850 Sport Coupe series 2 track car.
- Thread starter ramona300
- Start date
Dr.Jeff
True Classic
Unfortunately I haven't been keeping up with this thread as much as I'd like, so I've missed a lot of the amazing build you've done. Very cool build. 
Regarding TunerStudio and its auto-tune function. I have read various opinions about it. How well does it work in your application? Have you had the opportunity to compare its results to a dyno session or other standards? Overall do you find it effective at picking up minor changes in conditions and making appropriate corrections in a reasonable timeframe to safely protect a boosted engine? That is my biggest concern with using it on the X1/9 turbo engine I've been working on. Thanks for your feedback.
Regarding TunerStudio and its auto-tune function. I have read various opinions about it. How well does it work in your application? Have you had the opportunity to compare its results to a dyno session or other standards? Overall do you find it effective at picking up minor changes in conditions and making appropriate corrections in a reasonable timeframe to safely protect a boosted engine? That is my biggest concern with using it on the X1/9 turbo engine I've been working on. Thanks for your feedback.
ramona300
True Classic
There is RainX on the windshield, on both sides. That's why I did not use the wiper in the later stages. The inside of the screen fogged up. All the ventilation/heater stuff has been removed. There is normally plenty of air circulating but I'm going to invest $20 in a 12v demister I can clip in place if I ever encounter that sort of weather again.
ramona300
True Classic
It all depends on what parameters you set for the programme. Tunerstudio only tunes the fuel maps so if you start with a safe timing map you are unlikely to do any damage. Of course you have to use the right fuel. I only use E85. I tune the idle manually and then when using the auto-tune function lock out the cells where the engine idles. Normally the engine will get back into the ball park fairly quickly and the other day it should have been fairly close after the first lap and just get better after that. All the hp is in the timing and you need a dyno for that. When I took the Fiat into the dyno to find the mean best timing the operators never touched the fuel maps. They said they could not do better than the auto function. There are heaps of videos on Youtube on the subject and this forum in particular is very helpful. https://www.msextra.com/forums/Unfortunately I haven't been keeping up with this thread as much as I'd like, so I've missed a lot of the amazing build you've done. Very cool build.
Regarding TunerStudio and its auto-tune function. I have read various opinions about it. How well does it work in your application? Have you had the opportunity to compare its results to a dyno session or other standards? Overall do you find it effective at picking up minor changes in conditions and making appropriate corrections in a reasonable timeframe to safely protect a boosted engine? That is my biggest concern with using it on the X1/9 turbo engine I've been working on. Thanks for your feedback.
A quick overview here.
Dr.Jeff
True Classic
Thank you for the feedback on "auto tune".
I am waiting until most of my car (including the engine) is built before buying the MS ECU (my projects tend to take years to build so I might as well wait to get the latest version product). Therefore I don't have it or TunerStudio to play with yet. I'll continue to read up on the subject, but your following comment answers my question: "When I took the Fiat into the dyno to find the mean best timing the operators never touched the fuel maps. They said they could not do better than the auto function."
This comment was also very helpful: "Normally the engine will get back into the ball park fairly quickly".
In the past I got a little annoyed trying to reading through the MS support forums. Too much garbage to wade through and very little content seemed to apply to my needs. But I should probibly give it another chance.
EDIT: I just watched the video you posted. Toward the end he started the engine and watched the table to see any changes made by auto-tune. That gave me a sense of how responsive it is. Also he cited an example of his drag strip runs with auto-tune running. In a single pass (roughly 15 sec) it made most of the tune adjustments needed to give him the quickest pass ever on the next run.
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ramona300
True Classic
The video is from a few months ago at the local hillclimb where I used auto-tune on each run of about 34 seconds. This was when I had the massive crack in the exhaust header about 400mm upstream of the O2 sensor and the sensor would be indicating to the ECU that things are too lean and to add fuel! If you look at the o2 gauge on the steering column the AFR is in the low 11's where it should be. With the new exhaust, the AFR was about 10 which is way too rich and robbing hp. While I'm auto-tuning I am running a data log so that I can make manual adjustments later at my leisure. When you decide to take on Tunerstudio get the paid version and also the paid version of Megalogviewer HD. This is exceptional value.
www.tunerstudio.com
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Dr.Jeff
True Classic
Are we talking about the same video, with the laptop display of auto-tune running? The narrative sounded to me like it was 15 sec runs, which I assumed were on a drag strip. And I thought he mentioned having a blower and a turbo. But I might have misunderstood. If that was you I did not realize it, sorry for any confusion on my part. I really need to review this whole thread to fill in all of the things I've missed during your build.
Nonetheless, the same comment from me....very encouraging for the TunerStudio auto-tune capabilities.
