Better Tune?
07-02-2008, 03:34 AM
#12
TECH SAVANT
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Saint Augustine, FL
Posts: 10,938
RE: Better Tune?
OK, here's my 2ยข worth; buy a tuner and learn how to do it yourself. [/align][/align]In the first, no one was born knowing how to tune an engine,even the grand gurus started out knowing absolutely nothing about it; nor is thereany magic or special knowledge required that cannot be obtained by reading, asking questions of others (I just Googled "tuning modern EFI engines" and got 7300 hits), and doing it.[/align][/align]Secondly, a dynamometer is just a toolthat makes measuring the effects of changes to an engine's tuning easier to determine, that's all; it also has no mystical or spiritual qualities that uniquelyqualify it as the only tool. It's convenient and allows one to set up a shop and charge people money to do something thatthey could probablydo for themselves if they took the effort to learn how to do it.[/align][/align]A G-Tech or other accelerometer based instrument and a track or stretch of lonely road is arguably a better and more real world tool. For that matter an experienced butt-dyno (mostly one tuned to filter out increased intake and exhaust noise as a sign of increased power), can be almostas effective as either of the tools mentioned above. [/align][/align]Don't get me wrong here, my car's been up on the drums 4 timesin the 1-1/2 yearsI've owned it. Once a couple days after I got it to get a baseline, and then on 3 other occasions the gauge my progress.On the last two runs I did my own "dyno tuning" as the shop I use has no problem with me tweaking things between runs.[/align][/align]Serious tuning of f/i engines (serious as in pushing AFR to the optimal edge) requires a wideband O2 sensor, for n/a application it is highly recommended unless you know deep down inside what pinging sounds like.[/align][/align][/align]The Sniper Special Forces is a great package to start with as it is far more versatile and configurable than anything else in it's class, plus you can tune two cars with it right out of the box and it has a very competent PC based (you will need a notebook PC) data logger.[/align][/align]Just input the information about your car (see the screenshots below) and the SF software will build a custom tune based upon the information you provide. This is exactly the same thing that happens when you provide information to a handheld or chip vendor and they send you a "custom" tune; except that you are doing it and are not dependent on someone else(and paying more $$) tomake future changes.[/align][/align]Once the basic custom tune has been built you canupload (flash) it into your PCM and do some driving and data logging. The tune can then be reloaded into the Sniper Special Forces software and tweaked (fuel and timing) across 3 rpm ranges at WOT (500-2500, 2500-4000, 4000+), timing can also be tweaked globally, and fuel may be tweaked globally for both part and full throttle.[/align][/align]Sniper SF screenshots:[/align][/align]
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07-02-2008, 08:49 AM
#14
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: smokelahoma city, ok
Posts: 1,099
RE: Better Tune?
just order the handheld from brenspeed. have them write you your tunes. then once you get some mods/finished modding.....THEN take your sct tuner with you to the dyno shop and have them tune it to your new mods.
07-02-2008, 12:52 PM
#16
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: smokelahoma city, ok
Posts: 1,099
RE: Better Tune?
no problem...
just an fyi...brenspeed is the number one ranked custom sct tuner in the world. they buy their tuners blank, and dont put any tunes on them untill you/a customer calls them and orders some tunes. at this point they ask you for your current mod list, and which 3 tunes you want (the standard 3 of course being 89, 89, 93octane)...ie standard tunes, race gas tunes, valet tunes ect. THEN they write you the tunes and send you the tuner. these are some of the reason many people go with brenspeed. that and they write some kick ***/potent tunes.
just letting you know, so you will go into it knowing....but since they dont write the tunes untill you place your order, the tuner wont ship out the day you order. its usually about 2 weeks before they send it. but the wait is WELL worth it.
just an fyi...brenspeed is the number one ranked custom sct tuner in the world. they buy their tuners blank, and dont put any tunes on them untill you/a customer calls them and orders some tunes. at this point they ask you for your current mod list, and which 3 tunes you want (the standard 3 of course being 89, 89, 93octane)...ie standard tunes, race gas tunes, valet tunes ect. THEN they write you the tunes and send you the tuner. these are some of the reason many people go with brenspeed. that and they write some kick ***/potent tunes.
just letting you know, so you will go into it knowing....but since they dont write the tunes untill you place your order, the tuner wont ship out the day you order. its usually about 2 weeks before they send it. but the wait is WELL worth it.
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