DYNO DAY PREP – PCM Tuners

DYNO DAY PREPERATION

INTRODUCTION

The Mustang MD-500 load bearing dyno we use is rated to 200 MPH and 1500 HP. It uses a giant electric motor to put LOAD and RESISTANCE on your vehicle’s entire drivetrain (meaning engine, transmission, driveshaft, differential, axles, and wheel bearings) to simulate actual driving conditions. Typical test conditions are in 4th gear or higher at 120+ MPH. Dyno testing is stressful, and it WILL reveal any weakness in your setup.

Remember, all dyno tuned vehicles are also driven and tuned on the street (within the limits of the law) so for our safety and the safety of others you need to make every effort to ensure that the vehicle is in top condition.

Review the list below on what to do before bringing your vehicle and use common sense; we will be driving your vehicle. This means no leaks, good tires, good brakes, steering alignment is good, it doesn’t pull or jerk in another direction when braking, the suspension works, the seat belts work, and there are no broken wheel studs. If it’s a truck, no loose items in the bed. Yea we know it’s a hotrod, but pretend you are going to be giving the vehicle to your grandma/child/significant other so we can get through the day safely and go home and see our family.

TUNE UP

We highly recommend a basic tune-up as follows:

Change the engine oil every 3,000 miles. Change or clean the engine air filter if it has been more than 12,000 miles since it was done. Perform an engine coolant change, transmission fluid change, and differential gear oil change if it has been more than 30,000 miles since these things have been done. Replace spark plugs and wires at 20,000 miles for boosted applications, and 50,000 miles for naturally aspirated vehicles. We don’t give a damn about the manufacturer’s recommended intervals. They do not have your best interest at heart.

CHECK/REVIEW THESE VEHICLE COMPONENTS

TIRES!

Bring it with safe tires. SAFE means they are of a reasonable age, have enough tread, are not dry rotted, etc. We will decline to dyno or drive on unsafe tires at our discretion.

The engine or transmission should not overheat.

The gear selector, clutch, and transmission should operate smoothly.

Fans, fuel pump, and any other electrical systems should be functional and reliable.

The BATTERY must be fully charged and in good condition. We recommend to put it on some type of smart charger for the 24 hours or at a minimum overnight before dropping the vehicle off for tuning. Tuning is particularly stressful on the battery so if you have any doubts just put in a new battery.

All fluids and GAS should be at appropriate levels.

No fluid, exhaust, or vacuum LEAKS.

CHECKLIST FOR STOCK OR BASIC BOLT ON VEHICLES

Remember that dyno tuning is a prepaid and non-refundable service, and vehicles that do not meet these requirements will be returned. We will gladly complete the tuning once all repairs have been made. We reserve the right to return any vehicles with any problems related to anything in this list.

☐ Contact us for details on what to do if you have questions or don’t understand something.

☐ We are bassheads too, but pull the fuse(s) for any aftermarket amplifiers. We need to hear your vehicle’s engine, transmission, suspension, etc, not your bangin’ stereo.

☐ Don’t be a slob. Remove the trash and random stuff from the vehicle. We are not saying you need a full detail before we tune it, just don’t be gross. We don’t want to sit for hours in a vehicle that smells like an ashtray, has old french fries in the backseat, and has a sticky mess all over the steering wheel, console, windshield, etc. We are not asking for perfection, just take 5-10 minutes to wipe the dash, wheel, and console clean with a towel and some hot soapy water or something.

☐ Clean the windshield, windows, and mirrors so we can see. We recommend Windex with ammonia and a newspaper or microfiber cloth for best results.

☐ You need some kind of exhaust. No open headers. Get an exhaust system installed before you bring it for dyno tuning.

☐ All fuel injection engines require O2 sensors with at least 4 feet of exhaust pipe downstream from the O2 sensor(s). For engine swap vehicles you may choose to eliminate the 2 downstream O2 sensors, but the upstream sensors are REQUIRED for tuning and engine operation. Get the O2 sensors installed before you bring it for dyno tuning.

☐ Ensure that the tires are SAFE meaning they are of a reasonable age, have enough tread, are not dry rotted, etc.

