Super Glide

Post up you tuning tidbits on the Baumannator

StruckBy

well I guess I'll get this started...........

There are a few things you need/should have when you get a Baumannator.

USB to serial adaptor
USB cable
Transmission Line pressure gauge
Transmission Temp gauge(recommended)

you will need a laptop or home computer with a 9 pin serial connector OR if your computer only has USB ports you can get a USB to 9-pin serial adaptor. I bought mine from www.tigerdirect.com

And of course you will need a USB cable. Since my Baumannator is in the pass kick panel I found a 15 ft to be best.

you should also have a transmission line pressure gauge or any fluid gauge that has a range of 0-~250 psi. I have one from Stewart and its nothing fancy that has a range of 0-300 psi. The pressures I have seen are from 70-225 psi. Sometimes the trans line pressure gauges are a little hard to find. I fould mine on Ebay for about $25 to the door.

It is recommended that the gauge NOT be left installed at all times. The best way to do it would be to have a disconnect of some sort(like an air hose coupler) down at the trans. This way if you need to tune or suspect something you can quickly connect the gauge.

For the temp gauge I would recommend the electric version. It will be easier to install. The Bauman comes with some thing called a "systems monitor" that you can view
1. gear selected
2. trans temp
3. TPS voltage

Although you can read the oil temp voltage via the Baumann its always nice to have the gauge for a backup.

Anything else you add to your trans will just help it perform better and love longer. These are the common things people add that are a good idea

1. shift kit/valve body (the Baumann and Factory Tech seem to be popular)
2. deep trans pan
3. aftermarket converter(matched to your combo)
4. synthetic fluid
5. converter lock up override switch


well thats all I can think of for now.

EE

StruckBy

is anyone else currently using a Baumannator?

Is this thing on?

94SVT437

No one else is picking up on it I will Ed,

Steve are you think of M/A now?

Justin

94BOLT

I will be posting here as soon as they send mine!

StruckBy

cool Justin and Matt..........

Maybe theres not a whole lot of people running them right now??

StruckBy

well here is a little Baumannator thing I am working on this week............

Although they ask you to install a trans line pressure gauge for tuning they don't recommend leaving it installed permanently. I guess you could just hook it up for testing and then remove it. But I thought it would be nice to have in case a problem like the trans banging into gear etc... comes up.

So I took a piece of -4 braided line and put a 1/8 pipe thread on one end and a female fitting on the other with a pipe plug in it. I then put a 90* fitting on the trans and ran the 1 foot piece of braided line where I could get to it and put the end of the line pressure gauge close by. now I can connect/disconnect with relative ease.
Not really a tuning thing but part of the tuning tools I guess you could say...

EE

94SVT437

Ed, I wonder why they say not to leave it on there. I wonder if they are just saying that because they dont want you to fell you need to go spend the money on a gauage for in the vehical. I would call them and see what they say.

Also Ed where did you mount the trans temp gauage? I have one and have to mount it still and was told to do so in the pan.

Justin

StruckBy

I already had that conversation with them Justin. I think what they are referng to is if some one was to use a -4 line from the gauge into the truck. If so they say that all that extra distance for the fluid to travel would possible affect the performance of the trans(prob not noticeable). That and something inside a mechanical gauge would act as a buffer I think he called it
In my case I am only running 1/8" copper tubing so I don't notice anything.
My trans temp gauge is installed in one of the steel lines on the pass side of the truck. It seems to be accurate b/c when I turn on the systems monitor in the Bauman the readings match.I had to use one of those "manifold" things and I had to use a gauge with a 12' tube. If I had it all to do over again I would have used an electrical.

EE

StruckBy

here is an interesting little piece of info............

the Baumannator has a wire on the harness that if a ground is applied to it(like by flipping a toggle switch) you can switch over to a second program that you have written. So for example one program for fuel economy for the trip to the track and the other program for the drag strip.

94SVT437

Thats cool Ed, I never new that. Its almost like having a Tweecer for the trans then.

As far as the temp gauage, I have the Electric one. I am thinking I have to go in the pan, Which makes me think I am reading cooled fluild then. not the trans temp. Am I wrong thinking that. or should I be fine.

Baumannator, how does that work. Is it its own computer or does it piggy back off the stock and get info from the M/A computer?
Justin

StruckBy

sorry it took me so long to reply Justin.
The Baumannator is a little ox about 1/2 the size of the stock ECM and a little thicker. There are about 25 wires on it, a 9-pin serial port, and a multi-colored LED. You will only end up using about 11 of the wires on the unit and they "tap-in" or "piggyback" the wires on the stock ECM.
The multi-colored LED is very cool!! It will tell you what gear you are in as the trans up shifts/downshifts etc. So depending on how/where you mount it you can visually see what gear you are in.
The only thing I have not tried is using the systems monitor while driving. I am not sure if it is "real time". I have used it sitting still and it works great!!

If reference to your question on the trans gauge. The only thing I can say is that the directions that came with my "manifold" for the gauge told me to put it in the line. You may want to ask around and see if in the pan is acceptable too...
EE

94BOLT

Well I recieved my tcs last night. I went ahead and mounted it in the glove box and looked at the software. It appears "so easy a caveman could it!" I will keep you guys posted and hopefully get some pics by the weekend.

Matt

StruckBy

ha ha .....
watch out Matt you know the cavemen are still out there

94SVT437

Yeah Matt you better put it on speaker phone so we can all hear it.

Justin

Thanks Ed for the insite.