Tuning Guide For Turbos?

[TXZ0603]

Is there a basic writeup for tuning turbo cars? I can tune my car NA somewhat now. Will be adding twins to it in the next few weeks. Any "need to know" stuff? I was going to upgrade to a 2bar opsys at that time. Thanks

[TXZ0603]

Did I miss thsi in a sticky?

[Cantalope Kid]

Nope. You sir are in need of the advanced class or learning at home system from thetuningschool.com. The advanced learn @ home program will be out next month.

[Frost]

Nope. You sir are in need of the advanced class or learning at home system from thetuningschool.com. The advanced learn @ home program will be out next month.

Don't buy into this for a minute...

Many many people learn through just doing and using the forums.

Seriously.

[Cantalope Kid]

Shifting the BS and the facts is extremely time consuming and confusing for a noob. If I was tuning solely based on the answers from this or any forum for that matter I would be an old man by the time I figured out some of the basics of how not to blow up my car. An effective turbo tune walk thru with the why behind the steps in a thread? Might as well put me in the grave with my laptop/HP Tuners PRO! Consider if this board was all that was needed we would all be laughing at Bob for his $499.00 books, no? I would have to say more than a simple..."Ahhhh haaaa, I finally got it!" was deserving after reading his book.

[omega_5]

If I was tuning solely based on the answers from this or any forum for that matter I would be an old man by the time I figured out some of the basics of how not to blow up my car.

Or you could hit up Amazon and read a few EFI related books, and learn to have patience with the tuning package your working with.

Remember, the pioneers in the field didn't get where they are today by being spoon fed... they went after the answer they needed, and weren't afraid to do some experimenting of their own.


With that said... I'm not putting down TTS's books... they are a great reference and starting guide... but you can't think your a tuner soley by one book.

[Frost]

Shifting the BS and the facts is extremely time consuming and confusing for a noob. If I was tuning solely based on the answers from this or any forum for that matter I would be an old man by the time I figured out some of the basics of how not to blow up my car. An effective turbo tune walk thru with the why behind the steps in a thread? Might as well put me in the grave with my laptop/HP Tuners PRO! Consider if this board was all that was needed we would all be laughing at Bob for his $499.00 books, no? I would have to say more than a simple..."Ahhhh haaaa, I finally got it!" was deserving after reading his book.

If you are a spoon fed only kinda guy then this is the wrong field.... you will learn far more from doing and observing in a controlled setting than by reading.

I learned this way and so did MANY others.

[BSmith]

Well then let him borrow your dyno so he can learn in a controlled setting.

[retsell]

Don't buy into this for a minute...

Many many people learn through just doing and using the forums.

Seriously.

A little uncalled for. Bob is just trying to run a business, a business helping people learn to tune. You may feel that it's a waste of money, but others may like being "spoon fed" the basics before they read the "expert" opinions on the forums and blow their shit up.

Bob didn't say there wasn't info on here, he just said there isn't a sticky with a how to guide for tuning forced induction, which there isn't. I've read, and searched, and read and I still feel lost. I'm slowly starting to get the hang of it, but perhaps it would have been faster / more efficient to have read one of TTS's books.

Just my .02, not trying to step on anyone's toes.

[Frost]

I'm sorry,

I didn't mean to come across as arrogant.

I do 75% of my tuning on the street or the track, not on a dyno, and I didn't mean to offend. I just don't want people to think that they have to take a class or spend money to learn to tune their ride. They don't need a dyno either.

Take things slow, read everything that you can find related to what you are working on. Take the time to make some small logs and go through the data. Successful data collection is the key to calibration, so get to know your scanner and how to use histograms to your advantage.

Post logs and tunes to get help on forums. Don't make posts like "hay guise look at my tune and tell me what u think". Start tuning and when you run into an issue, post for help. "I have a up/down swing right at startup, my RPMs 'hang' when the car is moving with clutch in, I have cam surge at 45 MPH and XXXX RPMs"... questions like that get answered.

I have nothing against the tuning school. I don't even know who they are or what they are about. They may have every answer for you and your setup. I just don't want people to think that the only way to learn this is to spend money; either way you will spend time.

If anyone has any specific questions they can feel free to PM me and I will do my best to help you out.

-Steve

[Frost]

Well then let him borrow your dyno so he can learn in a controlled setting.

Besides what I said before (and beside the fact that I do not own a dyno) controlling your setting in a more narrow scope can mean making one tiny change at a time and chipping away at a value to get something right rather than shotgunning.

[retsell]

I'm sorry,

I didn't mean to come across as arrogant.

