I finally got all the bits installed on my tuning laptop and took some time to do my first 100% solo tune. I've tuned a lot of cars but always with someone experienced in tuning watching over my shoulder. This time it was all me... kinda scary at first.

Nothing major changed but this is just a dial-in tune so I was focused mostly on stabilizing the stock tune and taking care of things like tire size, gear ratio, adaptive learning timing, fan on/off temps, and the obligatory rev and speed limiters.

It was kinda odd with some of the built in limits. My box code of XSH1 had a default rev limit in 2 steps.. first at 6050rpm and 2nd at 7000... on a 2V engine! Apart from that the FACTORY speed limit was set at 180mph so I dropped it to 150 cuz I don't go faster than that pretty much ever. I dropped the rev limiters a bit too.. I shift at 5K where the motor leans over on its face so the extra rev wasn't getting me anything. Didn't take it too far but it's down a little.

Process is actually pretty easy all things considered. Tinker on the laptop, upload to my XCal2, upload tune to the car, done. The Advantage III software from SCT is really cool though. It gives you useful and accurate info on just about every parameter, how it can be changed, how it should be changed, and what else you have to change when you change it.

I don't expect anything power wise from this tune but I needed the practice so I figured what the heck.

Discuss.

 

I've always wanted to try the race software. Did you play with any of the timing settings? Or have you not gotten into that? I'd like to get my hands on the pro-racer kit just to fiddle with it.

 

I added adjustability to the tune on the XCal2 so I can tinker with the timing and fuel without eating another burn (you get 100 burns with the kit). I put enough room in the handheld to bump the timing from 2-8 degrees depending on where in the RPM band and enough fuel trim to even out any rich/lean areas. For fuel it only does it on the handheld for WOT but I'll be needing to tinker with the part throttle settings as well.

Thankfully SCT likes to tune based on MAF transfer function so there's no real hassle with getting super deep into the tables. As long as the MAF is turning in the right values the correct amount of fuel will be added regardless of weather, load, etc...

Screenshots don't really do the system justice... there's just sooooo much in there to be toyed with (though you'll probably only ever tinker with a couple tables and a few minor settings like I've already done). If you have the stomach for reading and understanding a few hundred pages of user manual and you understand the finer points of timing, fuel, load and voltages it's really well within reach. If math isn't your strong suit... probably should just have it done for you. There is a lot of multiplying and dividing to normalize numbers across ranges when you start getting more advanced.

 

Yeah i've seen the screen shots I figured that it wouldnt do any justice. SCT has come a long ways. I run the Live Link when I do track passes and when I do new mods to compare the graphs to see changes. But I know that the pro package lets you do so much more.

You should get yourself some time on the dyno so you can play with it on there.

 

That's in the works. I'm not too interested in doing that much to my current motor. The 5.4 is about a month from being installed if all goes well and then I'll really go nuts and spend a day on the rollers getting it all dialed in.

 

Well at least you have a practice motor to play with in case something goes wrong.

Hey is the pro package bascially tune on the fly while the car is running or do you have to load the tune everytime you change a parameters?

 

You gotta load it.

 

How much did it cost. And how does Adaptive learning timing work if the 2V's do not have a knock sensor?

 

that's a helluva good question. I don't have any idea. There's adaptive learning for fuel delivery and timing. I'm not sure what sensors it's using to figure out what it needs but I know it's supposed to learn because the table was filled in with my stock tune. cobra's I think have a knock sensor, so do any 5.4L truck so there's always the option of adding one and swapping ecu's and a little wiring.

The kits cost about 600 bucks usually, up to 900 is possible depending on which kit you get. You should also spend the 300 bucks to have a wideband O2 in the car. I may install mine today.

And while I can datalog in realtime, there's no on the fly tuning. With the way the Ford EEC does its learning there are tables that you should zero out or reset with each tune change (according to some 3rd party info and MMFF) to avoid the tune corrupting itself and to improve drivability. That makes live tuning a little difficult. FAST and similar systems may allow that but I don't konw of any package taht allows OTF tuning for Ford gas engines other than tune switching... which isn't the same since a whole new tune is loaded rather than changing a value here and there.

 

What about the Anderson PMS? You can tune on the fly with it.

 

isn't that a standalone system that uses the ECU as a sensor source and not a simple tuner?