Tuning help please!

[saintb6969]

First off let me start off by saying I am not looking for somebody to completely write a tune for me or to give away their secrets. I have read until my eyes are about to bleed and tried to do this without bothering anybody, but now I am to the point of being afraid of breaking something or worse running in circles and just need somebody that is way smarter than me on this tuning stuff to just look at my #2 tune and tell me I am f'd up or ok. My truck is my DD that makes a 90mile round trip everyday and I am trying to tune for mpg's and overall to just run right, I am also trying to make it idle smooth and quite. I have messed with both engine tuning and trans to get the best I can out of it but still just can not seem to get smooth shifts and an engine that does not rattle. I would tweek the tuning and the rattles would get quite for awhile then they would come back or move so I am unsure if its in my tuning or mechanical and after spending over $8000 on rebuilding the engine after a failed injector I am very concerned about breaking something.
My biggest issue are how much timing can I put in in my cruising range of 1550-2000 with 4:10 gears with hurting something or defeating the purpose. and how to get the pilot where it needs to be in reference to the main on both timing and quantity? I just can not seem to find a good formula to figure this.
Any help would be awesome and greatly appreciated!

[saintb6969]

Come on guys I know your out there and are probably sick of these type questions, but all of us bought this little box because we did not want to rely on a box tuner for our trucks because like many of you pros have said over and over " all trucks are different, and what works for one might not work for another" I'm willing to learn and listen just need a boost in the right direction, trust me I've had this thing for over a year now and have been taking it slow and logging my ass off, but if you don't know which way is up then your never going to get anywhere......

[saintb6969]

Wow not even a screw you reply!

[Wheelz]

http://www.starlitediesel.com/EFILive-Diesel-Complete-Training-Guides-TRAIN-ADVANCED.htm

http://forum.efilive.com/showthread.php?18351-EFILive-Training-books-for-Cummins-and-Duramax

[saintb6969]

I have seen those books before, and I don't beleive they will show me nothing more than how to blend,data log and other basic functions. Not what are safe limits, what areas to change for what, or any other real how to information. If they would I would buy them in a heartbeat, but just don't feel like spending another $200 bucks on top of the $1600 buck I have already spent getting the V2 and paying for tunes that cannot seem to get it right unless I want to drive 22hrs and spend another $300 so they can put it on their dyno to fix their tunes. I'm just looking for a little help in the right direction not another route to spend more cash.

[Wheelz]

From someone who bought both books... You don't know what's in them then. There are even youtube videos out there that show you how to setup a tune and what safe limits are, and what causes timing rattle. There are technical papers available with a google search that explain pilot injection and how it effects the main injection event.

I'm not extremely experienced with cummins tuning or I'd offer advice. I'm teaching myself duramax and LS1b tuning. It's a lot of trial and error. You try something and drive it and listen to what the truck is telling you. Data logging is only half the information sometimes. The good ones can get pretty good tunes from just logs but the great tunes are perfected by hours and hours of testing.

[joecar]

Extra-curricula reading is required... you need to read as much as you can regarding the physical aspects of engine operation
( both for your engine type in general, and for your engine specifically )


if you do not understand in great detail how your engine operates, you risk endangering it.

[saintb6969]

Ok enough of the typical answer of reading, I have read more info than I did in researching info for my masters theis. As for the you tube and technical papers, I have looked at them and have over and over. I have over 30 years of mechanical experience as an ASE certified tech,so not just some idiot asking questions. If you would look at my original post I stated that I have been doing this for over a year now and researching everything I could find, I asked a specific question regarding certain things, but yet I keep getting the standard answer of read read. Ok done that now what, ordered the books now what? How about I just forget I posted a question because I am getting no where with and I will go back to figuring it out on my own. I will figure it out I always do, and when I do I publish something that contains all the info and step by step on how to and make it fee to all along with starter tunes. I understand there are a lot of you that make a living off this and I have no desire to do that,but this is a forum where people come to try and get answers and with all the post I have read through the help they get us vague and only address specific things. Typically in the end people are just looking for a good safe starting point and not for all the secrets you use to make your living.

[joecar]

Ok, so you would then be able to use the tuning books mentioned above to tune...

you would have to read the tunetool and scantool user manual pdf's to know how to operate the EFILive software.


