Need some advice on a foxbody tuner

toomanytoys

Active Member
Established Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2010
Messages
1,136
Location
NYC
I have a 88 LX that has a built motor, fuel system and a s trim. I've had the car for 24 years and with the current build about 6 years. The car has become a total nightmare to drive. A/F is all over the place and I'm having trouble getting the tune right. My question is which way should I go here ? Moates quarter horse or a Anderson PMS? What are the pros and cons of each? Thanks for the help
 

cbrown9064

Member
Established Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
Messages
609
Location
Mandan, ND
I don't understand what you are trying to accomplish. What software are you using? I have BE with a QH and works great. Got a tune from Willie at Dirty Dirty Racing, and made minor tweaks myself. My buddy with a Fox and similar build to yours did the same.
 

toomanytoys

Active Member
Established Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2010
Messages
1,136
Location
NYC
I don't have anything at the moment. Just a stock a9l with a chip that was done by LaRoccas. The car has never run right and had I known Jimmy LaRocca no longer owned the shop I never would have gone there
 

MalcolmV8

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2003
Messages
7,353
Location
Tampa, FL
I've been reading up a lot of good things about the Quarter Horse and Binary Editor. Actually thinking about getting it for my 03 Cobra instead of the SCT PRP I currently use. Interested on feed back others have between QH/BE and anything else as well. I also have a Fox to tune.
 

cbrown9064

Member
Established Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
Messages
609
Location
Mandan, ND
I don't have anything at the moment. Just a stock a9l with a chip that was done by LaRoccas. The car has never run right and had I known Jimmy LaRocca no longer owned the shop I never would have gone there

Oh, OK that info helps. First off, I highly recommend working with a remote tuner. There are several but some use different hardware/software. So, unless you are tied to one type of hardware/software, pick a tuner and go with what they use.

For me, I wanted the ability to both modify the tune myself as well as do it on the "fly" without having to stop and either flash the computer or burn a chip and install. The Quarterhorse is an emulator board that plugs into the J3 port on the EEC IV or V. It "gets in between" the PCM and the rest of the car and sends the commands and is able to datalog. The ability to make a change and instantly see the results was appealing to me, along with pretty fast datalogging.

For software, I went with Binary Editor. The software is pretty easy to use. What takes a lot more time to learn is what all the parameters are and do. There are scalars, functions and tables. Many look at each other.

If you decide to go the QH/BE route, there are two good remote tuners I recommend. Decipha at EFIdynotuning.com and Willie at Dirty Dirty Racing. Two other excellent tuners are Don LaSota and Bob Kurgan. However I know Bob doesn't tune with QH/BE and IIRC Don may, but only with a certain wideband.

So you have two paths to go. If all you are interested in is a tune, pick a remote tuner and buy what they tell you. If you are interested in learning how to tune, then I recommend the BE/QH combo and get your tune from someone who works with that combo.

I can tell you that your combo is very common and my buddy has a very similar setup in a Fox. He used Willie (after another tuner stopped responding to him) and got the car running great in just a few email revisions. When he put different heads and a tmoss ported intake on, Willie again retuned and the thing put down 410rwhp on a eddy current with 8psi...
 
Last edited:

MalcolmV8

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2003
Messages
7,353
Location
Tampa, FL
Just the quarter horse ? Do I need anything else?

You need Binary Editor software to make the tune changes. The quarter horse is just the piece of hardware, no software included. You'll also need a strategy file for the ECU you're trying to tune.

The only place I know you can get the 03 Cobra strategy file is from coretuning.net. You can email or call Adam over there. Seems like the combo package of quater horse, binary editor and strategy file was round $550 if I remember right.
 

decipha

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2008
Messages
1,019
Location
New Orleans, LA
the tunepro software, foxbody and 03-04 cobra definition files and even the base tunes are free on my website i linked above, all you have to buy is the quarterhorse for $250, you can also tune as many of them as you want too unlike BE which charges $50 per vehicle, not to mention this has far greater support and doesnt limit you like BE does, no need to worry about that licensing crap and encrypted files non sense

Foxbody
http://info.efidynotuning.com/a9l2.htm


...and for reference...

03-04 Cobra, 99-04 GT, V6, 99-03 F-150, Mercury Maurauder, Lincoln Town Car, Expedition, and Navigator FREE download

http://info.efidynotuning.com/fbfg2.htm


Download it and check it out see if you like it
 
Last edited:

AssPikle

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2005
Messages
997
Location
Don't know anymore
the tunepro software, foxbody and 03-04 cobra definition files and even the base tunes are free on my website i linked above, all you have to buy is the quarterhorse for $250, you can also tune as many of them as you want too unlike BE which charges $50 per vehicle, not to mention this has far greater support and doesnt limit you like BE does, no need to worry about that licensing crap and encrypted files non sense

Foxbody
http://info.efidynotuning.com/a9l2.htm


...and for reference...

