I love my J&S Vampire!!!

Smokin04

Pump Gas KING!
Established Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2005
Messages
565
Location
East Coast
First you can view the install here:
Smokin04's build thread! - Page 17

or on my YouTube channel.

A little news/update...My tuner and I had some time to do some tuning this week. We decided to for-go a dyno (for now) and do some street tuning, and boy what a difference! We also got to break in the J&S Vampire. Let me tell you...that Vampire is an absolute marvel of technological advancement, and I can't recommend it enough to SVTP (as well as anyone who cares about their engines) members. The break-down:

We crept up on the target goal of 18 pounds (93 octane of course)...but 18 psi was triggering the Vampire above 5000 rpm. I looked over everything and saw that my boost controller was bringing boost DOWN to 18.4 psi...which means I had a bit too much requested. Also, we had 19 degrees of timing on the big end. So, I turned down the BC to see around 14-15 psi. Made another pull with no changes to the tune or the Vampire. At 14.7 psi, no Vampire lights and the car pulled cleanly to redline (6800 rpm) in every gear. Raised boost to 17ish psi, and made another hit...trace knock on the Vampire. After discussing with my tuner...we decided to knock timing down 2* to 17* up top and re-engage. On 17* I ran 15, 16, 17, and finally 18 psi with no knock on the vampire. Another note, I had the Vampire set at about 25% sensitivity which was the magic spot for my car. I also had it on universal 20*, which you definitely felt on a pull. It was like the car was pulling, pause, pulling, pause, pulling, redline. I actually thought it was my BC pulling boost from it's built-in safety feature. But nope, it was the Vampire pulling 20* across the board. You could see the tach needle almost stop when it was retarding...really neat if you ask me. Once we got the timing dialed in, I put the Vampire back on individual cylinder mode and only 10* retard. So now the car can rip 18 psi on straight 93 octane (with 9.2:1 compression) and no traces of knock...and depending on weather, the Vampire will always let me know when to turn it down a bit. The Vampire is SIMPLY AMAZING! When I think about it...how much damage could have been done in just that short amount of time? 2-3 pulls with load and knock that you couldn't hear...and let me tell you something, if you think you can hear knocking/detonation at WOT on the street under power, you're wrong! You couldn't hear anything but wastegates on my runs which means in just a few pulls, the Vampire kept my engine happy until we sorted the tune out. Even the BEST TUNERS don't know what the car will be happy with on the first pulls. Even my tuner made the comment that he was against it at first, saying that he felt it was a "gimmick product." But after he saw (and felt) it function first hand in the enviornment that these cars all live on, he was quickly converted and highly impressed, as was I. In reality, the Vampire allows a tuner to quickly get an idea of where the knock threshold is and base their targets on a "REAL KNOCK THRESHOLD", not a made up, or industry standard one. Which for customers would equate to less time on the dyno, less time chasing theoretical targets, and overall a smaller bill on the dyno. I feel that the Vampire will absolutely make up for its cost several times throughout it's life on your vehicle. It saved my engine from knock just this past week...that alone is worth the investment for me.

Future considerations: We still have to break out the nitrous as well, but I can safely say that I do NOT worry about running spray AND boost on pump as long as the Vampire is there. I will absolutely get more into the features of the Vampire in the near future. It has a nitrous retard feature built-in and I will break those in as well. Expect a full write-up in a few weeks. I'm not going to change the tune at all, and I'm going to hit the car with 100 shot using just the Vampire to retard the timing while the spray is on...of course all on pump gas.

J&S Electronics SafeGuard Indivdual Cylinder Knock Control

Look and admire...this thing flat out works! It will pay for itself the first time it activates.:rockon:
 

MoKo_03SVT

=]~
Established Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2009
Messages
2,630
Location
Smoke-La-Homa City
yup...the vampire is bad ass. there is another member on here running one as well. seems like they really work well, and do exactly what they were designed to do. pretty cool...also an excellent way to keep from blowing your motor! haha.

:rockon:
 

fbody83

Z06 to Raped Ape
Established Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2003
Messages
1,350
Location
CT
Nice write up, this sounds like a great piece of equipment. I was reading up on it a few weeks ago and I'm surprised more people aren't running it. It's cool to see your results too as I am in the process of getting my new 9.2:1 motor tuned and I'll be running about 15 psi on 93. I have a whipple though so it's a bit different but I'll have to ask my tuner what the plans are for total timing.

How hard was the install?
 

Smokin04

Pump Gas KING!
Established Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2005
Messages
565
Location
East Coast
It took me 3 hours stopping to take pics and videos of the install. It was not hard at all, if you're good with wiring. John makes it easy with his connectors.
 

Sagittaria

Member
Established Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2010
Messages
536
Location
St Paul, MN
So the knock sensor just gets bolted to the side of the block via a 8mm or 10mm width bolt? Just wondering with the non-provisioned knock sensor iron blocks... I can think of a couple empty bolt holes next to the motor mounts.

How did you determine that 25% was the appropriate sensitivity level? Do you monitor knock via a gauge or anything since it's under the seat now that it's tuned?

And what type of fittings did you use for your PCV Remote Breather (line to valve cover)?

