New beginner's Tuning Guide (DVD) from Calibrated Success

[gmh308]

After lots and lots of prodding, I finally caved and made a training DVD for the GM crew. This DVD walks through the fundamentals of tuning using aftermarket tools on the dyno with live demos for both MAF and VE tuning. I have also included a section on proper fuel injector characterization, along with a data disc with reference data for many popular injectors to take the guesswork out of getting those SD60's (or 80's, or FRPP 30's, or green tops, or....) to work right all the time. Most of the DVD was shot when all I had was brandX GM tools, but I added supplements to each section showing exactly what the corresponding tables look like in EFILive, so no need to worry about the confusion there.

The DVD will be sold through Summit Racing as part number SME-DVD-1. I'm planning to ship this week to Summit, so they'll be filling orders soon after. As an added bonus, I'm going to give anyone who buys the disc from Summit a 100% credit of the disc purchase price toward my advanced GM class within one year. You simply will not find better instructional material out there today and my aim is to deliver it in a clear, accurate, and useful manner. Many thanks to Paul and Ross for helping me get set up with their hardware recently. You'll be seeing more and more EFILive in my advanced classes as we move forward.

Great news! Now we just need to figure how to get you downunder to run some classes so we can get our credit .

Are you ok travelling economy class?

Seriously!

[eficalibrator]

If you have enough people interested in a class down under, I'm game. Contact me offline and we can sort out the details.

[5.7ute]

If you have enough people interested in a class down under, I'm game. Contact me offline and we can sort out the details.

The only way to make it feasable is to hold it in the centre of Aus so everyone has to travel the same distance.
I reckon I could drum up a car to run the course with as well. Better make it in a couple of weeks when my LS3 goes in.

[exploder]

The process is the same whether you're using HPT or EFIlive when tuning. The only difference should be the screens/labels you see in the different windows interfaces. At the end of each section, I show where to find the equivalent tables in the EFILive software. I just didn't go through setting up the custom PIDs/Tables in the EFILive logging tool, since I figure that's already been covered well enough in the help files and on this forum already. What's really important on the DVD is:

1) The PROCESS for properly tuning injectors, MAF, and VE in open loop, and...
2) The EFILive specific injector values that are formatted for direct entry into your software for a bunch of popular applications.

I'll be shipping this week. I have the data discs done for the first batch and DVDs are burning tonight.

That completely answered my questions. I am sending you a PM...I want the cd now. I don't want to wait.

[mistermike]

Thanks, Greg. Nice to see you over here. You're in a great position to unify the GM tuning community around common knowledge, rather than the sectarian bickering over software that often obscures what we're really trying to learn. Perhaps you should collaberate with Ben Strader on a translation manual for tuning jargon. J/K. Best of luck with the new book and video.

[eficalibrator]

Perhaps you should collaberate with Ben Strader on a translation manual for tuning jargon. J/K. Best of luck with the new book and video.

I'm not sure I follow you here. What is missing with regards to "tuning jargon"? My new book will have a glossary of commonly used terms in it, but nothing that program specific like "RAF = running air flow" or "{B000x} = this specific tuning table/parameter in EFILive" since other manufacturers don't use anything like that and it would make for a very narrow scope that doesn't sell many books. It does however define RBT, LBT, Lambda, DFCO, phi, and other commonalities used in both standalones and OE controllers.

[Chevy366]

Dude , I think Summit messed up on the price because it says $249.95 , shouldn't it be $24.95 ?
Does the DVD come with a cable and controller as well ?
How many licenses ?

[mistermike]

I'm not sure I follow you here. What is missing with regards to "tuning jargon"? My new book will have a glossary of commonly used terms in it, but nothing that program specific like "RAF = running air flow" or "{B000x} = this specific tuning table/parameter in EFILive" since other manufacturers don't use anything like that and it would make for a very narrow scope that doesn't sell many books. It does however define RBT, LBT, Lambda, DFCO, phi, and other commonalities used in both standalones and OE controllers.

I was only half serious in making that suggestion. While there are few significant differences in available parameters between HPT and EFI Live, or standalone controllers for that matter, the jargon in the HPT AND EFI Live communities seems to have evolved independently, and sometimes results in confusion for those not intimately familiar with the "other" tuning package, whichever one that may be.

[Aloicious]

right on Greg, I read your advanced tuning book and its a great rescource. I'd love to see what your DVD contains.

when you say that you have info on injectors, does that include tables such as injector voltage offsets (i.e. Dead times)? and unless I'm mistaken, ford and gm use different ways of displaying and calculating the voltage deadtimes so simply using ford data in the gm tables wouldn't work correctly, do you go over differences like this in your DVD for people who are looking to use ford or other non-gm brand injectors?

great to have you on the forum man.

[eficalibrator]

when you say that you have info on injectors, does that include tables such as injector voltage offsets (i.e. Dead times)? and unless I'm mistaken, ford and gm use different ways of displaying and calculating the voltage deadtimes so simply using ford data in the gm tables wouldn't work correctly, do you go over differences like this in your DVD for people who are looking to use ford or other non-gm brand injectors?

I'm intimately aware of the differences in injector characterization methods between Ford and GM. The DVD includes a CDROM data disc with MSExcel format files that have the properly converted data for use of the FRPP injectors in a late model GM vehicle. The data includes offset vs voltage (and MAP) tables, short pulse adjust values, as well as corrected flow rates for the GM 4bar working pressure.

This is a big part of the "behind the scenes" engineering that had to go into place before releasing the DVD. It's also big portion of why the cost is $250 (Summit has it right). Keep in mind that you're also buying professional training here not just some backyard mechanic's how-to guide. I spent a LOT of time putting this knowledge together and have previously only shared it with those who signed up for one of my classes that start out at twice the price. This disc delivers real knowledge that is only currently available from much more expensive sources such as live classes or real world experience as a calibrator on an OEM or high-end aftermarket company. This disc set is far cheaper than your first damaged engine and will go a long way toward making your life easier as a tuner.

Mike, I agree on the parallel paths of "jargon". I too get confused when people on either forum start abbreviating too much or calling out table numbers instead of functional names. When I post, you'll see that I typically call a table or parameter by its functional name (e.g.: "VE table" or "idle airflow table") rather than a precise name or "B" number because these are subject to change from year to year or program to program. My intent is to make material and posts that many people can learn from by using common terminology whenever possible.