MechaGodzilla in an earlier post mentioned he figured out that the Vortech "black box" is made for Vortech by:
http://www.splitsec.com/

I took it the next step further and gave them a call. Spoke with a very helpful guy named Mark.

The Vortech black box is nutered in the sense that it doesn't have a map sensor and doesn't control fuel. Vortech is ONLY using it for timing. He also said he cannot sell me the software for the Vortech box alone.

He can(and will) however sell me a FTC1 which will allow me to do both fuel and timing programming AND has a map sensor built in that can read positive pressure! This unit will come with the software, and will swap out with the current black box. Using a laptop I could copy the Vortech timing programing and then start tuning fuel and timing for my setup. All for $530.

I am in the process of determing if I want to go this route(and still have the stock ECU) or double the price go with an AEM EMS and lose the imobilzer.

I am also waiting for my stock replacement 550cc injectors from RC Engineering, and a smaller pulley and belt from Vortech.

If anyone gets to these mods or uses the FTC1 with a Vortech kit before I get to it, please let me know the outcome!

 

am I hearing this right, a piggyback computer that can modify fuel and timing? If it works out this could be a great alternative to a V-AFC.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by The Unabageler
[B]am I hearing this right, a piggyback computer that can modify fuel and timing?

 

only drawback I see is not being able to change the VTEC engagement.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by hecash
[B]Jenner,

What do you mean by "stock" replacement 550 cc/min injectors from RC?

 

VAFC + FTC1 is what I would be running, no reason you couldn't run the two. Esp since we both have the $$ invested in it. If we went AEM EMS we could control fuel/timing and VTEC all in the same place and eliminate 3 boxes(for me anyways, VAFC, stock ECU and vortech custom FTC).

And there is no harness.

 

It would be nice if Vortech offered the FTC-1 with a baseline program as an optional upgrade for their SC kit. I wonder why they didn't use it to begin with. It probably would've had fewer problems... But maybe the stock ECU is more flexible with the fuel maps using some sort of auto learning capability. There has to be some rationale for using the black box for timing control only other than just cost cutting, or maybe not.

But I'm seriously thinking about the FTC-1. Sounds like a logical upgrade, along with injectors.

MG

 

Probably in that they didn't want to change the fuel for each car, just the timing and let the ECU handle fuel. One less variable per car to worry about. I am also sure Vortech doesn't sell these kits with us custom tuning them in mind. Too much lilability in that.

But I can't for the life of me figure out how they expect us to run a smaller pulley without changing anything, unless the whole system is boost driven and changes according to the amount of boost it sees, but even now our injectors are maxed out and we don't have the proper amount of fuel pressure that we should(this is what I found out just by doing the math on the flow rate of the injectors and the fuel pressure I am seeing on my gauge)

 

Has someone asked Vortech when they make a smaller pulley, if they will replace the timing control box with another one to match boost?

 

That's a big NO.

I don't even know if it would come with a new sized belt!

This is a quote from Trevor:

"We would be willing to make smaller pulleys if people were interested. This would NOT be an official Vortech upgrade. It will NOT be in kit form. We are simply making a part you can buy to make MORE POWER Just a warning: if you decide to increase the boost you should add injectors, tuning and other things to make the motor safer under high boost."

Which he made in this post:
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?...&threadid=81341

Besides even if it did come with a new black box, you still wouldn't be able to custom tune it without the software or a VAFC, and even with that, you are limited to the amount of fuel you can add in. And you can't custom tune the timing in either case.

The software is key.