Tuned Trucks + Spark Knock w/ 93 Octane?

[Racket]

Just got another revision back from Ken. He said that there was no knock registered, so I am just going to let it ride. I had a freak out moment, because I don't know of anything else that could sound like that classic spark knock sound.. maybe something is loose somewhere. I don't know. If there was any knock, it would register on his end from that datalog.

I worried the crap out of Torrie at Unleashed fine tuning mine and nit picked everything.

After five or six revisions - some in part to equipment changes - it took a few hundred miles for the truck to settle in with the latest tune, especially since I mixed up fuel a lot on purpose. I specified a mid-grade tune (89 octane to 91) and Torrie tailored it for minimum 89 and up. I keep a bottle of octane booster in the truck in case I find myself unable to get mid-grade, and the SCT BDX as well in case I need to revert to Ford's factory tune.

Fuel has been everything from 10% ethanol 89 or 93 with a frequent top off of Sunoco 94 octane E30 - usually a savings. Average mileage hasn't varied too much after resetting and hand calculation not quite a 2 MPG highway difference in gas options but some mods may be contributing to that - certainly since I've focused on this there have been variables weather and seasonal fuel formulation.

I'm not factoring in towing.

My only suggestion is to be absolutely sure there is no air leaks in your induction.

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[crocodiledaddee]

I worried the crap out of Torrie at Unleashed fine tuning mine and nit picked everything.

After five or six revisions - some in part to equipment changes - it took a few hundred miles for the truck to settle in with the latest tune, especially since I mixed up fuel a lot on purpose. I specified a mid-grade tune (89 octane to 91) and Torrie tailored it for minimum 89 and up. I keep a bottle of octane booster in the truck in case I find myself unable to get mid-grade, and the SCT BDX as well in case I need to revert to Ford's factory tune.

Fuel has been everything from 10% ethanol 89 or 93 with a frequent top off of Sunoco 94 octane E30 - usually a savings. Average mileage hasn't varied too much after resetting and hand calculation not quite a 2 MPG highway difference in gas options but some mods may be contributing to that - certainly since I've focused on this there have been variables weather and seasonal fuel formulation.

I'm not factoring in towing.

My only suggestion is to be absolutely sure there is no air leaks in your induction.

Ken will tell you, I do the exact same for him. I’m always emailing and asking questions lol. I am on my v5 currently, and it seems to have mitigated the noise a bit. I sent him one more good log in which it was “knocking”for the entirety of the top end of the pull at partial throttle. Loaded V5 and going to send him more datalogging this afternoon. I’ve done everything else I can do and he is doing all he can as well. If nothing else resolves it, it’s going back to stock tune and headed in, because there’s something loose lol

 

[JTDay]

Do you have a video of this noise? Maybe it's something in the transmission? Can our mechanical fans contact anything? Maybe it's the fan hitting something.

 

[crocodiledaddee]

Do you have a video of this noise? Maybe it's something in the transmission? Can our mechanical fans contact anything? Maybe it's the fan hitting something.

It’s too intermittent to be the fan and it’s only under load. I just don’t know if anything else that sounds like spark knock.
I’m telling you.. it is LITERALLY this exact sound but more intermittent and only @ partial throttle (45% in catalog) in boost around 12-16lbs.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

• Loaded my 5Star 93 Performance Tune (not as bad of a knock but can't stand the shift points)

I noticed the shift points were rather harsh when I first flashed to the 5Star 93 Perf file. I requested they send me alternate tuning files with less aggressive shift points but wasn't happy with them and went back to the original 93 perf tune file. Later I reset the transmission shift tables with Forscan and drove it calmly for a few days. Doing that made a night and day difference with how the transmission behaved. Shifts are butter smooth and no more lurching into 2nd when under light throttle and firm when under light to heavy boost. Perhaps you can give that a try and see if it makes any difference.

 

[Rp930]

I’m sorry. I would just not be happy with detonation and “working on the tune”. Sounds like a combination for disaster. Reminds me of the “I think I threw a rod” thread.

 

[crocodiledaddee]

I’m sorry. I would just not be happy with detonation and “working on the tune”. Sounds like a combination for disaster. Reminds me of the “I think I threw a rod” thread.

I'm definitely keeping that thread in the back of my mind. I read ALOT of both parts.