☐ Fuel injector stuff. Most vehicles don’t need injector upgrades until there are significant modifications. Examples of when you need injector upgrades would be pulley upgrades with a ported blower on supercharged vehicles or big turbo upgrades on EcoBoost Fords. Make sure your injectors are big enough to feed the power you are making (or expect to make). Do some internet searching on your mods in your specific vehicle and see if others have needed to upgrade injectors. Note that GM and Mopar fuel rail pressure is 58 psi (4 bar) and Fords are 42 psi (3 bar). Direct Injection rail pressure starts around 2,000 psi for most vehicles. You will need this information for most fuel injector size calculators. We recommend sizing your injectors for 85% or lower duty cycle. We like this site from MAPerformance because it is self-explanatory and gives injector flow rates in lb/hr and cc/min.

https://www.maperformance.com/pages/fuel-injector-calculator

☐ For aftermarket fuel injectors (basically anything larger than stock size injectors) we need injector data. Note that “I have 60 lb injectors” is NOT injector data. Hit the link below for an example of what injector data looks like. Each injector model from each manufacturer will have different injector data. It’s your job to provide us with the data (email is fine), typically in a spreadsheet or excel file. There are numerous tables and data points that need to be programed to the engine computer.

Link to What Injector Data Looks Like

☐ Bring any cables/dongles/anything needed for aftermarket EFI controllers like Holley Sniper, Terminator, Edelbrock, AEM, etc. You need to supply the cable(s) needed to connect the “brain” to a laptop computer. Typically, this is some type of USB to Canbus connector. With Holley it is sold seperately. We will NOT tune these devices with the handheld display.

☐ You also need to provide the software, or at least tell us where to get it, which might be as simple as to email us a link on where we can download it from the manufacturer or put the installer on a usb drive. Call their tech support and figure it out. This can take hours or days for them to get back, so we don’t have time to mess with it. All of these aftermarket EFI systems have 10+ versions of the software over the years, and it is your responsibility to figure out what version of the software is needed and tell us where to get it or download it.

☐ Make sure the OBD diagnostic port or cable plugin for the Holley/AEM/whatever engine management system you have is accessible inside the vehicle (no OBD ports under the hood).

☐ We always recommend 93 octane fuel because it is the most resistant to engine knock. No matter what, bring it with at least 1/2 tank of desired octane fuel (except E85 customers, please contact us). We charge ½ hour of labor plus the cost of fuel if we have to add gas.

☐ Check that the steering is aligned. Steering rack, pitman arm, idler arm, and power steering are in good working order. The vehicle goes straight when the steering wheel is straight, and it does not pull or jerk to one side or the other when braking.

☐ Check that the suspension is functional. This means no broken or failed springs, tie rod ends, ball joints, shocks, struts, sway bars, control arms, and all other components are in good working order.

☐ No broken wheel studs.

☐ BRAKING SYSTEM including pads, rotors, calipers, drums, pedal, and master cylinder are in good working order.

☐ BATTERY is new or 100% charged.

☐ Fluids topped off (oil, coolant, transmission, tire pressure, etc).

☐ All electrics are functional (fans, fuel pump, etc) and reliable.

☐ Transmission does not overheat.

☐ Engine (coolant temp) does not overheat.

☐ No leaks (oil, coolant, trans, differential, power steering, etc).

☐ Gear selector operates smoothly.

☐ Nothing is loose or hanging from the vehicle. This might be bumpers, mirrors, exhaust, wiring, hoses, etc.

ADDITIONAL CHECKLIST FOR LS ENGINE SWAPS AND/OR UPGRADED LS ENGINES

This section is for LS based engines swapped into another vehicle or ANY LS powered vehicle with more than bolt on modifications (like upgrades to cam, heads, turbo, supercharger, nitrous, etc.)

☐ Completing this checklist is going to take some time and may require you to spend some money . We will gladly assist you through email and (if we have time) over the phone with anything in this section AFTER you have paid and scheduled your dyno tune.

☐ If you used low quality parts and your installer was cheap/inexperienced (nothing wrong with that, it’s just the reality of the situation) then it’s probably going to cost you more time and money to get it ready for dyno tuning. If you don’t want to mess with all of this, you can buy our $2,250 LS ENGINE SWAP/LS ENGINE UPGRADE STARTER PACKAGE. This is not meant to finish your build. This is for the last few technical things needed to get the shakedown on the vehicle completed so it ready for tuning. We provide 10 hours of labor and up to $500 in parts as well as all the tools and equipment needed to get your LS swapped or upgraded vehicle ready for tuning on the street, on the dyno, and just overall going strong. The dyno tuning is not included in this price, that is additional.

Typical examples of things we take care of in this package include identifying and replacing bad O2 sensors, upgrading fuel injectors, MAF sensors, finding and fixing vacuum leaks, exhaust leaks, wiring harness issues, eFan issues, coolant leaks, performing a leakdown test, and diagnosing fuel system issues related to pressure and flow.

