Dyno tune or mail order tune?
05-09-2014, 08:33 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 27
Dyno tune or mail order tune?
I've got an '06 GT with comp ***** Thumprs, SLP long tubes, and an O/R x with cat back exhaust. I bought a FRPP intake manifold and Ford Racing twin 62mm throttle body a few months back. Since getting it dyno-tuned is going to run me $400-$500, I was going to wait until I bought a pro charger and get it all tuned at once. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the s/c is being put on hold for possibly a few years.
So I'm thinking about going ahead and putting on the intake and TB (since I already have them. The problem is getting it tuned. I've been thinking about getting a "mail order" tune for it instead of dragging it 2-3 hours to the dyno shop. The part that has me worried is that I've heard those ***** Thumprs are hard to tune, and I'm worried about something getting messed up with a mail order custom tune.
So are those mail order tunes (like BAMA for example) safe for now or should I put off installing the parts for a few months until I can get it dyno-tuned?
Also, as a side question: I'm currently at 325rwhp with the cams, CAI, LTs, and exhaust. I didn't purchase the intake and throttle body expecting them alone to increase my power, more to work with my existing and future upgrades so I can get the most power out of them. So what kind of power can I expect from those cams after I install the intake and TB? And what kind of head work should I get done (that's going to be my next upgrade)?
So I'm thinking about going ahead and putting on the intake and TB (since I already have them. The problem is getting it tuned. I've been thinking about getting a "mail order" tune for it instead of dragging it 2-3 hours to the dyno shop. The part that has me worried is that I've heard those ***** Thumprs are hard to tune, and I'm worried about something getting messed up with a mail order custom tune.
So are those mail order tunes (like BAMA for example) safe for now or should I put off installing the parts for a few months until I can get it dyno-tuned?
Also, as a side question: I'm currently at 325rwhp with the cams, CAI, LTs, and exhaust. I didn't purchase the intake and throttle body expecting them alone to increase my power, more to work with my existing and future upgrades so I can get the most power out of them. So what kind of power can I expect from those cams after I install the intake and TB? And what kind of head work should I get done (that's going to be my next upgrade)?
05-09-2014, 09:28 AM
#2
I've got an '06 GT with comp ***** Thumprs, SLP long tubes, and an O/R x with cat back exhaust. I bought a FRPP intake manifold and Ford Racing twin 62mm throttle body a few months back. Since getting it dyno-tuned is going to run me $400-$500, I was going to wait until I bought a pro charger and get it all tuned at once. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the s/c is being put on hold for possibly a few years.
So I'm thinking about going ahead and putting on the intake and TB (since I already have them. The problem is getting it tuned. I've been thinking about getting a "mail order" tune for it instead of dragging it 2-3 hours to the dyno shop. The part that has me worried is that I've heard those ***** Thumprs are hard to tune, and I'm worried about something getting messed up with a mail order custom tune.
So are those mail order tunes (like BAMA for example) safe for now or should I put off installing the parts for a few months until I can get it dyno-tuned?
Also, as a side question: I'm currently at 325rwhp with the cams, CAI, LTs, and exhaust. I didn't purchase the intake and throttle body expecting them alone to increase my power, more to work with my existing and future upgrades so I can get the most power out of them. So what kind of power can I expect from those cams after I install the intake and TB? And what kind of head work should I get done (that's going to be my next upgrade)?
So I'm thinking about going ahead and putting on the intake and TB (since I already have them. The problem is getting it tuned. I've been thinking about getting a "mail order" tune for it instead of dragging it 2-3 hours to the dyno shop. The part that has me worried is that I've heard those ***** Thumprs are hard to tune, and I'm worried about something getting messed up with a mail order custom tune.
So are those mail order tunes (like BAMA for example) safe for now or should I put off installing the parts for a few months until I can get it dyno-tuned?
Also, as a side question: I'm currently at 325rwhp with the cams, CAI, LTs, and exhaust. I didn't purchase the intake and throttle body expecting them alone to increase my power, more to work with my existing and future upgrades so I can get the most power out of them. So what kind of power can I expect from those cams after I install the intake and TB? And what kind of head work should I get done (that's going to be my next upgrade)?
This sounds like an awesome build coming along here! This is very close to what I had done to my 06 GT when I still had it. My car was an auto with a CAI, TB, intake manifold, cams, heads, long tubes and exhaust and all said and done it made 362rwhp on a dyno jet dyno. So I would imagine you should be close to about between 335 and 350 when finished.
