UPDATE: Hey guys, well just wanted to give an update.

Tuning:
I've abandoned the popular tuners in the ranger world. I'm just fed up with all the non-communication and unwilling-ness on thier part. So.. I bought a SCT pro-racer package from Lasota racing and am tuning it myself.


I've learned a lot in the last week. Tuning is not easy and it takes MUCH trial and error. But once you get the hang of what controls what and what nomenclature means what.. it's not too awful bad. I must comment though that the descriptions they use are not straight forward. EE's

Daily driver tune:
I've been tweaking and tweaking and my DD tune is now getting ironed out. I'm making it so that when I give it light throttle inputs.. it shifts just a hair firmer then stock. And the more throttle I give it.. the firmer the shifts.
I'm just **** about taking small steps and making sure nothing goes "boom" so it's taking time. But trust me.. this is how Ford should have made it to begin with! Soft when you wanna take it easy. And a good jump fwd when you want to get with it. Oh and with these mail order tunes.. that annoying clunk when you lift off the throttle at 15-20mph? Yes indeed. It's tune related and can easily be soft.
WOT A/F can be what ever I want. Right now I'm running a downsloped 13.3 to a 12.7 on the top end. In my experience a little lean down low helps with off the line TQ.

Nitrous tune:
Well I'm doing most of my tranny developement in the DD tune. So the tranny aspect is mostly the same except for WOT shift points and firmness.
When your making this much more power the tranny will slip more and the shift point will be higher. So I have to give it a bit more pressure and command the shifts a little sooner.
As far as A/F. So far I'm pushing a dry 50shot ramped up for 1.5 seconds. And I have no problem running a 12.0 ratio! This is good news because of two reasons. First, I was worried that the stock fuel system wouldn't keep up. But it's doing just fine. (btw I am commanding a 10.1 ratio and it's running 12.3 to 12.0) Second, no one had more than a guess at what the stock fuel system limit is. On my 06 I can push a 50 shot into the 11s w/o a problem.

Nitrous ramp:
I'll make a video and post it in this thread so you guys can see what I'm talking about.
I'll have to tweak my nitrous ramp time & size when I get to the track because of traction. On the street with a 1.5 second ramp... It's nice. I can mat the throttle from about 0 to 5 mph and the truck just goes fwd.. until the nitrous comes on about 50%. At that point they start to spin. If I stay in it they will spin for a good 30-40ft and then it just HAULS BUTT!
I'm confident it's running a high 14 as is. I'm sure it'll spank my caddy eldo w/275hp.

Rich

 

Nice update Rich.

We need to have another meet so i can ride!

I have not heard of this tuner you purchased, I doubt i could figure it out though

 

Ha, that is sweet as hell. Didn't like the tuners so i said F it and am doing it myself...lol

Great Job Rich! I can't wait to see this baby run!

 

Good job Rich!

 

Nows its time to go race!!! Best of 3 buys the drinks?

 

Nitrous seems like it could be really fun in the trail truck.....

 

Rob, as long as it's Dr Pepper or the like.

Here in the next few days I'l try to get a video posted of what ramping nitrous looks like. It really is the key to safely adding nitrous to a motor. It's so much easier on all the parts. Not only that traction is litterally tuneable with your mouse.

Rich

 

Mmmmmm, Dr. Pepper...

 

It's taken me a good 25-30 hours so far. Learning how to tune was a good 1/2 of that time too.
I must admit though... my daily driving tune is now just about dead on. Or I should say at least in the zero to 60% throttle and WOT areas. I hardly ever go between 60% and 95% throttle so I still need to tweak the shifts a little. But I must say.. my 93 octane daily driving tune is sweet.

My power is a bit higher than the bama or Henson tunes. (both were too lean) The stock ford tune commands a flat 12.7a/f. Those "tuners" had me in the 13.5 and trending higher area. I've adjusted it to achieve a pretty flat 12.8-12.9 and now she's got POWER.

My idle is set pretty much to stock a/f. (idles smoothest there)

My start up "flair" in rpms is now cut way back for temps above 40. I always hated that. Now it starts and instead of revving to 2200 it now only revs to 1600 then quickly settles into a 1100 rpm until its reached proper temps.

My shifts are just a hair firmer than stock at low throttle inputs. No need to hammer the tranny. Doesn't feel like a mid 70s cadillac anymore.

My shifts are moderately firm at 20% to 60%

And the shifts are almost a tire bark at WOT. (1-2 only) On the 2-3 3-4 shifts they are firm and positively move the truck forward. The 4-5 I've only firmed slightly. You really shouldn't go heavy throttle into OD.

Gone are the annoying clunks I had at about 20-25mph (shifting from 3rd to 4th) I've got it set to pretty much factory stock at closed throttle. So as soon as I back off the throttle everything goes back into grocery getter mode.


