2020 F-150 3.5 Ecoboost custom tune understanding changes

[Perna00]

I recently had a member on another forum send me a custom tune from their truck (same year/engine) and I was checking out the comparisons. Both of our stock reads were identical. I don't want to work towards copying it until I understand what the changes are and how they affect the engine so I can slowly start working towards them. Here are the main differences and how I believe they affect the engine. Let me know if I am on the right track please. It has many changes so any advice you can give me is helpful since this is going to be a long road of learning. Here is the main list:

Desired max air load (+.4): sets the scale higher for higher than stock values from air flow modifications?

I?m assuming map max/ map vs AirMax, and act is all along the same idea of raising limits?

For the fueling limits, it has the spray ending later time wise and heavier duty cycle for additional fuel? Is this for additional fuel and cooling purposes also?

I see PE starts earlier pedal-wise and also has a lower delay. Shows it running a little leaner than stock PE at lower rpm but richer than stock PE at higher. What advantage for the variance?

It looks like the temperature protection for the exhaust manifold is eliminated and the limits for the cat and O2 are set about 10% higher?

Engine rpm limiter is slightly higher and I?m not understanding the abbreviations in temp rpm cutoffs.

I?m trying on the timing but it seems complex. Looks like fuel/lambda and IAT timing is retarding slightly for the most part. Some minor advances under mid rpm. Not sure what the load thresh limit is. It also shows no corrections for MBT? It shows cylinder trim is advanced at higher rpm?s by 2 degree? Cylinder pressure is also increased slightly at higher rpm?s.

Knock retard seems like a lower retard rate at lower occurrences. Also seems like recovery rate, fast rate, and shifting rate is slower at 1 degree at a time. Retard limit is also higher at max load rpm?s. Not sure what octane clip is. Knock learn is set to higher rpm?s and load for higher range learning.

Highest value engine torque calculations are set higher?but only top load value. Seems like all torque maxs have been increased about 20%. Map pressures have been increased at higher loads also. Not sure about that one either. Same with wheel tq error.

I understand pedal characteristic changes and don?t think Baja is an option (non-raptor for me). Looks like torque launch is higher at higher pedal %. Driver demanded torque is raised at higher pedal % also. I?m not sure about the pedal map ratios.

I believe these are all the changes. I?m realizing there?s a lot more to it than first assumed. I?m trying to work one step at a time as I go forward. Any advice about these would be appreciated.

[Seishuku]

What do you mean by "desired max air load"?

For fueling limits, I'm assuming you're referring to "max injection angle"? Because of how direct injection works, you only have a small window in which you can inject fuel, unlike port injection where you can spray at any time and you're limited by the size of the injector, direct injection injectors are typically rather large, but the small window of time to spray limits the quantity of fuel you can supply.
This parameter basically changes the size of the window, larger the degrees, the more time you have to spray fuel, but then you're getting further out of the DI sweet spot where it makes the largest difference in combustion.

Stock power enrich generally is very rich, DI tends to make more power at leaner mixtures, but then you do loose some of the cooling benefits from that. On my Mustang, stock is 0.74 lambda, I usually lean it out to 0.8 or 0.82.

Exhaust component protection... I don't like disabling manifold or O2 protection, don't need to torch the aluminum head or melt your wideband... But to each their own.
Cat protection is usually a bit extreme stock, bumping the temp limit for that isn't a big deal, especially if you have an aftermarket higher flow exhaust (will lower exhaust temps). This will also help save from running lean due to running out of fuel budget.

For timing, you're probably not going to touch MBT, because that's already where max torque is going to be produced (found when Ford did initial dyno tuning, I'm assuming). However, other factors will limit timing, knock, cylinder pressure, lambda.
I probably wouldn't touch timing much, just let the system do it's thing... Though tweaking knock recovery rates and bumping up cylinder pressure limits aren't a bad idea.

For load limits, please PLEASE don't max out LSPI tables, they're there to help protect against super knock and keep from exploding your engine. If you need to raise the load in these, only do so in the LSPI hi table and try to follow the factory curve (leave the low RPM and all high temp areas alone, only change where factory peak torque is and only below 180 degree F).

When tuning, it's always best to take a stock base log, see where things are at, what the load limit is from factory, then start raising that up and then log some more... Just keep repeating that process.
Eventually you'll plateau and not make any more power, likely you'll run out of fuel budget or max out the turbo airflow... Or like me, both. lol

I would highly recommend *at least* upgrading the stock intercooler before doing any tuning at all, I started out with the stock intercooler and regretted it... Constantly fighting air charge temps.

[Perna00]

Thanks for the response!

the one setting: engine/ desired air mass/ max load is 2.1 stock setting and his was at 2.5. I guess it was to preemptively adjust for more airflow from modifications...?

That was the max injection angle. Does that allow the engine to spray longer to essentially run rich but keep the engine cooler?

My FE goes from .70 (WOT high RPMs) down to around .87 (WOT low RPMs). I was under the impression that the richer mix did lower the power from the mix but because of the cooling effect, it would allow for a stronger gain from timing and lower temps...?

I was researching and I definitely want to keep the over temp protections. I think 50 degrees is a good increase but only in the cat limit...?

I am still researching the torque limits and what to increase slowly. I was told about 20 ft lbs at a time is a good start and to watch to see what limits me as it increases. If you are running out of fuel/airflow, it sounds like you got your tuned in about perfectly if you are hitting limits at your peak for protection versus just overshooting the ranges. I do still have the stock intercooler. I just opened the louvers to 100% all the time to help until I start seeing limits based on IAT's. Any other advice?