03-04 Cobra, 99-04 GT, V6, 99-03 F-150, Mercury Maurauder, Lincoln Town Car, Expedition, and Navigator FREE download

http://info.efidynotuning.com/fbfg2.htm


Download it and check it out see if you like it

Decipha, I noticed that you dont list 96-98 gt mustang. Do you not have software and files for that? I too am looking for a tuning option and I have a 98gt.
 

decipha

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2008
Messages
1,019
Location
New Orleans, LA
I do but I havent completely gone through it yet

go ahead and get yourself a QH and give me a shout when it comes in, it wont take much for me to finish it and post it up

it would probably be best of you shoot me a pm on the efidynotuning forum or shoot me an email I dont frequent here to often
 

AssPikle

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2005
Messages
997
Location
Don't know anymore
I do but I havent completely gone through it yet

go ahead and get yourself a QH and give me a shout when it comes in, it wont take much for me to finish it and post it up

it would probably be best of you shoot me a pm on the efidynotuning forum or shoot me an email I dont frequent here to often

ok, will do.
 

MalcolmV8

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2003
Messages
7,353
Location
Tampa, FL
the tunepro software, foxbody and 03-04 cobra definition files and even the base tunes are free on my website i linked above, all you have to buy is the quarterhorse for $250, you can also tune as many of them as you want too unlike BE which charges $50 per vehicle, not to mention this has far greater support and doesnt limit you like BE does, no need to worry about that licensing crap and encrypted files non sense

Foxbody
http://info.efidynotuning.com/a9l2.htm


...and for reference...

03-04 Cobra, 99-04 GT, V6, 99-03 F-150, Mercury Maurauder, Lincoln Town Car, Expedition, and Navigator FREE download

http://info.efidynotuning.com/fbfg2.htm


Download it and check it out see if you like it

Thanks for the references. I'll download it and take a look. I already pulled down a copy of Binary Editor a while ago and have been looking at it. I've been chatting to Adam about purchasing a "dealer" package from him as I have more than one car to tune. He was offering me Binary Editor, his strategies which he's decoded and pulled out of the ECU's himself (sounds like you have too), quarter horse, and also a Ford cable of sorts to flash the ECU once done tuning so I can remove the quarter horse and move over to another vehicle.

Of course just downloading Binary Editor and Tunepro and looking around will only tell me so much. It's not until I get deep into the guts of it in actual use I'm sure the differences in which one is easier or more powerful or has better logging etc. will become apparent.
 

decipha

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2008
Messages
1,019
Location
New Orleans, LA
Id recommend starting with tunerpro, its 100% free so its not like your out anything, see if you like it and if not you can always pay to downgrade to BE later if you so choose

you can also read/write tunes between BE and TunerPro so you can continue where you left off no problem
 

cj428mach

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2012
Messages
7,609
Location
Kansas
Id recommend starting with tunerpro, its 100% free so its not like your out anything

It always amazes me the amount of energy and effort Decipha puts into helping the tuning community. I've read a lot of your write ups and use your A9L2 on my street rod, thanks for all the good information.
 

decipha

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2008
Messages
1,019
Location
New Orleans, LA
hey cj, thanks for the gratitude I really appreciate it, it really means alot


the tuning business is a very secretive business, those in the know guard their info

I on the other hand believe the more informed the community is the better we will be as a whole, thats why Ive made all the write ups I have and posted my base tune files and definition files for free for the world to enjoy and have the support forum, etc... The greatest wealth in life is the knowledge we possess. I spend an astronomical amount of my time maintaining and doing for the DIY community that it cuts into my personal and work life substantially. Yet, I still manage to carry out a ~60-70hr a week full time job in between. Ive asked myself is it worth it and I believe it is. If I learn just one single thing in the process then that time is well spent in my opinion. And the knowledge others gain from my teachings have a moral reward. I know what I can do. I have yet to figure out what I can't. Thats what pushes me to take it that much further.
 

toomanytoys

Active Member
Established Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2010
Messages
1,136
Location
NYC
Thank you for the help. It looks like this is exactly what I need to get my LX running right again. I will get the quarter horse and start with one of your files. It will be nice to be able to drive my car again
 

MalcolmV8

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2003
Messages
7,353
Location
Tampa, FL
Id recommend starting with tunerpro, its 100% free so its not like your out anything, see if you like it and if not you can always pay to downgrade to BE later if you so choose

you can also read/write tunes between BE and TunerPro so you can continue where you left off no problem

Are you familiar with the process of flashing the ECU once done tuning so you can remove the quarter horse?
 

decipha

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2008
Messages
1,019
Location
New Orleans, LA
yep I have a drewtech cable I use to read/write or "flash" the final tune to the eec-v ecus when im done tuning them so they dont require a chip or QH

When I get a bunch of free time i'll be making a flashing plugin for tunerpro so you can read and write directly to the ecu

another pretty cool thing worth noting, the quarterhorse has the ability to direct flash the ecu as well, you can actually flash the ecu through the j3 port and its SUPER FAST, flsshing over the obd2 port takes about 2 minutes, flashing over the j3 only takes a few seconds, the only problem is those that have done it wont share their info and the one guy who figured it out doesnt speak english and isnt easy to get in touch with so its unlikely that will be supported anytime soon
 

Users who are viewing this thread



Top