Tuning advice

[darrylglenda96]

Iam in the process of purchasing 93 Mustang gt. 5.0. Modifications are: cobra intake, gt40 heads, e303 cam, 130 amp alt. Aluminum radiator, ele. Fans, x pipe with Flowmasters, 3:73 gears. Still has original ecu. Iam looking for some tuning advice. I've seen that mspnp2 has good reviews. Would like something plug and play. Never tuned before. Definitely newbie friendly.. Much appreciated.

 

[Mstng93SSP]

I have a Stinger PimpXS, Megasquirt. When I started I knew absolutely ZERO about tuning. I got help from Steve @a91what who is extremely knowledgeable on the megasquirt platform. He initially did my tuning remotely and he also taught me some things. He has very good youtube videos and is a pretty patient guy. I got to the point where I was able to do a tune where my car starts nicely hot or cold, idles at a rock solid 800 RPM, cruises and generally runs good. When I went Turbo Steve helped again and got my tune safe for boost. He actually helped me again yesterday with some timing help. His rates are pretty reasonable too.

Chris

 

[90sickfox]

+1 for Steve's help. He's been a huge help with me and my mspnp2. He has done all of my tuning for my turbo fox car. The MSPNP2 is nice but now that I've had a few years with it I really would like the flexibility of a MS3 based system the PimpXS. If you go you might as well get the best. There are differences in sequential or batch firing the injectors along with several other things. A MS3 will do anything you need. Mspnp2 will run the car well but will leave a little on the table. The extra money is worth it. A stock 5.0 might not need all the extra stuff but it helps when it comes to fine tuning it.

 

[darrylglenda96]

I have a Stinger PimpXS, Megasquirt. When I started I knew absolutely ZERO about tuning. I got help from Steve @a91what who is extremely knowledgeable on the megasquirt platform. He initially did my tuning remotely and he also taught me some things. He has very good youtube videos and is a pretty patient guy. I got to the point where I was able to do a tune where my car starts nicely hot or cold, idles at a rock solid 800 RPM, cruises and generally runs good. When I went Turbo Steve helped again and got my tune safe for boost. He actually helped me again yesterday with some timing help. His rates are pretty reasonable too.

Chris

Thank you. I will reach out to Steve for his help. Thanks again.

 

[darrylglenda96]

+1 for Steve's help. He's been a huge help with me and my mspnp2. He has done all of my tuning for my turbo fox car. The MSPNP2 is nice but now that I've had a few years with it I really would like the flexibility of a MS3 based system the PimpXS. If you go you might as well get the best. There are differences in sequential or batch firing the injectors along with several other things. A MS3 will do anything you need. Mspnp2 will run the car well but will leave a little on the table. The extra money is worth it. A stock 5.0 might not need all the extra stuff but it helps when it comes to fine tuning it.

Thank you. I will definitely get his help.

 

[a91what]

I got your PM but I wanted to post in this thread. I suggest the pimpxs for a plug and play option.
Wideband I like the spartan2 or Spartan3 from 14point7.com you can run one in each bank or just one side. The pimp will come with all the instructions for installing the spartan2.

Cost of my help will be in our PM.

 

[Monkeybutt2000]

Stock ecu works fine with that setup.

 

[7991LXnSHO]

I see nothing that indicates you need more tuning than the stock computer, wires and sensors in good shape. You might get a little more out of what a91what is recommending, and he’s good enough to smooth out a rough idle and max the power, but you certainly do not “need” to go away from the stock EEC IV.
If it is not running right, I’d want that fixed before trying to switch the system anyway.
Have you found The Surging Idle Checklist? I have found it to be a pretty comprehensive check up for the engine controls.

 

[darrylglenda96]

Thank you for your help. I will d

I got your PM but I wanted to post in this thread. I suggest the pimpxs for a plug and play option.
Wideband I like the spartan2 or Spartan3 from 14point7.com you can run one in each bank or just one side. The pimp will come with all the instructions for installing the spartan2.

Cost of my help will be in our PM.

Thank you for your advice. I will definitely contact you for your help..

