Newbie Questions & Guidance

[Ro11]

New turner here....I started toying around with the idea of tuning a while back and finally purchased my MPVI2+ last week.

Picked up a few tips here and there....looking to see if I'm understanding things correctly now that I am actually using VCM editor.

Some vehicle background:
2005 Hummer H2 Sut. Replaced engine with a fully remanufactured one a few years back. If memory serves right, it was bored over .030. Everything else is stock.
Transmission was replaced with a fully remanufactured one a few years back as well. This Spring, I installed longtube headers with high flow cats. Stock muffler though.
6" lift, 38" tires. Viper alarm, retractable steps, DVD monitors in headrests.....I mention this non-sense b/c I read about some users bricking their PCM when having aftermarket things like that installed. I bought a kit on eBay with an integrated power source, OBD II connector, and blue PIN connector. I used this to write to my PCM outside the vehicle to avoid any issues. Worked like a charm!

Thus far, I modified Abuse tab under Torque Management to zero for RPM and Speed. I also modified General Tab under Torque Management, setting Maximum Torque vs. RPM to zero.
That's it, no other changes thus far.

My goal with tuning: increase torque feel throughout rev range, get rid of sluggishness throughout powerband, improve MPG.....and, learn about tuning just for personal satisfaction/enrichment.
I'm located in North Texas, 60 miles north of Dallas. I generally use 87 octane, but have access to 89, 91, and 93 octane. I have used all varieties, and the higher the octane the more "umpf" the Hummer seems to have. I hope to develop a tune for 87 octane and 93 octane.

It seems the next things to adjust would be Airflow, Fuel, and Spark. I know nothing about these things....other than a few threads I have read.

Question:
Would airflow be the next item to tinker with? Engine is a GM 6.0 LQ4. Or, go after fuel? I'm leaning toward airflow since I have longtube headers and high flow cats. I have read a few threads with very detailed instructions. But, I'm at a loss if that's where I should go next.

Or, should I just spend hours watching many of the youtube videos that teach you how to tune with HPTuners software?

Although I only adjusted torque management settings within the engine icon, the H2 drives differently now. Power delivery seems more linear and the transmission doesn't seem to be in wrong gear. Tuning software offers a transmission icon and it has all sorts of items to adjust. At this point, I want to focus on engine adjustments before making transmission adjustments.

Another comment, idle seems fine to me.....I don't have a cam and don't think I need to make adjustments. Also, exhaust tab doesn't seem to apply since my engine is gasoline not diesel. Let me know if I'm wrong on these.

Those are my initial impressions based on setting up software this evening and giving my first tune a go. I was able to read my stock file, save it; tune it, and load the new file to my PCM. Re-install PCM and go for a test drive. Overall, fairly easy to use and pretty straightforward.

[Carlfromkerikeri]

Hi, I would change the power enrichment to no delay and enable at lower revs, then watch the goat rope garage you tube videos to fine tune both the maf and VE tables before touching any spark. If you need to post a tune before flashing for some advanced tuners to comment.