VMP On The Road
This isn't normally our lead story but the season is here and we're traveling a ton! We spent the last week deep in the heart of Texas! Justin's VMP TVS Powered Boss 302 tackled the Texas Mile and posted back to back 180+ passes between rain storms. Next, it was off to our partners at LateModel Restoration for some on-site VMP Custom Tuning. We want to think the guys at LMR for the hospitality and all the great, new friendships. Finally, it was College Station for a Track Guys event in Texas World Speedway. Justin got a few laps in between dyno tunes and installations on customer GT500's, Coyotes, and Cobras. Our next major event is Shelbyfest in Hermann, MO April 24-27. This is a phenomenal gathering of GT350, GT500 and an array of great Mustangs of every flavor. We're bringing the VMP Mobile Dynojet dyno again and will be doing installations, tuning and of course dyno-pulls for bragging rights. The full menu of services can be found here, on our Facebook page
Upcoming VMP Mobile Tuning/Install/Dynojet events:
NMRA Race Commerce, GA April 11-12th
Shelbyfest in Hermann, MO April 24th-26th
NMRA Race Budds Creek, Maryland May 2nd-3rd
VMP PRODUCT SHOWCASE
UPDATE: We're hard at work with our manufacturing partners to get the VMP GEN II TVS Supercharger to market. As soon as we have our R&D unit in house we'll begin "leaking" our final data. In the meantime, we can tell you that the price on the unit is $2999.00 and like all our superchargers comes with a full 1 year warranty. It's going to be a killer GT500 upgrade!
You're looking at a 3-D plastic rapid prototype of the upcoming VMP GEN II TVS Supercharger.
More to come, soon!
VMP GARAGE
Datalogging, air/fuel, email tunes and the Internet.
A recent magazine article featured "remote tuning" and it seems to have stemmed a lot of questions. That, along with A/F "apps" built into the new GT500s, has created a lot of chatter. So, please allow us to clear a few things up:
VMP Tuning calibrations are "ready to go" when we email them to you or supply them on a new SCT handheld device. While we supply datalogging instructions in our emails, you don't need to do it unless we ask for it or you feel something is amiss with your new configuration. (We generally find that 95% of "issues" on blower cars come from air leaks at the CAI or hoses and are remedied in a matter of minutes). We do not send you a "starter tune" with the thought of you datalogging it and us subsequently "dialing it in". Our tunes are written for YOUR specific configuration and are built from files derived from hundreds of hours of dyno, track and street research and development. If you have an unusual configuration or have ordered Remote Tuning, we'll be ready to review and revise your files as desired and needed. It is important that you use all the parameters (PIDS or ePIDS) that we include in the email. If you have questions about it, please call us during business hours before you begin. Most importantly, if you dyno the car, get the DYNO SHEET! and also make sure you datalog it.
Remember, when you purchase a tune from VMP Tuning, you're dealing with the source. We don't resell someone else's work. When you have a question you can call or email us directly.
Air/Fuel. If you read Internet forums you'll get dozens of different opinions on what it optimal, dangerous or will wash down your cylinder walls. For simplicity's sake, let's look at one car and the real story.
2011 and new Mustangs feature a PCM that uses two wideband O2 sensors to accurately measure and correct Lambda under all operating conditions. Enthusiasts know this value as "Air to fuel ratio". During "dynoing" sessions a second O2 sensor may be placed in the tailpipe to measure A/F. WITHOUT PROPER CALIBRATION THIS SENSOR WILL NOT READ ACCURATELY NOR THE SAME AS THE WIDEBAND 02s BUILT IN TO THE CAR. This discrepancy will make the tune appear to be "lean" when it's not actually so.
Around 2010 Ford began calibrating the factory systems for E10 (10% ethanol) fuel. The Stoichiometric value for E10 is lower than that of ethanol -free gasoline. E10's value is 14.08 whereas pure premium grade gasoline is 14.64. So, the factory computer systems use 14.08 as their target and any wideband measurements reflect this. If you measure A/F with an aftermarket wideband and do not calibrate it for E10 the values will be skewed to look leaner than actual.
So, your new 2013 GT500 shows you at 11.3:1 or so on it's fancy dashboard apps. Why? Let's say the factory calibration commands .80 Lambda (the Stoich factor of 14.08 for E10). 14.08 x 80%= 11.264:1
But you're running pure premium gas which we know has a value of 14.64. If everything was calibrated correctly, that same .80 target would result in an A/F of 11.71:1! (80% of 14.64)
So, what's the optimal A/F ratio for a supercharged GT500? On pump gas, you'll get your best...SAFE power anywhere from 11.5 to 11.8:1. Over 12:1 for a sustained period of time and you can experience detonation so more octane is needed (like 100+ octane race gas). You won't be "washing down" cylinder walls with unburned gas until well below 10.5:1, and in some cases these richer A/Fs are needed to protect the catalytic converters.
Oh...and for those with their own widebands in their cars....IDLE should average somewhere in that 14.3-14.6 range. Same goes for stead-state cruising. But, it fluctuates and jumps all over as the short term fuel trims do their job, making adjustments in A/F in milliseconds as they try to average 14.3-14.6 for you.
Ford "bakes in" the fact that you're running E10. The vast majority of the country does, so it's far better to assume that you do than not.
VMP SALE STUFF
They're heeeeeereee. The new SCT X4 is in stock and flying off the shelves. Smaller and more sleek than the vernerable X3, its color display and actual buttons (rather than the bumps on the X3) make navigation a breeze. We've included 4 different packages that include the X4 and they're all on our homepage at www.vmptuning.com
Starting at just $399, we offer an X4 for every need, with or without VMP Tuning Custom Calibrations.
VMP VIP
Our second VMP VIP for March is Tom Crabtree of Tampa. Tom's black over black over black 2014 GT500 is as stealthy as they come....until you mash on the loud pedal. Tom was looking for even more oomph from that big 5.8 monster so he called up VMP Tuning. Our Stage 4 kit was just the thing he was looking for and it jettisoned him to 700+ rwhp!
Power and performance runs deep for Tom in his role as a tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. When he's not running patterns for the Bucs or laying down parallel patterns of wasted rubber, Tom and his wife are busy raising awareness for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Thanks for joining Team VMP and congratulations on all your accomplishments, on the field...the race track..and in life.
If you'd like to be a VMP VIP just send us an email with a picture of your ride sporting VMP goodies. Hey, it can be just a tune (for you stealthy types). Send it to [email protected] and include the stats for you and your car! Remember, each month we pick a winner for that VMP Gift Certificate.
| 
