Tuning options for EEC-IV

[holyford86]

Over the past few weeks a friend and I have adapted a GM Eaton M62 supercharger to a 4.0 OHV. I know that the M90 has more potential but I wanted to be able to use the charger without modifying it to a great degree and the commonly available GM variants are too long to do that.

I am running this on a 93 explorer 4.0 that has been installed into an 86 ranger and it uses a 94 Ranger EEC (I know its federal emissions but unsure of the code as the truck isn't currently at my house). The engine currently has the stock 19lb injectors and is running the stock pulley which gives me about 3psi, it runs fine like this but a smaller pulley is on its way and the math tells me I'll be at about 7 psi which is where I want to be. I also believe I'll need to move up to a 24lb injector to support this boost level.

I've been researching tuning for this and have come up with a couple different options. I've noticed tuned mass airflow sensors are a thing but it seems like a bandaid. I've also seen that I could put a piggyback chip in the EEC which seems like a better option. Are there people that can make me a custom tune on a chip without dyno time or would that be a bad idea?

I will be using this truck pretty regularly and will be using it as a truck still so I would rather be safe and leave a few hp on the table than go all out and risk damaging things. I have a wideband and gauge I'll be installing before I drive it too much so I'll be able to keep an eye on things too.

I'm posting this here because it seems like there is much more traffic in here than the boost specific section. I'm also open to putting up some pics of it if anyone is interested.

 

[Broosedamoose]

Try contacting 5-Star tuning. They are pretty good at that sort of thing.
5-Star Tuning

 

[Roert42]

My 2c

Mail order tunes are pretty good for near stock applications, but a lot of places that sell them will not sell you one for a S/C or Turbo build. I plan on raising the boost on my truck soon and will be finding a local guy with a dyno to do it. If I was running EEC-IV I would look into installing a Micro/Mega Squirt, I don't know how easy it would be to find someone that can interface with the old ECUs.

 

[Broosedamoose]

Mail order tunes are pretty good for near stock applications, but a lot of places that sell them will not sell you one for a S/C or Turbo build

5-Star Tuning is not most places. They will build a tune based off of other similar builds running similar boost and then have him datalog and email them in so they look at them and tweek where necessary Once the base tune is written they do not charge to look at the datalogs and make changes. They have free tunes for life.

 

[Roert42]

I looked at their website, that’s the first place I’ve seen that will do mail order stuff for boosted engines.

The stuff I looked at said they would do it for certain brands of S/C. Other stuff and to be brought in.

 

[rubydist]

Mail order tunes only work if the place has already tuned an identical combination of aftermarket parts on the same vehicle in the past. They can call up the tune that worked in that case, load it into the piggyback chip and send it to you. I have used SCT chips and tuners with success, but there are other choices as well.

 

[Broosedamoose]

Mail order tunes only work if the place has already tuned an identical combination of aftermarket parts on the same vehicle in the past.

That's not true. All they need to know is how much boost you have. It doesn't matter if it's a roots type supercharger, a centrifugal type blower or a turbo. It doesn't matter what is producing the boost, they just need to know X amount of boost is being added. Once they write the first tune to get the engine running and close to where it needs to be they use datalogs to tweek and fine tune everything. Mail order tunes have come a long way from the days of getting just a generic tune that would work on any Ranger with a 4.0L SOHC. My tunes are specific to my truck. They start with the generic tune and then build off of that according to the mods you have and the datalogs you send them. 5-Star tuning and EFI Dynotuning are the only shops I know of that will go back and forth, datalogging and tweeking, until your vehicle is putting out the maximum HP and torque that your set up can produce. There may be other but I'm not sure. Check out the EFI Dynotunning website if 5-Star won't help with your S/C.

 

[rubydist]

Except that the tune you need for a roots blower is way different from a centrifugal due to how and where the boost happens. And how much boost you have depends on a whole bunch of stuff outside of the blower and the pulley - intake restriction, exhaust restriction, cam lift/duration, etc. There is no way I would trust a mail order tune if they had not done a nearly identical vehicle previously - its just a great way to blow up your motor.

 

[Broosedamoose]

You have to start somewhere bud. I'd rather have an experienced tuner write me a start up tune based off of the information I give him about my truck than just throw a stock tune at it! That's how you blow up an engine!

 

[holyford86]

I'll have to check out 5 star tuning to see what they can do for me. In the time since I've posted this a local guy who has a lot of experience making chips for EEC-IV Fords and tuning newer stuff has shown some interest in helping me out with my project so I'll keep you posted on how that goes as time goes on. Yes, I know that putting this on a dyno and getting something made that way would be the best way to do it but my pockets aren't that deep right now and there arent many chassis dynos around this area and even fewer who have guys in the know with the older stuff.

 

[gaz]

Holyford,

If you haven't already considered this, your performance may benifit from dropping 2 heat ranges on the spark plugs with 7lbs boost with stock base compression cylinders.

 

[Broosedamoose]

To tell you the truth, I'd start by emailing Decipha first. EFI Dynotunning. He really knows his stuff and will build you a totally custom tune.

 

[holyford86]

To tell you the truth, I'd start by emailing Decipha first. EFI Dynotunning. He really knows his stuff and will build you a totally custom tune.

I'll have to check them out if I'm unable to get it done with the route I'm currently headed down with local help. looking at their website they look promising.

 

[holyford86]

A little bit of an update with this, I've been doing some research and in order to get my setup tuned right, it's looking like a Moates Quarterhorse and Binary Editor are the products I'll be using. I'll be getting it tuned remotely sometime soon and I'll be sure to update you all when the time comes. There are quite a few small supporting mods that I've gotta get ready, colder plugs gapped down to about 0.032, and a higher flow fuel pump are happening tomorrow, a bigger MAF and fuel injectors will be happening once I get my base tune.

The guy I've been in contact with is very knowledgeable about the older Ford stuff and only tunes Ford too, hopefully it all goes well and I'll update once all that is done (my wallet is already crying a bit, haha)

 

[Broosedamoose]

I am looking to sell my Binary Editor and a MongoosePro cable if you are interested. I'm only asking $500 for the set up. Email me: Broosedamoose@comcast.net