You also need more time for adaptive strategy to do it's work. The shifting will improve the more drive cycles you put on your truck. Do not reflash; this just clears everything out & you start from scratch again. It can take upwards of 500-1,000 miles for everything to 'settle'.

If it still feels 'awkward' after that, then by all means call TP.

Mine took about a week (with lots of miles) - the shifting is absolutely stunning now. Proportionally firmer the deeper into the throttle you take it. Perfect.

 

I do believe that Mike does build into the tunes user adjustability, but I think I read somewhere that it was the shift's "firmness" and not the shift points...

I don’t understand the software and how it works, but I would say it would adjust the shift point depending on how you are accelerating… This would determine when the transmission makes the shift, meaning higher rpm with a WOT versus lower rpm with say ¼ pedal.

 

Yeah that's what I remember reading in the paperwork Mike sent along with the tunes so I'm waiting to see how mine adjust. Although I really haven't gone WOT with it that much since installing the tunes. I may have to do it on the way home from work tonight and see what my results are. The 20 min interstate ride home should give me plenty of opportunities.

 

I just got an e-mail saying my xcalII and af1 should be here on may 23. GREAT!

 

Hello All,

Yes, we are knocking out a LOT of tunes - this is why you have not seen me here on the boards for some time.

We got hit with a ton of project trucks (Roush blower installs) ever since we did the Roush project truck, and have got all of that caught up, and now the tunes are rolling out properly once again - so that is why you are seeing a lot of them done. By now, there are no tunes that are over 6 weeks from the time that we have received the custom program worksheets, and that is in calendar days - the way we count it, which is the only thing that is under our control, is by business days. And right now, we are at 36 business days as of this morning, to give you a rough idea. There are a couple that we are waiting on reads for or other info etc,. that come before that, but that aside, we are basically now at 36 business days, and getting that down as quickly as possible.

With regards to things like shift points, the shift points on part-throttle are determined by your right foot, plain and simple. The shift schedules depend on 2 things - vehicle speed and throttle position, meaning at a given throttle position, you have to hit a certain speed before it will upshift. It's nothing to have it go to 3000 rpm before you hit 2nd gear, that will happen with just about anything other than no throttle at all, that is extremely low rpms for a 1-2, and when we are talking about a Job 2 2005 or newer truck, that 1-2 part-throttle schedule is not even changed - the only variance is what happens from adaptive strategy, as adaptive will have some effect on that based on the amount of torque the engine produces, it can vary the part-throttle shift points by as much as 4 mph. SO when we say the shift points on part-throttle are affected by adaptive strategy, this is true, but it's really as an after-effect, so to speak - meaning, it can be varied thru adaptive based on the amount of torque the engine produces, and adaptive will affect power - with more miles between flashes or battery disconnects, the power should come up unless the vehicle is driven conservatively much of the time, like a typical daily driver, and so that can make the shift points go up a little bit. Simply drive the vehicle normally, and these things will settle in - just like they have to when you are on the stock factory tune and clear KAM.

We've never really explained that before in that kind of detail, as it gets technical and requires a long time to describe, but the adaptive effect is from engine torque variance, based on how long it's been since it was flashed both in terms of miles and in terms of drive cycles, and then how the vehicle is driven - adaptive can vary engine torque, and with engine torque varying a bit, you can have anywhere from 1-4 mph variance on part-throttle shift points - it will be less in the lower gears, more in the higher gears, as is natural. I wont' go into this any more, but this is a very quick overview.

The gentleman who spoke about it revving to 3000 in 1st before it went into 2nd gear can indeed be quite normal - it all depends on how much throttle you give it, and whether you are on flat level ground, etc. The more load the vehicle is under (whether it's from towing, or going up even just a slight grade, etc.), the longer it takes to reach a certain speed for a given throttle position - thus the longer it will take to reach that point.

And no, we are NOT raising the part-throttle shift points significantly, especially on the Job 2 & later 2005 & newer F-150's. Now on the 2004 5.4 3V's, yes they are raised on the 1-2 2-3 & 3-4 on part-throttle, because they were abnormally low from the factory, being the first model year of a new design, the calibration was terrible. By the time we get into the Job 2 2005's, the factory improved the part-throttle shift schedules on many of the strategies (though not all) to the point that in many of them we only need to raise the 3-4 on part-throttle by a rather small amount, and the 1-2 & 2-3 are generally fine in many strategies - but this also depends on the individual strategy.