Want to save some money? Great! Keep reading and get to work

☐ Buy a scan tool that can read live data (if you don’t have one already). You will need this to check codes and confirm certain sensors are working properly. The Autel AL319 is about $30 on Amazon and the Hyper Tough HT300 is $40 at Walmart. They will get the job done. For something a bit nicer, the Zurich ZR8 for $100 from Harbor Freight is a decent choice.

☐ Plug in your scanner. Make sure the scanner turns on. The OBD port always has 12 volts (key off, key on, cranking, whatever, it should have 12V on pin 16 at the bottom right). If you plug in your scanner and it doesn’t turn on that’s a problem. Find the issue and fix it. Probably a fuse. Might be a ground. OBD pins 4 and/or 5 should be grounded.

☐ After your scanner comes on, turn the vehicle key on but don’t start the engine. Try to connect to the car’s ECU. If it won’t connect, find and fix the problem (probably wiring). Once connected, read and clear/erase all the trouble codes. Now start the vehicle. Then read/check the codes again to see if any came back. Some scanners won’t check codes when the vehicle is running. No big deal, just turn the engine off and check the codes. Make a note of any code that says current, active, or pending (like literally write them down on some paper or take photos with your phone).

Not every scan tool uses the same “current, active, and pending” words but they will be similar.

Not every tool will give you permanent codes, but some do. We are not worried about permanent codes anyway, so it doesn’t matter. Just know you can ignore any code that says permanent.

Any codes that come back after you scan the vehicle (except permanent codes) are codes you need to fix before you bring it to us, unless it is an expected code.

Expected code!? WTH is that?

Anything that relates to a modification you made is an expected code. For example, P0011 Intake Camshaft Position Timing – Over-Advanced (Bank 1) might appear if you remove a VVT cam or install a lockout kit in the cam phaser. P0300 Random/Multiple Cylinder Misfire Detected is common on vehicles with a larger than stock camshaft. These are expected codes.

Any codes with the words “high voltage, low voltage, range/performance, circuit, or correlation” in the description are not expected and should be considered as “real codes.” Find and fix the issue before you bring us the vehicle. You probably have a bad sensor, or a wiring issue, maybe both.

If you have questions just email us a complete list of all the codes (that come back after you clear them) and we will help you.

☐ Use the OBD scanner’s live data (sometimes called data stream) feature and check that the following SENSORS are working (oil pressure, coolant temp, O2 sensors, mass airflow, manifold pressure, throttle position).

☐ Oil pressure is not available as live data in the scanner on all LS engines. If it’s available, it should be at least 25 psi or higher when the engine is warmed up (engine coolant greater than 185 F) and at operating temperature. If the pressure is lower than that your engine is probably worn out and needs a rebuild. Your bearings are probably shot, or maybe the o-ring for the pickup tube on your oil pump is bad. At any rate we won’t tune a vehicle with low oil pressure. Too much risk of killing the engine.

☐ Coolant temp should be steady at idle when the engine is warmed up. Anything from 195-225 is okay. If it’s hotter than 225 then find and fix the issue.

☐ O2 sensors for Bank 1 Sensor 1 (as O2B1S1 or sometimes O2S11 on the scan tool) and Bank 2 Sensor 1 (O2B2S1 or sometimes O2S21) need to be frequently switching from about 100 mv (millivolts) to about 900 mv. Here is a link to a YouTube video that shows what working O2 sensors look like (we have no relation). The important thing for you to take away from the video is what the switching of a normal O2 sensor looks like.

In this video example you need to pay attention to the first and third row on the scanner. Your O2 sensor millivolts (mv) should look like what you see. Notice that BOTH sensors are switching back and forth frequently, this is what we need.

Do your O2 sensors look like the ones in the video? Great, you can quit reading and go to the next check.

Your O2 sensors don’t look like that? Keep reading for some tips on what might be wrong.

If one or both sensors read around 450 mv all the time then they are either bad, you have a wiring problem, or maybe both. Find it and fix it. Don’t bring it for a tune until this is resolved.

If both O2 sensors are stuck at a low value like less than 100 mv or a high value greater than 800 mv then rev the engine up to 1800 RPM and hold it there for 15-20 seconds to see if they “wake up” and start switching. If they do, then you have an intake leak, or an exhaust leak, or maybe both. Find and fix them. Don’t bring it for a tune until this is resolved.

