Just finished a full installation of Dave's Gold Connector kit on an F355 2.7 and wanted to share the results. The kit I installed consisted of the engine sensors, injector connectors, etc. and both ECU's. Although this is a "do it yourself" type of kit, I'd recommend that if you aren't a patient person or suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder, save everybody a headache and have someone else install the kit! When you have him on the phone chasing things, it cuts into my time picking his brain!! The installation is very straight forward, but you have to ABSOLUTELY TRIPLE CHECK wire colors and their correct place in the connectors. After that, once you get in a rhythm of cutting, stripping, loading the crimper, etc. it goes really smooth. I found when doing the ECU's, I would document the wire colors and placement in the top row, cut those and tie wrap those together. Then continue on to the next row, etc. Then when re-installing them in the new connector, mark all non used slots with a sharpie and stop and double check wires are in the right slot every 3-4 wires. Anyway, on to the results: At start up, I noticed an immediate difference in the idle- once up to temp and everything settled into place the idle was lower (just under 1000 rpm) and sounded more powerful. You could actually hear the lope of the cams, instead of the high idle "rotary" type of sound before. This particular car has a Tubi, and it sounds more race car like at idle now. Upon driving, an instant difference in throttle response, a more linear feel in the application of power and a big difference in seat of the pants feel in power! For any of you that think "As long as it's connected, what difference can it make" , believe me, it makes a huge difference! I driven a lot of these cars, and this one feels so much more different now. I wish I would have been able to drive one when they were brand new, to see if this is what Ferrari originally intended.
Your results are 100% exactly what I experienced on my 550M. After doing the gold kit I have so much more respect for how well a stock Ferrari can run. There is a quiet revolution started in the Ferrari world and SRInovations started it. DaveHelms could have kept all this secret for his clients but shared this with the world at great risk to himself. If there was ever a "Thank You for making my Ferrari Better" award Dave got my vote. He should be on everyone's Xmas list. We owe him bigtime!
True!! My next goal is to get my engine dyno up and running, to get some numbers on paper. These improvements, along with other improvements , we're just beginning to see how great these things can run. I need to check the connectors on my supercharged Jag to see it they use the same type. If it makes this much difference on a naturally aspirated engine, just think what it would do for a boosted engine.
Enginefxr, did you perform the install with the motor in the car or out of the car? Just curious. Thank in advance!
In the car. Only tight areas are RH side front two injectors (oil tank) and the RH ECU harness had a few short wires.
I just completed my gold kit upgrade a couple weeks ago and have to agree. Especially with respect to the comments about idle. I swear, the car feels stronger every time I drive it - which I know is impossible - perhaps my confidence in it just keeps going up and I push it harder? Anyway, the thing is a BEAST now. Greg, man, you shoulda paid me to do it while it was at Cavallo!
Got my 348 back from SR last Thursday. Dave and Niki did a LOT of work on my engine including full gold connector kit. The engine idle is so smooth you can't tell it is running other than the exhaust note, smooth as silk. And I have to agree about the smoothness in the throttle, the responsiveness is so accurate. A completely different car to what it was when it went in to the shop.
Thanks all for the kind words. The FUN part..... this is just the Maintainance portion, the fun stuff is soon to follow. I needed these cars working properly BEFORE we started "Optimising" what Ferrari gave us. Yes, these cars have a good bit more to offer in completely stock, emissions compliant form. I am still working with rough prototype's and the results are quite enlightening. Actually Gary... we were chasing all of these same problems when the cars were new and I was doing PDI's before delivery to the new owners. I'm rather sure we never did feel what these cars had to deliver when they were showroom new. How much did these problems have to do with engine and exhaust component reliability? I can only speculate. What I never expected were equal results on the CIS cars.
I too have installed the gold kit in my 90 TR.. Made a tremendous difference.. and yes you feel it more in the seat of your pants.. It made a world of difference.. The kit is complete and quality all the way through.. You must take your time and write down wire positions.. I agree that once you do a few you get the hang of it.. This is not something you do in a day or two.. Take your time maybe do two or three connectors per day till the job is complete. I think this should be on everyones to do list. Thanks again Dave.. R
Rick, I don't think I could afford your hourly rate! (Actually we have a guy in the engineering department at work who used to be a data acquisition specialists for several World Challenge teams. He's really good at electronics and wiring so when the time comes, I think he can help me.) Glad to see you are happy with the results. We rely on the early adopters like you to tell the rest of us to do it.
If i wanted this kit how would i go about purchasing it? and getting it delivered into the UK sounds like a great thing to do to my 5.2 355
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=298341&highlight=F355+University I hope to order a kit from David in the near future and get this task this coming summer.
When all of the refinements are done I will provide it to Daniel, they know how to market it, I know how to design it, make it work and fit. Each installer to date has made suggestions for improvements and I am following through on each and every one. With each of these improvements in progress it has to be considered a Work in Progress which would be a terrible burden on the Parts Suppliers at this point. As it stands now it is perfectly doable, fully functional and well out of Beta with proven results but these suggested improvements have made it vastly easier, quicker and trouble free to install. New tool design prototypes were shipped to me Friday, new parts shipped from Belgium last Wed. and parts from Germany are still MIA... it keeps getting better. Where multiple install's of a given system have made no notable difference or change, we dropped them as I have no want for this to be any more expensive or involved than is required. When something that was an option was changed to being included in the Std. kit, it was because it was proven to be required. Everything included has a reason to be so based on both in-field and in-house testing. New part numbers will have to replace the terms currently being used in house such as "Scott's Effort", "Eric's Extension", Fatso's Tool", "Robbie's Plug", "Spasso's Connector" (Stop it! I am still talking about Gold Kit components)..... Each that has helped with this to date (there are a good many more than mentioned here) has my deepest appreciation! They are the ones that prodded me to keep moving forward with this project and deserve a good deal of credit. Yesterday and today's effort brings about the creation of the kit for the 512TR and 456.
Oh man, I don't know how I missed this thread - Dave's kit IMO is ESSENTIAL to make our cars run how they were intended. The difference in the performance and reliability of my car was night and day after installing one of the early beta kits. For a review of the install process, pictures and my results, please see: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=236795
+1 I truly believe it is a *must do* to every car that comes through the door. Hopefully we'll be doing some dyno testing soon to get results on paper. This isn't a sales pitch.....I was really amazed at how much better they run after installation. Here is a copy of the email I received after installing the kit: Gary, I had a chance to drive the car a bit last weekend and I have to say it drives pretty damn well. No check engine lights and power delivery is smoother like you mentioned. The idle is also less lumpy as before. Thanks again for taking care of everything!
YES YES YES...this is an absolute must do item. I would not do any performance mod's to the 355 without first installing the new version of Scuderia Rampante's Gold Connector kit. Even if you have no apparent issues you will most definitely notice an improvement in your car....I'd bet that it runs better than a brand spanking new car from the factory period....
Dave has added new connectors for various electrical components....O2 sensors, coil connectors, and other items that were not available when the kits where first offered. I would suggest you pm Dave since he knows what was sent to you. I think he now has the ecms plugs also.
Do you have the new tool he made? Not only is it super functional but worth every penny just to have that thing to show off in your tool box. For an old man he still has alot of class..lol
