Tuning ... You’re Only As Good As Your Tools

[Headsex]

Never attempted anything like this before so I figure; why not.

I dread getting a car with a "Crap" cooler, such as a Monza cooler/wog cooler, or a FPV F6 Cooler as examples...

Main reason for this is during a dyno run, air temps go from a starting temp of approx 90F to 130-140F degrees. This introduces 2 Problems: Above 100F is where the standard calibrations start pulling timing out for air temp correction, and since the poor cooler cant keep air temps below 100F, there is 3 ways of "getting around" the timing being taken out, I’ll explain both, and explain the pros and cons of doing it.

1) Put more base timing @ 5000->6000rpm than the motor can normally handle.

Pros: when air temp starts correcting the base table due to the increased Air temp, it still has enough timing in it to produce the power.

Cons: On a really really cold night, when the intercooler is working better than it normally does, suddenly you’re faced with too much Timing, and the result = ping ping ping high in the rpm.

As an example(without referring to a calibration file), at 5000rpm, a XR6T Engine likes approx 10-11 degree's timing at say 15psi. So, you put 14degree's base timing at 5000rpm. During the dyno run, the air temp jumps to 135F, it would pull out approx 3.5 degree's, totaling 10.5 degree's timing. On a very cold night, let’s just say air temp only rises to 110F; it would only pull out approx 1 degree timing, totaling 13degree's timing. Too much timing and ping ping...

2) Adjust the amount of Air Temp correction.

Now before I explain the pros and cons here, I’ll explain a little more about this pair of tables. Ford spent considerable time in calibrations setting up this table, mainly using simulated mathematics (quite a lot of the calibrations are done via mathematics, especially the speed density tables, before the engines are even started). What I have noticed with the air temp correction, is it a little bit aggressive, to be on the safe side of things

An example again: If you changed the amount of correction it pulls out at 135F (which is where the intercooler temp approx rises to during a run), how do you know if you have the correct linear relationship.

If you made it pull out 2.5 degree's instead of 3.5 at 135F, how do you know at 100F, the base timing is going to be right remembering this is a modifier of the base (borderline) spark table? (I.e., for a colder night)

I highly doubt ANY tuner will know the answer to this without doing some massive mathematical calculations... Unless you could simulate it.

3) Basically the same as number 2, but set it so after say 5000rpm @ 135F, it doesn’t do any air temp correction... brings you to the same problems as number 2, unless you could simulate it, it’s a blind guess.

Based on my experiences with a FPV F6 cooler, or a Monza cooler, on the street, air temps rise to approx 135F as well. And on a hot day, the air temps don’t drop below 110F. (And you wonder why your car doesn’t perform well on hot days like it does on cold.)

So really, unless you could simulate this, it was really just a blind guess based on experience, "It worked last time I did it". But ask yourself this. If a tuner tunes your car during the day. Is he in your car on a cold cold night when it’s pinging? Also in my experience 90% of people here don’t know what pinging sounds like, and usually keep their foot berried in the pedal, Very bad!

Now, why am I talking about all this?

Many of you might not have known, but Mario’s relocated "Autotechnique" to a new location. from Rowville, to Knoxfield, with main front onto Ferntree Gully road (just near scorsby road intersection).

Mario dreaded his previous dyno setup (which is like 95% of workshops have), it was pit based, so it was a pain to tie down, and no real proper air circulation, cars got hot with just a normal fan in front, and exhaust gases were not extracted properly with the extraction fan, leaving you smelling like you've been playing in a pool of petrol and exhaust gases after a tuning session.

So he decided to build a proper dyno cell, with good air intake, good exhaust extraction, and sound proofing it.

As I checked in a number of times whilst Mario's new factory was being built, I saw the entire build process of the dyno cell. From the wooden frame, to the sound/thermal insulation, installation of the 2 huge fans on the roof, and the ducting. He has also upgraded his dyno, purchased a 4WD Mainline dyno, which is above ground, not pit based, making tying down cars easy.