If one sensor is stuck high or low then you have to find and fix the problem on that “side” of the engine. It could be a bad sensor. If it reads high, you probably have a vacuum leak or exhaust leak on that side of the engine (bank 1 sensor is driver side and bank 2 is passenger side). If it is low, you might have a stuck open or leaking fuel injector, or a bad spark plug or ignition wire. If it is low and the engine is misfiring, that’s a bad sign. It’s possibly something worse like a broken piston ring. Do a cylinder leak down test to make sure the engine is mechanically sound. Eric The Car Guy has a great YouTube video where he explains how to perform and analyze the results of a leakdown test. Search and ye shall find.

Don’t get discouraged. This is next level stuff. Figuring this out on your own will literally save you thousands, but you’re going to have to spend some time on it. If you have problems here, you’re going to have to do your own research and learn more on how O2 sensors function to get the problem sorted out.

O2 sensors are the most important sensors for an LS engine to run and drive well, and we need them working to tune the engine. Don’t bring it to us for a tune until both O2 sensors are happily switching like the ones in the video.

☐ The mass airflow sensor needs to read around 6-10 grams per second (g/s) at idle. If it is not reading or reading very high or very low, you have an issue with your MAF (mass airflow) sensor. Clean the MAF and retest. If you still have an issue, find the problem and fix it. Possibly a bad sensor, bad wiring, or both.

☐ The manifold pressure sensor at idle (around 750 RPM) should read between 35-45 kPa for stock cam vehicles and as high as 60 kPa for large cam vehicles. When you rev the motor the MAP sensor should increase and get close to 100 kPa. If you don’t have MAP readings in this range, then find and fix the issue. The next check may be helpful.

☐ Do this next check with the key on and the engine off. Check the MAP sensor reading in live data with the key on but the engine not running. The MAP sensor should be very close to 100 kPa with the key on and engine off. Anything 90 kPa or higher is ok. Anything lower means you either need a new MAP sensor, or we need to adjust the tune calibration. Read below and/or contact us if you run into an issue here.

☐ The throttle position sensor (TPS) should read a steady value when the vehicle is at idle (no foot on the accelerator pedal). Make sure it is a steady value and not jumping around. Check the wiring and replace the TPS if it’s rapidly changing or jumping around by more than a few tenths (0.1-0.3) of a volt or percent.

More about MAP sensors:

☐ Did you add boost to a vehicle that didn’t come that way from the factory? No? Then skip this part. Yes? Keep reading my guy.

You will need to change your manifold pressure sensor so the engine computer can now read boost pressure. We like the old square style MAP sensors for upgrades. You can install them anywhere; you just need to run a vacuum line to them.

The 2 Bar sensors GM Part # 213-1520 / 12569241 / 16009886 / 16040609 / 16254539 / 213-184 / 213-361 are good up to 15 psi of boost.

The 3 Bar sensors GM #12223861 / 16040749 / 12223749 are good up to 30 psi of boost.

Check out this guide on GM MAP sensors for more information.

☐ Did you install a sheet metal style intake manifold or grab a factory upgrade like the TBSS intake? If you have a Gen 3 LS computer and wiring harness (basically anything from 1998-2006) then you will need to buy an LS3 Gen 4 style MAP sensor and a wiring harness adapters to connect it to your wiring harness. Again, check out our guide on GM Map Sensors for details.

☐ Fuel injector stuff. Make sure your injectors are big enough to feed the power you (reasonably) expect to make. Note that GM and Mopar fuel rail pressure is 58 psi (4 bar) and Fords are 42 psi (3 bar). You will need this information for most fuel injector size calculators. We recommend sizing your injectors for 85% or lower injector duty cycle.

Don’t overthink this. Injectors just need to be the right size. Also know that bigger injectors are expensive and add 0 horsepower so don’t bother to upgrade unless you need to.

Injectors that are too big are as much of a problem as too small. When injectors are too big it’s like you are trying to go 35 MPH but your speedometer has a needle that reads from 0 to 1,000 MPH. You don’t have enough resolution to control things accurately.

Be realistic, your stock head, stock bottom end, used 5.3 NA motor doesn’t make 500 HP no matter how big the cam is. Do some internet research on a setup like yours (cam, heads, longtubes, etc) and size the injectors accordingly.

We recommend taking a picture of the injector part number with your phone (so you don’t have to remove the injector) then look it up online to see what you have. Also search for your specific engine size to get more information about what injector size it has from the factory. The On All Cylinders website from summit racing is a great source of information. For example, search ‘5.3 LS on all cylinders’ or ‘6.0 LS on all cylinders.’