ONE SHOT, ONE KILL TAKING AIM AT ADDITIONAL POWER TUNING WITH SNIPER TUNING SOFTWARE FORD BUILDER 59

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1 FB_0704_Sniper Engine Tune 3/30/07 5:21 PM Page 59 ONE SHOT, ONE KILL TAKING AIM AT ADDITIONAL POWER TUNING WITH SNIPER TUNING SOFTWARE THE HISTORY OF SNIPER TUNING IS AN INTERESTING ONE. PATRICK AND CHRIS STAJDEL RUN THE SANFORD, FLORIDA-BASED COMPA- NY, AND WHILE SNIPER ITSELF IS REL- ATIVELY NEW, PATRICK HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN EFI TUNING FOR ABOUT AS LONG AS EFI TUNING HAS EXISTED FOR COMPUTER-CON- TROLLED AMERICAN CARS. IN THE EARLY 1980s, PATRICK WAS WORK- ING FOR CONTINENTAL AIRLINES AS A TECHNICIAN AND DRAG RACING IN HIS SPARE TIME. HE HAD A REPU- TATION AS A GOOD TUNER, SO WHEN THE BUICK GRAND NATIONAL AND ITS DISTRIBUTORLESS TUR- BOCHARGED EFI V-6 CAME ALONG, GN OWNERS BEGAN TURNING TO HIM TO GET MORE POWER OUT OF THESE RADICAL, TURBO-POWERED V-6 ENGINES. At the time, EFI code was in hex and was not user-friendly. It took a great deal of effort and research to recognize and to modify such things as fuel and spark tables. EFI tuning was definitely a black art, but Stajdel picked it up quickly. At the time, Buick had a strong presence in Indy Car racing, with GN-based engines, and even the Buick Indy teams took notice of the power gains that Stajdel was capable of producing. The two parties even went so far as to share information, with Buick gaining access to Stajdel s tuning, and Stajdel getting more insight into interpreting the electronic code and how certain changes affected the car. In 1988, Stajdel began supplying a major chip manufacturer still in business today, and in the nearly two decades since, he s played a part in nearly every major aftermarket chip and tuner company at one point or another, especially those within the Ford market. These companies would probably prefer that we not mention them in this context, as all are still involved in this market. Given the proliferation of electronic hand-held tuning devices on the market today, Sniper had to work hard to come up with a product unique in the market, one that did not duplicate the efforts of the other manufacturers. To Stajdel s way of thinking, other electronic tuners are either extremely basic or too complicated for an inexperienced enthusiast to use. For example, your typical hand-held tuner asks simple yes/no questions to better tailor its applications to a particular vehicle. In most cases these tuners are just fine for stock and slightly modified vehicles, but there are concerns as modifications are increased and the electronic needs to control them become more complex. It is at these levels that some tuners can lose their ability to properly adapt to these more complex tuning needs. On the other end of the spectrum is the highly specialized tuning software that makes it easy for a skilled tuner to extract the most from a modified vehicle. But it is here that an inexperienced user can get in over his head and make changes that may not be beneficial to the performance or longevity of the engine. Sniper s approach bridges that gap with a few different pieces of software that take a multifaceted approach to tuning. The first step in Sniper tuning is to plug its datalogging interface tool into your car s OBD- II port. This tool and its aptly named Recon data-logging software will then read your engine s factory tune and save it for Story & Photography By Will Smith FORD BUILDER 59

