Calibrated Success

10/12/2026

What does your ideal training environment look like?

I've done classes with dozens of people, spoken at conferences to hundreds, and taught small groups in a quiet conference room. As the instructor, I'm happy to do any of those as long as people are interested in what we have to discuss.

BUT - technical training always seems to land better when we get closer to 1-on-1 instruction. Class size matters. When we can sit next to each other and share the screen, individual (but important) tasks are so much easier to convey and confirm that the student understands. I love seeing the light bulb go on over someone's head when they suddenly get that "A-ha!" moment. It's funny how one question often leads to another that someone else was just waiting to ask, or had not yet thought to ask.

Sometimes speaking up in a large room is intimidating. We don't want to look silly. We don't want to bother others with what may seem like a basic question. All of that goes away when we have a personal connection.

That's why my recent classes have been intentionally limited in size. Our GM Boot Camp last June barely filled a conference room on purpose. I made sure every attendee started the week with a list of their own personal questions and goals. We ticked off every one of those and more throughout the week. They got to pick my brain and benefit from my years of OEM engineering experience as I did my best to put that knowledge in simple terms that matched our current challenge.

We take the time in private training to solve problems both on the technical and business side. We make attendees more efficient tuning machines and their business grows immediately upon return if they apply the lessons. It's not all technical, sometimes it's networking and business acumen.

If you're serious about tuning Ford vehicles professionally, my next private class is coming up at the SEMA Garage Detroit this January. Reach out to me directly and I can get you on the list.

10/11/2026

Here we go again. More crazy ideas from Greg about somehow keeping catalysts alive in high power street driven vehicles.

To be fair, I wrote this back in 2023 and it's just now making it to mainstream media at Hot Rod Magazine The good news is the science has not changed during that time. This article walks through how a catalytic convertor really works and how OEMs adapt their control systems to avoid destroying them over a 150k mile warranty period even with 700+hp. We can learn a lot from their example in the performance industry.

Starting with great hardware like Global Emissions Systems Inc high flow cats can help, but it's still up to us to treat them nice if we want them to live.

Bring you flame suit to the comments.

Learn why catalytic converters fail on modified engines and how proper tuning, fueling, and heat control can keep high-horsepower builds emissions-friendly and reliable.

10/10/2026

How do you check your fuel?

We can get Ethanol content pretty easily with one of these shakers. Is anyone checking fuel octane or other properties prior to calibration work?

10/08/2026

The SEMA Show will be busy this year. In addition to the SEMA Emerging Trends & Technology Network - ETTN Lunch and Learn panel, I will also be speaking with my clients from Summit Racing Equipment at the Future Tech Studio on Tuesday morning at 10am. We'll be talking about the program where we delivered double the power and WAY LESS than half the emissions by applying best practices and some great equipment to an aging Chevrolet Monte Carlo. All claims are backed up by testing at the SEMA Garage here in Plymouth MI, using their 1066 compliant laboratory. Come join us to hear more details at this live event.

Session:

The Evolution of Crate Engines: Power, Efficiency, and the Future of Performance Session

Description:

Modern crate engines are doing more than delivering horsepower. They are helping reshape powertrain strategies for enthusiasts, builders, and manufacturers alike. This session explores how advances in engine design, combustion efficiency, controls integration, and emissions technologies are enabling turnkey powertrain solutions that achieve higher performance while meeting increasingly demanding environmental and regulatory requirements. Learn how the aftermarket is driving innovation in the next generation of engine platforms.

Date: Tuesday November 3, 2026 | 10:00 AM
Location: FutureTech Studio LIVE Stage, Central Hall, Booth #24401
Duration: 30 minutes

10/02/2026

The hits keep coming lately. Here's the recording from our recent SEMA Emerging Trends & Technology Network - ETTN virtual education session on alternate fuels.

Reach out if your project runs on something other than gasoline and we can help. 🌽 ⛽

Attendees will hear from Greg Banish, president and owner at Calibr...

10/01/2026

Mark your calendars, folks. If you're going to be at the The SEMA Show in November, you're going to want to join us for the SEMA Emerging Trends & Technology Network - ETTN lunch and learn on Thursday.

This year, we've gathered some of the heavyweight champions of charging, the big dogs of boosting, the premiers of PSI, the sultans of street boost - to join us on stage. A literal who's who of supercharging knowledge from Dustin Whipple of Whipple Superchargers, Geoff Raicer of Full-Race Motorsports, and Erik Radzins of ProCharger Superchargers.

We'll be talking about how these different boosting systems behave and some of the challenges they face in street driven applications. Look for a head to head discussion of how their systems deliver a different driving experience, some of the challenges they face in development, and of course "who's best?"

I'm pleased to serve as your referee for this bout. I want a clean fight. No biting, no kicking, no hair pulling, no eye gouging. Now let's get it on!

09/29/2026

Back by popular demand, we are in the early stages of setting up our next week long Boot Camp class. We'll be looking at Blue Oval calibrations this time with a fairly thorough trip through the evolution of those strategies from the 80's until present. See how some strategies have remained consistent over many years, while new layers of control were added along the way. We'll go in depth on both Mass Air and Speed Density systems, port and direct injection, drive by wire, and everything from three to 20+ base spark tables. Regrettably, MEST idle tuning will not be supported due to a lack of science.

Class dates will be January 4-8, 2027 at the SEMA Garage in Detroit.

While we have tons of content ready to go. This will also be a largely student-driven class where we'll focus on making sure questions from Day 1 get answered correctly along the way. Class size will be very limited just like our previous GM event. You bring your questions and laptop, we'll bring the jelly doughnut. Now exercise...

Email [email protected] directly to enlist.

09/28/2026

Thomas Jefferson: “We are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it.”

John F. Kennedy: “The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie—deliberate, contrived and dishonest—but the myth—persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.”

Martin Luther King Jr.: “Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”

We were patient long enough, but this show is officially over. Bad information waters down what we've worked so hard to build here. The more we tolerate the nonsense, the more it chips away at our credibility. So once again, we are happy to have technical discussions so long as they remain based on valid science.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

09/26/2026

We actually like when people reach out with smart questions. Working through the science to expose the correct answer is a rewarding process.

There are also sometimes people looking for confirmation on something that just doesn't work. These elicit answer more like:

"Yes please explain what happens to IMEPn when CA50 is earlier than 5deg ATDC"

If you ask to have a technical discussion, please come prepared to have a technical discussion. I would be happy to schedule this for a private ZOOM training session, but payment will be required in advance.

09/21/2026

Why doesn't David Freiburger talk about MEST here? OK, kidding aside, here's a non-college way to take a practical look at ignition timing. Let me know if you want the boring college answer somewhere.