The bottom line is, your shift points on part-throttle are controlled by how much throttle you give it, is the best way to put it, as that is the primary control factor, is throttle position - if you go up a slight hill at light throttle, then it will seem to stay in gear before it shifts, but that is only because now you are going up a slight grade, and it takes longer to get up to the speed required to upshift at that throttle position. The more throttle you give it, the higher the shift point will be, just like it is from the factory, and just as it needs to be. You also need to factor in the effects of adaptive strategy, as it will take some time for this to settle in.

I hope that gives you a bit better idea of how this works!

 

Mike,
Very informative... And yes you hit the preverbal nail on the head with that post! You have a much better way of explaining things than I do, and I appreciate the detailed info.
I guess my age may be showing :o just a bit but I remember back in the days of the Mopar’s so called "brainless" transmission that the street racers would build for their machines, the shift firmness and shift points were very similar to what I see so far in my 87 performance tune. I would be right in step with the street racers some 25 years ago with the feeling that I get from the shift points in the tune I have from you ... And I assume in time these will even out a bit and I will become more accustom the difference in these new shift points.
But with your post you now created another question on my part, specifically with the use of these tunes needing to be "broke in" so to speak. If I tow my trailer it would only be a one day thing and that one day would certainly not be sufficient to "break in" or settle in the tune. I do remember that you state “NO towing” with the performance tune, so the question remains; Will I need the time for the towing tune to “settle” in as well?

 

I interpreted the tutorial that I read before proceeding with loading my files on my excal-2 to mean that if you run your rig hard from ss -1/4 mile and turn the ignition off, and let it cool, and do that a half dozen times, that the time necessary to adapt can be abreviated, albeit a bit more "risky" procedure on the open road. Any advise? MGD?----Mike?

 

Hi.

Interesting interpretation!

That's how some folks used to put their EECIV PCM's into 'party' mode...

Not sure - it's probably enough drive cycles, but also probably not enough cumulative miles (needs both). Yes - a little risky on the street, too.

Like MT says, just drive normally and enjoy the ongoing improvements.

Sounds like fun, though - apart from the risk.

Cheers
Bubba

 

I'm usually pretty patient, but you see, there's this guy at the gym with a chipped Dodge Cummins turbo diesel that thinks he's John Force, ( with even bigger teeth ), and like the criminal in that Dirty Harry movie--" I gotts to know "......You see, in all the excitement, I forgot. Was it 6 seconds or was it 7? Do you feel lucky? Well do you, punk?

 

LMAO!!!

 

I have not realy had alot of time riding around in my truck with the new tunes. Figures I have waited almost three months and when I finally get them I get my work truck. I have the 2V 5.4 and I have only had the 87 tow tune on top of Maggie SISO and AF1 and not much of a difference down low but 2500 on up there is a noticable difference. I dont know who programed the shifts from the factory in these truck but he must have been on crack when he did the 1 to 2 shift because it shifts at the worst time and does it very weird. But the rest of the stock shifts were fine. Now the retarded shift is gone, but I was expecting a little firmer shifts but then I watched MattFX4s vedio and they are identical. Now I got to wait till I burn this tank up and fill her up with 93 and I am heading to to track.

 

I called them, ordered a Superchips 1715 tuner, and got it the next day with free shipping. (540) 862.9515

Thanks,
Gary

 

Yowza! Just received the tunes in the old email inbox. Will post review, after driving on them for a few days. Off to install the intake and tunes now. This grasshopper was beginning to run out of patience

 

Yowza! Christmas comes in May... :santa:

 

Wow! I'm jealous! I had my sheets in on April 4 and still no tunes. My patience is starting to wear thin I must admit. Especially given the fact that I was told a couple of different stories about my place in line - and now I find out the person I was speaking with is no longer with Troyer! Anyway, I hope it will be worth the wait. Let's see, April 4 to now, that 56 calendar days and 41 business days....I think I will call again today.