Need an SCT 6600 tune

[Vimana]

Hello all,

It's been a while since I have been on and posted. I won't bore you with all the details, but In the fall of 2013 I pull my 302, started a 351w build (bored 40 over and stroked = 395 c.i.). Went over budget on that, so rebuilt the stock 302. In between the builds last spring I had two shoulder surgeries. OK, enough with the boo hoo's, right?

The 302 is back in the car and running because other than sending the block and heads out for cleaning and a thread repair, I did all the work myself. My first REAL engine build. Parts that were reused: block, heads (valves-springs-retainers-seals), crank, cam, connecting rods, roller lifters, push rods and rockers. New parts: pistons, rings, bearings, oil pump, timing chain, dizzy drive shaft, core plugs, clutch, timing cover, water pump and valve covers. Mods: Pypes shorty headers, under-drive pulleys, three core radiator, smog/EGR delete, #24 injectors, tubular GT upper and lower intake, 70 mm throttle body, 75 mm MAF and a CAI.

I have an SCT 6600 chip with 4 selectable tune options. I had one for the old engine and mods that were done on that one. It was nothing special, just tuned for the bigger CAI, MAF and throttle body. With the chip plugged in the OBD-I throws a 511 code, bad memory in the ECM. Pull the chip and no check engine light.

Here is the problem: car starts and runs when cold (due to issues with mods the timing and idle speed are now out of whack, but adjusted to make the car drivable). Once it warms up the idle starts to drop-surge-drop-surge over and over. The TPS is new and set at about 0.96v. I can try readjusting it again when it starts doing this. But worse, once at temp. when stopping at a red light or stop sign, it stalls almost immediately.

Having owned this car for a number of years and from research I have done in the past, all indicators point to getting a new tune done on the chip. So I now once again turn the fine experts here and ask for a "local" SCT tuner I can bring the baby to. I have already reached out to Granite State Dyno & Tune in Hudson, NH... They can get me in for a tune around Sept. 11. Checked with Performance Dyno in Loudon, NH but haven't heard back from him yet. I am going to try calling them today, but in the meantime I am looking for anyone else in So. NH or North Eastern MA that knows how to tune for this chip. Granite State gave me a name, Slow Hawk Racing, but all I could find is Slow Hawk Performance and they specialize in GM/LS1 tunes. I have also gone to the SCT site looking for other tuners, but they are either too far away, or do not appear to program this chip.

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[ToplessPony94]

OK, this sounds like my car for the last several years, especially the surge-drop issue. I took it to every tuner you can imagine, including Granite State and Performance Dyno and no one could really cure it, though Alex at Granite State did the best job. But it's mostly gone now. What did I do?

First I used some MAF cleaner and replaced the EGR valve (not your issue, obviously), it got a bit better. Then I replaced the IAT and CTS and it got a bit better. Then I put on a new dizzy cap, rotor, and made up a new set of custom length wires from the Moroso Blue Max kit (since I found some of the FRPP wires too short and getting fried and arcing to my equal length shorties). Now the issue is almost gone. It wasn't any one thing, just a bunch of little things that were getting too old I guess. You can't tune your way out of that. Total cost of all of the above (excluding the EGR valve) was unser $200 - cheaper than a tune.

BTW, don't worry about the bad memory in the ECM issue. Almost every custom tune out there will get that. It really means that checksum on the memory failed. This is not surprising since the code is different and it would be a one in a million chance that the checksum would be the same. I have heard that the checksum can be changed, but since the error is a "soft code" most tuners either don't bother or don't know how to do it.

As for tuners, did you try Dez in Seekonk?

[Vimana]

Hi Topless94,

We have chatted before, you are just up the highway a bit from me. Dez? Sounds familiar, but no I haven't checked with them. I called Performance Dyno and got an appointment on the 25th of this month, so I'll see how that goes. I can use the extra time since I damaged ( I want to use another work here, but... ) my drive shaft last spring. When I pulled the motor and trans out, I had a jack stand supporting the shaft. Then I lowered the car forgetting about the stand, didn't know it was damaged until installation, it's a small dent but it's enough to rattle the whole car. Got a stock replacement coming from GA, hopefully will see it this week and it is balanced. I'm going to put new u-joints in and a safety loop before I put the replacement in.

Call me stoopid, but CTS? Coolant temp sensor?

I already have a new cap and rotor, the dizzy is only a couple years old (replaced the stock one with a Summit Racing billet dizzy) and new plugs. I have a new set of wires, but again the ones I had are not that old and still give a good spark. I put the new TPS because the "old" one that just sat there for the last year +, threw a 121 code "out of test range". The only other code I have seen is for the fan circuit module. Now I get the 111 code "pass all" so from that point of view, it should all be good. I'll keep your suggestions in mind though, but I am going to see what come from this next tune.

