Tuning learning curve

[minytrker]

What seems to be the normal learning curve for learning to tune? I am a mechanic by trade so I am not new to cars. I know the basics behind tuning and I know what I want the car to do. I am just having a hard time learning how to translate the info from the tables of numbers and graphs. For example I know my car at wot gets rich from 3500 rpms all the way to redline. I know it needs to be leaned out and but I don't know how to transfer that into efi live. I have been reading alot of data logging and it is helping some. Are there any good books to read to help learn more about tuning?

[Doc]

I agree with your sentiments. EFI University was in my town a year ago. I wish I had my act together then and would have went to one of their classes.:bawl: Oh well, I am ready to go accross the world to get some real training like that now. http://www.efi101.com/schedule.html
Please come back to Florida, please. Here is some more internet stuff. :beer:
http://www.ls1racer.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1539

[redhardsupra]

'how to tune and modify engine managment systems' been a great book explaining every little aspect to me so far. not the most in depth book, but enough to explain in proper terms everything you'll find in the forums.
stickies are awesome tho, help a lot.

[BowlingSS]

You are always in the learning curve. There is always something new or new way of tuning. I have been learning for about a year on EFILive. Good luck.

Bill
:cheers:

[Black02SS]

You are always in the learning curve. There is always something new or new way of tuning. I have been learning for about a year on EFILive. Good luck.

Bill
:cheers:
:iamwithstupid: I couldn't agree more Bill. If you aren't learning more, then I personally don't feel you are applying yourself enough. :)

[redhardsupra]

yup, one more vote for 'the more you know the more you're confused' situation.
the more i get a feel for how most tables shape up, the more i realize how you need to account for all the inherent imprecisions and variables that are beyond our control (aka temp, humidity, etc)
i've been working more on methodology and calculating 'daily acceptable oscillations' than actual tuning, and it's helped me tremendously on getting my tunes to be more consistant, predictable, and therefore allowing me to push it closer to the edge.

[joecar]

Learning curve is initially fairly steep and requires alot of reading and trying and asking questions
(always remember: there are no dumb questions, it just means there was a failure to understand).

The curve does flaten out some, but it slopes upward, there's always more to learn, just like Bill and Chad said. :cheers:

And when you think you know something, it throws you into a steep hole, confuse you till it hurts, just like RHS said.

But you'll get to know your car VERY well (Mrs may get jealous) and you'll instinctively know what's wrong with it when it goes bad (your neighbours will think you're "Mr Hot Rod").

Some people get interested in cooking, woodworking, antiques, boating...
Others are interested in tuning their ride, and this is good because it hauls you to/from work each day (or down the track). :rockon:

You'll never regret going along this path, I'm sure the "DIY Tuner" will one day be remembered historically
(in the "24th and 1/2 century"). :cheers:

[joecar]

Use the scan/tool cursor link feature to show you how a scan log relates to a tune table
e.g. log RPM and MAP, and with the scan tool showing the chart log (position the vertical cursor), go look at the VE table in the tune tool and see the hightlighted cells.
This helps alot in starting to understand.

[TAQuickness]

Wait till you get around to the idle. It's mind blowing the number of 1's and 0's it took to replace a screw.

And Joe made a very good point. My war department like to castrate me for spending 2 weekends in the garage (tuning idle) and coming in the house at late hours reaking of premium.

[minytrker]

:iamwithstupid: I couldn't agree more Bill. If you aren't learning more, then I personally don't feel you are applying yourself enough. :)

I agree. I learn something at work everyday, maybe something small sometimes but as long as you apply yourself and listen to what others say you can never get enough info.

[redhardsupra]

i can't stress enough how important proper learning methods are. we get so much info coming at as from the forums that we forget about the old and boring ways, you know, science, and books and formulas...
it's very difficult (and sometimes actually dangerous!) to try anything you hear on the forums. signal to noise ratio is definitely not in your favor.
still, i've managed to learn enough from forums that even when i read books now, i realize i know a majority of concepts they mention. the books still contain a goldmine of information and it would be silly to skip on them. even tho i already all the big concepts, they'll drop little, yet critical, pieces of information. sometimes it's not even the info itself, but the interpretation, the consequences of it, don't strike you until you read a book with a professional, clear explanation.
few days ago i found a bit of info that every 11F changes the density of air by 1%. that's a hugely important factor to me, all the times when something's off and i'm not sure why, now i and look at it, correct the readings for the IAT and go 'oh, everything's alright' instead of being confused with the 'random' changes.
so yea, reading is good for you, and since for once you're reading about stuff you care fore, it's actually not boring at all.

[minytrker]

I can't agree more. I have even went back to college at age 27 just to learn more about cars and to get ASE certified. Right now I am in my first class which is basic engine fundimentals. At first I thought it was a big waste of my time. We were going over torque wrenches and other tools I use every day. We are now going all the internal parts and going into pretty great detail about cams and heads and so on. I have built about 10 motors and did many upgrades over the last few years with just projects and building cars. I have learned alot about how and why stuff works, where before I knew just what parts to use. Tonight we even went into VE and how important it is. Thanks for all the advice so far.