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

[Headsex]

Usually this really effects the ET, not the MPH.

The main difference between auto vs manual is that you cant stall up a manual to get off the line, this effects 60foot, and ET. From what I've seen, man vs auto cars down the quarter share the same mph vs power, Just ET differs.

Edited 26/04/08 02:56 PM by Dagabond

[senna_T]

trust me I know about getting it off the line in a manual, I haven't been able to better a 2.1 with street tyres!

[Headsex]

Danny,

many people modify their base spark or borderline knock table to see the given spark that a car in a particular circumstance will "like".

I am a fan of reducing this table, and using MBT as an "upper limit" depending on how inconsistent the air cooling system is.

Further to this - your spark retard for ACT - have you considered raising the lower levels as a spark adder for premium conditions (cooler) with mods to the mult table itself THEN going into the usual retards as temps rise?

this can greatly reduce knock "learn" and is a technique I picked up tuning our NON intercooled Boss systems, and I have since applied it to the turbo's we tune, esp in the slow correction value.

Its helped me in this situation, may be helpful or not for you.

Regards

Chris

Bluepower Racing Developments.

Yes, I have also tried using MBT as a upper clip, but I found it does funny things with the Traction control, and what I've found after rescaling the timing map, I usually dont touch the mbt, but doing a compare of the MBT vs Borderline table(after factoring in the AFR Spark modifier table), there's still a number of degree's different.

However, what you describe with the ACT modifier, adding more timing when its colder, happens by default in the calibration, although I do modify that to do exactly what you said, add more timing in colder situations for ACT, I've had to pull some out of the ECT modifier when colder.. Heck, people shouldn't be booting their car when engine isnt upto temp anyways.

I've found if im hard on the timing, the ford calibration is 1) too aggressive when its cold(combined with the standard ECT spark modifer), and 2) too agressive retard when over 100F

Onto Blown setups, which your forte lays, I've found in the few blower kits I've tuned, the PD blowers Air temp usually sits around 130F to 140F, and what I usually do is "re scale" the table as such, so that 130F(or 140F) is 0 degree's correction, and anything above or below that gets modified as we've discussed above.

In regards to knock sensing.. on a BA, I spent me many many MANY calibrations trying to get the gains right, Or close. I started with the values from the BA MK2 F6, as this also only has 1 knock sensor, but obviously the gains still needed to be adjusted to suit a higher power level.

With the BF's and having 2 knock sensors.. I only need a little bit of a modifcation to the gain tables as they work very well (once again, I started with F6 values in a XR6T calibration)

But, When tuning, I've found best tune the car with the knock sensors turned off.. 0 retard on both max table and slow learn max table. This gives me the best sense on when the cars are going to detonate.. Once I've finished the tune, I allow 3 degree's max retard around the 4500-5000rpm mark, and 2 everywhere else.. On the slow table I usually leave this at 0, or .5 - 1 or so. I also test this by adding 2 degree's timing in the adder to see if the knock sensors pull it out with no audible ping, and it does it well. If the Max retard values are set higher, it does pull more out than it needs to.. So its still not 100% perfect.. But its better than turning knock sensing off totally like some workshops do..

[Headsex]

Oh, and regards to Borderline table, AFR Spark modifier tables and Knock sensors..

Here's a tip I found works well for me..

The AFR Spark modifier table. I dare say 95% of tuners zero this table out. Which basically makes the Borderline table the "base" spark table as such.. So the numbers in the Borderline table and given you have no spark corrections, is the spark you see finally at the engine.

I shy away from zeroing out that table, let me explains why.. (this is probably the engineering side of me coming out)

The Borderline table is known as the "Base borderline detonation table" in fords books. And associated with this, Its the base borderline spark table at Lambda 1 or 14.64afr.

Now depending on how tight your timing is at cruise and what not, your going to be faced with 2 possible scenaros..

Perfect timing at cruise points, and not enough timing at WOT

or

Too much timing at cruise points (with knock sensors pulling spark out), and perfect timing at WOT.

Now.. Your thinking 2 things.. Cruise timing doesn't really change much at low rpm in relation to AFR.. or more importantly Cruise, and WOT have different load points to determine spark.

But the whole transistion from cruise to WOT is where it makes the difference. Usually what I've found is when the AFR table is zero'd out and there's a transision from cruise to Wot, the very tight timing, sets the knock sensors off and they aggressively pull timing out as there's too much timing at leaner afr's, due to the blend ramp not blending the AFR's richer quick enough.

Sure, you could make your lower spark tables in the cruise area's of the spark map to combat this problem also, but why?

This was a very important step I found to make my knock sensors work better, as I found, regardless of what gain I had setup in the knock sensors, timing just kept getting raped.

Oh, and I might add.. I developed all of this Street tuning.. I dont think this would have been possible to simulate as well on the dyno as you dont "drive" the car on the dyno, you tune at wide open throttle on a dyno..

Edited 15/02/08 01:10 AM by Headsex

[shitbmxrider]

your making my head hurt danny....

[MiKa]

How does all that fit in your head mate?? And im sure there is plenty more too....

[IH8TOADS]

Danny how important are using the specific processor codes in the tunes?

[Headsex]

I try to always use the latest strategy.. Ie, for the BA's, the HAANF strategy is the latest.. Think of bios firmware upgrades, they are basically the same deal. Updated runtime..

But also with the code changes, ford also change the calibration.. ie, A3HD, is the last of the BA(mk2) Auto calibrations, it uses the HAANF strategy. So it has the benefits of better control system, ie, better boost control PI control in comparison to a A3YA (which is one of the first BA ones).. But also with this there are other calibration changes, Ie, more torque restrictions etc.

I always open up both the "labeled" processor code, and the latest strategy code for the family of car. And do a quick comparison, to see what else in the calibration had changes.. albiet that there are tables that the CAPA Advantage3 software doesnt show, so you dont know what else in the calibration has changes behind the scenes.

Oh, and as promised, here's a picture of Marios DynoCell.. Although it was taken with my phone..

If you look at half way along the ramps, you will see they are hinged. These ramps fold in half, and allow the doors to shut (not pictured)

The back of the doors have big ducts traveling down, which directs air from the roof mounted fan, down the door, and then re-angle them towards the vehicle.

[hqracer89]

It looks like a nice set up.

[nxr06]

HEadSex - I don't normally participate much in these forums but do a lot of reading.

This thread has been very enjpyable to read & I hope you continue to post your tuning ventures.

Given that your not business motivated its appears to be completely as it happens..... very refreshing.

I have just ordered advantage 3 to see if I can get my vortech bf xr8 moving. I hope its as easy to use as VCm suite...

Anyway enjoying your stories and learning heaps...