You want someone to show you how to do a tune...? Well, someone will come along and show you sooner or later... tuners would charge for a tune.

[saintb6969]

I don't want some one to show me how step by step, I just wanted to know safe limits and where I could be missing something that would be causing my rattle before I go after mechanical issues. I went through the process of buying tunes, but then again what is the point of having this thing if your still relying on someone else to send you a mail order tune (same thing as a tuner box) unless you live close to them and can get it done that way, but again your still relying on them.

[saintb6969]

Not looking for max power, smoke, lope or any thing like that just a simple look over and for someone who has the experience to go all looks good, or hey dumb ass you might want to re-look at???? that's all.

[joecar]

Ok, I see what you're looking for... someone will come along and look at your tune file and comment on what is good or not (I'm surprised nobody has... looks like I'm gonna have to learn diesel stuff).

[Wheelz]

JoeCar, he might get more people to look at it if this were moved to the cummins part of the forum instead of general diesel. There are several people over there who routinely check those forums as you do the gas ones.

But to an aforementioned comment, I offered what help I could bud, and I told you I'm not good enough at cummins tuning to be of any help reviewing your tune. I taught myself the basics of duramax and ls1b tuning in a couple months from reading till my head hurt and starting again the next night, along with studying the books you just ordered. I just tried to offer the same road I went down. You will get A LOT farther on here if you don't get so offended so quickly. This is a very helpful forum and had you posted this in the cummins tuning section of the forum I'm sure someone with more experience would have found it by now. A lot of these guys work all day and get on here to ask support questions to keep their tunes rolling, and then take time out of their busy day to help people like you and me learn how this stuff works, joecar is one of the few who patrol all the boards and tries to help anyone and everyone with a question.

[joecar]

Wheelz: that's a good idea.

saintb6969: can you repost in the Cummins section.

[saintb6969]

Yes I can, and wheelz, no so much offended, more like frustrated. I took your advice and spent the money on the books an I am awaiting there arrival. I do appreciate the help you guys have given and I will repost if I need to in the Cummins forum, but I going to wait on the books to see if what I am looking for is in there.
Again Thanks!
Wheelz: that's a good idea.

saintb6969: can you repost in the Cummins section.

[Wheelz]

Based on your tune name are you making a CSP5 tune? Because the books will discuss some good limits, values and tables to adjust, but if you were more interested in the correctness of the CSP5 conversion you may want to go ahead and post it up

[up@12]

Hey saint, how did you make out. I might be able to help some, email me at kaylecbr@hotmail.com

[saintb6969]

Bought the books and as I suspected they were useless to anyone that has a basic understanding of EFI live, as far as your limits and good tuning practice I just went ahead and started working on my own tunes a little at a time and thus far have had some good luck.

[Wheelz]

(this) might get more people to look at it if this were moved to the cummins part of the forum instead of general diesel.

That's the only recommendation I have

[WyoFreeride]

Since we are in the scanning section, do you have any logs indicating the rattle areas?

I'd assume they are in the 1500-2000 RPM and 10-45 mm3 area where you have the big timing bump. Driving around with the scantool and the tune tool open on the tune selected and the runway highlighting on will help you get a visual on where the noisy areas are in the maps. Also, does your truck actually get to the MM3 values you are asking for in the Pedal to Desired Fuel tables? I've had better luck keeping that around 145, and changing duration instead. Another tip would be to use all the other CSP slots as testing areas, so make 2-5 the same, except for some small timing changes as an example, then you can drive around and eda log all those changes without a reflash for every test scenario.

[saintb6969]

Whyofreeeride, I am already doing pretty much what you suggested, never heard of the runway highlighting could you elaborate? As for the rattle I have pretty much got most of that worked out and I have also drop my mm3s back down to 145 for now as I'm just working on the low, and cruz range right now, and cold starting and quite idle, once I get them where I like I will work in the upper HP ranges.

[WyoFreeride]

http://www.cumminsforum.com/forum/efi-live/458355-efilive-dummies-part-3-custom-mapping.html#post4769549

Check this post out, screenshots and all. Very useful part of the scan tool.