QUOTE=Seishuku;719416]What do you mean by "desired max air load"?

For fueling limits, I'm assuming you're referring to "max injection angle"? Because of how direct injection works, you only have a small window in which you can inject fuel, unlike port injection where you can spray at any time and you're limited by the size of the injector, direct injection injectors are typically rather large, but the small window of time to spray limits the quantity of fuel you can supply.
This parameter basically changes the size of the window, larger the degrees, the more time you have to spray fuel, but then you're getting further out of the DI sweet spot where it makes the largest difference in combustion.

Stock power enrich generally is very rich, DI tends to make more power at leaner mixtures, but then you do loose some of the cooling benefits from that. On my Mustang, stock is 0.74 lambda, I usually lean it out to 0.8 or 0.82.

Exhaust component protection... I don't like disabling manifold or O2 protection, don't need to torch the aluminum head or melt your wideband... But to each their own.
Cat protection is usually a bit extreme stock, bumping the temp limit for that isn't a big deal, especially if you have an aftermarket higher flow exhaust (will lower exhaust temps). This will also help save from running lean due to running out of fuel budget.

For timing, you're probably not going to touch MBT, because that's already where max torque is going to be produced (found when Ford did initial dyno tuning, I'm assuming). However, other factors will limit timing, knock, cylinder pressure, lambda.
I probably wouldn't touch timing much, just let the system do it's thing... Though tweaking knock recovery rates and bumping up cylinder pressure limits aren't a bad idea.

For load limits, please PLEASE don't max out LSPI tables, they're there to help protect against super knock and keep from exploding your engine. If you need to raise the load in these, only do so in the LSPI hi table and try to follow the factory curve (leave the low RPM and all high temp areas alone, only change where factory peak torque is and only below 180 degree F).

When tuning, it's always best to take a stock base log, see where things are at, what the load limit is from factory, then start raising that up and then log some more... Just keep repeating that process.
Eventually you'll plateau and not make any more power, likely you'll run out of fuel budget or max out the turbo airflow... Or like me, both. lol

I would highly recommend *at least* upgrading the stock intercooler before doing any tuning at all, I started out with the stock intercooler and regretted it... Constantly fighting air charge temps.[/QUOTE]

[Seishuku]

thanks for the response!

The one setting: Engine/ desired air mass/ max load is 2.1 stock setting and his was at 2.5. I guess it was to preemptively adjust for more airflow from modifications...?

Oh, gotcha... Maximum Load mapped points, that's max load for the speed density calculation. It probably didn't need to be changed at all, IIRC, the 3.5 won't do much over 2.0 load on stock hardware.

That was the max injection angle. Does that allow the engine to spray longer to essentially run rich but keep the engine cooler?

Max injection angle won't keep it rich, but give a larger injection window so the fuel calculations can keep the mixture where it needs to be, weather it's stoichiometric or in power enrichment.
Say the fuel injectors are 1300cc per minute, but at 3000RPM you only have an injection window of 13 milliseconds and to spray enough fuel to hit a 0.82 lambda the injectors have to be open for 25 milliseconds, you're not going to have enough fuel to get that mixture. These numbers are total BS, because I can't be bothered to come up with real actual examples, but hopefully you'll get the idea.

My fe goes from .70 (wot high rpms) down to around .87 (wot low rpms). I was under the impression that the richer mix did lower the power from the mix but because of the cooling effect, it would allow for a stronger gain from timing and lower temps...?

It will keep cylinder temps/EGT down and help suppress knock, but you're not going to make any power... Max power will actually be closer to around 0.85 lambda (12.5:1 AFR on no ethanol pump gas), but added timing isn't going to help light off a rich mixture.
Factory tuning keeps things VERY rich, because they don't want to chance the engine coming in for a warranty claim, so it's all very safe... Though too rich is an issue as well, but they have their reasons I'm sure.

I was researching and i definitely want to keep the over temp protections. I think 50 degrees is a good increase but only in the cat limit...?

I am still researching the torque limits and what to increase slowly. I was told about 20 ft lbs at a time is a good start and to watch to see what limits me as it increases. If you are running out of fuel/airflow, it sounds like you got your tuned in about perfectly if you are hitting limits at your peak for protection versus just overshooting the ranges. I do still have the stock intercooler. I just opened the louvers to 100% all the time to help until i start seeing limits based on iat's. Any other advice?

I would probably just leave the component protection stuff alone for now, it's not going to be a problem right now anyway.

Just keep making small changes and doing a log, don't change a ton of different things, it makes it hard to figure out what caused an issue if you start going backwards and make less power.

[Perna00]

Thanks for all the info. I should have some time later this week to writing some changes and testing the results. Is there a specific order you would recommend of changes I should make?

[Seishuku]

I would probably start with bumping up driver demand in the upper 70% pedal range by maybe 10 or 15%, then see what limiter is in the air load/torque source and go from there.

[Perna00]

Thanks! I will give that a try later this week and post up results. Torque tuning is a new concept to me.

[Perna00]

I have adjusted quite a few items with the help of fellow members and here is where I am. Looks like im trying to understand the LSPI table limits to get past popcorn. It seems from research that 2.0 load limit is about my max without improving major components. I have attached a run to evaluate and can attach the tune if desired. I gave more details I my other post.

march 19 WOT.hpl