KCTom
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2014
- Threads
- 6
- Messages
- 245
- Reaction score
- 60
- Location
- Kansas City
- Vehicle(s)
- 2015 Race Red GT P.P.
- Thread starter
- #1
Yesterday was a fun day. Weather finally cooperated and was able to meet up with Bob Engel, the local 5.0 Coyote tuner guy. He is very into the whole 5.0 Coyote tuning, just went to the instructional seminar on tuning the new '15 versus the previous years where the guys from Revolution Auto helped put it on.
Bob has a '13 GT and has his own Dynojet Chassis Dyno for his personal use. Needless to say, he was anxious to get his laptop cradling hands onto my '15! If you're on Facebook, he has his own page "MTR Performance", check it out to see some of the projects they're doing.
So, I met up with him with my JLT CAI in hand and he had the SCT/X4 he ordered in for me. He crawled around my car, checking it out, etc. Loved it. Confirmed his desires to await the GT350R! He hooked up the SCT, attached it to his laptop and off we go for some data logging.
He drove, running through varios driving scenarios that he'd want to look at while I tried to be cool with a computer in my lap hooked up to the car! I was initially under the impression he was just going to load a simple tune he had written to account for the JLT, since he IS in the process of moving and his Dynojet is not setup yet. We talked about doing full blown dyno tuning come spring.
So, we get back and I get busy putting the JLT on (cake job-took thirty minutes). He runs off to his laptop. Forgot to mention, before anything, he did check the Ford tune that my car came with and it was actually a newer version than what they played with in their training. It was really amazing, and humbling, listening to him explain what all is involved in tuning. I HAD NO IDEA. Far far different from the days of making sure you had a mass air meter versus an '88 prior speed density car!!
An hour or so later, Bob hooks up the SCT/laptop ensemble and loads up the new tunes. He put a stock one in, a tune for no CAI and one for the CAI. Checks a few thing and off we go. Again, him driving and me looking for solitaire on his laptop. He again runs through his various specific pulls, WOT, rev limiter and we pull into a parking lot. He checks out the laptop and is going over these screens with a fine tooth comb. Pulls up the datalogs showing the pulls he just did, clicking it frame by frame looking for any anomalies. All the time, he's explaining this and that, casually referencing strategies, etc. what they do as if were just talking about the prevent defense and why he likes the 3-4 versus the 4-3 in football. Did I mention I can tell the differences between a mass air car versus a speed density car back in the 5.0 days??
My God how this has all changed! I'm seeing how we've changed cam timing here, changing the rev limiter there. Each of these little changes may only be a couple, three four HP, but it all adds up! After his tinkering on the laptop in the parking lot of the grocery store, off we go again. He's got some technical jargon rambling again while I'm looking for Mahjong on the computer this time. Goes thru his various pulls etc, again, back to the parking lot and one final looksy over. Jeez Bob,I thought this was gonna be a "I'll throw a quick tune on your car to get the JLT on to get you going. We'll do the real stuff later." Whatever!!
It was a couple hours and I could tell this is what he loves to do. The way he explained things, the reasons they did this or that, what Ford has changed from the '11-'14's to the '15. What Ford has LEARNED from the tuning community (specifically the knock sensor and adding timing back in when the car isn't under detonation). Best thing he did was adjust the throttle response/timing when you first start off from a stop. I guess Ford pulls a bunch of timing at initial throttle for whatever reason when you start out in first gear. He asked how the car was when taking off. I complained that I just could never get used to the clutch, it was just so different from the past. Car was hard to take off smooth, with out lurching at times or bogging. Well, THAT is gone. He added that timing back in and it feels like a new clutch. Engages and takes off like I was used to with my TKO on the '89! Love it. Better than the seat in the pants difference.
Now, his dyno is not set up so our reactions are from a purely before and after butt dyno session. The car drives immensely different. The power throughout the whole band just seems turned up a few notches. He changed how the rev limiter kicks in. Do I have any reason to feel that the gains are not what is typically gained from a JLT and a tune (25-30+ HP)? No I don't, but true dyno time this spring will tell the true tale. At that point the car will have a complete exhaust and he'll really be able to do the nitty gritty changes to benefit HP. He's recommending the ARH and feels that 450-460 at the wheels when we're all done is where it'll end up!
I know this was long, but just wanted to share my experience of tuning first hand. I had no idea what was really involved. I know others have asked similar type questions and just wanted to weigh in. I just consider myself fortunate to be able to take my car to a guy who shares the same passion as I do, along with most of us on here! Dude has his own DYNO! Are you kidding me??