Also hoping to make some of the Smokin events this year. She looks like crap, but will purr like a kitten, with any luck.

[ToplessPony94]

Wish I had known - I have a stock drive shaft you could have had for free. I also have a couple of spare brand new drive shaft loops if you're interested.

FWIW, every Summit brand part I have ever tried turned out to be crap. (Injectors, MAF, water pump) Don't be surprised if Pete tells you that you need a new dizzy.

If you happen to get to Mustang Mania at the Merrimack Bud plant on Sunday, please stop by and say hello.

http://dezracing.net/

[SmokinStang]

Checked with Performance Dyno in Loudon, NH but haven't heard back from him yet.

I believe Pete is up at his lake house riding his new Jet Ski.
I hear it all the time that he is getting tougher, and tougher to get a hold of these days.

Slow Hawk Racing, but all I could find is Slow Hawk Performance and they specialize in GM/LS1 tunes

EDITED 07/10/15: We spoke with Slowhawk and they confirmed "That they DO NOT tune Mustangs!"

Dez in Seekonk

Dez Racing is & always has been a great tuning resource especially for...MUSTANGS. It's work to get a car to them from NH (especially if it needs TUNING, ETC....), but...they are a known good, trusted source.

[SmokinStang]

Steve...

Can you confirm that this is for the 95 Vert!?!?!?
http://www.smokinstangs.com/showthre...1-Windsor-swap

[Vimana]

Yeah, it is the 95 vert.

I couldn't find anything for Slowhawk except for a place in Bridgewater, MA and the seem to only specialize in GM tunes. I agree drive a newly rebuilt, un-tuned car to Seekonk isn't ideal. I could tow it I suppose. May do that anyways.

As for Pete, when I spoke to him yesterday, he told me his email quota had been exceeded and he was therefore not receiving any new messages. in the grand scheme of things Loudon, NH is closer to me than the others, except for Granite state. I just don't want to wait another 2 months for a tune though.

I'm pretty sure your next question is going to be: "why didn't you finish the 351w and put that in?"

Answer: I went over budget, plain and simple. I am into that build for about $6k and still have another $3k to go to finish it. I was able to rebuild the 302 for about $1500 +/-. I just needed/wanted to put something together to drive and I could have just done the rear main seal and valve cover gaskets and called it good. But, because I had no idea how old the internals were (clock reads 114K on it) I tore it down and did an overhaul/rebuild.

If I had continued on the 351w, I still needed a lot of parts, expensive ones at that. Cam, dizzy, lifters, push rods, carb and so on. Plus, the even bigger problem is the ECM in the car and how to re-wire it so that some things still worked while other were ignored. Most of the info I can find was all for the 3rd gen fox bodies. Close in design and wiring colors, but not for the 94/95 SN95's. I want to be sure it's right.

So anyways, another long winded answer, sorry.

[Vimana]

Update: Got the tune done this past Saturday.

Well, to say the results were less than impressive is an understatement. I was a bit disappointed, but, there is some good news out of all of it.

First the not so good news. The chip that I had in the car was fried. Not sure how, most likely by me, but he could not write to the old chip. He sells them, so he has them handy. The best pull I had on the dyno was 164.55 HP (at the rear wheels) and 205.26 for torque. So now you do the math: 164.55 x 0.16 (% of parasitic loss through the drive train) = 26.328. 26.328 + 164.55 = 190.878 HP at the flywheel. Factory rating was 215 HP, actual flywheel rated at 225 HP. I think I mentioned to you that it felt like it was running on 7 of 8 cylinders. Well the guy that runs the shop (Pete) felt the same thing. He checked everything etc. etc., long story short, he thinks the cam has a worn out lobe(s). What that means is at least one cylinder/valve is not operating at 100% by not opening all the way causing that cylinder to feel like it's misfiring.

It was suggested that I replace the cam with an E303 and I try to search out a set of GT40 heads. I was told it would make a nice little combo and get me to around 230 at the wheels. However, I have a set new AFR 185's sitting around doing nothing. They are bought and paid for, so it seems silly to go out and buy yet another set of heads. The 185's have 58cc chambers, but with an E303 cam I am not sure it will be enough for the larger runners of the heads. I think the next step up is F303 cam from Ford Racing. Pete also mentioned running the 185's, E303 and a ring & pinion gear swap to 3:73's I could easily put 320 HP down to the rear wheels.

Was looking for opinions on running the 185's with either the E303 cam or the F303. How do they compare as far as drivability, idle, lower end performance (Obviously, top end will be better, but will it suck driving around or only be fun at the track is what I mean).

any feedback is greatly appreciated.