FYI...........................
Ok folks the verdict is in................as of today my car's tune is fully optimized w\ tune revision #66.
Here is the picture of my engine running tune revision #66 as reported in post #391 on 1-25-23 after reflash during the initial DC in which I performed this WOT hit........after making all the various tune setting changes, corrections & necessary component replacements prior to arrive here:
Now here is the picture of my engine running same tune revision #66 as reported in post #391 after putting in 8 oz of VP Racing Octanium Unleaded Octane Booster to 16 gals of COPC E10 91 oct unleaded fuel (the very same E10 91 oct fuel from the very same fuel pump @ ConocoPhillips gas station that I've used in most of my tuning that conforms to the fuel stoich AFR of 14.08....10.8% ethanol content) on 1-27-23 then driving car over 100 mi to ensure fuel was fully mixed in tank & fully loaded in fuel rails to then run this WOT test hit today @ 1-28-23:
The octane booster mix was a little stouter than what the label said to use (2.6 oz per 10 gals of fuel if vehicle was equipped w\ ECD's--emission control devices.....a fancy name for catalytic converters using rear O2 sensors) as when I corrected for the other 6.1 gals in tank--put 9.9 gals in tank to top off--the mix came out to 4 oz......but I doubled it to make it stouter w\o hopefully causing damage to my MF #5461336 CARB-cert TWC aftermarket cats (why I also made the 100 mi drive......to test cats CE Ratio results afterwards.....results were right in line w\ prior results so cats showed to not be adversly affected from the octane booster in the fuel--B1 @ .141\B2 @ .105 on 1-27-23 vs B1 @ .098\B2 @ .121 on 1-25-23 initial DC after tune reflash).
Ran WOT run in same area of NAPI International Raceway & Test Facility today as usually ran to try to maintain as much similarity to get accurate & repeatable results (also to evade the "boys") as possible. Checked cat CE Ratio results after today's WOT hit as follows:
B1 @ .098\B2 @ .113........so this verifies that this VP Racing Octanium Unleaded Octane Booster does just what it says it does.......when used fairly close to the mix recipe VP Racing gives, that is.
The conclusion is that there did exist some real cyl knock (why I used the octane booster in fuel to find out) in this oddball knock pattern that is certainly due to all the things I've laid out prior (this is what test #2 was set up to prove if this octane booster test didn't show any real effect on the cyl knock pattern......don't need to use it now) as we now know that the cyl knock was being affected by the firing order, the cyl-to-KS mic assignment order & the VCT cam retard scheduling which dictated how this cyl knock frequency was traveling thru crankshaft as well as the engine block & across all the cyls to show up in the manner that it did.......so this proves that I've reached the point in my tuning where the E10 91 oct fuel's octane AKI# can't support any more spark advance timing than 24.5* to 26.5* on its own.........which also now indicts my prior tuner's tuning even more as the only items that were different\changed from his tuning to mine were new KS mics, 1 step colder plugs (which made absolutely no difference) & a K&N E-1997 Bullitt-replacement reusable air filter covered by the same dust sock that was used on prior FP OEM Bullitt air filter during the last 2 dyno sessions........so all the dyno sheet results that I posted in this thread was made off shady tuning done to make prior tuner look good by the peak HP\TQ numbers.........so a LOT of the items that I also posted earlier showing component damage was also somewhat due in part to this shady tuning being run.
The data doesn't lie, folks..........my tuning should've carried at least the same total spark advance timing during a WOT run as his did (rechecked his tuning vs mine & we're at approx the same amount of total spark advance @ 27.95*-28* base BKT w\ 0* of VCT spark adder included + 4* KS spark advance added = 31.95*-32* total BKT w\ base MBT\MBT VCT spark advance adder at 0* @ 34*-34.13* so PCM used the BKT spark advance--the lower of the 2--for prior tuner.
In the same area of the tune mapping my total spark advance @ 28.17*-28.03* base MBT w\ MBT VCT spark adder correction of .05* per degree of VCT cam retard applied = 28.8*......all applied from base BKT spark advance map at 24.8*--includes the same BKT VCT spark adder correction of .05* per degree of VCT cam retard applied--same as to the base MBT spark advance......+ the full 4* of KS spark advance added--created from the 4* gap I made between the base BKT to base MBT spark advance map settings across the board so PCM can apply additional spark advance timing to base BKT\BKT VCT spark adder correction as deemed needed based off KS activity automatically--to the base BKT\BKT VCT spark adder advance so PCM cut the base BKT\BKT VCT correction + KS spark advance timing to arrive just under base MBT\MBT VCT spark adder max 28.8* to stay lower than MBT @ 28.5* total spark advance........a full 3.45* LESS using the exact same E10 91 oct fuel........but I needed to use octane booster to safely arrive\run at this number........thus verifies the shady WOT tuning I uncovered thru datalogging while running his tune file as is as well as his shady tuning overall.......so was making himself & his tuning "skills" look better to me thru the dyno sheet peak numbers..........another thing that a lot of tuners do to stand out in order to attract more customers............instead of just doing all proper safe tuning to get all the HP\TQ safely out of engine to build a good quality reputation off of that no one can tarnish or destroy as your work & results will do all the talking for you..................
