The Tuning Checklist.
The most important things to check before a tuning appointment.
Electrical Issues
Wiring Issues
Wires & Connections
- No Exposed Wires
- Solder All Connections
Codes
Check Engine Light
- Clear all Check Engine Lights prior to tuning
- O2 Sensor Code
- O2 Heater Code
- Knock Sensor Code
Battery/Alternator
Voltage
- 13.5-14 volts at all operating conditions
- 16V Battery
- Crank pulley that underdrives the alternator (i.e. Fluidampr)
Electrical Grounds
Ground Points
- Pick good ground points
- Clean around ground points
Major Grounds
- Transmission Case to Chassis
- Valve Cover to Chassis
- Battery to Chassis
Fuel Issues
Fuel Pumps
Internal Pumps
- DO NOT install a pump if there is dirt, rust, or debris in the fuel tank
If there is dirt, rust, or other debris in the fuel tank there is potential for starving the engine of fuel.
Sumping
- Clean all metal chips, welding slag, and debris after sumping
External Pumps
- Check pre & post filter
- Use stainless filters
Paper filters can deteriorate and collapse over time.
Bosch Pumps:Refer to Aeromotive or Weldon's site for their particular pre and post filter requirements.
- Pre-filter = 20-40 micron
- Post filter = 100+ micron
Fuel Pressure
Gauges
- We recommend fuel pressure gauges for every application
We recommend AEM, A'PEXi, or Greddy.
Sensors
- If possible we recommend getting a fuel pressure sensor
Possible with management systems that allow datalogging such as AEM, Hondata, FAST, and Haltech.
Notes
- Note fuel pressure before tuning
- Base fuel pressure should be 40-50psi
Check fuel pressure with engine on and vacuum line removed from the fuel pressure regulator.
Fuel Pressure Regulator
RegulatorsIf fuel pressure is greater than 50psi, get a regulator. An adjustable fuel pressure regulator is also a good idea if you need to get more flow out of a given cc/min injector. For example, if you have 440cc/min injectors at 45psi base fuel pressure, at 60 psi base fuel pressure they would flow 525cc/min. You need to have a fuel pump that is able to support higher base fuel pressures. An inline Walbro 255lph HP pump or inline Bosch 044 is an excellent choice to use when running higher base fuel pressures.
- Aftermarket Fuel Pressure Regulator not necessary for every application
Injectors
Leaks
- Check for vacuum or fuel pressure leaks as a result of torn or old o-rings
SizingMore power can be made with the same size injector with higher base fuel pressures. You must have a fuel pump that sustain high fuel pressures. The best pump we have found is the Bosch 044 inline fuel pump. Using a Walbro 255lph HP intank fuel pump, and the Bosch 044 fuel pump inline, fuel pressure can be held in the 120-130 psi range. With high base fuel pressures of 60-70psi, 20-30% more cc/min flow can be had from the same injector size. If using E85 fuel, all injector ratings will be approximately 30% less.
- Make sure your fuel injectors are sized appropriately for your power goals
- 240cc/min (stock): 170-180whp
- 310cc/min: 200-240whp
- 370cc/min: 250-275whp
- 440cc/min: 300-325whp
- 550cc/min:350-375whp
- 650cc/min: 400-425whp
- 750cc/min: 450-475whp
- 1000cc/min: 600whp
- 1200cc/min: 700whp
- 1600cc/min: 850whp
Mechanical Issues
Engine
Compression
- Make sure your engine has healthy compression in each cylinder
- 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
- No more than 20psi variance between cylinders
Fluids
- Check Oil Levels
No Oil = No Engine
- Check Coolant Levels
No Coolant = Overheating
Valve Lash
Settings
OEM Honda
- Intake: .007
- Exhaust: .009
Aftermarket cams typically require different settings. Refer to the manufacturer for these specifications.
- Make sure the engine has proper valve lash for the cams being used
Valve Adjustments
- Adjust valves with the engine completely cool
Timing Belt
InstallationIf it is too loose, you run the risk of skipping a tooth or running incorrect timing.
- Needs to be installed properly
- Should have minimal to no slack
Fuel
Amount
- Roughly half a tank of gas is needed in the car for the tuning session
Clutch
Power Rating
- Make sure your clutch is rated for the torque capacity of the power you plan to make
For example, a Competition Stage 2 Clutch is rated for 250-275tq at the wheels. If you are making 500whp and 350tq, the clutch will slip.
- We recommend a twin disk clutch more than 500-550whp
They are more expensive, but offer superior torque capacity holding and high RPM shifting.
