Starting Fresh

Do you ever get to a point where, you think that with all you've learned tuning your car, an possibly others, that maybe you should just start over fresh, and use all of the learned information to maybe get an even better tune what what you've been working on for the last 3 or so years?

After tuning a friend's car last weekend (1971 Olds Cutlass), there were a few things I learned on that one that I'm sure I could apply to my car. There have been other cars too, that I've learned from, and I'm sure I will always learn while tuning.

So I'm thinking about going back to a starter bin,likely #4, like I started with long ago, and then tuning fresh, to see if I can actually get it the way I want.

I can always load up the current bin if I don't get it quickly.

So does anyone get to this point sometimes?

Yup! I always learn more each different car I do. Some guys just tune their own car and get very good at it. Me on the other hand do a lot of different cars, most of which were never fuel injected.

Let me explain a little, I have been in to off roading my whole life, currently I have been a member of North Idaho Trail Blazers for 8 years and the same 8 years in Pacific North West 4Wheel Drive Association. Also have been state director for PNW4WDA and currently chairperson on Kootenai County OHV Committee for four wheel drive (trucks and Jeeps) so I know a lot of off roaders. One guy who I did a TBI conversion on his jeep can make it through off camber obstacles while another better built jeep can't because he is carburated. So needless to say I teach a lot of guys how to do a conversion, then help troubleshoot the start up, then help tune a chip. Most of it for free and I get lots of trades and loads of help when I am building something. It's a great group of Friends I have. My son now almost 18 is also a member and has a bunch of Friends his age group so needless to say I enjoy this hobby group of guys and get to hang out with my son on our weekend off road trips.

So yes I always learn more. Yes I have gone back to a stock bin file to tune a 258 Jeep motor from scratch just to do it although I have a great 258 starter bin. I may not do that if I did not have an AutoProm for Real Time tuning. More you do, better you get.

Especially with the timing maps. Once the mixture is close and handed over to closed loop it only needs tweeking right around idle but the more I learn about timing - well I have just started fresh several times. Truck works better every time. Makes me wonder how I got this far without busting something :?