The trouble with those darn cats is that we just can't keep them in the bag! (We have four -- we speak from experience...)

Someone on another forum came very close to guessing what we're going to be offering, so we've decided to come clean...

Since the cat is out of the proverbial bag, I'll explain a bit. When customers buy a turbo, they get a compressor map. When customers buy a cam, they get the grind specifications. This would really be no different (and yes, if that sounds familiar, Bill just reiterated to me what he's posted on various forums before; I take no credit for it).

First, let me state firmly that we won't be infringing on any copyrights; however, there's much that can be provided to customers that doesn't cross that line and would be important for them to know. What we will be offering is a 3D representation of Start of Injection, Injection Control Pressure, and Injector Pulse Width. Just so there's no confusion, we will not be providing customers with actual copies of any maps as they appear within the calibration; what we are providing is a graphical representation of the PCM's final calculations of these parameters under operational conditions. Also, so there is no concern, it is not possible to derive any of the IP used in building tunes by mere observation or utilization of the data contained in these graphs, so no third party will be able to view any vendor's actual tuning maps.

We're not giving away the Colonel's Secret Recipe or sharing what makes each tuner unique. I'm sure that each tuning customer would like to know if certain parameters fall within "the safe zone" or if they need to address these issues with their tuner; there's absolutely no reason that they shouldn't be privy to that information.

Let's be clear on something. We are not doing this with the hope that customers will see something frightening and come running to us to do their tuning. What we anticipate is that, armed with additional information, 7.3L owners will be able to ensure that their calibrations are safe by bringing these issues to the attention of their tuners so that the problems can be corrected.

In the near future, we will be offering this to our customers at no charge -- it will simply come with the Phoenix, FU, or FU2. (BTW, if you are already a customer of ours and would like this information, let us know; it won't happen immediately because we're simply swamped, but we'll be happy to provide it to you!) It is our hope that other vendors will step up and offer it -- or something similar -- to their customers as well, but it's not our place to tell anyone what to do. If they choose to, then great! We're not the Tuning Police. If they don't want to, then that's their choice. FWIW, if a tuner is writing safe calibrations, they should have no qualms about their customers receiving this information.

For the past two years, we've been trying to break up the Secret Squirrel Decoder Ring Club surrounding Ford tuning. Customers have a right to know what's going on in their engines. They don't need to know HOW it's happening (those are the tricks of the trade!), but they are entitled to know WHAT is happening and that the truck they're driving is safe.

That's what we've been saying all along.

Below are some very basic examples -- on a much smaller physical scale -- of what to expect.


Injection Control Pressure at 200 degrees <acronym title="Engine Oil Temp">EOT</acronym>

This image shows a fairly common <acronym title="Injection Control Pressure">ICP</acronym> curve with a peak at about 2,500 <acronym title="lbs per sq inch">psi</acronym>, which is actually relatively close to stock.


Injection Pulse Width at 200 degrees <acronym title="Engine Oil Temp">EOT
</acronym>
This image shows a pulse width curve that peaks out at about 5 ms at full throttle. Being that this file is for stock injectors, this isn't entirely unreasonable, but is certainly what most tuners would agree is a bit high.


Start of Injection at 200 degrees <acronym title="Engine Oil Temp">EOT
</acronym>
This image is a "What You Don't Want to See" representation of an SOI table. The biggest concern is the uneven rift directly through the middle of the table. Rapid changes in SOI can cause shock and imbalance to the crankshaft and reciprocating components and could be responsible for engine failure.


We haven't hammered out all the specifics yet, but it's looking like we'll offer two different services to fit everyone's needs. The first will be just the 3D maps, which will be GREAT for the diesel junkies who know what should and shouldn't be happening with their tuning and can read the maps on their own. The second will be 3D maps where Bill will provide objective analysis of what exactly is going on within the diagram. I'm sure we'll have it all down pat by the time we get back from SEMA.