Do i need to datalog to tune effectively?

[OrangeMustangGt]

currently i have a custom dyno superchip. While its a pretty good tune, it does need some tweaking here and there, idle, throttle response, etc.

Now, i plan on buying the burner setup and software so i can burn it, but the only problem is that i cannot, as i understand "read" the chip and make adjustments, i have to start off with a close tune and work from there.


Here is my question.......I do have a wideband, but its a AEM, and dosent have datalog capabilities....whell it does have a 0-5v output but no memory on its own.



SOOOO......Will i be able to do a good tune without an actual form of datalogging?

 

[final5-0]

Well Kyle

The ability to gather data is extremely helpful

I know ... You know the drill

Make a baseline pass or pull for reference
Do some pcm adjustments
Make a comparison pass or pull to analyze for positive results

Hard Data will always be more accurate
than
The seat of the pants method

I see tuning as two parts ... WOT and everything else

You could use a Dyno or the Strip for WOT
and
Like you said ... You have your WB for that as well

It is for the Closed Loop part of tuning .....
That is where having datalogging really shines

Some of the time ... it can be really subtle changes that
makes all the difference where drivability is concerned.

Without hard data ... having that option available to you
is gonna be more difficult to obtain.

I have never tried to tune the Stangs of today without
the data at my disposal
so
Having it is my only point of reference or perception

Another benefit I've gained from having real time data

I could clearly see the pcm at work so I was able to
more easily teach myself what all was going on with
my Stang and what I would need to do to improve it

Don't know if I helped or not Kyle

Grady

 

[OrangeMustangGt]

you helped alot.....

Thanks for a good explanation from someone who does their own tuning!

well, i guess the next logical question, is what is the most affordable way of obtaining the data i need?

 

[final5-0]

you helped alot.....

Thanks for a good explanation from someone who does their own tuning!

well, i guess the next logical question, is what is the most affordable way of obtaining the data i need?

Again Kyle

My only perspective is with the Tweecer
and since
Its a Tuning Interface and Datalogger in all one package

I've just not been all that motivated to look at other things because
I have been able to achieve all my tuning goals and more with it.

Please understand Kyle

I really am trying to be unbiased about the Tweecer

I know and believe ... Self Tuning with the Tweecer is not .........
The ONLY Way ... or ... The BEST Way ... For Everybody

Other than some very basic and generic knowledge ........
That is all I got about most other tuning methods

Just a thought or two here

I know some WB's will store rpm and other data
I'd bet you can output your WB to a laptop.

IIRC, Race Systems makes dl equipment called Sneec

PMS offers with their basic tuning system an additional software
package that will datalog.

Pretty sure you can put something together with the SCT stuff

Edelbrock makes somekind of Data Acquisition equipment

btw ... Look at the recent thread where someone asked about
where to find a j4j1 bin file.

Take the link and edit it to go to the home page ........
I skimmed a few articles and info on that site and while is was a
lot of generic info ... Some good stuff was there for sure.

I noticed a page where a lot of tuning options were compared and
I bet that could be of interest to you.

I would say this to you about tuning and datalogging Kyle

Talk to some of the PMS boys about their experience as they
don't typically get all that involved in datalogging.

Now ... thats not to say they don't use data to their advantage
but
As I have been able to understand that method of tuning

They use the data in real time form and unless they have purchased
that additional software package ... they have no way to capture
the data to a hard drive for the ability to analyze it at a later point
in time.

Again ... Not much help ... I'm sure of that
but
I've already told you more than I know

Grady

 

[tjh566]

I also have the AEM wideband, I dont know if your was the same way but mine has a serial ouput for a computer. You just need to get a serial connect from say radio shack or the likes, run the wire off the AEM unit to the RIght pin on it, dont know of the top of my head, and ground anther pin, agian, dont know off the top of my head. Then In order to data log to use hypertermial and input some settings that it had with the instuctions and you can datalog the A/F, to what extent, I do not know, I have the serial connection on thier but havent used it yet.

 

[final5-0]

Sure thing

Long ago when I started hosing around with this stuff... I sent my
old FJO WB output to an old junky Laptop I had laying around.

While you could certainly see the output

You had to have some way of syncing the data to a WOT test
run

I finally found a way to easily toggle the start and stop sequence
of the data capture

I rigged things up to the space bar.

I started a WOT pass in third gear at around 1500 rpm

I then touched the space bar at around 2K to start
and then
I touched it again to kill the capture just after 6K

Kinda crude
but
you work with what you got

It goes without saying ... I had to kinda estimate a bit
like
The mid point of data was the mid point of the rpm range

anyway ... I just remembered that since the above post kinda
jogged my memory

Grady

 

[rio95]

I think this is thr route I'm going:

http://www.lasotaracing.com/zeitronix_frame.html

Give Don a call.

 

[OrangeMustangGt]

nice man....thats what i needed! I am actually going to get my chip burner and software from them.

 

[final5-0]

nice man....thats what i needed! I am actually going to get my chip burner and software from them.

I don't see how you could go wrong doing biz with Don

He knows his stuff
and
He has helped so many in the Stang Community

Be sure to keep us in the loop with your progress Kyle

Grady

 

[OrangeMustangGt]

i sure will man....thanks again for your help.

I still have to get a good amount of stuff togther......A laptop, Burner/software and a datalogger.

That and i need to paint my car lol......


Its too bad i cant just find some type of "standalone" data logger, since i allready bought this wideband.....