I do 75% of my tuning on the street or the track, not on a dyno, and I didn't mean to offend. I just don't want people to think that they have to take a class or spend money to learn to tune their ride. They don't need a dyno either.

Take things slow, read everything that you can find related to what you are working on. Take the time to make some small logs and go through the data. Successful data collection is the key to calibration, so get to know your scanner and how to use histograms to your advantage.

Post logs and tunes to get help on forums. Don't make posts like "hay guise look at my tune and tell me what u think". Start tuning and when you run into an issue, post for help. "I have a up/down swing right at startup, my RPMs 'hang' when the car is moving with clutch in, I have cam surge at 45 MPH and XXXX RPMs"... questions like that get answered.

I have nothing against the tuning school. I don't even know who they are or what they are about. They may have every answer for you and your setup. I just don't want people to think that the only way to learn this is to spend money; either way you will spend time.

If anyone has any specific questions they can feel free to PM me and I will do my best to help you out.

-Steve

Well stated.

-Ryan

[TXZ0603]

Well, this thread went a lil sideways..... Thanks for all the responses.

[retsell]

Well, this thread went a lil sideways..... Thanks for all the responses.

That it did... IMO, here is what it boils down to: If you have more money than time: purchase the at home class. I hear it puts everything you need to get started in one place (except for VE and MAF, but it's supposed to be out soon) with step by step procedures to tune. If you have the time to hunt for the info, filter the bullshit, and do things 2-3 times each to figure out if it was the correct way, then start searching. That's the way most of the people on here have learned, and there are a lot of really smart people on here. Its all just time. I'm sure purchasing the book would cut down on time, but it is a little pricey.

[Frost]

I don't even tune stock cars without working the MAF (and occasionally full VE). There is no other way to adjust fueling except to hack up the injectors tables (absolutely not!) and push PE around all over to account for MAF error.

[TXZ0603]

Well Im doing allright with NA stuff. I got my AFR%Error down to +-3 on both long and short term trims.

I did a full VE then maf then spark and ve again followed by maf and spark a final time. Of course this has taken me 6 months of trial and error and learning. I have no clue what to do for boosted applications except more of what I have been. Ill do some more searching i reckon.

Is it that much diferent to tune for boost then NA? Can I apply hte 2bar tune now, tune it for NA, then in a few weeks when the turbos are in just tweak for them??

Thanks

[retsell]

Well Im doing allright with NA stuff. I got my AFR%Error down to +-3 on both long and short term trims.

I did a full VE then maf then spark and ve again followed by maf and spark a final time. Of course this has taken me 6 months of trial and error and learning. I have no clue what to do for boosted applications except more of what I have been. Ill do some more searching i reckon.

Is it that much diferent to tune for boost then NA? Can I apply hte 2bar tune now, tune it for NA, then in a few weeks when the turbos are in just tweak for them??

Thanks

Yeah you can apply the 2bar now, but you must have the 2bar sensor, even if you aren't going into boost. Then set the maf fail freq to 0 and disconnect the MAF. You have to copy your VE table from the old tune to the new one and then build the 110kpa+ rows in the table. There is demo in the help file that shows how to apply the 2bar os. Since you have already tuned your VE, you shouldn't have a whole lot to do to have a decent SD tune. You will have to retune the VE completely once you get the turbos on because you can't tune the 110kpa+ rows w/o boost. Your 0-105kpa rows will also need retuned because of the twins, new injectors, etc...

[TXZ0603]

Sweet. Thanks for the quick response!!

[z06 vett]

been a while sense i posted on this forum,
probably sense i gave up on tuning my twin turbo z06.i Finlay had found a shop to tune it with efi(next state over).i still do not get it.i called bob, as this is where i bought my hpt,and got some info on going to class.i have decided to go with my son and bring the car.we tried with two locals with hpt and with allot of help from the forum and just couldn't get it done.500.00 is allot,and maybe a at home class should be included in the purchase price?i couldn't understand how i could pay 650.00 for a product without instructions, and 500.00 more for them, either.
it is what it is.they have every right to make as much as they can with this deal.it won't be long before the hackers are hacked and everyone on line can do it.
i just found out there are two classes 1&2.seems like allot just to drive my car.

mike

[John@SDPC]

There is no other way to adjust fueling except to hack up the injectors tables (absolutely not!) and push PE around all over to account for MAF error.

I think I've seen a couple of tunes like that. I really get a good laugh when finding someone's PE is set for a target of 17:1 to achieve an actual of 13:1. Too funny!