I’m more weary of the OTS tune that doesn’t allow for knock datalogging in HPTuners, as opposed to OZ customized channels that allow for a lot more data in the logs, and availability/responsiveness of the tuner, no revision restrictions, etc. Also, quite simply, I can't get 5Star on the phone or email or anything. They seemingly don't exist after shipping your product & OTS tunes, and datalogging doesn't seem to matter to them. I don't know. Torrie, Ken, etc all seem to be very responsive and willing to help smooth out any variances they see.

I get OTS tunes are more conservative as a result of safety, but what works for one doesn’t necessarily work for all. I learned that w/ Cobb OTS tunes and WRXs many years ago.

 

[crocodiledaddee]

I noticed the shift points were rather harsh when I first flashed to the 5Star 93 Perf file. I requested they send me alternate tuning files with less aggressive shift points but wasn't happy with them and went back to the original 93 perf tune file. Later I reset the transmission shift tables with Forscan and drove it calmly for a few days. Doing that made a night and day difference with how the transmission behaved. Shifts are butter smooth and no more lurching into 2nd when under light throttle and firm when under light to heavy boost. Perhaps you can give that a try and see if it makes any difference.

I feel like a lot of the shifting issues stem from full throttle shifts when people get anxious after the tune install, as well. I typically give it 15 miles of variance before laying into it, and that seems to help the shift points a bit.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

I feel like a lot of the shifting issues stem from full throttle shifts when people get anxious after the tune install, as well. I typically give it 15 miles of variance before laying into it, and that seems to help the shift points a bit.

The 10R80 does behave much better when it's at operating temp that's for sure. Oh another thing you can do is have the trans fluid level checked. It's well documented that Ford underfilled many of them at the factory by as much as 2 qts. Mine was 1.5qt's low when I had it checked at the 5K mile mark and the dealer topped it off. It did make a huge difference in cold shifting as well as eliminate the low speed torque converter shudder.

 

[crocodiledaddee]

The 10R80 does behave much better when it's at operating temp that's for sure. Oh another thing you can do is have the trans fluid level checked. It's well documented that Ford underfilled many of them at the factory by as much as 2 qts. Mine was 1.5qt's low when I had it checked at the 5K mile mark and the dealer topped it off. It did make a huge difference in cold shifting as well as eliminate the low speed torque converter shudder.

lol! I literally just read your post saying this in the bucking thread, and will make sure to have them check it next time. Mine shifts smooth as butter on the Oz Tune, though.

 

[JTDay]

Yeah mine sounds exactly like that video above on stock tune. I only run 93 octane. Only happens at partial throttle as well. Consistently in 7th gear, most often in the higher gears if it happens. I'm not loading the motor up or lugging at all. I'm honestly not worried about it since I'm under warranty and Ford doesn't care since it hasn't actually broken yet. If your blows up, at least you can have some company like sp63 build your engine for cheaper than a new engine from Ford.

 

[BassRanger]

The sound of detonation is the most butt clenching racket ever. I took my car to get dyno tuned because it was pinging on tip-in and WOT and the tuner did 3 full WOT pulls with my engine rattling like a baby toy. I was in the waiting room about to have a heart attack. That engine is no longer with us. RIP(which ironically was the name of this tuner). That whole ordeal is what got me into tuning my own car.

 

[awd.nv]

Man, sorry to see you chasing this problem. It is weird there is nothing in the logs but you hear something. Also, that you do not see this at stock. Air leak in the exhaust side can make various weird noises. Maybe see if you see carbon anywhere on the pipes?

 

[jeremymessick1990]

I'm definitely keeping that thread in the back of my mind. I read ALOT of both parts.

I’m more weary of the OTS tune that doesn’t allow for knock datalogging in HPTuners, as opposed to OZ customized channels that allow for a lot more data in the logs, and availability/responsiveness of the tuner, no revision restrictions, etc. Also, quite simply, I can't get 5Star on the phone or email or anything. They seemingly don't exist after shipping your product & OTS tunes, and datalogging doesn't seem to matter to them. I don't know. Torrie, Ken, etc all seem to be very responsive and willing to help smooth out any variances they see.

I get OTS tunes are more conservative as a result of safety, but what works for one doesn’t necessarily work for all. I learned that w/ Cobb OTS tunes and WRXs many years ago.

Hey man did you ever figure out the issue because I feel like I have the exact same issue right now

 

[crocodiledaddee]

Hey man did you ever figure out the issue because I feel like I have the exact same issue right now

Interesting. What tune are you on? I sent for a timing revision and it is mostly mitigated. Like 95% mitigated but with a slight loss of total power. Still much quicker than stock.

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