new engine break-in initial fire = SPOUT out?

[rockin_rick]

I am getting ready to fire my new engine for the first time. I plan on letting it idle ~1500 rpms for 30 mins. I am also a first time Tweecer user, and concerned that wrong settings could hurt the new motor.

Would it be OK (or even a good idea) to remove the SPOUT plug for this entire 30 min fast idle run? That would then be like a hardwired spark advance limiter setting advance to distro position (10°), and GUARANTEE that detonation is not possible, right?

I could then gather datalogs and verify adavace commanded (and check tune), and re-install the plug when done, and before the first drive.

Is this a good plan for detonation prevention?

Rick

 

[GTJake]

Your not going to get detonation at 1500 rpms...your worring too much.

Jake

 

[rockin_rick]

Would it hurt? It doesn't cost anything to do, and takes very little time and effort...

It's mainly for my lack of Tweecer experience (and my lack of confidence in the beta/alpha software). I just don't want some crazy setting doing bad things. Under these operating conditions, is it pretty much safe regardless of tune quality?

Yes, I do realize that I am rather compulsive with this!

Rick

 

[GTJake]

Just start it up with out the tweecer or with the stock T4M0 program installed.

Jake

 

[Zero Signal]

Start it up with the J4J1, then go from there, just keep the stock settings and you should be fine. I would keep the spout in as well, I think having it out might cause more problems than not. The J4J1 is meant for your injectors and it has more conservative tables (more fuel and less timing) than the T4MO.

 

[rockin_rick]

I'd like to start it with my modified J4J1, as a correct MAF transfer would help. I have confidence in the changes I make, but I've seen caledit turn some scalers to '0' when I didn't touch them. Particiulary when I changed the speed_limit_stage-1_on and off to 16383, I go back and the stage 2 and 3 are all set to '0'. I think now that I didn't enter the values correctly (tab after entry, then refresh), as I've gotten those changes to take. BUT it makes me wonder what other things get mysteriously changed without my knowing... But again, I think it was my data entry method that was the problem as I was highlighting a cell, typing the new number and clicking refresh without leaving the cell (with a TAB).

SO... if I feel that I have a good handle on what needs twEECed (which I do), should I go ahead and fire it initially with my new tune? The SPOUT issue was mainly a safety net.


Rick

 

[SlowGT]

What are you planning to accomplish with the 30min fast idle?

 

[94DreamGT]

Instead of worrying so much about every little setting in the EEC...why don't you just drive the thing for a little while and get used to it. THEN do your tuning and tweeking off of that to fix the little things. I honestly think you're drive yourself crazy trying to control every setting getting the car to run 110% perfect...I"ve seen it before.

 

[rockin_rick]

I realize that the 30 min idle isn't needed, just thought it wasn't a bad idea. I ended up just getting it timed and checked for leaks, coolant, etc. and then drove it around for a while. After checking into it more, I think that the SPOUT out would probably be a bad idea. I didn't realize that the ECM changes the spark at idle to control the idle speed. Probably wouldn't idle very well. I did start it and run it on my modified tune. I'm going to try the stock tune and see what happens.

It's not that I need 110%, it's more 'the sooner, the better'... Really, drivability is most important.

Thanks,
Rick

 

[final5-0]

Rick

I put on the AFR's, cam, 30# inj's, lt's, bla,bla,bla all at the same time.

I loaded in the inj low & high slope and set the idle at 1000 rpm using my original T4M0 cal that I had been using.

The car did not want to idle. It surged up and down, it was so rich that it almost forced me and my two friends out of the garage, the rockers were making so much noise we had to yell to talk, all of the new parts were stinking a lot as they heated up.

If you have never built a new combo before, that experience might make you think that you spent all of that $$$$$ and *** "this is what I get".

Your objective is to get in a heat cycle or two to let everything break in and settle down.

You check for leaks and after a couple of heat cycles you do a final valve adj and check all bolts.

Remember, the pcm needs a bit of time to gather data so it can do its adaptive thing.

After a couple of heat cycles & final valve adj I drove around the side streets keeping the rpms down to about 3500 and watched the temp gague for regular temps.

After three or four of those short drives things had setteled down a good bit. I had a few rockers that I thought were a little loud so I did one more valve adj which made it good to go.

At that point, things were much better than they were when we first fired it up, but, the drivability left much to be desired.

I got busy with my Tweecer and, as they say the rest is history.

Let us know how things turn out for the new combo!

Later
Grady