Tuning a Haltech E6A

[bashmanx]

Thank you all for your input. I'm just a bit gun shy because I have never tuned a car before. I thank you for encouraging me to just do it and not be intimidated by the secret black art of tuning a car. I did get in touch with Curtis and he gave me a few pointers. I can not wait to start this process. I will post pictures of the build as soon as we begin. Thank you all very much! I may restart this thread on the day we start tuning. Brett

[Driver_10]

I would think tuning cost depends on the shop and how much fine tuning they do. If the shop dyno rate is $50/hour you are buying 40 hours of their time.

I'd ask for an itemized estimate.

What strikes me as odd is that the shop already knows how to tune one (from previous customers) so it should save them time and you money.

That is wierd...

[SappySE107]

my E6K software worked so I was able to look at it in XP. With the base file already done, this really won't be hard to tune for someone with experience. Read the manuals and use offline mode to look at the "tables". Its bar graphs that you raise and lower mostly.

[Superdave]

D610's will run the old OS's just fine. I have several at work, one has 2K an done has 98 and the others run XP.


XP's DOS mode should work for the Haltech.

[timg]

If it is an E6A, here's a 15 year old manual for it.

http://www.haltech.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/e6a3_manual.pdf

Looks like the original and current tuning programs are DOS based.

http://www.haltech.com/index.php/downloads-2/previous-products

Dell D610's make good tuning laptops if you need one. They're dirt cheap, reasonably fast, have a built in serial port, and have a great display. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if they will still run Windows 95/98/NT so that you can run DOS.

Tim

[timg]

Here's my recommendation. Get Haltech to send you the manuals for the ECM that's currently in the car, spend a few hours/days reading and trying to understand them. Read a book or two on tuning. You've got a standalone and an odd platform. You'll find few shops willing to touch it for a reasonable amount of money (in your eyes) and many that would be willing to help won't know anything about any of it. The more you can learn and do yourself, the better off you will be. Tuning isn't hard or some secret black art. It just takes a bit of understanding about how an engine works, how the computer works, and a bit of hardware.

If you're going to have someone else tune it, you either need to find a shop with a lot of GM V6 experience (very rare) or a shop that does a lot of Haltech work (not so rare).

One last bit of advice. If your Haltech is so old that it's tuned by DOS and a Serial port, you may want to upgrade to one that will work with Windows and USB. It's getting harder every year to find solutions for serial ports and DOS. This isn't mandatory, but will make tuning it much easier.

Tim

[SappySE107]

well shit, that makes this a piece of cake then:P I have curtis' vids and some file along with his E6A program that doesn't work on my computer. Amazing how that works when all the information is shared.

[Superdave]

Guys, this is Curtis Walker's old car. The "TurboZ". He has the base tune that Curtis set up for the gen 2 turbo 3.1 that he installed before it was sold.


It'll just need some tweaking since you have one already set up for a similar engine. Some constants may need to be changed but someone familiar with the Haltech would be able to guide you on those. I might still have Curtis's contact information, he may be able to guide you as well.

[SappySE107]

The question is whether the 3.4 DOHC uses the same wave form output for crank triggers as the 3.1L and 3100s.

I'm sure you know what crank is in the DOHC and whether the timing disc is the same as the 2.8/3.1 engines.

next time you have a thought, think about it a bit more before you post it on this forum. You are pissing me off this this nonsense bullshit ideas you have about everything anyone does on this site.

[ForcedFirebird]

Part of the original discussion was the outrageous shop rate.


At one time I had an E6GM. Haltech had a base map on the software disc that 'should' start any engine. However, I don't think that'll help him set the crank trigger and cam trigger parameters up.

Though when I was working on getting it setup my plan was to set the timing to 0 degrees in the computer on the cranking map and then adjust the crank trigger phase angle or phase delay until I got 0 degrees on a timing light.

The only real question is which trigger mode to use. Rising or falling edge etc...

If I was doing it today I'd hook a scope to it. But I'm guessing he doesn't have one.

The question is whether the 3.4 DOHC uses the same wave form output for crank triggers as the 3.1L and 3100s.

I'm sure you know what crank is in the DOHC and whether the timing disc is the same as the 2.8/3.1 engines.

I would think your DOHC file might work for him with some minor tweaks.

Does he have a wide band? That might help narrow down the injector timing to a run-able level.

The cranks are identical in the 3.4DOHC and the 3.4 pushrod. The DOHC file will run the engine just fine for abase tune, we have been doing this for some time now. Ben just didn't want this thread to get cluttered with old stories and how "business should be conducted" after the point was mute, and you commented yet again about it in this post. No need for last words.

[robertisaar]

falling edge, or at least that's how the factory PCMs work.

yes, the LQ1 and 3.1/3100 have the same crank(IIRC), 2.8 is a shorter stroke, but same reluctor pattern.

[NateD4]

Part of the original discussion was the outrageous shop rate.


At one time I had an E6GM. Haltech had a base map on the software disc that 'should' start any engine. However, I don't think that'll help him set the crank trigger and cam trigger parameters up.

Though when I was working on getting it setup my plan was to set the timing to 0 degrees in the computer on the cranking map and then adjust the crank trigger phase angle or phase delay until I got 0 degrees on a timing light.

The only real question is which trigger mode to use. Rising or falling edge etc...

If I was doing it today I'd hook a scope to it. But I'm guessing he doesn't have one.

The question is whether the 3.4 DOHC uses the same wave form output for crank triggers as the 3.1L and 3100s.

I'm sure you know what crank is in the DOHC and whether the timing disc is the same as the 2.8/3.1 engines.

I would think your DOHC file might work for him with some minor tweaks.

Does he have a wide band? That might help narrow down the injector timing to a run-able level.

[SappySE107]

Let me know when any of your opinions makes his car run. That goes for everyone that thinks this is a discussion about shop rates.

[NateD4]

NRE is very very common in the 'new to us' and 'we've never done this before' business world. MOST non owners want to be paid for every minute they are working a project because they are only doing it for the money and there is no incentive for them directly to develop new technology, business or customers. The owner of that business may have a different take...

However, people are free to do business as they wish.

If they want to charge to figure it out again or in case something comes up and they want to have it covered they are free to do so.

It really isn't that uncommon to bill customers in that way. That is how a lot of bigger companies do things (which is why they cost a lot).

But in reality it is the only accurate and fair way to do things.

As a mechanic you might fix price a job or cut the customer a break. Again up to you how you price.

My advice still is get an itemized quote and if they decide to go with this person get an itemized 15 minute by 15 minute bill on where the time went (they will no doubt charge you for the itemization service).

Otherwise, I am inclined to agree with other posters... find another shop. At very least they should provide you with some outline of the services they are providing so you can compare them to another shop.

Thats my opinion.

[SappySE107]

I have an E6K file for a 3.4 DOHC so I could possibly make a base tune to make the car fire up. my copy of e6a doesnt work in xp