Tuning Tips

So much of our business has becoming tuning (especially with the in-house DynoJet 248x we purchased 2 years ago) that we feel it is necessary (and helpful) to post up some do's and don'ts when getting tuned.

Tuning is a vital step in the development of a reliable, fast race car. While your main concern should be to hire a tuner with experience, reliability and knowledge, there are also some prepatory actions you, as the car owner, should take to ensure a satisfactory tune. We have compiled a list of preparations every car owner should take before their scheduled tuning session.

Electrical Issues
Wiring—The engine harness should have NO exposed wires. Also, DO NOT twist and tape wires together, either take the time to get them soldered.
Codes—If your car is displaying a "check engine" light, that's exactly what you should do - check the engine! Any tuner worth his salt will not tune a car with codes displaying. Take the time to have them checked before your tuning session. This will save you time and money. Exceptions to this are O2 sensor code, O2 heater code and knock sensor code. These will be disabled at your tuning session.
Battery/Alternator—Should be charging 13.5-14 Volts at all operating conditions. Exceptions to this are race cars running a 16V battery or a crank pulley that underdrives the alternator (i.e. Fluidampr race pulley).
Fuel Pumps—DO NOT install the pumps if there is dirt, debris or rust in the tank. If there is rust in the tank, replace it. You will starve the engine of fuel if you leave junk in the tank. Do it right the first time so there won't have to be a second time!
Grounds - Make sure you have clean grounds. The 3 major grounds are:
-battery to chassis
-transmission case to chassis
-valve cover to chassis
Fuel Issues - If you are sumping your tank, make sure the tank is free of metal chips, welding slag and any other debris. Those running external fuel pumps need to check the pre and post filter before the tuning session, assuming you have started the car. We only recommend stainless filters for aftermarket external fuel pump setups. Paper filters can deteriorate and collapse over time. Pre-filter should be 20-40 micron. Post filter should be 100+ micron. Lack of a good ground can cause starting issues, ignition issues and intermittent performance issues. Fuel Pressure: For any application, we recommend having a fuel pressure guage. If you are looking for an electronic option, AEM, Apex, and Greddy all make decent gauges. If you have a standalone that allows datalogging (such as AEM, Hondata, FAST), we highly encourage getting a fuel pressure sensor to monitor. Note your fuel pressure before tuning. Base fuel pressure with engine on and vacuum line removed from the fuel pressure regulator should be between 40-50psi. Fuel pressure regulator (fpr): Aftermarket FPR is not necessary for every application. If fuel pressure is greater than 50psi, get a regulator. Injectors: Make sure there are no vacuum or fuel pressure leaks as a result of torn or old o-rings. Mechanical Issues with Engine—What is a healthy engine???Compression test results should be as follows:
8:1-8.5:1 compression: 150-170 psi per cylinder
8.5:1~9.5:1 compression: 170-210 psi per cylinder
9.5:1~11:1 compression: 210-275 psi per cylinder
11:1+ compression: 250+ per cylinder (highly depends on cams being used)
DO NOT have more than 20psi variance between cylinders. All 4 cylinders should have good compression!
Valve Lash - Make sure the engine has proper valve lash for the cams being used. For OEM cams, .007 on the intake and .009 on exhaust. Aftermarket cams typically require different settings. Refer to the manufacturer for these specifications. Valve adjustments should be done when the motor is completely cool.
Timing Belt - Needs to be installed properly (as does all your other parts!)
Should have minimal to no slack. If it is too loose, you run the risk of skipping a tooth or running incorrect timing.
Oil Leaks - Some of the more common types of leaks are:
-Oil pan
-Cam seal
-Distributor seal
-Valve cover gasket seal
-VTEC solenoid seal
-Oil filter
-Oil sandwich adapter
ALL of these leaks will need to be fixed before tuning. Turbo Systems - Make sure you have secured your pipes so that they do not blow off at a tuning appointment. Use silicone hump hoses where applicable and t-bolt clamps. Ensure that all bolts are tightened.

GT/Ball bearing turbo - All water cooled ball bearing turbos must use coolant lines. Oil is only used for lubrication, not cooling on a GT turbo. If you do not run separate coolant lines in addition to oil lines you can ruin the turbo seals and/or bearings. Garrett GT turbos should not see more than 40psi of oil pressure. Engines can see 70-100psi at WOT and over 80psi cold depending on oiling system and weight of oil being used. As a result, you need to run an oil restrictor on the turbo in addition to the one it already comes with. Exhaust - All turbo cars should run a minimum of 3” downpipe, test pipe, and exhaust. All motor and supercharged b and d-series motors can run a 2.5” exhaust. A 3” exhaust is not necessary, but will not hurt power if it is used. All motor, supercharged and nitrous k and h-series motors should use 3” exhausts.We do not recommend catalytic converters on any turbocharged car. If you must run a cat to pass visual inspection, we highly recommend gutting the cat and essentially running a test pipe. Intercooler - We do not recommend using cheap eBay intercoolers. No cracks or pinhole leaks! We always tell our customers - do it right the first time around! Spend a little more money initially and you won't pay later! Ignition - We recommend OEM spark plug wires/coil packs for every application. If running MSD, we only recommend using the digital series, not the analog. Make sure you have the proper coil to go with the digital 7 box. Cap/Rotor - New OEM cap and rotor are recommended unless running an ignition amplifier box, such as MSD, M&W, etc. Spark plugs - It's a good rule of thumb to always bring a new set of spark plugs with you to your tuning appointment. We always have spark plugs available if you need them, but they're not included in the tuning price! Bseries, D-series, H-series, and NSX:
Pump gas: NGK BKR7E-11
Race gas: NGK R5671A-9
K-series, s2000:
Pump gas: NGK BKR8EIX-11
Race gas: NGK BKR9EIX-11
Recommendations on plugs are the same for all applications (i.e. turbo, all motor, nitrous, supercharged). **Please note that anyone running a Hondata s300 or Kpro must use a resistor style spark plug. If you do not do this, you will have performance and datalogging issues.** OBD Conversions - What you'll need to go from OBD-2 to OBD-1 is the following:
OBD-2 to OBD-1 conversion harness
OBD-1 ECU such as p28/p30/p72/p75/p06/etc
OBD-1 injector clips if going with aftermarket fuel injectors
What you'll need to go from OBD-0 to OBD-1 is the following:
OBD-0 to OBD-1 converter harness
OBD-1 distributor
OBD-1 ecu**We have conversion harnesses, injector clips and ecus in stock. Please call/email to reserve for your appointment.

Miscellaneous
-Make sure all fluid levels are up to par. Oil, coolant and other fluids are available, but are not included in the tuning price. Plus, no coolant or oil means no bueno for the motor! If your car is overheating, reschedule your appointment. A car that is overheating cannot be tuned.

- We invite all of our customers to stay and watch their car get tuned. We do ask that you take the proper safety precautions. Ear plugs are readily available - wear them. It gets very loud in the shop when the dyno is running. Keep a safe distance from the dyno while in motion. Small children should not be anywhere in the shop, especially when the dyno is running!

We look forward to tuning your car and hope that this list has answered some of your questions and given you some new information. For tuning appointments please call 631-243-6674. Track tuning and wireless tuning available.

Live out of state? Our tuning knows no borders...we travel!