Gary Lewis

That ought to drive the motors quite well.

Looks good, Bill. But that sure isn't much current draw. I'm assuming that is just to pull the relays in?

I'll have to see what these look like going down the road. I can see them pretty well through the hole in the wheel. I specifically went out and bought gauges with electric sending units so that I wouldn't have to deal with the oil line or the coolant probe. I've been taking my time getting it all wired up. Won't be able to work on it again until around Monday, unless I'm feeling adventurous and scarf my lunch so I can work on it during my break. Working from home with an office in the garage has its downsides. The truck is sitting there waiting to be worked on. I like the mechanical gauges because they usually have a 270 degree sweep, which makes them easier to read. But they sure are a pain to connect, move, etc. Anyway, working at home with your project that close must be a pain! Very tempting.

Well, the best plans of mice and men... My Garmin Montana 750i came in today, so after the run to log closed loop AFRs I started playing with it. But I did get the two log files, open and closed loop, awa the tune file sent off to Ben. I'm anxious to see what he says. But I did spend some time looking at the logs, and particularly around the WOT runs I made. In both cases I pulled into the same driveway, turned around in the lot, pulled back onto the highway, and rolled into it in 2nd gear. Rev'd up to ~4000, shifted through 3rd and 4th, and dropped into 5th at 75 MPH. So the load should have been the same. Here's a screenshot of the section of the log for the WOT run, and yellow is AFR from the wide band, green is throttle position, and red is RPM. (Disregard the spikes in AFR, which appear to be an issue with the sampling time.) During the 2nd gear run the AFR went down 13.8 to 12.6; in 3rd it went from 13.8 to 12.5; and in 4th from 14.1 to 12.0, and then leveled out between 14.6 and 15.0 for the cruise. In the closed loop run the 2nd gear AFR went from 14.2 to 12.6; 3rd from 14.0 to 12.5; in 4th from 13.5 to 12.2; and in the subsequent cruise it dithered from 15.2 to 14.2 roughly every second.

Early report. The good news is that there is no bad news! The new computer works perfectly. With the O2 sensors unplugged so we were always in open loop I took a spin and logged it easily. Now I'm going to let the exhausts cool a bit, connect the sensors back up, and take the same route while logging. Then I can see those logs awa the tune file to Ben and he can look it over. Not sure what he is looking for, but that's what he requested so I'm getting it done. Then I can play with things. Like find out what error codes it is throwing. And maybe add some cold-start R's back in.

Then you either have a 460 or an M-block and that's the oil pressure sender/switch.

That is the thermactor plumbing. The air pump pushes air through that valve in the center and into the heads via the tubing on either side that bolts to the back of the heads. Looks like someone disconnected the air pump but left the plumbing. The plumbing can be removed and very short 5/8-11 bolts threaded into the back of the heads to plug the ports. But you may have to clean carbon out of the threads to get the bolts started. And I like to use copper gasket washers under the heads of the bolts.

I'm glad you found the oil problem. That could certainly cause both fouled plugs but also a very lean air/fuel mix. But I don't know what "port" you are asking about. You don't have what engine you have in a signature, so I can't tell. But the 460's and M-blocks have an oil pressure port back there, and there is usually an oil pressure sender on it. But there wouldn't be a "line vented to the atmosphere" or you'd have a huge mess.

Looking very good, Chris.I mounted my gauges in the same spot and really like it, save for two problems. First, my steering wheel was really in the way. So I went to a later model wheel that has the "arms" coming down at a sharper angle, and that really helped. But it doesn't look factory.Second, my oil and temp gauges are the kind with tubes coming to them and that makes it really difficult to take the gauge bezel off if the tubes just go through a hole in the bezel. So I cut a slot in the bezel. You can't see the slot unless you are on the floor looking up, but now I can get the bezel off.

Took the new computer out to the shop and hooked it up to the truck. Had a minor problem that I hadn't loaded the drivers for the MongoosePro Ford cable that connects from the Windows computer to the OBD-II port. But I have now corrected that and BE has found it. However the wide band does appear to work. At least Innovate's Logworks finds it, so BE should as well. And now I've transferred the "payload", which is the list of parameters that are going to be logged, from the tablet to the new laptop. And I've learned how to save the "dashboard" and load it, so I saved the one I'd created on the tablet and loaded it up on the laptop. And speaking of the dashboard, I'm amazed at some things on it. For instance, I gave BE the transmission gear ratios, the rear axle ratio, and the tire size, and it calculates the gear I'm in based on MPH and RPM. And it is dead on - as soon as I come out on the clutch it nails the gear. And the iMPG and MPG values are intriguing as well. But there's plenty of real estate left for other things to be shown. So I want to get the closed/open loop flags displayed so I'll know what mode it is in.

