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carefully "tips the scales to make the engine achieve what the customer is after," he says. From a technical standpoint, electronic engine tuning slightly alters injection timing, pressure or a combination of the two, Nikolic says. To determine how much to change timing and pressure and what parameters to alter in the ECM, Nikolic says the company quizzes owner-operators about driving habits, loads, terrains and desired effects. It then must obtain the engine's base tune – the manufacturer's settings – by hacking into the ECM with a worm, a virus-like program used to gather information. Delta Force then alters the data, flashes the ECM and uploads the new file, unless it's using an inline device, in which case hardware and a wire harness are installed. Shawn Udy, project manager at BullyDog, says his company offers three basic electronic tunes – fuel economy, fuel economy with power, and a return to stock, which changes altered ECM parameters back to original settings. The basic fuel economy tune can increase fuel mileage by 6 percent to 12 percent, he says, and the loss of horsepower "is a wash." The fuel economy with power tune, however, increases fuel economy 6 percent to 12 percent and horsepower and torque each about 15 percent, Udy says. A tune at Bully Dog runs about $3,000. Udy says the changes don't leave a footprint that manufacturers can see and they don't interfere with diagnostic tools. Small-fleet owner and driver Wes Malmgren of Malmgren Transport in Aurora, Utah, says in 2009 he installed Bully Dog's Power Pup onto a 2006 Caterpillar and immediately saw an increase in horsepower and fuel mileage. "We jumped about 1.2 miles per gallon, and when running a hill, you're basically a full gear higher going up it now," he says. He's since installed the devices onto four other trucks. "Anybody can do it as long as they have a computer," he says. "You just plug it in, bolt it on the ECM and that was that." Malmgren also says he's been able to have warranty work done to the engines after he installed the Power Pup. "I've been into shops and no one could tell the difference," he says. "The warranty work was still done. I didn't tell them, and I wasn't going to unless they asked." Repair and maintenance hasn't been an issue yet, either, for the five trucks they've tuned. "Compared to the other 28 [trucks], we actually haven't noticed a difference," he says. McKenna says that though dealerships or Mack- authorized mechanics may not be able to notice electronic tunes, they do void warranties when spotted, and steps have been taken on 2007 and newer Mack engines to decrease tampering. If parameters within the ECM change, a fault code will flash and issues are time- and Toying with tuning? Proceed with caution BY JOHN BAXTER Re-flashing your ECM or remotely advancing injection timing and the quantity of fuel that goes in for each power stroke could certainly give an underpowered, fuel-thirsty truck a boot in the rear. It's also bound to send NOx emissions through the roof and, along with them, peak cylinder pressures and the amount of heat your cooling system and engine oil will have to remove from cylinder liners, pistons and other parts. A drastic increase in power is likely to significantly equipment editor. John Baxter is 's increase oil soot, caused by the greatly increased ratio of fuel and air going into the cylinders. It could also over-speed the turbo and cause erosion of the turbine blades on the exhaust side. Increasing the torque sent through the drivetrain can cause serious trouble, too. Transmission, driveshaft and rear axle manufacturers design their products to precisely match the level of torque they are specified for. Here are a few pointers to minimize impact of engine alterations if you decide to do so: USE AN EXHAUST PYROMETER. If your dash doesn't already include an exhaust pyrometer, install one. Then, consult an engine shop as to the maximum exhaust temperature that is considered satisfactory. When exhaust exceeds this temperature, back off on the throttle. ANALYZE OIL AND LUBES. This way, you'll know whether or not the soot levels in your oil are building to maximum tolerable levels and if your oil is breaking down from the extra heat. Keep a close eye on oil and coolant temperatures, too, and reduce power if they exceed normal operating recommendations. Watch transmission and axle oil temperatures, too. Pay close attention to the gearbox gauge because there is more friction and heat there. If the manufacturer's recommended operating temperature is exceeded, reduce power until it drops to a satisfactory level. Also, use only synthetic lubes because they handle heat much better. AVOID HEAVY THROTTLE. The most critical time for torque damage to drivetrain components is when running in lower gears. Mimic the operation of multi-torque systems by avoiding heavy throttle until you're in high range and, preferably, until you are operating in the top two gears in the transmission. date-stamped. Detroit voids warranties, too, when an ECM has been tampered with, says Mark Thomas, director of electrical and electronic engineering. "It could hurt the mechanics of the engine and it's going to cut down on the life of 30 OVERDRIVE APRIL 2012 Extra muscle Ov er driv e