As far as the tuning goes, plenty of Bama and other mail order tunes are safe to run with this set up. Bama tunes many 3Vs with cams and they have run cars with these cams on their own dyno and seen plenty of data logging to make sure these tunes are safe even with a set of cams. I would have no hesitations going with one of their tunes and can even say I had one my own car before dyno tuning it.
Dyno tuning will almost always get you more power, but a Bama tune will still deliver some good numbers and be safe to run until you get that dyno tune.
I hope this information helps, and if you have any questions, feel free to get back in touch with myself or our Bama team listed below my signature. Best of luck!
-Dan
05-09-2014, 10:55 AM
#3
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 27
Hey,
This sounds like an awesome build coming along here! This is very close to what I had done to my 06 GT when I still had it. My car was an auto with a CAI, TB, intake manifold, cams, heads, long tubes and exhaust and all said and done it made 362rwhp on a dyno jet dyno. So I would imagine you should be close to about between 335 and 350 when finished.
As far as the tuning goes, plenty of Bama and other mail order tunes are safe to run with this set up. Bama tunes many 3Vs with cams and they have run cars with these cams on their own dyno and seen plenty of data logging to make sure these tunes are safe even with a set of cams. I would have no hesitations going with one of their tunes and can even say I had one my own car before dyno tuning it.
Dyno tuning will almost always get you more power, but a Bama tune will still deliver some good numbers and be safe to run until you get that dyno tune.
I hope this information helps, and if you have any questions, feel free to get back in touch with myself or our Bama team listed below my signature. Best of luck!
-Dan
This sounds like an awesome build coming along here! This is very close to what I had done to my 06 GT when I still had it. My car was an auto with a CAI, TB, intake manifold, cams, heads, long tubes and exhaust and all said and done it made 362rwhp on a dyno jet dyno. So I would imagine you should be close to about between 335 and 350 when finished.
As far as the tuning goes, plenty of Bama and other mail order tunes are safe to run with this set up. Bama tunes many 3Vs with cams and they have run cars with these cams on their own dyno and seen plenty of data logging to make sure these tunes are safe even with a set of cams. I would have no hesitations going with one of their tunes and can even say I had one my own car before dyno tuning it.
Dyno tuning will almost always get you more power, but a Bama tune will still deliver some good numbers and be safe to run until you get that dyno tune.
I hope this information helps, and if you have any questions, feel free to get back in touch with myself or our Bama team listed below my signature. Best of luck!
-Dan
That's really what I'm looking for at the moment. I just want to be able to install the parts right now, and even though it wouldn't be as good as a dyno tune, at least have a good tune I can use until I can get a few more upgrades done. I'm still don't know If I'm going to upgrade my valvetrain (heads, springs, etc...) next or if I'm going to upgrade my fuel/ignition systems next. But I don't want to be spending $400-$500 on a dyno tune when I'm going to turn around and install another upgrade 2 months later and have to do it all over again. I'm perfectly happy having a "less powerful" tune if I'm going to be upgrading things and having to get it re-tuned every other month.
Don't get me wrong, I will get it dyno tuned once I'm done with all of the smaller upgrades, but I was just wondering if a mail order tune was a good option for those short periods between small upgrades. $150 every 1-2 months for a mail order tune seems better than $400-$500 every 1-2 months for a dyno tune, and I have neither the space nor the self control to have a bunch of shiny new parts in boxes in the corner because I'm waiting to get another part before I install them, just to make the dyno trip worth the money.
05-09-2014, 11:16 AM
#4
Honestly, that's a larger power increase than I was expecting (I thought it would be maybe a 5hp increase max). But like I said, I'm not adding these for "power" necessarily, but because they will help me squeeze a little more power out of future upgrades.
That's really what I'm looking for at the moment. I just want to be able to install the parts right now, and even though it wouldn't be as good as a dyno tune, at least have a good tune I can use until I can get a few more upgrades done. I'm still don't know If I'm going to upgrade my valvetrain (heads, springs, etc...) next or if I'm going to upgrade my fuel/ignition systems next. But I don't want to be spending $400-$500 on a dyno tune when I'm going to turn around and install another upgrade 2 months later and have to do it all over again. I'm perfectly happy having a "less powerful" tune if I'm going to be upgrading things and having to get it re-tuned every other month.
Don't get me wrong, I will get it dyno tuned once I'm done with all of the smaller upgrades, but I was just wondering if a mail order tune was a good option for those short periods between small upgrades. $150 every 1-2 months for a mail order tune seems better than $400-$500 every 1-2 months for a dyno tune, and I have neither the space nor the self control to have a bunch of shiny new parts in boxes in the corner because I'm waiting to get another part before I install them, just to make the dyno trip worth the money.
