Gus

Ok - I have started the install of a Varioram off of a 97 993 on to a 964. Right now are in the process of changing over the wiring and the vacuum lines to work with the Varioram system. But I have taken some pictures to give you a look at what is going on.
1. First pic is just the Varioram on work bench
2. Pic of new ECU installed behind driver seat - you can see the USB plug for set up - other wires to the right are for a wide band O2 and dual 6 coil packs wiring and vacuum line.
3. Back of engine bay - showing oil lines that have to be changed over going to oil tank
4. This is the fuel pressure regulator - on the 964 it is mounted to the bottom of the intake manifold - so it has to be remounted in same location to block
5. Start of the bracket to mount the Fuel pressure Reg
6. Fuel pressure Reg installed on mount
I hope these are posted in the order I loaded-

Still have along way to go - but project is interesting and I hope will provide results I am hoping for - more to come

axl911

Interesting.
Are you retaining the barn door air flow sensor of the 964 or going to the MAF of the 993?

Also keeping the throttle body of the 964 with its associated idle switches?

What power/torque gain do you expect from this?

AOW162435

'jmarch' on the 993 forum installed a Varioram setup on his '95. He may be a good resource for you.


Andreas

Gus

Neither - with the new ECU there is no need, data is pulled from the MAP/ TPS/ and other sensors- - No to the 964 throttle body also - the varioram has a dual butterfly throttle body that allows a significant more amount of air into the engine - the intake cowl is 3 .5 inch in dia vs 3 in for the 964 -
There is a ISV/IAC control though that the 993 uses very much like the 964 -

Gus

Yes - I have read jmarch's post with interest and have a printed copy that I use as a reference. His conversion was a little easier in that he had a 993 and most hardware mated right up - I'm having to make brackets and get measurements for new wiring, oil lines and vacuum lines as well as make mounts for solenoids.
Oh ! I forgot to post this pic for axl911 - this is the business - intake throttle body of the varioram - you can see the 2 butterfly plates.

NineMeister

When you get to the stage of programming the ecu, for starters set the varioram tubes to switch at 5100rpm & the resonance flap at 5900rpm, you can adjust the final position on the dyno by determining the exact overlap points of the torque curves from dyno pulls with tubes long/short and flap open/closed. If your ecu is anything like Motec is should be a cinch.

mnmasotto

Which ECU system are you using? It does not look like a MoTec ECU box. Are you using the stock wiring harness (I ask because I saw a European based company offering a "ECU upgrade" which allows use of the stock wiring harness)? Great project! I will follow closely.
Thanks mark

Gus

Colin -Thanks for the info - I am pretty sure that the systems may be similiar but I do not know what program you use to communicate with the Motec - I am using Megatuner 2.25 - I am trying MegaLogViewer as a VE table analysis tool - I'll post a couple of pics of the VETable before I made changes and prior to the Varioram install. Am considering installing a EGT sensor for better info feed back.

ACSGP

Can you elaborate why you're going with the 997 Varioram and not the 993 version? Per Colin's advice, I'm considering the 993 Varioram + Motec, or maybe even a stock 993 Tip ECU to keep things OEM.

Gus

ACSGP - Re-read first para - I am using a 97 - 993 varioram - NOT a 997 varioram . You don't need to up grade to a different ECU if you don't want to. I looked into several ways of controlling the 2 different res flaps.
You can use the standard resonance flap of the 964 for one control or for both - Colin suggested this to me - OR you can get a separate activation switch that is RPM controlled that would work to manage the 2nd solenoid at 5900 RPM - - It will probably be a lot easier to tune with the Motec though over playing tune the chip over a period of exchanges - I really don't see much advantage over just changing to a 993 ECU - There is really not that much to gain you would be as well off keeping what you have and adding the RPM controlling switch - and getting a chip set up to do what you want. The best is the MOTEC with Colins help as yo can tune this to take advantage of all changes you make now and in the future. The Motec would give you the flexibility to adapt the ECU to waht ever changes you make - unless you can find some ecu tuning genius in Singapore.

Cupcar#12

There is a Shop in Sing that can do Motec tuning - as in all things there spendy & i'm sure you already know where.

mnmasotto

Gus,
I am I hearing correct? You are using the stock 964 Motronic ECU and wiring harness with the Vram induction system? Please elaborate. I have a 1993 964 ECU and induction system on my 1995 long block. I no it is far from optimal. I want to convert over to a Vram induction system but do not want to fool around with a new wiring harness and having to find a Euro 993 ECU.
Thanks for you time, Mark

ACSGP

Sorry, my bad. Am interested in this, so please keep us posted.

Prob is that I have a Tip, and so have 1 more ECU to worry about. So it's either the Motec + stock 964 Tip ECU, or OEM 993 engine & Tip ECU.

jevvy964

Good luck Gus - certainly looks like fun.

I should be getting back to my Vram mission soon so will be watching this with interest and I'm sure you will be covering some of the hookup issues I'll be dealing with.

Gus

Mark - No - I am using a new programable ECU - But, I did a lot of looking and thinking before I started working on this project. I talked with Colin about options on another post - he suggested that you could use the same resonance flap control that is stock on the 964 as the control for both of the controlled flaps on the varioram. Another option that I looked into was using the stock flap control for the low RPM activation and then adding an RPM controlled switch for the upper RPM control - you can get a RPM controlled switch for around $100, set it to activate at 5800 - 5900 RPM and you have the higher RPM control.
You are going to have to rewire the wiring harness anyway, but only to relocate some of the plugs as the varioram system requires certain relocation or lengthing of wires to reach the new plug locations.
The worst is the A/C hose - as that has to be removed and redesigned to fit in a different location as it can not longer run over the Varioram as it is too tall - the hose needs to come into the engine bay and make a 90 to the rear of the car and then another 90 to run across the front of the engine to the compressor . Also a little modification to the oil tank breather hoses is necessary as the Varioram takes up a lot of the space in the rear where the hoses ran - they just have to be lowered - one needs to be shortened and one need sot be lengthened -
Since I am kid of a tinkerer - I decided that I would opt for a new ECU and experiment with a plug and play ECU program for the 964 guys.