To install the RoadRunner, the factory PCM must be removed. Before removing the factory PCM, it is important to read the tune out of it first. This tune will be used as the starting point for the new RoadRunner. If you are building a custom tune, or do not have a factory PCM to replace, you can get base tunes from the Internet. A few places to look on the Internet include www.moates.net or www.efilive.com. Both sites have message forums full of fellow users, and archives of factory tunes. The forums are an excellent place to chat with other users, learn about updates, and search for information.
The RoadRunner is a direct bolt-in replacement for the factory PCM. It can be used as a permanent stand-alone PCM or only as a tuning tool to be replaced with the original factory PCM updated with the tune made using the RoadRunner. To communicate with the unit, the USB cable or BlueTooth cable must be connected to the RoadRunner and routed to the desired laptop connection point. For tune-and-replace use, the connection cable can be carefully snaked out under the back of the hood cowl and through a window into the cab. For permanent installation, the connection cable can be routed through the firewall into the cab. The included USB cable is plenty long enough to route into the car and provide enough slack to comfortably connect to a laptop computer. The BlueTooth transmitter also includes a long enough cable to reach inside the car. It may be tempting to leave the transmitter under the hood, but for the most stable connection, routing it through the firewall is the best choice.
To get though the firewall, a .5-inch hole (big enough for the plug end) must be found, or drilled if desired. On Fourth Gen F-bodies, the main factory harness located under the PCM routes through a large hole in the firewall with an integrated weather seal and grommet. This is the best route into the car for the RoadRunner cable since it is already protected and sealed. Once inside the cab, the cable can be routed and stored where desired. The trick (and cleanest) location for the USB cable is in the center console or glove box. The BlueTooth transmitter will serve best secured under the dash and without the trouble of routing into the boxes.
After installing the hardware, the software installation ritual must be completed. The install is a multi-step process of downloading and installing four software patches and drivers. If you are starting fresh, you'll need to install the EFI Live software and licensing and then install the RoadRunner gear. The instructions for software install are flawlessly detailed including screen shots of literally every step. Knuckle-draggers and mouth-breathers will have no problem installing the software, assuming they can read and follow instructions.
Our first impression of the RoadRunner was one that made us never want to live without it. The real-time tuner was put to test on a big cammed SLP 402 engine. The massive change in MAP (manifold absolute pressure) behavior and commanded fuel needs associated with a big cube and big cam engine make it one of the most challenging to tune and to tune properly. Idle behavior is arguably the most challenging aspect of an engine tune to dial in correctly.
The low speed nature of idling makes it less forgiving than high-speed operation. Nothing is worse than rolling up to a busy stoplight and having the engine speed uncontrollably race away while those around you give you that look, like "Yeah, I'm really impressed...jackass!" Besides looking like a fool at stop lights, poor idle tuning also results in any number of problems including stumbling, hunting, or stalling. Engine idle is controlled by several tune parameters and tables. Using the real-time RoadRunner, we were able to tweak the parameters up and down with simply key-strokes, all the while monitoring engine behavior. This quick and intuitive approach made idle tuning fairly easy and extremely fast.
Changes were made in real-time by factors of 2 percent. With the engine reacting to our changes instantaneously, it was easy to surmise what and how much adjustment was needed to nail down the idle. Besides the static idle, we also sharpened the off-idle throttle response and return to idle decay. Reaching a stable idle immediately after a throttle transience is especially elusive and most reflective of the tune's accuracy.
Idle tuning was just the beginning with RoadRunner. After getting our feet wet, we started dialing in the tedious sections of the tune mapping we normally dread, like VE (volumetric efficiency) tables. Granted, the SLP engine dyno setup clearly helped with the tune as well, as throttle and load was very controllable. However, we're confident the same work could have been completed just as well in the car with the help of a friend or driver.
The speed and dexterity gained from the real-time access was simply phenomenal. Since changes (and their effects) were made in real-time, there was not much need for lengthy and extensive data-logging or complex analysis. Within a couple hours, we successfully mapped the whole engine with factory precision. We also spent some time testing the effects of various obscure sections of the factory tune. The process helped clarify what is and what is not affecting the engine at any particular operating point.
Throughout the entire tuning process, the RoadRunner performed without hiccup, just as a factory PCM would. The real-time RoadRunner coupled with EFI Live truly gives the feel of an aftermarket control system, but retains the advanced control sophistication of the factory PCM structure and algorithms. Go ahead, have Craig Moates' cake and eat it too!
By using the engine dyno to measure instantaneous torque production, we were able to adjust spark advance to precisely the best setting. To safely accomplish this, the spark was set low and slowing increased by one-degree increments until torque peaked and leveled off. We tuned to the leading edge of the peak advance setting. | 
We used the MAF (mass airflow) table as a quick method to test various air-fuel-ratios. The MAF table should ultimately be tuned accurately for the selected MAF sensor and its output relative to the engine, but serves as a quick test point to see how various AFRs affect power production. | 
Using the real-time RoadRunner, we tested and recorded the affect of AFR on torque production. The chart shows torque peaking as expected between 12.8 and 13.3 AFR. The target AFR was set for 12.8, as being on the rich side of the peak, which will help cool the engine and keep it safe. As shown, torque drops off quick as the engine leans out. At WOT, anything over 13.3 should be avoided. At part throttle or low load, an AFR of 14.7 (stoichiometric for gasoline) is desired. |
Before the widespread availability and cost drop of wideband O2 sensors, EGT (exhaust gas temperature) used to be the tuner's best friend. EGT readings can still be used effectively to tune an engine, as long as their readings are understood. EGT sensors are cost effective, last longer than wideband sensors, and can be installed close to the exhaust port. Adding cylinder-specific EGT probes to each header primary allows a tuner to watch for catastrophes, such as broken valvesprings or dead injectors. We've saved several engines from meltdown by monitoring EGTs. | 
The correlation between EGT and AFR is linear in the range relevant to engine tuning. Using the RoadRunner, we were able to quickly (and safely) vary AFR using the MAF table. The resultant relationship between average EGT and AFR is shown, along with formulas based on our trend line for calculating each. By understanding how EGT and AFR are related, we were able to indirectly measure the AFR of each individual cylinder. | |