[BlacknBoostn]

I'm toying with some ideas of tuning my car myself when I'm prepared to hit the 400 mark... I'm lookin for some good books and good resources about engine tuning, maps, AFR etc.

For the time being I'm going to run a Mopar Stage 3 Power Control Module, but that may only be good for about 360whp with my added bolt ons.. I don't plan on using any type of an electronic boost controller until that goal is in sight. with the Stage 3 or AGP WGA I don't really need to anyhow. Should be able to be set to 23lbs of boost. The PCM will keep the car within a safe mopar factory tune until I'm ready to hit my real numbers..

Ok so:

Books and Resources guys!!!

I want to learn all I can about tuning and engine management

For those of you who would like me to explain my plan for power in full detail post up and then I'll type it up.. Too lazy right now!

[enkeivette]

Sure, up the jet size or install smaller high speed air bleeds till... oh wait. I mean swap out the dist springs and bushings to the... oh wait. Hahahahaha.

Don't have much advice for you other than to shoot for 12.5:1 with a boosted engine WOT, 14:1 or maybe even higher while cruising is ok. But you prob knew that. PM cornfed a link to this thread, he should be able to help a lot.

Sooo... what's your plan for power?

[SeanPlunk]

Originally Posted by enkeivette

Sure, up the jet size or install smaller high speed air bleeds till... oh wait. I mean swap out the dist springs and bushings to the... oh wait. Hahahahaha.

Don't have much advice for you other than to shoot for 12.5:1 with a boosted engine WOT, 14:1 or maybe even higher while cruising is ok. But you prob knew that. PM cornfed a link to this thread, he should be able to help a lot.

Sooo... what's your plan for power?

One bit of correction. For a boosted engine, you want it to be no higher than 12:1. Anything over that is risky. I'd aim for the 11.7-11.8 range myself.

[BlacknBoostn]

Originally Posted by SeanPlunk

One bit of correction. For a boosted engine, you want it to be no higher than 12:1. Anything over that is risky. I'd aim for the 11.7-11.8 range myself.

See I know very minimul about tuning and AFR.. This is information I need in order to be able to effectively tune my car.. I will definitely be keeping it a fairly safe tune (my DD). I'm going to look and find out where I can get higher octane fuel. Right now I run 91 from Chevron. Looking for 93-100 possibilities.

I want something to educate myself on combustion, timing, AFR and how to tune.

The plan for power as it sits now is:

400whp

Essentially I'm piecing together my own stage 3 kit using aftermarket parts and rebuilt and improved factory parts. Found an rebuilt turbo that made 390, stage one with boltons and supporting hardware. This is a remachined factory turbo.. the reason I'm choosing this instead of a big wheel for the time being is because of the spool time. 2200RPMS fully spooled.

I will be upgrading everything in good order:

suspension
tires/rims
intercooler + piping / intake / 3in turbo back exhaust
Transmission
Brakes
SST Turbo and bolton S3 kit (my own concoction of parts)
S3 PCM + WGA
Engine Mounts + traction bars
Roll Cage

To be continued...

[94cobra69ss396]

If you want to keep it steetable do two seperate tunes. One for pump gas with lower boost and timing and one for race fuel (I would use a minimum of 100 octane). This is what I have done to the Cobra except I have OBD1 so I have a toggle switch to change between the tunes. I run 6 degrees initial timing on pump gas and bump it to 14 degrees on the race tune with a 50/50 mix of VP110 and 91 pump.

Trust me in the fact that you don't want to have to run race fuel all the time. The Cobra is my daily driver and the original tune was suppose to have 10 degrees of initial timing but it was detonating so I had to back it down to 6 to stop it.

[BlacknBoostn]

Originally Posted by 94cobra69ss396

If you want to keep it steetable do two seperate tunes. One for pump gas with lower boost and timing and one for race fuel (I would use a minimum of 100 octane). This is what I have done to the Cobra except I have OBD1 so I have a toggle switch to change between the tunes. I run 6 degrees initial timing on pump gas and bump it to 14 degrees on the race tune with a 50/50 mix of VP110 and 91 pump.

Trust me in the fact that you don't want to have to run race fuel all the time. The Cobra is my daily driver and the original tune was suppose to have 10 degrees of initial timing but it was detonating so I had to back it down to 6 to stop it.

Ugh yes, I feel ya there. I've already mentioned in another thread that I'll have multiple levels of tune for daily and track.

don't know much about timing though... so if you have a book or a good resource that i could read up on it that'd be awesome

[enkeivette]

Originally Posted by BlacknBoostn

Ugh yes, I feel ya there. I've already mentioned in another thread that I'll have multiple levels of tune for daily and track.

don't know much about timing though... so if you have a book or a good resource that i could read up on it that'd be awesome

Timing is going to be engine specific. Basically you want as much timing as possible, as soon as possible, without detonation. I have no idea how much advance the 2.4T likes.

As an example a SBC typically runs best with 36 total (some even go as high as 44), while a GM 3.8T (GN motor) likes to see about 28 max (from what I remember). Two 90 degree engines from the same maker, similar power in stock form, nealry 10 degrees off total.

94 Cobra runs 6 initial on 91, while I run about 18 initial on 91. Both centrifugal supercharged H&C V8s, and over 10 degrees off initial. Timing is one specific question for an experienced SRT4 tuner.

[enkeivette]

By the way if you want to play around with timing, a lot of guys run a detonation/ knock light. I set my motor up for a knock sensor, and bought a TurboXS Knocklite a few months ago (also works as a shift light) but it doesn't work for my motor. It's supposed to be universal but realistically it was meant for smaller engines, Evos and SRT4s, etc. My engine has too much lope and makes too much damn noise for this thing to work, it shows that there is knock when there isn't on my engine even with the sensitivity adjusted all the way down.

If you want it make me an offer. Otherwise I'll keep it just as a shift light.

Either way, don't bump it up without a reliable recommendation or a knocklite. Detonation is often the cause of cracked pistons and blocks in boosted motors.

[94cobra69ss396]

He already has a knock sensor and the tuning software should allow him to see how much timing the ECU pulls if he has too much timing. At least that is how my friends software works on his GTO.

As for how much timing to run it differs for every engine. It also depends on weather, fuel, engine temp, etc. I didn't tune my Cobra so I don't know what the timing curve is. I can tell you that when I take it back to the tuner to have another tune done for the meth injection I'm going to have him pull 4 degrees of timing out starting at 3800 rpms. That way I can run 10 degrees base instead of 6 (the car has much better low speed throttle response with 10) and it won't detonate. I don't have a knock sensor with OBD1 so I have to get out of it if I hear it ping.

[st-evo-9*corn fed-8urvet*]

NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO dont freakin ever tune ur car to 12.5:1 afr on 91oct or even race gas

and dont even shoot for 12.1:1 afr JESUS u guys are gonna make him blow up his engine!!!

shoot for on 91oct 11:1- 11.3afr
on 93-95oct shoot for 11.3:1-11.5:1afr
on 100oct or up too c16 or even meth injection shoot for 12:1

and 30-40 timing advance is way toooooo much at his WOT he will detonate all over the place.

dude if you want..when ever you get your tuning equipment ill stand over ur shoulder and tell u wat too do. the srt-4 engine is close to the evo engine in tuning so its not too foriegn for me to give you a hand lol.