Mustang GT variable camshaft tuning

[fido]

Hello,

I'm tuning 2005 Mustang GT with compressor. Engine is stroked to 5.0 with Ford Racing block, it's pushing 20psi and I expected something over 600hp, but there is not any power after 4700rpm, although there is torque peak almost 800Nm, then there is steep decay and maximum power on dyno was about 530hp at 5500rpm. Engine has also unhealthy sound after 4700rpm although it's not knocking at all. It rather sounds like resonance. Lambda is about 0.8, spark is about 20-24, but we experimented with wide range of advance/richness combinations without a success. Personally I suspect camshafts as they are Ford racing hot rods, designed for N/A applications and not F/I. I though I can rise retard for them to diminish leaking pressure through exhaust valves but it do not react on any variable camshaft table change. Even when I zeroed them, it behaves still the same.
Is there a way to log variable camshaft phaser position to check if they are actually moving as commanded? I'm forced to use SCT, as HPT do not communicate with this car at all (it's early 2005 model, maybe it's a problem?). Anyway, in SCT I logged ACTUAL CAM ANGLE, CAM ANGLE CAM[0],cam position right bank and they all looked strange. Min/Max range is extremely low (lower than 2) and it's shaking wildly like it's rather absolute angle, but then it's really low, like if the phaser is stuck. What do you think about it? Any help is really welcome, I spent many days on dyno without any outcome yet.

thank you, Fido

in attachement is screenshot from live link. It's rpm, MAF volts and that wildly shaking line is ACTUAL CAM ANGLE

[fido]

Yet another idea - the engine have got hard titanium valve springs. Won't it affect ability of actuator to push them over and keep commanded advance/retard? That shaking curve of cam angle looks like PID integrator has hard time to keep up with target. On other hand won't it throw P0340 error in case of such huge angle error?

[fido]

Finally I have answer about ACTUAL CAM ANGLE - yes, it's the correct parameter and it should show position of cam-phaser. Not in my case though. I found there is another interesting parameter - CAM SOURCE, that show origin of commanded angle. I'm getting number 99 and that should be "fail safe mode". So there is something wrong with the car, that forces cams into locked position. I suspect oil temperature sensor, as there is P198 DTC. Probably ECM is suspicious about oil temperature as proper function of cam-phaser is dependent on it.

[toyoguru]

Interesting find, but no sure if that would cause the issue you are describing. Can you post a log, assuming you are using livewire, and if so that's ok, I can read that too. The screen shot you posted is showing a variation of a little over a degree, with no rpm or usable timeline info.

If you suspect the oil temp sensor being the problem, you can turn off the Prop gain control in the variable camshaft, so the computer ignores oil temp and see if that changes anything.

[fido]

just to update this topic - I solved all issues on the Mustang I had this problem, but locked-cam position problem persist. Meanwhile I've got hands on another supercharged mustang and the problem is the same - camshaft don't move and cam source is 99 all the time. It seems like plague that nobody solved yet... can anybody check if it's so common, that tuned mustangs has this problem? I encountered untuned Mustang that had not this problem so I'm really curious...

[fido]

Finally I fixed this bastard! So problem was oil temperature sensor in oil pan. Any change to oil-temp related maps for camshaft didn't help, as there is probably some safety mechanism inside ECM software, but after changing the sensor, cam source changed to 0 and camshaft started to move.
So, if anyone has this problem, just resolve all DTC errors connected with oil and temperature. In my case it was P0198, that occasionally popped up but even when there wasn't DTC set, the ECM knew that there is something wrong and blocked camshaft movement.

[SultanHassanMasTuning]

good info