Nice job! :beer:
 
Last edited:

MalcolmV8

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2003
Messages
7,353
Location
Tampa, FL
Yup they are awesome. I just bought three of them a few weeks ago.

IMAG1491_resized.jpg


IMAG1492_resized.jpg


I love the auto timing pull for nitrous too. I have it wired so as soon as the nitrous solenoid activates so does the vampire. It's my safety in case my meth ever fails and I tune all my own cars and as you noticed it's one hella good tool for that. Makes you think no car should ever be tuned without one.
 

oldmodman

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Messages
16,543
Location
West Los Angeles
It's an amazing device. I have either run them, or seen them run on 2,3,4,5,and 8 cylinder engines. Both auto and motorcycle, air and liquid cooled and it has saved them all from over aggressive timing, running out of meth in an injection system, and even a fuel pump failure with the resulting lean detonating condition.

After seeing the number of "saved" engines I'll never run without one again.
 

raym5_0

on 3 u go
Established Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2009
Messages
1,187
Location
Michigan
took a quick glance at the Vampire Eight channel '99 and later Ford COP Instructions.

how is one knock sensor going to accurately detect detonation in each cylinder.....seems a knock sensor per each cyl bank would be needed.:shrug:
 

MalcolmV8

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2003
Messages
7,353
Location
Tampa, FL
took a quick glance at the Vampire Eight channel '99 and later Ford COP Instructions.

how is one knock sensor going to accurately detect detonation in each cylinder.....seems a knock sensor per each cyl bank would be needed.:shrug:

Nope one sensor. As it detects knock it knows which cylinder just fired. That's the cylinder that just knocked. Retard timing to that one cylinder on the next firing cycle.
 

DSG2003Mach1

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Premium Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2004
Messages
15,910
Location
Central Fl
Ive got one going in my build, glad to hear another success story

smokin - did you use the msd harness setup or splice into the wires? My concern with our coil pack covers was the extra wiring causing them not to seal and getting water in the back coil pack tubes.

as for detecting which cylinder Malcolm has it right, when it detects knock it looks at which ignition coil just fired and retards timing to that individual cylinder (if set in that mode). Another really cool thing, in my opinion, is that it tried to put a little timing back to the detonating cylinder and keeps doing that until its back to commanded timing
 

raym5_0

on 3 u go
Established Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2009
Messages
1,187
Location
Michigan
might have to pull the trigger and purchase the Vampire...another hit to the slush fund....these cobras are a magnet to mods...
 

MalcolmV8

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2003
Messages
7,353
Location
Tampa, FL
smokin - did you use the msd harness setup or splice into the wires? My concern with our coil pack covers was the extra wiring causing them not to seal and getting water in the back coil pack tubes.

Not directed to me I know but how I installed mine was under the passenger's seat and then just taped each coil pack wire at the ECC. Very clean and simple install that way.
 

DSG2003Mach1

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Premium Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2004
Messages
15,910
Location
Central Fl
Not directed to me I know but how I installed mine was under the passenger's seat and then just taped each coil pack wire at the ECC. Very clean and simple install that way.

thats what Im leaning towards doing...I have 2 vampires uninstalled one for the lightning setup for msd harness and the other not but Im selling the Lightning so I'll be selling a vampire too....think Im gonna sell the one setup for the msd harness and keep the other to install like you did
 

MalcolmV8

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2003
Messages
7,353
Location
Tampa, FL
Here's a pic from when I was installing showing location of the Vampire. Sitting next to it is the meth injection controller.

IMAG1509_resized.jpg
 

SlowSVT

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2004
Messages
8,272
Location
Los Angeles
Here is a good knock sensor location on the Boss 5.0 block :) It's a 6 mm thread.

Boss50blockrearcylindervally3.jpg


"dead center" is the best location where it will "hear" all 8 cylinders on an equaul basis :coolman:
 

MalcolmV8

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2003
Messages
7,353
Location
Tampa, FL
Here is a good knock sensor location on the Boss 5.0 block :) It's a 6 mm thread.

Boss50blockrearcylindervally3.jpg


"dead center" is the best location where it will "hear" all 8 cylinders on an equaul basis :coolman:

Directly under the blower though? not sure if that's a bad thing or not.
 

DSG2003Mach1

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Premium Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2004
Messages
15,910
Location
Central Fl
Here's a pic from when I was installing showing location of the Vampire. Sitting next to it is the meth injection controller.

thats where I have my sat radio and ipod controllers mounted as well...I hate wiring, not looking forward to that and the BAP
 

Ironhand

Banned
Joined
Jul 27, 2005
Messages
8,321
Location
.
Why did you buy 3 of them Malcolm?

Add one more thing to the list for me. And to think I thought I was getting closer. lol
 

MalcolmV8

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2003
Messages
7,353
Location
Tampa, FL
Why did you buy 3 of them Malcolm?

Redundancy. No j/k. See sig, the 03 cobra, my turbo'd civic I built and the GT500. I'm tuning(ed) all three of those and this is an invaluable piece of insurance. The civic's been running very conservative boost and had a bunch of timing pulled till I got my vampire. Then I can safely turn things up and not blow stuff up while dialing in the tune.
 

Users who are viewing this thread



Top