General statement of frustration.......

I dont feel any better, well maybe a little.

No not really.

 

It is a HUGE learning curve takes a lot of practice and patience.

 

thanks for the encouragement, I need more......

It's just so hard to have completed the mechanical side of a heads cam w/ flycutting, clutch install and then not to be able to do anything w/ it. So much physical work to be hung up on the damn tuning.

I would have really reconsidered trying to tune this myself if I had to do it over, but I guess I'll sleep in the bed.....

At this rate, I may not get this thing running by my next track event in july!

We see so many posts, efi live vs hp tuners vs ls1 edit.

I don't know why there isn't one "pros and cons of self tuning". It's really over whelming. I have a BS in civil engineering and if thermodynamics was this difficult I would have dropped out!

If there's anyone near dulles airport that know's tuning, I am willing to just pay someone to get MY CAR ON THE ROAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would pay them to teach me too, but I don't really give a darn at this point, tune it an lock the PCM forever.

I practically just assume sell the car as to continue blundering blindly through 100s of pages of step by step instructions full of unknown acronyms.

 

I need a beer

 

there should be a support group like AA for first time tuners.

It would be a huge improvement just to break down the process to 10 steps, heck even 12. I don't know how many steps are IN AA but I bet if this keeps up I find out soon!

 

Sorry to hear of your difficulties. One suggestion I could offer is to try and contact someone in the Northern VA Corvette club. I am sure there are plenty of members there that might be able to help or point you to someone. While I have not had first hand experience with these folks, you might try contacting Curry's Automotive in Dulles as I know they have a dyno and do some custom tuning on performance vehicle. Also, Tony's in Gathersburg MD. Phil97SVT used to be on this form and used to do some custom tuning and work on C5s. He was out of Port Tobacco MD. He had a very good rep in terms of his tuning. Good luck with it.

 

I will be in Virginia for the Corvette nationals this weekend and will be tuning a few cars while I'm there, pm me if you would like me to get you going.

 

I also will be in need of tuning soon, as soon as i get a set of lt's. I Live in No.VA too.

 

You should definately take Doug up on his offer. He knows his stuff.

 

That's an understatement

 

All over it!!!!!!

Where in Va is the corvette nationals?



INFO:
http://www.national.corvettechallenge.info/

 

I have an EFI live unit for sale.....

w/ innovative wideband and gauge (blue LCD)

un used any takers......

 

If you need your car tuned and want a fantastic job call Ed Hutchings. He will do a monester job.

http://www.thehpfactory.com/cartalk/index.php

He is one of if not the best tuner around. IMHO
Give him a call, or log into the hpfactory. It will be well worth your time. He did my car and its fantastic.

 

there is. Go to the website of the program (ie; HPtuners.com/forums ) and talk to people there. You will find TONS of help.
Also, just do one step at a time. Don't go in there and change a bunch of stuff all at once. Baby steps and you won't fall on your face.

 

Wow, mighty fine offer to help out Doug.

That's exactly why I go to ECS, customer service is #1 with them and they'll do anything to help out.

 

Give us some details. What program are you using? What mods are on the car? Do you have recent log files?

There are a few self tuners (like myself) that are happy to help others learn the art of tuning. I have helped a few friends who paid over $500 at "professional" tuning shops (with dynos) and I was able to get their cars running better after one or two flashes.

The big things to look out for are proper timing across the board and AFR at WOT to keep your motor from self destructing...otherwise the tuning process is pretty lenient when it comes to taking guesses to get things running better.

If you're going in a direction where the car isn't getting better, often going back to the base tune and starting over will save time rather than making changes to compensate for other changes you have made.

If you've changed injectors, recalibrating your injector flow table is key.

 

I wish that there were a few more guys like you, PREFERABLY in GA. I have procrastinated on buying the HPTuners for months now, and want to take the plunge, but don't want to have $1000 + (software, AF meter, laptop) invested in a paper weight. I have tuned dozens of street and race cars, but NONE with a laptop
All I personally need is a patient turner that will take the time to show me how it's done, and I am sure I could pick it up. It's odd (and great)that if you need someone to help you install a set of heads or headers, you can usually get sevral offers, but the only reponses I got to an offer to help learn to tune, were two different guys that offered to show me "for a substanial fee"

 

If you need any pointers I can help. Just send me a PM and I can try and walk you through some things.

 

What are you using to tune? I have both EFIlive and HPT. Maybe we can get you going over the internet. PM or email me.

 

I'm blown away by the offers of help here, Thank you all so much. I have not herd back from Doug yet but it's looking like the corvette nationals might be rained out. I will seek out all the help I can get and will start with the above references.

I have a 97 mn6 custom qa1 c/o suspension (I made it). It has:
LG pro, catless, corsa exhaust, K&N firpak, 80mm bbk & bbk intake manifold, AFR 205's milled to 62 using .040 gaskets, 228/232 .622.630 on a 111 +2, asp pulley, lightweight clutch and flywheel.

I am attempting to tune using EFI live and an innovate wideband. It wasn't quite as expensive as HPtuners. Once I decided on the cam, the tuning was more of an after thought and knowing the simplicity of the 97 I went for the economic option. Had anyone really laid out the complexity of tuning, I would have gone with the most user friendly option, or saved my cash for a dyno. What is really disappointing is no one makes an entire system from wideband O2 to AFR gauge to ECU programmer that can guide you through adjustments based on your mods.

I have racetronix 42lbers but have not installed them because I wanted to just get the car on the street with the stock 28lbr's then adjust for the 42lbers.

I'm trying to take a more measured approach here as I try to free the car from from the evil grip of complicated tuning.