I did ask if he would do tuning for people who didn't live around here. He said no, as he just wants to be able to get his hands on the car as each car is different, however slightly. As he continues to learn more and more about the '15 Coyote tuning (as all the tuners are), or if he just wants to tweak or try something, he'll just email me an update or have me come down.
These cars are so fun!
Bob has a '13 GT and has his own Dynojet Chassis Dyno for his personal use. Needless to say, he was anxious to get his laptop cradling hands onto my '15! If you're on Facebook, he has his own page "MTR Performance", check it out to see some of the projects they're doing.
So, I met up with him with my JLT CAI in hand and he had the SCT/X4 he ordered in for me. He crawled around my car, checking it out, etc. Loved it. Confirmed his desires to await the GT350R! He hooked up the SCT, attached it to his laptop and off we go for some data logging.
He drove, running through varios driving scenarios that he'd want to look at while I tried to be cool with a computer in my lap hooked up to the car! I was initially under the impression he was just going to load a simple tune he had written to account for the JLT, since he IS in the process of moving and his Dynojet is not setup yet. We talked about doing full blown dyno tuning come spring.
So, we get back and I get busy putting the JLT on (cake job-took thirty minutes). He runs off to his laptop. Forgot to mention, before anything, he did check the Ford tune that my car came with and it was actually a newer version than what they played with in their training. It was really amazing, and humbling, listening to him explain what all is involved in tuning. I HAD NO IDEA. Far far different from the days of making sure you had a mass air meter versus an '88 prior speed density car!!
An hour or so later, Bob hooks up the SCT/laptop ensemble and loads up the new tunes. He put a stock one in, a tune for no CAI and one for the CAI. Checks a few thing and off we go. Again, him driving and me looking for solitaire on his laptop. He again runs through his various specific pulls, WOT, rev limiter and we pull into a parking lot. He checks out the laptop and is going over these screens with a fine tooth comb. Pulls up the datalogs showing the pulls he just did, clicking it frame by frame looking for any anomalies. All the time, he's explaining this and that, casually referencing strategies, etc. what they do as if were just talking about the prevent defense and why he likes the 3-4 versus the 4-3 in football. Did I mention I can tell the differences between a mass air car versus a speed density car back in the 5.0 days??
My God how this has all changed! I'm seeing how we've changed cam timing here, changing the rev limiter there. Each of these little changes may only be a couple, three four HP, but it all adds up! After his tinkering on the laptop in the parking lot of the grocery store, off we go again. He's got some technical jargon rambling again while I'm looking for Mahjong on the computer this time. Goes thru his various pulls etc, again, back to the parking lot and one final looksy over. Jeez Bob,I thought this was gonna be a "I'll throw a quick tune on your car to get the JLT on to get you going. We'll do the real stuff later." Whatever!!
It was a couple hours and I could tell this is what he loves to do. The way he explained things, the reasons they did this or that, what Ford has changed from the '11-'14's to the '15. What Ford has LEARNED from the tuning community (specifically the knock sensor and adding timing back in when the car isn't under detonation). Best thing he did was adjust the throttle response/timing when you first start off from a stop. I guess Ford pulls a bunch of timing at initial throttle for whatever reason when you start out in first gear. He asked how the car was when taking off. I complained that I just could never get used to the clutch, it was just so different from the past. Car was hard to take off smooth, with out lurching at times or bogging. Well, THAT is gone. He added that timing back in and it feels like a new clutch. Engages and takes off like I was used to with my TKO on the '89! Love it. Better than the seat in the pants difference.
Now, his dyno is not set up so our reactions are from a purely before and after butt dyno session. The car drives immensely different. The power throughout the whole band just seems turned up a few notches. He changed how the rev limiter kicks in. Do I have any reason to feel that the gains are not what is typically gained from a JLT and a tune (25-30+ HP)? No I don't, but true dyno time this spring will tell the true tale. At that point the car will have a complete exhaust and he'll really be able to do the nitty gritty changes to benefit HP. He's recommending the ARH and feels that 450-460 at the wheels when we're all done is where it'll end up!
I know this was long, but just wanted to share my experience of tuning first hand. I had no idea what was really involved. I know others have asked similar type questions and just wanted to weigh in. I just consider myself fortunate to be able to take my car to a guy who shares the same passion as I do, along with most of us on here! Dude has his own DYNO! Are you kidding me??
I did ask if he would do tuning for people who didn't live around here. He said no, as he just wants to be able to get his hands on the car as each car is different, however slightly. As he continues to learn more and more about the '15 Coyote tuning (as all the tuners are), or if he just wants to tweak or try something, he'll just email me an update or have me come down.
These cars are so fun!
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