Ok, Suppose someone were to install a UTEC, larger injectors, WB O2, boost gauge, and some sort of FI..... in their garage. What next? Any reason why it can't be started and tuned without a dyno? What's the general procedure?

Ken

 

well you can easily tune your car to run a certain AF ratio. if you can figure out where your car is making the most power. then just tune it to that AFR

 

If you want to tune by yourself, make sure you buy the UTEC tuner (basically a wideband O2 that is made for UTEC). It will input the A/F ratio in your datalog along with all your other readings. Also, if you go FI, make sure you also purchase the UTEC MAP sensor. This will allow you to tune using speed density. Basically, your MAF will max out with FI with all the added air/pressure and you need a MAP sensor to get accurate readings. After that you should be able to road tune by yourself by messing with fuel and timing. The utec will show you when/where you knock at certain load points. Using that info, you will be able to fine tune your car.

The utec has the function of scaling injectors to whatever size you have, so it shouldnt be an issue at all.

If you use a boost controller that also monitors boost, a boost guage isnt necessary. The important thing is to make sure your boost is stable and that it isnt going over your set limit. Your map sensor will actually give you the manifold pressure which you can also use to monitor your boost.

After you tune your a/f, and get rid of knock.. it wouldnt hurt to go on the dyno to see your power/tq curve. There may be some dips/drops that you may want to address. Trust me, it makes a huge difference. This is where you can get your car to pull SMOOOTH. The small dips and drops arent really visible on the utec and a dyno will put it nicely on a graph for you to analyze. Then you can fine tune even more.

Tuning would be A LOT easier if you were able to start from some kind of base map. I know that Altered Atmosphere and Sharif from Forged use the utec alot for tuning and might have some maps on file for you to purchase. Using those maps as a starting point is much safer than starting from scratch especially with timing. I purchased a power enterprise TT map from Altered and was overall pretty accurate. If you do start from scratch, make sure you are experienced and know EXACTLY what you are doing. You can blow your motor real quick if you dont.

Hope this helps..I really got a chance to mess around with the utec and learned lots. OH yeah, make sure you have a laptop. Take Care

 

So the car will start typically if nothing is screwed up? So what then? Adjust the A/F ratio and timing at idle then work up the rpm gradually under increasing loads?

I ordered a book about tuning from Amazon..
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/076...lance&n=283155

Haven't received it yet. Anybody ever see it?

Ken

 

When self-tuning, should you typically make adjustments at WOT? In that case, what do you do at throttle values less than WOT?

I should probably get some books too, since I'm interested in this stuff as well.

Edit: just ordered the same book as you. looking forward to reading it

 

There is a lot more to tuning engine management on a boosted car than most people know. When your airflow sensor maxes out and the ecu sees about 5 volts from the sensor, the factory ecu freaks out and retards timing. So when you get to the point where your airflow exeeds the measurable range of the sensor, you need to put a "clamp" on the MAF voltage with the software that the piggy back comes with in order to avoid retarded timing or fuel cut on some vehicles. Yes you will need the external MAP sensor to tune past the range of the MAF but that does not mean that it is a speed density system. Speed density systems that eliminate the Airflow meter altoghether tune strictly from engine displacement, intake air temperature, and Manifold pressure. Certain standalone ecu's (Like the HKS V-Pro) will allow you to eliminate the airflow meter by providing the two sensors.

It is certainly possible to street tune a car as long as you have a wideband. But will you really be able to tell the difference from a 5-10hp increase? Prolly not, but the dyno will.

 

+1


I would also suggest getting the utec before the FI and start playing with it. Tuning NA is safer, and would give you a chance to get a feel for it with less risk of fatal errors. Plus you would probably get a better idea of what it would take to tune FI, and could then decide whether or not you could do it when the time comes.

 

Yeah, I have to agree with some of what was said.
1.) Get the UTEC/Tuner WB first and practice tuning NA.
2.) Buy a base map from a vendor. (great idea)
3.) Ultimately, if I were FI, I would take my car to a dyno before I did any real driving in it.

FI is no joke and tuning definitely needs to be taken seriously.

 

I got and have been reading that book fm Amazon. Of course, it's hard to tell how accurate it is but I know that his description of the electronics stuff is right on. Maybe a little over explained. So the engine and tuning parts are probably as good. Ken