Sean Roe VEC1

[WESTCOAST JASON]

I found that if you cruise at a 'neutral' torque throttle setting and slowly turn the left knob you can find a sweet spot for your car that maximizes the low end power. You will feel the car accelerate slightly when you are in the zone. Sweet product. Can't wait for the VEC2 to be available for everyone! Back when I had NOS on my car the VEC1 was the most noticeable tuning aid I ever owned.

 

[SUN RA KAT]

The VEC1 is a great improvement to the Viper and Sean said I could transfer it to my Ram truck when I get the VEC2 in less than a few weeks.

 

[Indy7]

SUN RA KAT, what kind of hp gains can you expect using the VEC1 on a Ram.
Thanks

 

[SUN RA KAT]

I'm not sure what kind of gains on a Ram the VEC1 will give. I know a gentleman who uses one on his Ram SS/T that runs a 13.41 ET. His Ram is supercharged and mine is not. I will have to do some asking questions at various MOPAR sites to see what the consensus is. If it doesn't give me a nice seat-of-the-pants increase in performance in my Ram, I'll probably sell it to some lucky non supercharged Viper owner.

 

[schorvitz]

Just installed the VEC1 today. My back is killing me

The installation took about 4 hours and the instructions were really great. Only thing is figure 6.2 was not clear and some of the instructions on where to route everything was unclear (again a better 6.2 would help).

I found it much easier to install the computer by taking out the driver's seat. Still, be prepared to bend in places that are not intended to be bent!

Of the two methods of getting the wires through the firewall, I decided to remove the PCM and drill a hole behind it. This seemed to be a better solution than cutting a slit in the clutch master cylinder boot (which, honestly, I couldn't really figure out - even with the shop manual. Again, a better picture would help).

Other recommendations:

1) Have a factory manual handy if you need better drawings or instructions on how to remove/install parts.
2) Sean: Instead of having the connectors already at the ends of the wires that pass through the boot or sidewall you should include them loose so they can be installed on the ends of the wires after you pass them through. This way I wouldn't of had to put such a big hole in the side wall.
3) As it says in the instructions: "Read the manual first."
4) Take the driver's seat out. Not sure how it would have been with a factory seat, but the Sparco 2000's in my car made this necessary (the high sides left no room for my stocky self).
5) Have a powerful flashlight
6) Go slow

Anyway, the thing works great! I followed the "quick" start guide (set the knobs to average setting and then tweak). Driving home my neighbor said the car sounded better - she had no idea what I had been working on all morning. She asked if I had just installed a new exhaust.

I'll be at Road Atlanta Feb 22-23 for the Panoz Track Days event. This will give me more opportunity to tweak further.

Thanks again Sean! Another super product.

 

[schorvitz]

What the heck is a VEC2? I didn't even see this as an option at his Web site. I'm surprised Roe didn't tell me that something better was coming out in a few weeks and that I should wait :-(

Is the VEC2 even an option for me with a '96 GTS? What will the VEC2 do that the VEC1 does not? I hope the installation is the same so I don't have to play contortionist again.

C'est la vie...

 

[schorvitz]

jasontarnutzer,

I am very new to tuning and don't understand what you mean by 'neutral' torque throttle setting. Could you please elaborate?

Thank you!

 

[schorvitz]

Oh! One more thing...

Is the A/F meter supposed to be jumping all over the place as I drive? At idle (no matter where I set the low dial) the car runs at the first red light (lean). Then when I do the 4rth gear 45mph-55mph test the car "bobbles" in the middle of the gauge (+12 or so). When I go back to idle, the car runs at lean. Then when I punch it, I set the high setting so that the A/F meter pegs at the first blue light (rich) as it says in the instructions (-16 I believe).

I think I'm doing this right, I just want to make sure that idle should always be lean, full punch throttle should go to first blue light and when your doing stuff in-between the A/F meter will bounce around a lot.

Also, right after intalling it says in the instructions to test the system by dialing up the low setting and watching the A/F meter go up (to rich). When I started cranking the dial up, it would illuminate the second red, but then go back to first red. Turning the dial at idle didn't seem to do anything, but I can definitely tell (and hear) a difference now that I'm running with the VEC1 dialed in around +12 for low.

 

[SUN RA KAT]

The VEC2 is for the Roe Supercharged Vipers. I'm still waiting for mine & it should be here very, very soon. It's a new product.

Sounds like you have yours installed correctly. Setting the heavy load dial is pretty easy - find a divided highway with very little traffic on it (& no police!), slow down to 40 MPH with your Viper in 5th gear (this is important - a lower gear will have you accellerate so fast that you won't have time to watch the road & the VEC1 LED display) and press the snake pedal to the floor - watch the road with one eye & watch the LED display with your other eye - adjust the heavy load dial until you get just the left blue light to stay lit. I found that on my Viper's VEC1 this would be -20 (the Viper's PCM likes to run way too rich at full throttle).

Setting the low load dial (for me) went like this - find a stop sign or a red light and when it's time to go accellerate normally in 1st gear. If there is a slight bog turn the dial to the + side until the slight bog goes away. On my Viper this was at +12.

I think 'neutral' torque throttle setting would be getting your Viper on a perfectly level road and hold your foot on the snake pedal perfectly still so your speed is perfectly constant and then turn the low load dial. If you turn it the wrong way, you will slow down. If you turn it the right way , you will speed up. If you turn it too far the right way, you should slow down again. Set the VEC1 low load dial where you got your viper to gain speed. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong.)

And one last thing, I called Sean about the LEDs doing a light show while I was driving - I was expecting the LED to stay lit in one place indicating what the dial setting was set at. He told me the LEDs dancing back and forth are the Viper PCM constantly adjusting the a/f mix. If you adjust your VEC1 to too lean the far left red LED will stay lit and when you start your Viper and the engine's cold the left blue LED will stay lit for a few minutes because the cold engine needs a very rich a/f mix, then as it warms up the LEDs will start to do the dance of magic.