if u want the car to run sooner, if you have the money buy another FC, get the old one fixed, then sell it.

[kTrainHurricane]

if u want the car to run sooner, if you have the money buy another FC, get the old one fixed, then sell it.

Yeah, I think that's what I'm gonna have to end up doing.

Now I'm a noob so please forgive me for my lack of knowledge, but "a PFC is a PFC," right? By this I mean that they are direct bolt-on applications...the Apexi PFC doesn't come in different versions or anything depending on the setup (other than the fact its an SR20 Redtop), right?

Also, I am still unable to post in the classifieds section, so can someone direct me towards what I need if there are any out there? Thanks!!!

[omgRWDgoodness!]

Damn dude no wonder I haven't heard from you in a while. It just doesn't seem to end for you, huh? :-/

EDIT: Nevermind, just saw that you joined in September...bitch at one of the mods.

[CamryOnBronze]

^ yes, there are different versions of the PFC- L Jetro and D Jetro, depending on whether you are running a MAF or MAP sensor. So you will need to get the correct one.

Buying another and selling it when the other one is repaired seems to be the best option. Or, if you have the money for a beater Camry, do that and keep it for future cases like this. I've got a 94 Camry that i daily in the winter and occasionally in the summer when the weather sucks or I have the 240 torn apart, and they are great daily cars- super reliable with little to no maintenance. Slow as hell, but great daily cars.

[kTrainHurricane]

Damn dude no wonder I haven't heard from you in a while. It just doesn't seem to end for you, huh? :-/

EDIT: Nevermind, just saw that you joined in September...bitch at one of the mods.

Saw you leaving the garage again yesterday...

And yeah, it has NEVER ended in the 21 yrs. i've been on this planet lol

[omgRWDgoodness!]

Saw you leaving the garage again yesterday...

And yeah, it has NEVER ended in the 21 yrs. i've been on this planet lol

Hahah what a lurker, you gotta wave or something next time. I know how it is, I've had a fair share of shitluck just within the past few weeks. Good thing the semester is winding down.. :dead:

[kTrainHurricane]

Soo if anyone can point me in the direction of a used Apexi PFC for sale, please let me know!

[NINJASPY]

Suggestion of borrowing one first to see if it is indeed the problem.

[Taylor008]

I'm with this guy ^

They said its usually something like a fried capacitor and is ~$100 fix,

I would definitely try to borrow another pfc and see if it was the culprit before I drop more money on a new one.

[kTrainHurricane]

Suggestion of borrowing one first to see if it is indeed the problem.

Has already been done...

[kTrainHurricane]

Can someone support that the Power FC is indeed "tempermental" with the SR20 motor? I am not familiar enough with these cars to say on my own, but I am having trouble understanding how a blown head gasket/warped head can affect the ECU in any way...
Thanks!

[xska]

I never heard of any ecu going bad because of blown head gasket. It's more like ecu went bad because harness is moved, stretched, twisted, and caused short somewhere. If your harness is messy you better fix it before you put another one in.
You can also power up PFC by directly powering up circuit board. I saw KOJI at DRIFTSPEED doing it to bad PFC so he can drive in to garage.