Last night was the first time I saw the cell in action. When I arrived, Mario was in the Dyno Cell tuning a LS1, with cams, and a loud exhaust. I could barely hear a noise from the outside, I actually assumed Mario was idling making changes, but he had ran it up a number of times whilst I watched from the outside, only hint giving being vibrations a dyno normally gives through the ground. I didn’t realize how loud it actually was until I went into the cell.

Once the car was out, I immediately noticed, there was no horrible fumes stuck in the air (there shouldn’t have been honestly looking at the setup). I also sampled the air coming into the cell, and it was pretty hard to stand up against it at full speed as you can do funky things like base incoming air speed based on vehicle speed, or just set the fan on a %. Since there was a intake fan, and a extraction fan, you can vary the speeds to cause a positive pressure, or a vacuum like effect (bloody makes opening the door impossible)

7/02/2008, 9pm, Tuning a XR6T @ Autotechnique

Mods: Valve springs, 60lb Dekas, Redback Catback exhaust, Monza Cooler

The initial run, were quite impressive... the combination of the extraction fan, and sound deadening walls, drew the exhaust gases and quieted the noise down quite considerably. So much so that we could hear detonation/pinging inside the car just as well as the engine bay spotter hanging over the engine bay listening for pinging (many of you may have witnessed this at nizpro dyno days, where one of the guy sits next to the front wheel, usually with his hand ready to tap on the windscreen when he hears detonation).

So initially, I found things were more pleasurable. No Fumes, Quiet even with car at full noise, and we could hear detonation.

Now I say we heard detonation. This was high in the rpm. WTF I wondered. Then looking at the data logs. Air temp started at approx 90F, and rose to 105F. WITH A WOG COOLER. I have NEVER seen this happen before, not on a dyno, not on the street. So, as discussed before, I had too much base timing. This was with the fan set at approx 70% I believe. We increased the fan speed to 100%, and we found we could keep the Wog cooler from going over 105F.

Because of this, I was able to adjust Base timing so it was correct at 100F, and then we slowed the fan down so we could let the air temperature heat up during a run, as it would on the street, reaching its high temp of 135F as I’ve always witnessed before, whilst doing this, I also slightly adjusted the amount of Spark correction so it wasn’t as aggressive, but still on the safe side of things.

There we had it... We could simulate a dyno run, keeping air intake temps at approx 100F, and also letting them rise to 135-140F. And in turn, "correctly" adjusting the Intake Air temp Correction table.

Power wise, the car only made approx 260rwkw because of a not so good cat.

In Conclusion, This has made tuning a car a hell of a lot more enjoyable than before, as it wasn’t noisy, I didn’t smell, and we could get consistent results.

Ohh... Pictures coming soon.. Just waiting for Mario to email them to me..

[MiKa]

slightly off topic...Danny did you get my pm?

[Headsex]

Yeh I got it.. I havent read it yet.. got a number of them sitting in there

[Fat-Tony]

Mario dreaded his previous dyno setup

I dreaded his old dyno setup also. My car has a habbit of not wanting to stay on that dyno

Edited 07/02/08 11:28 PM by Fatsex

[XRDOSE]

what are you talking about danny? F6 coolers are the best!! hahahaha

[XR06T]

thanks for the write up

[RAP1D]

Great write up Danny!

Maybe you could do the same for some other T's that you tune with more serious mods.

Poeple need to know that a car can react differently once its off the dyno and on the road, with different outside temperatures and more airflow going through.

[BFHOON]

I also agree with the others it was an interesting read and im looking forward to hearing about the next one.

[Headsex]

I'll keep that in mind with the next car I do.. chances are it will be a retune on mine as its been neglected since I've put the full exhaust on..

heck, the tune on my car has been neglected for a hell of a long time..

also, given my recent upgrade to the newer nizpro cooler, it will be interesting to see how the tempreture holds

Edited 08/02/08 04:43 AM by Headsex

[Full Monty]

Yeah keen to see the new Nizpro cooler on the dyno and logged intake temps over repeated runs.

if its nearly as good as Ive been told then its the cooler to have.