Okay so, I'm just thinking ahead at this point; my car is still slumbering.
In the past, I was dead set on using a factory computer with all its inputs correct and intact, for example, MAF and O2s. I didn't like the idea that a Megasquirt doesn't use many of the factory inputs, even though it's many times smarter. The other thing I really didn't like about the Megasquirt was the fact that it's up to you to get it running correctly. No thank you. My assumption with an EEC was that at least you start with a pretty good foundation/tune that will run decently well and you only need to tweak little things from there to get the most out of your engine.
BUT... since I made that decision, I've been reading a book about tuning, and the book seems to assume that you will be starting from scratch anyway. I only got about 2/3 of the way through, so I will grant you that I don't have the whole picture. I DO NOT WANT TO START FROM SCRATCH. I want to enjoy the car now, not have to be doing significant fiddling with tables in perpetuity to even get it to rev like a factory stock car should. And if I do have to do that, the Quarterhorse interface is clunky compared to what you get with a Megasquirt or Terminator. The reason I have EFI over carb is so that I don't have to fiddle!
I also since found out when a tuner typically tunes an EEC IV, one of the first things they do is lock it in open loop anyway, so it's not even using many of those inputs I thought were so important!
I was looking a bit into the Terminator, and there is a phrase in there that is very appealing to me. SELF LEARNING. But my question is, is it that simple? Plug it in and go?!
Background on my setup: It's a SEFI 306 w/GT40P heads both pistons and heads tweaked an indeterminate amount for additional compression. Cam is a Flowtech for a P head 302. 24# injectors, Explorer intake and TB, 70mm Cobra MAF. Pretty much a Cobra engine right? So I thought it would be best to run an X3Z computer. I currently can't get the MOFO to idle, I don't know it's related to any sort of computer or sensor mismatch. To be really honest I wouldn't be doing any "tuning" at all if I had my way, but I thought it would help get the most out of my engine.
In the past, I was dead set on using a factory computer with all its inputs correct and intact, for example, MAF and O2s. I didn't like the idea that a Megasquirt doesn't use many of the factory inputs, even though it's many times smarter. The other thing I really didn't like about the Megasquirt was the fact that it's up to you to get it running correctly. No thank you. My assumption with an EEC was that at least you start with a pretty good foundation/tune that will run decently well and you only need to tweak little things from there to get the most out of your engine.
BUT... since I made that decision, I've been reading a book about tuning, and the book seems to assume that you will be starting from scratch anyway. I only got about 2/3 of the way through, so I will grant you that I don't have the whole picture. I DO NOT WANT TO START FROM SCRATCH. I want to enjoy the car now, not have to be doing significant fiddling with tables in perpetuity to even get it to rev like a factory stock car should. And if I do have to do that, the Quarterhorse interface is clunky compared to what you get with a Megasquirt or Terminator. The reason I have EFI over carb is so that I don't have to fiddle!
I also since found out when a tuner typically tunes an EEC IV, one of the first things they do is lock it in open loop anyway, so it's not even using many of those inputs I thought were so important!
I was looking a bit into the Terminator, and there is a phrase in there that is very appealing to me. SELF LEARNING. But my question is, is it that simple? Plug it in and go?!
Background on my setup: It's a SEFI 306 w/GT40P heads both pistons and heads tweaked an indeterminate amount for additional compression. Cam is a Flowtech for a P head 302. 24# injectors, Explorer intake and TB, 70mm Cobra MAF. Pretty much a Cobra engine right? So I thought it would be best to run an X3Z computer. I currently can't get the MOFO to idle, I don't know it's related to any sort of computer or sensor mismatch. To be really honest I wouldn't be doing any "tuning" at all if I had my way, but I thought it would help get the most out of my engine.