Emjay Engineering controller ?

[tractorface]

Anybody runnung the Emjay Engineering Strategy Controller. Looks like a great way to improve an auto transmission and has more features than others I have seen. Would like some feedback from those running it as I hate to be the test mule (I will if I have to) Have been doing a lot of transmission "Homework" getting ready for the Bombs to start!

Thanks

 

[GDouglas]

That looks like just the ticket for anyone that wants to change from a manual trans to a 47RE auto. With the controller you can get it to shift and run in accordance to personal preferences and requirements, including e-brake strategy.

 

[shaft]

Look like a very comprehensive solution to a lot of different issues... ... . I like it!



Edit: I went and downloaded a copy of the computer interface software. I have to say if this thing does everything its supposed to and does it right then I -will- own one... ..... By all means I want to hear from someone who has one... ... .



Emjay

 

[HVAC]

Emjay

Chris Sutton and I had a nice chat with Emjay after the Ram Runners meeting a couple months ago. I think it's a great product and I wish him the best.

 

[StakeMan]

That controller looks interesting. Someone has to be using or testing it?

 

[shaft]

My question exactly... ... . Would really like to hear from someone using it... ...

 

[emjay]

I'm running one!

Of course, I'm making them, too. You may consider my opinion to be biased, but also consider that I am my own worst critic, too.



There are two controllers that have been sent to one of the major aftermarket trans builders, I am awaiting their input. Please don't ask me who, because I don't want to get into a religious dicussion over whose transmission is the best.



The controller is designed to correct what in my mind are design flaws, and provide additional features as well. Feel free to call, PM me or post to this forum with any questions. The unit is not designed to control the 47RE outright, although the design is capable of doing so with some minor modifications. I've had a number of people ask me about that.



The main issues that drove me to create the STRATEGY controller are:



1. The incessant TCC lock/unlock at light throttle at low-moderate speed, especially with cruise control on.



2. The nearly instantaneous 2-3 shift following the 1-2 shift (part throttle).



3. Side effects of raised line pressure on a stock valve body, including 2nd gear starts, 1-2-1 shifing at parking lot speeds, loss of WOT 1-2 shift.



4. Pushing the OD button when I start out, then pushing it again at 50 MPH.



5. Having to turn off the exhaust brake while sitting in traffic.



The STRATEGY controller addresses all of the above issues, plus gives you three separate profiles to choose from with the on-off-on toggle switch. You can have a profile for stock, towing, racing, or whatever you want at the flick of the switch.



My greastest regret is that the @#$% people at D/C, Mototola, and Tyco have kept the tooling and connectors for the PCM proprietary, which means you have to splice the harness. I've tried to make this as simple as possible. The installation guide is available at: Emjay Engineering I would welcome any feedback via PM or phone if you're so inclined. The guide is large - 6. 5 MB, so if you're using dial-up, it may take while before it pops up in your browser.



Fortunately, the STRATEGY controller uses industry-standard Delphi-Packard Weather-Pack connectors. I keep no secrets, in fact, I'd like to see all of the manufacturers of aftermarket stuff to use an open pin connection standard for these connectors so you can plug in other stuff, too. That way, you'd splice your harness once, and be able to plug in (and remove) aftermarket products at will.

 

[GLASMITHS]

New transmission controller??

Not being a transmission specialist or electronic wizard handicaps most of us; however, I did learn to read early in life, and from the description of the features it does not add anything to what is already out on the market.



My understanding is that you are marketing this as a stand - alone product (correct me if I am wrong) with no v/b or t/c upgrades necessary to use an E-Brake. That is why some use the BD Pressure lock and DTT "slightly" raises stock pressure and also you have better cooler flow in lock-up. If it is just to lock-up while shifting that is fine. However I saw no disclaimers or suggestions for other upgrades prior to using the lock-up for braking.



I have thick skin, so flame on. I'm just trying to learn.

 

[shaft]

Cool Kinda nice to have the *man* with the plan right here with us lol



1st, good luck with your wish that everyone would "standardize" their connectors... ... .



2nd, your controller sounds damn good... ... . and while most folks are their own best/worse critic you will excuse me if I want to hear from the public in general about their experience with it



3rd, how many units roughly are "out" there now?