Agreed. It's been awhile since I've read through the TS site. I need to review it again to see what has changed. I recall there was a data logger/viewer but "megalogviewer HD" sounds new to me. Thanks again.
ramona300
True Classic
Thursday I had a day at the local circuit, Pheasant Wood for some practice and engine tuning the fuel maps. I used the auto-tune function in Tunerstudio to adjust the AFR's to suit the new exhaust. As expected there was a lot of fuel taken out over the whole rev range. I started off with a few cruising laps and eventually got stuck into it. The car quickly sorted itself out and just seems to come alive. After a coffee break and some tyre pressure adjusting, I went out for another session. This time I locked out the lower cells on the fuel map and concentrated on the high RPM's. Things were looking great after about 3 laps then I snapped the belt to the supercharger! Now that really kills hp! Naturally,
I did not have a spare so that's it for the day. Next Sunday is the last hillclimb event for me for the year.
ramona300
True Classic
Last Sunday was the last hillclimb of the year. Weather was a bit iffy and we had rain for a couple of runs. Later in the day it cleared and was just hot! I never got near my personal best time. I managed 6 runs and noticed the voltage was down on the last run. When I drove the car back on the trailer I looked into the engine bay and saw the fuel pressure was well down and the two small wires to the alternator[field wires] were hanging down! When the belt to the supercharger broke the week before the flailing bits must have hit the wires and loosened them off. They came clear on the last run. Checking the data logs showed I had the correct voltage for the earlier runs. The photo is one of the wet runs.
ramona300
True Classic
This is last Wednesday's GEAR event at Pheasant Wood. This is a supersprint event with 65 starters, 10 in my group. There was a mixture of cars, MGB, Sprites, an Alfasud, Triumph TR7, Tornado Talisman [Ford Kent motor] and a Milano GT with a Holden 6 black motor. There were others that I did not encounter. This circuit is only a couple of hours from my place and I'm regular there. I don't think any of the others in my group had been there before.
MikeHynes
True Classic
Thanks for posting the vid. It looks like you had fun. I am a bit confused though. What is a supersprint event? From the way the event is started it looks like it's a qualifying session - best lap time wins?
Pheasant Wood looks like an interesting track! Tight and twisty - with lots of concreate walls
Pheasant Wood looks like an interesting track! Tight and twisty - with lots of concreate walls
ramona300
True Classic
Supersprints take several forms. In this case there are 4 sessions. First is just practice. Second is the winner will be the car whichThanks for posting the vid. It looks like you had fun. I am a bit confused though. What is a supersprint event? From the way the event is started it looks like it's a qualifying session - best lap time wins?
Pheasant Wood looks like an interesting track! Tight and twisty - with lots of concreate walls
crosses the line at a designated position (eg 3rd, 7th). Third is like regularity where you aim for closest to a nominated lap time. Fourth session the organisers nominate a time. In other words, no one really cares. The prizes are chocolate bars! We are not racing. It's just a bunch of friends going in the same direction as fast as we can without touching. We can overtake anywhere. The cars have to be pre 1985 and vary from F1 and F2 down through to Formula Fords and Vees, ex saloon car racers and even a couple of 750 open-wheelers. The circuit is 1.6 km at the moment. Will be 3,2 by the end of next year.
ramona300
True Classic
I'm using a microphone mounted at the rear just above the exhaust connected to my mobile phone. The circuit where the next Fiat Nationals will be run looks interesting. Pheasant Wood is having a heap of money thrown at it. New buildings etc but the big news is the new main straight. I walked down it last Tuesday. There will be 6 new corners. All of them replicating famous overseas circuit corners. At the end of the main straight for example, is a copy of the corkscrew at Laguna Seca. The corner falls away to the right with an elevation change of 34 metres before heading into a hillclimb back to the old circuit. It's going from 1.6 km to 3.2km. The new section will be finished at the end of next year! I reckon when the Nationals come back to NSW it will be held there. I personally think Wakefield Park is finished!
ramona300
True Classic
I finally got off my butt and changed the guts in my tacho. The standard tacho takes a signal from the ignition coil. I have 4 coils so this was problematic. I had a circuit that divided the signal and it worked OK as the revs increased but it would bounce about as I lifted off. It's really noticeable in my videos! This is the back of the stock item.
Dr.Jeff
True Classic
I did something similar with a vintage motorcycle. However in that case it was a matter of swapping one mechanical device for another one. But there was one issue with it....
Does using the original Fiat tach gauge face have the correct read out to match the new tach guts? I mean in terms of the numbering and spacing being the same as the new tach's sweep and values? Or to put it in other words, is it accurate now?
Does using the original Fiat tach gauge face have the correct read out to match the new tach guts? I mean in terms of the numbering and spacing being the same as the new tach's sweep and values? Or to put it in other words, is it accurate now?