To be able to run safely & fully on the same COPC E10 91 oct fuel alone, I'll have to cut spark advance timing a full 4*-5* at least to get engine to run fully thru WOT w\o any octane booster usage........or leave all as set & just add approx 10 oz of octane booster to fuel tank whenever I want to go full WOT & party as all else is fully clean, optimized & safe as is tuning-wise as long as I stay out of full on OL WOT operations using clean E10 91 oct fuel alone (only choice I have in my neck of the woods).......... would love to test her out on some good clean E10 93 oct fuel to see if this knock completely goes away at the same settings currently loaded in PCM from my last revision #66 tune file..............
So at this time I'm electing to leave all as set as I don't rag on her at all really, don't have the slightest inkling of racing anyone period (which I know I've pissed off some of the local yocals who've tried to entice me into a race but I ignored them........)
but I DO want to KNOW exactly where she is & all involved so that I'm fully aware of everything so know what, when, how & what to do\not to do to keep all in good order (is also why I don't let other folks drive my Stang if at all possible.....even my wife.....cause I know what'll happen when they're out of my sight so can't trust most folks these days w\ someone else's property to follow any instructions & take the same care for my stuff as I would for their own stuff) so as long as I keep her in CL-Normal Mode she's all good w\o any worries.
So yes, I'm 1 of those who will gladly\easily put my money where my mouth is when it comes to what I want\desire & not allow myself to become beholden to another's interest\agenda that I don't agree with.........but also take my title of US citizen & the responsibilities that go along w\ it very seriously.......to other US citizens as well as myself......regardless of whether Red or Blue....
Yep, this has been a LONG, LONG process but I'm totally pleased w\ the outcome. Only thing left to do at some time in the future is to put her on a dyno w\ some octane booster in the fuel to see what the final peak HP\TQ numbers would come out to just to have some numbers to go w\ all my tuning. 1 of the big things for me is that thru all of this I've managed to maintain\improve engine's emissions output thruout thus have demonstrated that this is very easily done thru the tune file legally w\ a 4.6L V8 in NA form using aftermarket non-OEM components thus is no reason why a modded & tuned NA 4.6L engine can't legally pass emissions from a point of the sciences. The politics behind this is entirely another matter......most of it doesn't have anything to do w\ the US EPA either......its not to say that the EPA is perfect.....its not, but a LOT of the STATES have misinterpreted, mis-applied thus not followed current EPA regs that do still allow for modded engines in VIN'd vehicles to be legal to run under current emissions standards for the MY that the vehicle was manufactured using aftermarket emissions devices (essentially Fed\CARB cert catalytic converters only) after said VIN-equipped vehicle has eclipsed it's EPA-mandated OEM factory emissions warranties (Fed is 5 yr, 50,000 mi.....CARB is 7 yr, 70,000 mi) that forced the certification of all other aftermarket components (CAI, TB, LTH, IM, etc) due to the vehicle--regardless of whether new or used--still being under this mandated factory emissions warranty period that the OEM's had to honor in order to sell said vehicles to the public). That is current EPA regs since 1-09...........
a LOT of States are overusing the "original condition" clause to overshadow the EPA recognized "certified condition" std that supercedes the "original condition" clause when the "certified condition" can be shown\proved & OBDII test results are all legally passing. But the EPA can't do anything about this due to the States Rights clause in the US Constitution........
so it is up to the VOTERS in these States--whether Red or Blue--to make the changes.......not the US Fed gov! The US EPA can only legally enforce what the States themselves have agreed to enforce according to the Federal EPA laws that the States ratified to follow OR the State-generated EPA laws (CARB for example.....California being the creator State) the States have created\approved\adopted that
supersede current US Fed EPA law thus have US EPA exemption......as long as the States that adopt CARB enforce the same CARB laws they created\adopted\approved & received Fed EPA exemption status on OR enforce on Federal properties (the US Federal interstate hiway system) only.
I've learned a LOT of things about this 4.6L 3V engine & the SO PCM that controls it that seems to be lost on a LOT of tuners out there.......new folks as well as 25 yr+ professional tuners........which is really a shame on the automotive tuning industry on a platform that's been out for so long after its production run has ended.
But the old adage still holds true.........
no one knows everything about something & unless you're continually making efforts to continue to LEARN you'll never know fully what you SHOULD know............ain't got nothing to do w\ how long you've been doing something but has
everything to do w\ a person's will\drive to learn thus know.......knowledge is the real power but it is
wasted when it is not learned OR shared OR applied.
I hope all this is of some use to my fellow S197 owners........sure was a lot of fun as well as frustration sometimes for me but this old adage also applies........."persistence always will pay off in the end if we just keep at it........develop the plan, apply the plan & stay focused on the end goal that the plan was designed to accomplish & not on the journey necessary to get there"............