Re: Your 89 200 & TAP Chip

[four.rings@MCIONE.com]

Keith Bidne wrote:

> I noticed you have a TAP chip upgrade on your car and 18psi. I have
> an 87 5000CS tq with a TAP chip and WG spring also. It made a big
> difference,
> however I don't have an adjustable WG and have never tested the psi
> inline from the ECU. I'm not crazy with the car and don't "race it" (liar)
> (ok, maybe on the interstate). Just wondering if you have any tips to
> pass along in your experiences. I heard of an adjustable WG cap that is
> available. Co$t ? Should I get the psi checked asap ?

Get a WG cap from an automatic FWD 5000/200. Drill the centre plug out.
Inside you'll see an Allen set screw. Increase the spring stiffness
clockwise, decrease it counter clockwise.

Also I firmly believe that a good analogue boost gauge is very helpful
for diagnostics of the car's health on the fly (both vac/idle and boost)
and absolutely indispensable on a chipped car. Especially with the TAP
chip which does not have the overboost protection/fuel pump cut-off. As
QSHIPQ would say, you're riding on a grenade.
VDO makes several types. Mine came from JCWhitney for $15. Goes from
-30"Hg (vacuum) to +20psi (boost), backlit in red (dont't tell my wife
that I used her nail polish).

> Also, in the last 3 months my temp
> gauge seems to hover at the 12:00 - 12:05 position which kicks on the
> radiator fan. Ambient air temp is only 30-40 degrees here in Wisconsin.

That's where my needle rests most of the time except for prolonged runs
at a high speed with low boost in a cold weather, when the needle would
sit at about 1/3 of the scale.
Mind you, that's with the cold (79°C vs. 87°C stock) thermostat with
four 1/8" holes drilled in it and the 100% water-free Propylene Glycol
Evans racing coolant in a converted for non-pressurised operation
cooling system in my car.
 
-- 
Igor Kessel
'89 200TQ -- 18psi (TAP)
'98 A4TQ -- nothing to declare
Philadelphia, PA
USA