4th, how about a TDR "special price"? (I had to ask, hopefully its allowed) lol

 

[emjay]

There are currently four units "out there". The product is brand new. It is currently on sale until the end of the month -- check the web site. (I'm not sure if it's ok to talk prices in this forum. ) I have been using the shift curve technology in my truck for well over six months now.



The users guide does point out that use of a modified valve body is required for exhaust braking. That is available. PM me if you want a copy.



I believe this is the only product on the market that modifies shift point curves. In fact, we have a patent pending on the technology.



I also believe that it is the only product on the market that allows three independent profiles, or Strategies, so that you can have a completely separate set of characteristics at the flip of a switch. This feature is useful for tow vehicles, street/strip, etc.



I also believe that it is the only product on the market that combines all of the above features plus OD lockout in one unit.

 

[shaft]

Glassmith:



I think you have missinterpreted the purpose of the unit, the way I read it, it is a combination of features in one unit... ... I have seen -nothing- else that combines all these features into one unit. Instead you would have to buy several different items at nearly the same individual cost to have the features available in the Emjay unit..... each one with their own glom of wires to hookup and route and totaling in $$ of much more. I did not get the impression that it was an alternative to the normal physical upgrades we do but rather an all in one solution that allows us to control and adjust their functionality... ...

 

[emjay]

You are correct, Mr. Shaft.

The 47RE is basically the same old Chrysler 727 with ad O/D, TCC, and electronic governor installed. Unlike the GM 4L80E (for instance), line pressure cannot be controlled electronically. The unit is not meant to be a replacement for trans mods, quite the contrary. It provides a level of tunability that has been unattainable using mechanical means. It combines this adjustability and the standard features that you would find in other single-function controllers.

 

[GLASMITHS]

New Controller

Sounds like a lot of good features in that box!



Thanks for the posts and clarifications

 

[GLASMITHS]

Mr Shaft

I did not mis-interpt anything. I can see that there is a lot of features in this box. One which would be nice in mine; that is if EVERYTHING has to be automatic. But then that is why my ride has an auto.



Mike: You have a feature packed box here thanks again for posting

 

[chucksram]

Emjay,

I have a 98 12Valve. Will your controller work with this setup or is it mainly for the 24 valves?

Thanks

Chuck

 

[emjay]

Thank you, GLASMITHS.



chucksram:



As long as it has a 47RE transmission, it should work. We would of course work to resolve any problems that you might encounter, in any case. The wiring diagrams are taken from a 2000 model 24v. If the wire colors are different, you would need to verify the continuity to the PCM connector. I am working on wiring tables for all model years that have the 47RE.

 

[chucksram]

Thanks Mike. Another question, The software download available, is that used to program the controller or just an example to show different settings available?

Chuck

 

[emjay]

That is the actual software to program the controller. I will be releasing a new version soon that has longer scales (higher speeds) for the TCC & OD functions plus some other stuff. The controllers themselves do not need to change, so all you have to do is download the new software to take advantage of the new features. Shift curves and speed ranges generally do not require firmware change in the controller itself, as the application generates the curves and stores them in the controller.

 

[zman]

questions for emjay...

emjay-



Does the controller allow for downshifts with lockup? I like everything I see so far, but would like to get lockup after the OD-3 and 3-2 downshifts to help limit the freewheelling effect. If it does this, does the controller unlock the converter during the downshift and relock after? I have heard that the controllers that don't unlock during the downshift cause the downshift to be fairly harsh.



I'm wondering how this controller will work with my DTT modified valve body, given that stock pressures have been increased and that shift points have already been somewhat increased in the VB by way of the pressure and light throttle adjustments. I'd llike to see slightly higher shift points (around 250 rpm higher) at light to medium throttle, but I can't adjust the VB anymore than I have because it will make the transmission hunt between 2 and 3. The throttle valve cable is already adjusted within a notch of the max, so I already see fairly high shift points during heavier acceleration.



I'm also running a DTT voltage regulator to prevent 3rd gear starts. Will this have an impact on the use of this controller?