 

[darrylglenda96]

Stock ecu works fine with that setup.

Thank you for responding. What other mods can be added to this setup to get more performance bf I would need to get a tune?

 

[Mstng93SSP]

Heads, cam, intake, exhaust can usually run pretty decent on a stock ECU...depending on the cam. Once you start going with a power adder like a supercharger, or a turbo a tune is a must. I personally run a turbo on one of my cars and with a proper tune it runs idles and drives perfect. Once in boost it is an animal.

 

[Grn92LX]

Stock ecu with a moates quarter horse. You can hook up with a remote tuner for a few hundred bucks to dial it all in.

 

[Monkeybutt2000]

I ran my built 331 on the stock ecu, ran great. The "tune" term gets thrown around WAY too much especially on FB groups. This isn't a 2011+ where every little thing you change requires the tune to be changed. On the other hand,if you go forced induction, standalones are a great option.

 

[darrylglenda96]

I ran my built 331 on the stock ecu, ran great. The "tune" term gets thrown around WAY too much especially on FB groups. This isn't a 2011+ where every little thing you change requires the tune to be changed. On the other hand,if you go forced induction, standalones are a great option.

Appreciate the help. Is there anything else I can do to the car, other then what's been done? I don't want to radical, but enough Power to stomp on the street. Reliable cruiser.

 

[7991LXnSHO]

Upgrading the heads beyond GT-40’s and having Tmoss port the lower intake (or going with a Performer) would be on my list of engine parts.
Subframe connectors, suspension and brakes are next.

 

[General karthief]

One thing leads to another.
Can't be happy with what you got?
It should be pretty fun the way it is.
Why not just enjoy the ride?

 

[90sickfox]

The factory ECUs are decades old at this point. It's like cutting on a tube TV that's been sitting in the shed for 20 years. The stock computer is great as long as it's in good rebuilt condition. For that I'd steer you towards ECUexchange of fleabay. They've rebuilt a few computers for members here. The capacitors in them are way past their lifespan. QH is decent but has its limitations. Megasquirt ( especially PimpXS ) will be able to be moved to multiple different cars and platforms without issue. It'll run just about anything except a Ford triton v10....it will run a viper v10 though.

The stock ecu was meant to run all the factory stuff. For years we ran mildly built ( head, cam, intake ) cars without tunes. Calibrated MAF sensors....and even sensors that could be adjusted on the fly. We used to dent fuel pressure regulators to get a bump in fuel pressure. Even used to flip the throttle body 90 degrees to solve idle issues. Don't forget those that drilled holes in their throttle body flaps. We even used to get truck intakes cut up so we could flow more than the weezy stock intake. Unplugged sensors to keep the car in closed loop. Used to take blue injectors from trucks....red injectors from super coupes and certain nissans. Ran 160 degree thermostats in factory cars. Stripped the ac, ps, clutch fan, air pump, and anything else we could get to. Those days are over.

If you want to have a reliable cruiser. Get a megasquirt. Send the stock ECU out for repair ( cap replacement ). Put that thing on a shelf wrapped up in a climate controlled area.. The price is going up like an old SEGA or Gameboy.

Drive around on the megasquirt knowing it's completely new and the tune is designed specifically for what you want. You can control an electric fan and various other things you may want to add. You also have the ability to observe everything the car is doing on a laptop. You can't do that with a factory ecu.

If you ever want to put the car back to stock you have the ecu.....or you have an ecu to sell to that guy with a factory fox that wants to keep it factory. They pay good money for good rebuilt parts.

 

[darrylglenda96]

Hey guys,
Picked up our 93 Mustang on Monday and runs pretty good. Did learn it has 70mm throttle body and 19# injecters. Need some guidance on tune up. Plugs, wires, distributor cap, fuel filter ect. Quality without breaking the bank. Anything else that needs to be checked are changed, everyday wear and tear? I really appreciate anybodys help. Thanks Darryl

 

[General karthief]

Nothing fancy just copper plugs, quality cap, rotor and wires if needed.

 

[Olivethefet]

What is your experience working and maintaining cars? That "what should I do question" is pretty broad.