Stock Clutch
- DO NOT use a stock clutch with a turbocharger, supercharger, or nitrous setup
The tuning session will be cut short due to clutch slippage.
Break-In
- If your clutch requires break-in it must be done before tuning
Not only will the clutch be ruined on the dyno, the warranty (if one is available) will be void, and the tuning sessions will be cut short.
Oil
TypeNon synthetic oil should be used on all applications. We recommend Valvoline VR-1 on race cars. Any brand non-synthetic for street cars. OEM Honda filter or Puralator filter are recommended. We recommend non-synthetic oil because most built high performance engines are set at looser tolerances, and will consume synthetic oil much more frequently in comparison to non-synthetic.
- All Motor: 10w30
- Forced Induction: 10w30
- Turbo Track Only Cars: 20w50
Change Frequency
- Turbo: ~2000 miles (1000 miles if run harder)
- All Motor, Supercharged, Nitrous: ~3000 miles
- Track Cars: After every race!
Common LeaksCheck for and fix all leaks before a tuning session.
- Oil Pan
- Cam seal
- Distributor seal
- Valve cover gasket seal
- VTEC solenoid seal
- Oil filter
- Oil sandwich adapter
Turbo System Issues
General Information
Common Issues
- Secure all pipes
Use silicone hump hoses where applicable, t-bolt clamps, and have a ridge or bead welded to the edge of the charge pipe so the clamp has something to bite to. Without these your pipes are very likely to blow off regardless of the power level of your car.
- Tighten all bolts
In particular, make sure to tighten the exhaust manifold bolts. This is considered an exhaust leak and the car will suffer severe power losses due to these bolts being loose.
- Use the correct oxygen sensor bung
Make sure the O2 sensor hole is big enough to fit the common wideband sensors.
- Tighten the blow off valve
Make sure the O2 sensor hole is big enough to fit the common wideband sensors.
- Use and correctly install the proper oil lines
- Check turbo shaft play
Tuning with a shot turbo will yield power that is nowhere close to what it should be. Turbos with excess shaft play should be rebuilt or replaced prior to tuning.
LS/VTEC
- DO NOT use brass tees inline to feed an oil pressure guage, turbo oil feed line, and LS/VTEC line
This will result in too much volume and not enough pressure. VTEC will not work.
Turbochargers
GT Ball Bearing
- These 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.
- These turbos should never be allowed to see more than 40psi of oil pressure
Engines can see 70-100psi at wide open throttle 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.
Borg Warner / Bullseye
- Anything smaller than a -4 a.n feed line will starve the center section of oil
Intercooler
Recommendations
- We suggest using Garrett and PWR intercoolers
- We do not recommend using eBay intercoolers
Many eBay cores are braised, not welded. The cores are not nearly as efficient as Garrett and PWR.
Leaks
- Check for cracks and/or pinhole leaks
Wastegate
Spring SizeYou can typically more than double the rated spring pressure with a boost controller. An electronic boost controller will allow more boost to be achieved in comparison to a manual boost controller. If you only plan on running pump gas, use a lower rated wastegate spring and run a boost controller to turn up the boost.
- Make sure you have the correct size wastegate spring in your wastegate (turbo cars only)
Boost Control
Recommendations
Exhaust Issues
Sizing
Turbo
- We recommend a minimum of a 3" downpipe, test pipe, and exhaust
All Motor / Supercharged / Nitrous
- B / D-Series engines = 2.5" minimum
A 3” exhaust is not necessary, but will not hurt power if it is used.
- K / H-Series engines = 3" minimum
Catalytic Converter
Recommendation
- We do not recommend catalytic converters on any turbocharged car
One Piece Exhaust
Labor
- We will not work on any one piece exhaust systems
Oxygen Sensor
Basics
- Must have an oxygen sensor bung in the downpipe/header
This must be at least 18 inches away from the turbine housing discharge. The bung also needs to be at least 2 feet from the exhaust opening. If it's not 2 feet from the exhaust opening the wideband will read leaner and tuning will not be able to be done correctly.
Removal
- Be sure the oxygen sensor can be removed for tuning and is not stuck
If you are in doubt, loosen the oxygen sensor before the tuning appointment to make sure its able to be removed with ease at time of tuning. Hourly labor rate will be charged if oxygen sensor is not able to be removed easily.
Proper Installation
- Be sure the oxygen sensor hole is opened to the entire diameter of the threaded bung
Many cars only have an opening large enough for stock sensors. We use a Bosch LSU 4.1 wideband oxygen sensor when tuning and the tip of the sensor is the entire diameter of these threaded bungs.