Thanks!



Steve

 

[emjay]

Long-Winded response (sorry)

The Strategy controller eliminates the need for the resistor and/or regulator, because it dynamically adjusts the voltage based on speed and/or throttle position.



Because of this dynamically controlled voltage, the Strategy allows tuning of shift curves, primarily part-throttle, which sounds like what you want. It can also mitigate the tendency of shifting immediately into 3rd afer the 1-2 shift at part throttle. The TPS/APPS voltage must be regulated pretty tightly at low (or zero) speed and closed throttle to avoid limp mode (Is that what you mean by 3rd gear starts?) This is accomplished using the speed table settings. The 2. 1 version of the software (not released yet) adds an additional starting voltage parameter to the speed table so you can set up a steeper curve from the initial point than the 2. 0 version. It requires no change to the controller itself.



The 47RE is hydraulically shifted except for OD (4th), so the controller cannot downshift to 2nd. It does have a feature that you can take advantage of, and that is when the exhaust brake is enabled, th OD button fuctions as a momentary TCC lockup and Exhaust brake engage. Your trans, TC, valve body MUST already be setup for TCC lockup in 2nd to use these features. It is not a replacement for a modified valve body. It enhances the modified transmission by adding adjustability and covenience features.



You can set the controller to unlock the TCC at any speed down to 15 MPH, but you would have to manually downshift the trans every time, which is not very usable. It is possible to pass a "fake" output shaft signal to the PCM, I am currently experimenting with that, but it adds more circuitry, and it is not clear that the value provided by that is worth the additional cost, which is significant. It really depends on customer response. In any case, it would be a separate part, because not everyone would want or need that.



The Lock Preserve mode is useful for stock trannies, as is the OD lockout. Lock preserve waits for the PCM to lock the TCC, and holds it locked until a user-defined low-speed threshold. If you use this feature on a stock transmission, you should also use the heavy throttle unlock feature, and set it conservatively. Using it in this manner is intended to cure the "dumb unlock" problem, which is unlocking of the TCC when the throttle is closed at any speed.



The OD lockout function simply electronically "presses" the OD button at user-selected speeds, i. e. disable OD below 42 MPH, and enable it at 50 MPH, Both low and high speed thresholds are adjustable to user preference.



The Controller can also change WOT shift points, although the PCM does some adaptation to "optimize" (whatever they mean by that) WOT shifts, which may or may not affect your adjustment. The reason that I cannot be more specific here is that I am unsure what the PCM considers "optimal". The best advice I can give is when adjusting WOT shift points, set it, then drive it for a while before adjusting it again, otherwise, you may be chasing a moving target. I have been able to get 2-3 shifts WOT as low as 2600 RPM, and as high as 3200 RPM (viewed on the tach). 1-2 WOT shifts are a little harder to nail down because the engine is accelerating rapidly, and the hydraulic response time of the shift can become a factor. This can be affected by temperature, valve body mods, etc. Also, the PCM may be "optimizing" the 1-2 WOT shift. I have had great success restoring a non-existant 1-2 WOT upshift due to raised line pressure using the Strategy controller.



What inspired me to create the Strategy product was trying to fix the side effects of raising line pressure on a stock valve body. I raised the line pressure using the adjusting screw by about 8-10 PSI to help with a slipping TCC after installing an Edge EZ. After I did that, it would not shift 1-2 WOT. I added a resistor, which corrected that problem, but then it would vacillate between 1st and 2nd at about 10 MPH in parking lots (rapidly shifting 1-2-1), and start out in 2nd sometimes. After some investigation, I discovered that this is caused by the PCM applying more pressure that it it "thinks" it is because the resistor lowers the pressure sensor excitation voltage. That means the PCM compensates by applying more governor pressure because the pressure reading is artificially low. This has the effect of lowering shift points.



So what I needed was a varying excitation voltage, based on speed and throttle position. I applied for a patent for this technology, and Emjay Engineering LLC was born. Based on suggestions from some folks, and my own needs, the features that are now part of the product were added. The features added little to the cost, as they are mostly firmware-based, which has no incremental cost. Only a few additional components were needed.



Sorry for the long post.