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Tuning Solutions and You

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So having spent a bit of time researching and finally deciding on a tuning solution myself, I understand that there are several questions and concerns out there about what tuning solutions are available and what, exactly, you can do with each one. Well, as many already know : Selecting the appropriate solution for your needs can be a headache if you haven't already set your heart aside for a specific product.

The Good News : I'm here to help you by giving a list of the better known tuning solutions and short breakdowns of how they function

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"YEAH!"





The Bad News : You still have to decide on which is right for you, both in functionality and price.

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"Sonuvah"





So let's get started with a basic right off the bat.



1 : Piggy Back Tuning Solutions - A Piggyback tuning solution is a liar, pure and simple. It is situated between the Source and the ECU, intercepting the information from the source and altering it before it gets to the ECU. The ECU, in turn, sees this modified information and dishes out changes, mainly by adding or taking away fuel, to obtain a status it believes is correct. Let's set up the scenario.

Your ECU has you running at a constant 13.8. Well, you decide that you want to run a little richer, somewhere in the area of 10.4. You install your Piggyback system which functions based on the amount of air your draw in through your MAF. Now, to get that 10.4, you need to make your ECU think that you are pulling in more air so that it adds more fuel. You set your Piggyback to intercept the signal from your Maf which would regularly say "Hey, I'm pulling 100%" to "Hey, I'm pulling in 120%". Your ECU gets this information and in turn adds more fuel. Now, in all truth you're still only pulling in the 100%, but since the ECU got the wrong information it doesn't know that. In the end, you end up adding more fuel and the ECU isn't the wiser. Congratulations - You have just enriched your air/fuel mixture and now have a very vague idea of how this occurred!
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"Now to figure out how to get off this mountain!"


::A List Of Piggyback Tuning Solutions::


So, stepping into what solutions are available, let's break down what the wider known setups are, how they function, and what you're looking at in functionality.


1 : SAFC - A SAFC is a piggy back that is fairly popular among the mildly modified crowd. It is effective for moderately mild tuning and getting things dialed within a specific range. It is not, however, very capable when it comes to other things besides intercepting signals from your MAF, changing the variables, and sending that to your ECU. This, in turn, makes your ECU think that there is more or less air being drawn in and attempts to compensate by adding or removing fuel. Essentially, if you want to run a little leaner, you set the SAFC to tell the ECU that there is more air coming in than what's really there. The ECU dials back fuel and keeps taking in the exact same amount of air as usual.

SAFC's are also able to display RPMS and various other things by intercepting signals for your Tach and CAS. While you may not be able to edit timing, you can monitor it. They do have the potential to cause issues with your ignition timing, though.

Please, also note that most people do not recommend using injectors larger than 650's, though it has been known to end with good results. It's a rule of thumb that AFC's can only control 50% larger than stock as to what the ECU accommodates. Also note that Automatics use smaller injectors than 5spd ECU's.
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2 : MAFT - A maft basically is the same as a SAFC and, in my opinion, is a bit more popular. A MAFT allows you to use a GM MAF which is superior to ours as it can read pressurized air whereas our stock MAF cannot. This allows you to eliminate the intake snorkel from the intake side of the turbo by moving the GM MAF closer to the Throttle Body, clean up the engine bay, and also manipulate fuel the same way that a SAFC allows you to. An additional use for the MAFT is since you can situate your new GM MAF along your charge piping, you can finally remove your recirculated setup and vent your BOV to the atmosphere as there is no loss of metered air.

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"Vaaaah - PSSHHT"

A MAFT does not, however, offer a way to monitor your changes on a digital display like other solutions. A MAFTs soul purpose is to allow you to run a GM Maf in place of your stock MAF and translate the information into a format that our ECU's can understand. It also allows you to alter those signals a bit to allow for more or less registered airflow to allow additional fuel to be added and compensated for, thus, you can also run larger injectors and lean/richen them up. Just like a SAFC setup, this tuning solution can also cause issues with your ignition timing, so be sure to study up!

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"'MAFT' - See, you take 'MAF' from the Box and the 'T' from Tran- Nevermind"



3 : ECU Flashing - A lot of later model DSMs have what we call a Flashable ECU. These work the same as flashing a BIOS or a Chip. You can create a definition file, essentially a tune, plug up your software, and flash the ECU with updated information such as Timing, Fuel maps, injector sizing, two step, anti lag, and other things. This is a well known and moderately supported tuning solution.