2 FB_0704_Sniper Engine Tune 3/30/07 5:21 PM Page 60 later use and modification. Once this step is complete, you can plug the same tool into your Windows-based computer. The supplied Sniper Multiloader software then loads this tune into the computer before the next piece of software. After Recon has established what your factory tune is, the next logical step is to send in the Special Forces. Sniper Special Forces software is what you will use to do the actual tuning on your Ford, and this software is what really bridges the tuning gap we previously mentioned between entry-level and pro-only tuners. After opening the Special Forces software, the program will begin asking you about your engine combination displacement, fuel type, whether you have forced induction (and if so, what kind) and so on. This method of operation is what makes the Sniper system unique and so easy to use. Advanced tuners, for instance, know what changes they need to make if they upgrade a vehicle from 24- to 36-lb injectors; the average enthusiast doesn t, but with the Sniper software it doesn t matter. All you need to know is what size injectors you have, and the software makes all the necessary changes for you. After making your changes, you then load your new tune into the interface tool and plug it back into the car, where it will load the revised tune for you. Once you start to get the hang of how certain changes affect your car s performance, Sniper software can actually walk you into the next stage of tuning expertise. Sniper s Delta Force software available separately is even more advanced than the Special Forces software, and with it you can begin to make the types of fine-tuning changes that professional tuners are known to make. It s easy to import a Special Forces tune into Delta Force to make these additional changes. And to arm you with the necessary information to make these changes, the Sniper Scope program replicates a dyno control panel on your computer screen and then allows you to record and view dyno runs made with your vehicle, and how your vehicle was running during these sessions. Interfaces can include graphs or even analog-style gauge representations to make the system user-friendly. Viewing this information also makes it easy to spot any hiccups in the graph that could represent the cause of a problem such as an off-idle stumble allowing you to more easily address a problem that might otherwise take much longer to identify. Help menus also will aid you throughout the process. In addition to all these cool features, one very nice touch remains. Not only is the Sniper Special Forces software compliant with all Ford OBD-II vehicles gas and diesel but it is also capable of tuning two vehicles per purchase rather than one. Traditional tuners marry themselves to the first vehicle they are plugged into in order to prevent you and 17 or so friends from tuning multiple cars with one tuner. It s an understandable safeguard, but Sniper realizes that if you have one performance Ford, you probably have two. So you can use your Sniper tuning to reprogram not just your high-performance Mustang but also a Power Stroke tow vehicle, a daily-driver Fusion or even another Mustang. And if you have more than two Fords that need tuning, just give Sniper a call and it can sell you the ability to tune a third or fourth vehicle without purchasing any more hard parts you don t need. The design of the Sniper tuning software means that one Special Forces part number is all you need to tune any Ford gas or diesel made from 1996 to 2005 (and most 2006 models). Sniper also makes a full line of fuel-system components, including pumps, filters and regulators that can provide you with additional fuel in case your engine mods are more than your stock fuel system can handle. So, while the name Sniper may not be as old as some of those you may have come to respect, the individuals behind Sniper have a tremendous amount of specialized EFI tuning expertise. If you don t, let them put that knowledge to work for you. FB SOURCE Sniper Tuning Dept. FB 253 Central Park Dr. Sanford, FL / During our visit, Sniper was busy tuning this 05 Mustang. Fitted with an intercooled Procharger D-1SC blower producing 8 lbs of boost, the car proceeded to produce 417- wheel hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. That s a pretty respectable number, considering the mass of the huge 20-inch wheels, plus the fact that the stock bottom end prevented the tuning from getting too aggressive. 2. Many plug-and-play tuners can t make major adjustments to work with upgrades such as this Procharger supercharger. Sniper makes sure its tuning works on everything from stock to highly modified Fords. 3. The Sniper Special Forces package includes the tuning software, interface tool and necessary cables to connect the data logger to your car and PC. This unit will support tuning for two vehicles out of the box, and you can tune others by purchasing electronic tunes, rather than new hard parts, from Sniper. 60 FORD BUILDER

3 FB_0704_Sniper Engine Tune 3/30/07 5:21 PM Page After using the Sniper interface tool to read your car s tune, load the Sniper software into your computer and plug in the interface tool, and then load the tune onto the computer. 5. Simple pulldown menus such as the one you see here make it easy to tune your Ford just tell the computer about your modifications and let it make all the changes for you! 6. In addition to changing your engine tuning, the Sniper software can firm up the shift action of automatic-equipped cars. That in itself isn t unique, but how many other tuners enable you to tune each gear shift individually, by adding rpm or mph, and then let you select just how firm you want each shift to be? That s a tailored advantage. FORD BUILDER 61 6

4 FB_0704_Sniper Engine Tune 3/30/07 5:21 PM Page This screenshot indicates just how many parameters are tunable when using the Sniper software. You can control much more than your engine, including your electric fan and the oft-hated PATS anti-theft system. 8. If you decide to upgrade to the Delta Force software, you ll have more advanced tuning options presented in the form of items such as this spark detonation table. For those who have the knowledge to use the software properly, this is a powerful tuning tool. 9. Here s a glimpse at the Sniper Scope utility that allows you to capture and review dyno-pull information. The software displays the information in the form of easy-to-read, conventional analog gauges, but still records information important to the tuner, such as MAF voltage, injector-duty cycle and more. 10. Sniper s available wideband oxygen sensor provides additional useful information, as air/fuel ratio is among the most important aspects of an engine tune. Too lean and you ll melt your pistons; too rich and you ll foul plugs. The Sniper tool helps you get the tune right, faster. 11. Loading your new tune is as easy as saving it to your interface tool and plugging it back into the vehicle. 12. Got a diesel tow rig? Sniper can help you tune your truck, too. Look for more information on Sniper s diesel tuning in an upcoming issue of our sister publication DIESEL BUILDER. 62 FORD BUILDER

5 FB_0704_Sniper Engine Tune 3/30/07 5:21 PM Page 63 13A 13B A-B. Sniper s wideband air/fuel sensors plug into your cigarette lighter and into your oxygen-sensor harness. Here, Patrick Stajdel demonstrates the unit, which here is reading only atmospheric air. 14. In addition to its line of tuning software, Sniper also sells its own line of Bazooka MAF meters that are, of course, designed to work with Sniper s Special Forces software. 15. Sniper air filters are also available to fit on their MAF housings. They feature the Sniper logo molded into their end cap, and as with other designs, they re serviceable and reusable. FORD BUILDER 63