Oh and get this.. I can command the A/F for cruising down the hwy too. I've pushed it up to a 1.0 labda. (14.64 : 1 ratio) That's made my instant mpg grow about 1-2mpg. Time will tell what it relates to in actual mileage.

Now that all these tranny functions are worked out, I'll transfer them into the nitrous tune.

It's looking like I'm going to the dragstrip tomorrow. I'll post up the results if I do.

Rich

 

The Ford stock tune should be 14.7, that's stoich.

 

Ford commands a 14.3 and it runs 14.4 to 14.5

Like I've said many times... I look at the science. Not what popular perception is.


Rich

 

Sorry Rich, but you missed the "science"!! The A/F ratio Ford shoots for
is 14.7:


http://fordfuelinjection.com/?p=31

http://www.autoshop101.com/forms/h55.pdf

 

Bob, lets not run this thread down ok?

Good or bad I'll post the results of what I *measure*. Hopefully some timeslips later on this evening too.

Rich

 

Just wanted to clarify, 14.7 IS NOT "POPULAR PERCEPTION", it is the
desired A/F!!

 

Exactly, that's what I previously posted!

 

Bob, Please. Not in this thread.




Ok now on to todays results from the strip.

It was quite warm and the track (Lapeer) was horrible. One of the worst I've been to in 5 different states. Out of the ten passes I made, the first eight *all* had wheel spin. Even off nitrous it would spin. The very last two passes I rolled to the floor in about 5ft, had a 1/2 second delay before nitrous activation, and then ramped it up for 2 full seconds. Still didn't matter.. As soon as the nitrous would come on they would spin.

Anyway.. my two best passes happened to be the first and the second.
Motor only pass (on left below):
This was HOT off the 63 mile trip to the track. I wrote the tune my self and it's pulling a solid 12.9-13.0 a/f ratio up through 3rd and 4th. Shifts are tight but not harsh. Shift points are 5700 first & 5500 on the rest.


2nd pass = 50hp dry shot of nitrous (on right below):
This was w/no delay & ramping from 13hp to 50hp in 1.5 seconds. I rolled to the floor in only about 2ft of truck movement and as soon as the nitrous started.. it spun. I had to pedal it twice for about 20-25ft. Good grief.. it was a bloody skating ring. A/F was a 12.1 up through 3rd & 4th. A little too fat IMO. Shifts are commanded earlier but result in the same 5700 & 5500 points. I had to increase the pressures by a good 13-15psi to get the same firmness. Firm but not harsh. Afterall.. this is my year round daily driver.

All runs after this got worse and worse. I've got a problem with the solenoid. It's about lived it's life I think. It's 4 yrs old and has over 100k miles on it. (michigan roads are rough too) I fired it in the pits and it's only flowing a little bit. Even a 250hp jet has the same size plume size as the 50 jet. Oh well I've got a new one that will go in this week.

btw: the mph on my nitrous pass is shown incorrectly. Have no idea why but 1/2 the time thier speeds don't show right.

Once I get this solenoid replaced and get to a better track I'm pretty sure it'll run a 14.8-14.9 at about 92-93 on a 50shot.

Rich







Here is my timeslip from last year at a MUCH better track (RH side):

 

if you put a supercharger under the hood with that nitrous setup. You would be hitting some pretty impressive times. Great idea though with the NOS.

 

NOt bashing... but I have to ask this


Why???

5 tenths difference from all motor and nitrous?

I'm all motor and my truck runs consistant as crap. I may not put out fast times, but the fact is I ran a consistant 18.209-18.216 all night last night and made it to the quarter finals. Woulda gone further but the truck broke out on an 18.18 dial... ran an 18.176

Personally, I would have steered away from the nitrous, especially on a stock motor like that, and focused more on what to do to make it run more consistant... not faster. If you want speed, drop a 302 in, loose the transfer case, and drop the truck with weight reductions.

Just my 2 penny's worth.

 

This is a learning tool for my real toy. A 800hp 2002 Lightning.
I'm sick and tied of all these "tuners" and having to deal with them. It's also a prototype setup for a nitrous company out of Chi-town.

As far as power and consistancy. Before I pulled the motor in the Lightning I was running 0.02-0.05 differences running 11.70 @ 115.

Come get-ya some.

Rich

 

lol bring the Ranger and the big *****... my buddy's 79 F-250 4x4 with 4.10's and occasionally a 100 shot of nitrous on a $1200 400CI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOqA1honGuI

He went on to win the finals last night in the truck without nitrous... runs a steady 16.47 all motor, 14.33 on N2O. Thats why I was commenting on the time differences.


You also gotta factor too I'm up at 6000 ft, as opposed to 550 ft where you are, so times are slower up here.

 

no, considering it has hardly anything done to it. Looks ugly as sin, but it gets work done...

His new project is a 63 Fairlane 2 door he'll be putting a 400 in. Hopefully he can then retire the truck to tow rig status.... which was supposed to happen this summer with his 55 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer that basically went by the wayside.