Now THAT looks like $3.5K.

Well, if you don't ask... But that one doesn't look like $65K.

Bill - In my case it has to do with a bad serial cable - I think. I plugged the old cable into Janey's computer and it initially showed as not working correctly on the right port, but working correctly on the left port. But if you wait a bit the left port refreshes, and refreshes, and refreshes, just as if the connection is going and coming. But plug the new serial cable in and it is rock solid on all ports and all computers. I think what was happening was that the going and coming, with 3 other devices on the same USB hub, had things so confused that it was dropping the communications. Which is why the Sandisk thumb drive went away at times, and why BE told me I had 10 seconds to put the dongle back in. Anyway, I've spent an interesting day, but I think I'm "there". I installed BE and all of the prereq's on this new machine and couldn't get BE to run correctly. Turns out it hadn't loaded the strategy files. None. I appealed to the Core Tuning triumvirate via email and Clint responded to my plea for help. He logged into both the new and old machines and moved the data files from one to the other. BE is up and looking like a champ. So tomorrow I'll see if I can data log and send the files to Ben. And I'll probably add a bit of idle speed back when the engine is "cold". Plus see what error codes I'm getting now. But I think I'm going to be happy with this "new" laptop. The three USB ports (two are 3.0 and one is 2.0) are exactly what I wanted, and the processor and screen are quite adequate. So it should replace the old Surface and let me give Janey her computer back.

That's an idea, Bill. And if that's an offer I thank you. But I have a Dell laptop with two USB ports and it won't consistently recognize my serial cable - even though I've uninstalled the device and the drivers and reinstalled several times. And even when it does the Innovate software can't find the wide band, and BE can't either. But this tablet usually recognizes the serial cable - until the traffic gets heavy during logging. And then, probably since I have four things plugged into a 4-port USB hub, things start getting lost. The wide band stops getting logged every once in a while until I stop and restart the log. And the thumb drive goes away at times, and yesterday that was at the worst possible time - when it was to record the log. In the light of almost-day, it looks to me like there are multiple problems. One basic one is that I have to have at least two USB ports, one each for the Mongoose and the wide band cables, and preferably three to also accommodate the BE dongle. But it also looks like I have a problem with the serial cable itself since one computer usually recognizes it and the other rarely does. And the latter is the computer with two USB ports. So I'm stuck and am ready to make a change in order to be able to move on. But I'm very unsure of what to change to as I'm having such inconsistent results. Janey has suggested that I replace this tablet as it is getting rather old and the kickstand is broken and the cover on the keyboard is peeling. But it works - for everything but BE. And new laptops don't seem to come with multiple USB 2.0 ports. Well, I forgot to post this before leaving to go shopping for computers. But we are home now and I bought a 1 year old Dell laptop with 3 USB ports. And, I bought a new serial/USB cable. Turns out the old cable is recognized in two of the three USB ports, but not the third. The new cable is recognized in all three. So I'm in the process of installing the needed software and will let y'all know how it goes later.

Looks good! You did a good deed rescuing that truck.

And they look good as well. Not a bad price either.

Bill - Thanks for all that work. But I've not made a decision. I'm planning to go by and look at that Dell and "see about buying it." However, I'm also perusing what other options there are in order to get this done reliably. Looks like we are both running similar cables from the wide band. Mine is a SABRENT USB 2.0 to Serial (9-Pin) DB-9 RS-232 Converter Cable, Prolific Chipset. And that thing has come and gone, frequently, on both of my computers - one more than the other. And that is whether it is plugged directly into the computer or plugged into a hub. But the thumb drive has also come and gone when I had everything plugged into the 4-port hub. So I really do want three USB 2.0 ports. That would let me put the wide band, Mongoose, and BE dongle in their own port w/o using a hub, and I could do away with the thumb drive by using just one computer. The problem I'm finding is that most new laptops don't have three 2.0 ports. Many of the new laptops have gone to USB C or 3.2 ports which will then have to be converted to USB 2.0, and I don't really want converters. So it looks like I have to go to older tech in order to get what I want.