That's really what I'm looking for at the moment. I just want to be able to install the parts right now, and even though it wouldn't be as good as a dyno tune, at least have a good tune I can use until I can get a few more upgrades done. I'm still don't know If I'm going to upgrade my valvetrain (heads, springs, etc...) next or if I'm going to upgrade my fuel/ignition systems next. But I don't want to be spending $400-$500 on a dyno tune when I'm going to turn around and install another upgrade 2 months later and have to do it all over again. I'm perfectly happy having a "less powerful" tune if I'm going to be upgrading things and having to get it re-tuned every other month.
Don't get me wrong, I will get it dyno tuned once I'm done with all of the smaller upgrades, but I was just wondering if a mail order tune was a good option for those short periods between small upgrades. $150 every 1-2 months for a mail order tune seems better than $400-$500 every 1-2 months for a dyno tune, and I have neither the space nor the self control to have a bunch of shiny new parts in boxes in the corner because I'm waiting to get another part before I install them, just to make the dyno trip worth the money.
Honestly what many people do in your situation is go with the Bama tunes because they offer free tunes for life. If you already got the tuner from us the tunes won't cost you a penny extra. Even if you got it somewhere else, Bama only charges a one time charge of $150 and you can get as many updates as you want. Then when you get to the point of wanting dyno tune you can easily switch over. Either way you have your head in the right place.
I hope this helps!
-Dan
05-09-2014, 01:17 PM
#6
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 27
Well I've still got a lot to research when it comes to the valvetrain. If I go FI (I probably will in the end), I plan on installing the supercharger, stage 3 blower cam, and water injection at the same time in the end. I've still yet to figure out if I should upgrade the stock heads or buy new ones. There's so much to consider like what would going with larger valves do for N/A and FI, how much lift, spring size, etc... There is so much to take into consideration, and I don't know much about it, if anything. Regardless if I go N/A or FI, I will be replacing the springs. But if I go with new heads, I don't want to buy springs for my stock heads and vice-versa. I just don't know where to start with research....
05-19-2014, 06:34 AM
#7
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Acworth, GA
Posts: 12,260
05-21-2014, 05:21 PM
#8
5th Gear Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 2,388
...redfire6 would know about that!!!
Regarding tuning, dyno tune doesn't necessarily mean you'll get the best tune for your setup! I prefer to use reputable experienced remote/email tuners because of their success with these cars. Some joe at a local speed shop may not have the experience to properly tune your set up. In the end, yes it is good to get some tuning done on dyno, and then some for drivability for when driving on the street and not running WOT.
Generally, please do your research before spending money. Find a good tuner you can stick with throughout your mods (American Muscle is a good choice as Dan has noted).
Regarding tuning, dyno tune doesn't necessarily mean you'll get the best tune for your setup! I prefer to use reputable experienced remote/email tuners because of their success with these cars. Some joe at a local speed shop may not have the experience to properly tune your set up. In the end, yes it is good to get some tuning done on dyno, and then some for drivability for when driving on the street and not running WOT.
Generally, please do your research before spending money. Find a good tuner you can stick with throughout your mods (American Muscle is a good choice as Dan has noted).
05-27-2014, 01:18 PM
#9
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 27
...redfire6 would know about that!!!
Regarding tuning, dyno tune doesn't necessarily mean you'll get the best tune for your setup! I prefer to use reputable experienced remote/email tuners because of their success with these cars. Some joe at a local speed shop may not have the experience to properly tune your set up. In the end, yes it is good to get some tuning done on dyno, and then some for drivability for when driving on the street and not running WOT.
Generally, please do your research before spending money. Find a good tuner you can stick with throughout your mods (American Muscle is a good choice as Dan has noted).
Regarding tuning, dyno tune doesn't necessarily mean you'll get the best tune for your setup! I prefer to use reputable experienced remote/email tuners because of their success with these cars. Some joe at a local speed shop may not have the experience to properly tune your set up. In the end, yes it is good to get some tuning done on dyno, and then some for drivability for when driving on the street and not running WOT.
Generally, please do your research before spending money. Find a good tuner you can stick with throughout your mods (American Muscle is a good choice as Dan has noted).
05-28-2014, 10:04 AM
#10
I'll attest that BAMA works with you as fast as they can. I had an issue with a somehow corrupted file (it happens, noone's to blame) causing a really rough idle and no power... Called BAMA and had a working tune in under an hour... Now we're trying to fine tune it with data logs and the like. Ryan's great!