Over targeted load and low on power

[KKFatso]

Long story short, bought a used Gen1 3 MPS with a rebuilt engine with a CX7 bottom. Last owner had shot a rod through the original block and since the rebuild by a Mazda repair shop has been struggling to make proper power. And here I am.
This car had a 324 hp hypertech tune on it before the rod wanted to explore the outside world with some supporting mods and was running like that since 2010.

Mods done to the vehicle:
Racepipe
2.75'' exhaust
Upgraded RMM
Upgraded TMIC
Forge BPV with blue spring
One step colder NGK plugs
CS HPFP internals
Enhanced K04 CHRA (+10% flow supposedly)
3 port EBCS running in interrupt mode
CS 3'' power series intake
EGR tube delete with EGR disconnected
Teflon intake gaskets

I'm running a modified VT High Load tune. Modifications being in the BC adjustments for 3 port EBCS and currently very low values in base BC table to tune in the new enhanced K04.

Now the issue. As far as I have learned and understand looking at the WOT logs the car quickly jumps over targeted load, pulls the WGDC to 0 due to this, but the boost and load stay up only tapering off at the higher rpms as expected. AFRs look good at wot and fuel trims with the new CS 3'' intake are -3 to -5 so not terrible. Outside temp currently 5°C. Virtual dyno states that I'm at around 200 whp and it feels slow...
I have gone through forums and some similar issues have been fixed by replacing the MAF sensor, but they also had great AFR discrepancies and high fuel trims which I'm not seeing in mine. Therefore I'm not sure what to do next. Maybe I'm looking from a wrong place or not learned enough to recognize the actual issue. I would like for some of you experts to give a look and say what you are seeing in my logs and help me identify the issue. 3rd wot log csv and vtlog attached.

[mituc]

Would you mind posting the tune file as well? We need to correlate with what we see in these logs...
Also, the log looks mostly ok, the only issue is that you're running at spring rate for the load you're commanding, meaning there';s a problem with the boost control (wastegate actuator nt responding, improperly connected EBCS, cracked or disconnected boost like from the compressor housing to the wastegate actuator). As an effect the ECU controls the load by closing the throttle a bit.

[KKFatso]

Tune attached. I have a MAC 35a valve acting as an EBCS. All new vacuum lines, 6mm hose from compressor nipple to port 3, port 1 to TIP and port 2 to WG. As far as I have researched this setup should be okay. Electrical part still to check, but manual test showed the WG actuated when applying 7psi to it. So that seems fine also. Might I be undertuned in regards of the loads? Of course this does not explain the boost hang at 0 WGDC. I'm guessing this should fall no matter what when at 0?

[mituc]

Ok, indeed, the tune is doing what it is supposed to do, you only have a problem with the boost control. This means that to achieve and even overshot the load targets running at 0 WGDC is enough and it's even necessary to pull some throttle back.

So what i think is happening:
1. the wastegate is somehow closed shut, so no boost (or not enough) is coming into the wastegate actuator via the EBCS;
2. luckily the bypass valve opens and is saving you from overboost, which is the reason why you get high/decent MAF readings but low power.
So what I'd do:
1. investigate what's up with the EBCS setup. remember, on the MAC valve port 3 is the middle one, #2 in the left, #1 right. Make sure the lines are not disconnected, cracked, choked;
2. get a better bypass valve - I suspect you're still on the stock one.

[KKFatso]

Thanks for the reply. Winter is over and time to get the MS3 back out again.
I'm running a forge BPV with blue spring. EBCS is setup correctly, but I'm not sure at this time why WGDC at 0 does not relieve enough pressure. Applying pressure to port 3 on the solenoid did open the wastegate which is connected to port 2. Therefore with enough pressure from the turbo the WG should open. Not sure about the stroke of the actuator though.
What about the timing in my log? I'm guessing it's conservative from what I've learned this far. Could this be related to the load spike at the start of WOT and ECU pulling timing even though no knock is present? I'm currently using VT high load tune timing table. Maybe this needs a revision as well with the increased air flow?
Another suspicion I have is a potential restriction in the exhaust causing higher initial loads. It is a 176k km car with a stock DP... Or maybe the single muffler at the end has something in it...
I'm thinking of increasing load targets to mitigate the load spike at 2.5k rpm so the ECU would not panic with boost corrections. What would be a still safe load target at 2.5 and 3k?