Yes, there are plenty of them around here. Pretty good eating!

Well, we may actually be taking a few steps forward. I got a note back from Champion that said they'd checked all of their distributors and found no 4-row distributors. But, they found an un-allocated one in the warehouse and it has my name on it. And then I laid down to take a nap and couldn't as my mind was SPINNING. We plan to visit Owasso tomorrow to meet Janey's sister for lunch, and it dawned on me that Wholesale Computer Warehouse is there and they refurb computers. So I called and found that they have a refurb'd Dell Latitude 3450 which has three USB 2.0 ports, an i5 processor, and 8 gigs of memory. So I'm stopping in there tomorrow to see about buying that. And then I'll go to Best Buy and see what USB/serial cable they have since Wholesale has the same one I have and I want a different one. That will mean I have enough ports for everything and won't need a USB hub. I've sent a note to Ben to see if he agrees with that approach.

No sweat, you are fine. And, you are on the map.

End-Of-Day Update: I'm done for the day. I'm beyond frustrated and if I don't quit now I'll break something. I took the truck on a spin and was data logging, inc wide-band AFR. But part way through the trip the wide-band part stopped logging, although the gauge itself was still working. Still, I figured it had recorded enough that I could ship it off to Ben. But, when I looked for it in the data logging folder it wasn't there. Or anywhere. And then I remembered that I'd gotten odd messages at times for things that were plugged into the USB hub, including for the thumb drive and for the dongle that proves I have a license to run BE. On the thumb drive I got a message asking me what I wanted to do with the drive, as if it had just been plugged in. And on the dongle I got a message from BE saying I had 10 seconds to plug it back in. But they'd always been plugged in. So I figured that I was trying to pump too much data through the hub and I moved to Janey's laptop with its two USB ports. But the serial/USB cable will not work on that computer. Usually Device Manager shows it having a problem, but if you play with it long enough you can eventually get Device Manager to recognize it. However, even then the Innovate software that comes with the wide-band gauge can't find it, and BE certainly can't. And that's true no matter which USB port you are plugged into, and with or without the USB hub. Given that I tried another hub I have. No dice. So I may actually have more than one problem since the symptoms are all over the map. I'm going to reach out to Ben to see if he has a recommendation on serial cables as the one I have, albeit new, is low-buck from Amazon. And then I got an email from Champion. The 4-row radiator isn't in stock and they don't know when or if it will be. I'm done for the day.

Noon update: I wrote a new tune with a number of changes to the ECU. They included dropping the RPM adders for cold startup and changing the min RPM for misfire testing to 6000 like Bill’s tune has. The startup RPM was much better, but I may have taken too much out. And so far no Ewissions light so maybe that fixed the misfire error. After lunch and between storms I’m going to take it on a run with the factory O2 sensors unplugged and log the wide band, which does seem to be working. However, I’d say it is 90% as sometimes it doesn’t start and sometimes mid-log it stops. I think I’m on the limit of comms going through the USB hub with the OBD-II cable, serial for the wide band, and the BE dongle all plugged into it.

WELCOME! Glad you joined. But you may have missed the email asking you to introduce yourself in the New Members Start Here folder. We do that because the guidelines are posted there and we hold everyone to them so want you to have every opportunity to have read them. Have you? And where's home? We have a map (Bullnose Forum/Member's Map in the menu) and can add you with a city/state. As for the picture, you need to read up on how to post them on here on the page at Bullnose Forum/Forum FAQ's. But I'll post it for you here. However, since it is over 1MB in size I used the Big scaling option. Last, the stripes are probably not factory. You can see the factory tape strip options on our page at Documentation/Specifications/F-Series Tape Strip Codes, and I don't see any that match.

I don't know if the 2wd and 4wd are different. But I'd use the Rock Auto catalog to guide me. Amazon's fit isn't always right, but so far Rock's has been.

Yes, :nabble_crossed-fingers-20-pixel_orig::nabble_crossed-fingers-20-pixel_orig: I suspect the debris is holding the valves open and that you can get it out by pulling the intake. But that is a huge pain. So sorry!