Ignition Issues
Component Choices
Stock
- OEM Plugs / Coil Packs are recommended
MSD
- Digital Series is recommended
- Make sure you have the proper coil to go with the Digital 6 or 7 ignition box
Cap / Rotor
Replacement
- New OEM cap and rotor are recommended
Unless running an ignition amplifier box, such as MSD, M&W, etc.
- When using aftermarket CDI ignition is with distributed spark and external coil, use an MSD cap and rotor
Spark Plugs
Sizing / OverviewSpark plugs are a very important aspect that should not be overlooked for performance applications. The need for a colder spark plug increases with power output (heat), and different engine management systems have different RF (Radio Frequency) thresholds that require a resistor style spark plug to be used. A resistor style spark plug is just that, it has a resistor built in so that the spark plug can absorb the RF energy generated from the spark. Systems such as Hondata S300 and Hondata K-Pro are very susceptible to RF noise interference, and as a result should only be used with a resistor style plug. Datalogging will not work at high RPM, as well as possible ignition misfire if non-resistor plugs are used with the Hondata system.
- Resistor Style Plugs
- BKR7E (good up to 500whp)
- BKR8EIX (good up to 600 whp)
- BKR9EIX (good up to 700-800whp)
- R6601-10 (good up to 1000whp)
- Non-Resistor Style Plugs
- NGK BKR7E (up to 500whp)
- NGK R5671A-9 (up to 600whp)
- NGK R5671A-9 (up to 800whp)
- NGK R5671A-10 (up to 1000whp)
Resistor Style Plugs
- To be used with Hondata Systems
Non-Resistor Style Plugs
- Can be used with other Engine Management Systems
On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) Conversions
OBD-2 to OBD-1
What's Needed
- OBD-2 to OBD-1 conversion harness
- OBD-1 ECU
ECUs that can be used:
- US-OBD1-P28
- US-OBD1-P30
- US-OBD1-P72
- US-OBD1-P06 (needs VTEC hardware added to control VTEC)
- US-OBD1-P74 (needs VTEC hardware added to control VTEC)
- US-OBD1-P75 (needs VTEC hardware added to control VTEC)
- US-OBD1-PR4 (needs VTEC hardware added to control VTEC)
JDM ECUs that can be used:
- JDM-OBD1-P08
- JDM-OBD1-P30
- JDM-OBD1-P72
- OBD-1 injector clips if going with aftermarket fuel injectors
OBD-0 to OBD-1
What's Needed
- OBD-0 to OBD-1 conversion harness
- OBD-1 ECU
ECUs that can be used:
- US-OBD1-P28
- US-OBD1-P30
- US-OBD1-P72
- US-OBD1-P06 (needs VTEC hardware added to control VTEC)
- US-OBD1-P74 (needs VTEC hardware added to control VTEC)
- US-OBD1-P75 (needs VTEC hardware added to control VTEC)
- US-OBD1-PR4 (needs VTEC hardware added to control VTEC)
JDM ECUs that can be used:
- JDM-OBD1-P08
- JDM-OBD1-P30
- JDM-OBD1-P72
- OBD-1 Distributor
- Remove resistor pack if using saturated style injector
Miscellaneous
Suggestions
Spark Plugs
- Most cars use more than one set of spark plugs during an appointment
We usually have NGK BKR7E spark plugs in stock and available for purchase if you should need another set.
Wheel Lug Keys
- Tuning with a Dynapack Dyno requires us to remove the wheels from your car
If you forget your wheel lug key we can still remove your lugs but you may then need to purchase new lugs.
Automatic Transmission
Tuning
- We can tune an automatic car if the transmission is able to be locked into a particular gear
The Dynapack Dyno calculates horsepower and torque by knowing a single gear ratio. If the automatic transmission shifts into different gears while under a load, the dyno cannot provide the proper load and cannot calculate horsepower/torque.
Street Tuning
Brakes
- Without brakes on the car it will not be able to be tested on the street
Summary
Paying close attention detail when addressing the points above will save money and time when at a tuning appointment. We can only fix certain issues on the day of an appointment depending on scheduling for that day. If you come to an appointment with a vehicle that is not working properly we may not be able to complete your appointment. If the problem is minor enough to be fixed at the shop during the day we can fix it. Our labor rates apply for time spent troubleshooting.
If after reading this you still don’t have the answer you are looking for, search or make a post about your issue on the forum and get some advice. If you still don’t get the answer you are looking for, send an email to tech@evans-tuning.com.
Tuning appointments that are cut short due to cars not being properly prepped will result in loss of deposit, and fees will be assessed to cover time spent working on or tuning the car.