[mituc]

Maybe you have a stiffer spring in the wastegate actuator... 17-19PSI? This may explain why the WGDC is 0 all this time.
As for the timing it's definitely way on the conservative side. But it's hard to tell to run a specific value, you will have to explore that yourself on your car with the type of fuel you are running.
If you are on a stock engine I would not target more than like 2.1-2.2 at 3k rpm, as for 2500RPM I would not even think going above 1.7. But of course it also depends what timing you're running, because the cylinder pressure is not dictated only by the amount of air (load) entering the engine. However, if the WGDC is already 0 in those areas there is no way for the ECU to correct load other than closing the throttle (which is pretty obvious in your log).

[KKFatso]

After fiddling around a few months I have finally solved the issue. For starters I upped the max load per gear values and that brought down the cat temps from 850+ to 750+ degrees and the WGDC started doing something. This does not fix the issue that the boost does not drop when WGDC at 0, but it works for now. This of course did not bring back my power. Still 150kw at the wheels according to virtual dyno. From this forum I found a post from 2019 where Shrek had uploaded his log (https://www.versatune.net/forum/viewtop ... =13&t=3324) and I compared that to my logs. I found the values to pretty much match what I was seeing in mine. I pulled his log into VD and compared the graphs with mine. I basically had the same power graph just 30-40kw lower... So then it hit me. If generally speaking 1 degree of timing is around 10hp or 7,5 kw then what if my timing is off? The logs showed the same timing all through the rev range compared with Shrek's log. Therefore something must be lying to the ECU. I had a theory, as I mentioned this engine was rebuilt with an CX-7 block with a new chain and everything which is good but what if they messed up timing. As it was late at night and I did not have any timing tools then I decided to test it by raising the timing in the table by 2 degrees from load 1.75 and up. Went for a ride. Lo and behold, magically 15kw appeared. I was like what. Raised it another 2 degrees and boom 30kw more than before. Another 2 degrees and I was looking at 189kw to the wheels according to VD. Once I made the timing tools (yes, you read that right, DIY), brought the engine to TDC and would you look at that, the crankshaft pulley was offset ~4 degrees from the sensor which was already at one side of the slotted holes. There you go. The repair shop messed up the crankshaft pulley alignment. Bought a new pulley bolt and timed the engine again. Set the sensor to the right tooth and boom. First run 185kw according to VD. 2 years of fault searching is over... I can finally start tuning it...
Moral of the story, can't trust the shops even if they name themselves "Mazda Aid".

Any tips on how to continue with the tuning from here?

[mituc]

After fiddling around a few months I have finally solved the issue. For starters I upped the max load per gear values and that brought down the cat temps from 850+ to 750+ degrees and the WGDC started doing something.

None of this has anything to do with the 0 WGDC issue.
Raising the load limits per gear will have no influence on the cat temps (which are only estimated, there is no sensor there). But raising the load limits and allowing for more load (and boost), this making WGDC do something confirms that you have a wastegate actuator/spring problem. Or may not necessarily be a problem, maybe it's just stiffer, but with a small fast spooling turbo having no control up to 17-19PSI is a problem. 19PSI is not a problem at 3200rpm and above, but 17PSI at 2500-2800rpm it may become a problem over time for both the turbo and the engine.

As for tips to continue - something to keep in mind is that the stock tunes for these cars were designed to run on poor fuel as well. On the fuel cap they say to put 98RON (or more) fuel, but in reality these engines will run fine on 95RON and will not have a problem not even on lower octane fuel that was available back in 2003-2004 when the calibrations for these ECUs were tested initially. Another big step in fuel quality in Europe was made in 2015-2018 (depending on the country) when the fuels moved from E5 to E10, the knock resistance of 95RON rated fuels raised at the same level as the 98RON E5 fuels. So you can surely use more timing, make small step increments (2 degrees at a time may be a bit too optimistic once you approach the limits) and see where you land.