A great piece of information on this can be found right here on our very forums at This Link!
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4 : Chip Burning/Ostrich - Ostrich - Ostrich is a small device which is linked to via a USB cable. This device is basically an EPROM in itself. It's base function - Store data. This data just so happens to be the very files you would find on your EPROM device if you were to pull it out and break it down. How does the Ostrich device interface with your ECU? There is a ribbon, much like one you would find in an older PC. This cable runs to a plug which is shaped like a stock EPROM chip. Considering you have an appropriately socketed EPROM (Keep in mind that the Ostrich unit is usable on multi-platforms, not specifically DSMs), it simply plugs into the place that a stock EPROM chip would plug into. When you turn on the key to kick power to the ECU, the Ostrich unit feeds information into the ECU and acts as an EPROM unit. What's so great about this? You can access, change information, and monitor information while the vehicle is running. That's right - Tune on the go.

Now, just to clarify - Tunerpro is simply a Utility used to Edit those Definitions and Bins which are the heart and soul of your car. These contain your maps, timing, injector information, and much much more. It's what your car looks at for data. Tunerpro is what I had the most experience with using. It is SIMPLY a FREE software which allows you to edit/log this information. While Ostrich doesn't need a software installed to use it, you have to have a software to edit/upload/download/monitor what's going on with the Ostrich Unit. It's much like a Flashable Black box ECU and you using ECUflash to flash information onto it. Same concept. And what adds to this? There is no injector size limit as you can hex in whatever size injectors you need and compensate for them!

TunerPro -

TunerPro RT v5 covers all of the capabilities of the V4 software, as well as many new features including support for the Quarterhorse with Ford A9L and T4M0 datalogging. Advanced ADX configuration and plug-in support opens new doors for communications flexibility.

This highly configurable software supports MANY vehicles including GMOBD1, Ford, Nissan, BMW, Porsche, and others.

TunerProRT5 is fully functional immediately upon download free of charge. If you enjoy its functionality, you may purchase a license here.

Vehicle-specific BIN files can be edited using XDF definitions, while ADX files are used for datalogging. Native support for all Moates hardware including AutoProm, ALDU1, Burn2, Ostriches, Roadrunner, Quarterhorse, and Jaybird

The Ostrich Unit -
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Check it - It's Small. No software. That ribbon runs into your ECU.
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This is a blank Eprom Chip like what's found in your ECU. Ostrich emulates this.
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By Replacing it like this ...
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All of the information you would normally find on that little black chip can be uploaded to the Ostrich Unit, allowing it to be readily accessed, edited, and removed. That is Ostrich's SOUL DESIGN. It's YOUR job to have access to a Program to do this as well as take the time to learn how to do it.

A Chip burning process can also completely Eliminate Ostrich. Though this would be taking a step back in technology as Ostrich has replaced this process. Essentially you simply burn your tune onto a chip using one of these chip burners pictured below, plug it into your Socket in your ECU, and Go!
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"Our records indicate this was never used in Conjunction with an Atari"



5 : ECMLink - Link - Link is a chip, a cable, and software. The Link installation process has you replace your stock Eprom chip with it's specially made rewritable/editable chip which also includes more RAM for better speed. The cable given allows you to interface via your OBD(II) port to your ECU and tune from there. The reason the Cable for Link is considered Special is because it has hardware built into it to decipher the information from the ECU into usable and readable format for you/your computer and the reverse. That's it. Unlike Ostrich, you feed through your OBD(II) plug whereas with Ostrich you have a direct USB link from your laptop to the device. If there is something wrong with your OBD(II) port then you're in for some work trying to diagnose it.

Check out their Informational Database Here

People have been able to pull off HUGE numbers with Link. Although it utilizes your ECU, thus still classifying it as a Piggyback System, it is pretty unmatched in functionality, a modest learning curve, and overall support. Many people live and breath by Link. As always, though, it's your personal preference that dictates your tuning solution choice - Not the vote of the populace.
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"Disclaimer - The Box is Awesome!"

::Stand Alone Engine Management Systems::

Now, the End all to End All is a Stand Alone Engine Management System. A well known one is an AEM EMS. These simply cannot be touched. These are fully tunable systems that you setup yourself. I would suggest doing heavy research on these as they are temperamental and there is simply too much information to type.
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"Note - Despite the design on this unit, it cannot revive intelligence."

I hope this information was helpful and assists in guiding you towards the correct tuning solution for your personal preference. Whether it be from Road Course Racing to the Drag Strip, these should help you personalize and utilize whatever aspects of your vehicle that you desire.

Always feel free to ask questions and add input!

** For reasons in respect to our Vendors, I have decided to leave out estimated pricing for these setups.
 
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