05CTSV

iTrader: (16)

Just an FYI for anyone in Ohio that needs their car tuned. Brian Turner at Dyno Tune Motorsports is a great guy and an wizard with HP Tuners. Read my dyno experiences below.

I live in the Akron/Canton area and had previously went to Smokey's Dyno to get my 05 CTS-V tuned up after I put in the cam. For nearly the entire month of September I was back and forth to Smokey's, at one point they even kept the car for almost 2 weeks and they could not get the car to idle properly and the driveability was not very good at all. The car would sometimes stall out after start up, it would hunt for idle at stop lights, and had some issues with bucking in lower rpm's. After all the back and forth I got fed up with Smokey's and asked for my money back. I also asked that they return the car to my stock tune, and they did. I will give them a tip of the hat in the customer service area since they did refund me my money. However, if you are looking to have your car tuned there...you might want to rethink it..and here is why.

Yesterday I made a 2 1/2 hour drive to Columbus to have Brian take a look at the car. I had read some very positive reviews about Brian's shop on here and he was close enough to drive to without any overnight stays. Brian came out to the car in the parking lot with his laptop and HP Tuners, and within all of a minutes work had the car started and idling perfectly. No hunting for idle like before. He then spent about three more hours with the car up on the dyno. He adjusted speed density first, then MAF, then both. He was very methodical in his process and it was very apparent he knew what he was doing. Once he was happy with everything it came down off the dyno and we went for the true test drive. To my amazement all of the issue that I had previously with the Smokey's tune were gone. The car did not want to stall at lights, it idled perfectly, and it's street manners were that of a stock cts-v. His tune is miles above the tune I had from Smokey's in every aspect. Here are the numbers and the facts.

Smokey's Tune: Air fuel was set at 13.8-13.9, 386HP 347TQ - Drove somewhat ok and the idle was terrible. My best AVG MPG on this tune was 17.8.

Dyno Tune Motorsports: Air fuel was set at 12.85, 399.9HP 367.3TQ. - Drives amazing and idles perfectly. My best AVG MPG on this tune is 23.8.

So if you are in Ohio and have an LS based car (or anything really), go see Brian Turner at Dyno Tune Motorsports, you won't be disappointed. I give him an A+. Sorry Smokey's you get an F.

philistine

iTrader: (2)

Glad you got it all worked out in the end. Too bad you don't have specific details with what was done to your idle issues.

05CTSV

iTrader: (16)

I would have loved to compare notes. Smokey's wouldn't show me the tune, even before I asked for my money back. They were very closed door about what they did, they would just say, we made a few tweaks.

Brian on the other hand doesn't hold any secrets. He showed me how he modified the VE table, showed me how it stacked up to stock, and how he smoothed out the idle. It just looked like a spread sheet of numbers to me. I don't have a clue as to what any of it means, but at least he shared and was informative.

I think the key here was just getting a tuner with more knowledge perhaps. I am very happy with Brian's tune and how it worked out. He's earned my business and it's the only place I'll go from here on out.

philistine

iTrader: (2)

That sounds like a good tuner. I can understand how you feel. You are lucky you got a refund with the 1st one you went with. I had a similar experience where a tuner attempted for 8hrs and ended up tossing in the towel - didn't understand the platform and the laundry list of aftermarket parts. I paid him for some of his time but not his learning curve.

After some time, I got a different tuner and was VERY methodical. I ended up changing a lot of components as we progressed through the tune. In my particular case, it took 4 months digging out junk, replacing, and testing. He found every quirk in the tune and the component that was causing stale performance.

The guy I work with gives 8 iterations of tunes datalogging with a final 2 tunes for either street/drag and includes unlimited dyno chassis WOT at the end with any monster build you can toss at him. During those 8 iterations, you can change as many components as you like. All that for a fixed price.

dre2013

iTrader: (7)

small world..i also live in akron and have a V1 lol. what part of akron are you from? i've never seen another V1 around here in the 2.5yrs that ive had mine.

I have honestly NEVER heard anything good about smokey's tuning. several people around here have blown motors due to running ridiculously lean with their tunes. I dont personally have any experience with them, but everyone has said to stay away from their tunes.

Brian is awesome. we have been using him as our tuner for several years now. He reaaaaaaaally knows his stuff whether it be tuning lsx/ford/import etc. we usually have at least one dyno day at his shop each year. Along with being a great tuner, he is also a great person in general and will do whatever is necessary to help ya out. I will be taking my V to him this spring for a nitrous tune, and my trans am to him also as soon as its done.

05CTSV

iTrader: (16)

I'm a little south east of Akron in Minerva. I work in North Canton. Your words about Brian echo my experience as well. He is definitely the place to go. I've only seen on other V1 driving to and from work. There is a nice V2 running around my area too.

07CTS-V

iTrader: (6)

I've only heard bad about them also. Tuning a Gen3 LS is simple and they're completely incompetent. Glad you got it sorted out.

I am around Akron/Canton and Cleveland all the time. I'm also at Summit Racing a lot. We must hang out in a different circle, my car is one of the slower cars and I have a 427 LSX. There are several V's around the area.

Brian

90G60

iTrader: (1)

Also happy to hear this.

I saw on Brian's facebook page that he was tuning a V. I was debating trying to drop by to check it out, but didn't want to intrude.

Have any specifics on the mods done to your car. I'm chasing 400 in a V1, and was also planning on having Brian take care of the Tune.

05CTSV

iTrader: (16)

Cam: Tick Performance SNS torque max stage 3 for LS2 - 235/239 .620/.623 112 +2
Brian Tooley Racing valve springs .660 lift
Spring specs are 155 lbs @ 1.780", 380 lbs @ 1.180", 400 lbs @ 1.130, coil bind @ 1.070"
Comp Cams 7.40(stock length) hardened push rods
Comp Cams Trunnion upgrade, I bought new rocker baskets from Summit Racing
LS2 Timing Chain (same as stock, just GM's new and improved design)
New Standard volume and pressure oil pump
Headers, Catalytic converters removed
Volant Cold Air intake
Davis Unified Ignitions plug wires
Revshift poly motor mounts, Creative Steel transmission mount, Revshift rear diff mount and rear cradle bushings
Monster Clutch Stage 2 with 28lb flywheel and C6 slave cylinder
Borla cat back exhaust - slightly modified, muffler replaced by moroso spiral flow race mufflers

Everything else is stock, stock heads, intake, and throttle body.

X-Bomb Racing

iTrader: (1)

Glad to hear. Im about to start working with brian on getting a tune for my car.

dre2013

iTrader: (7)

Brian its James Mitchell lol.. is there really that many V1's around here? yours is the only one ive ever seen out running around here other than mine. theres a few V2's around here though. have u had your car to the track yet?

07CTS-V

iTrader: (6)

Hey James. I know of at least 7 V1's plus ours.

No track time except for right after I got screwed by CRT in Norwalk on the dyno tune for the new motor. That dude took my tune from my 418 and just dialed in the MAF and PE AFR. It was a slug and down 25 rwHp from the 418. It only went 12.7 at 113 at Quaker which is known to be 2 tenths and a couple mph slow. I've tuned it quite a bit since then and from 40-120 it's dead even with two cars that trap low to mid 120's. it pulls hard on them over 120.

05CTSV

iTrader: (16)

Here is a pic of my 05 up on the dyno. I'll try to get a video loaded up later.

05CTSV

iTrader: (16)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0Uso0oSz7Y

FYI, the Planetvmax channel is for a friends business that I edit and post the video's, a different kind of V, Yamaha V-Max.

Anyway, this is my dyno pull at Dyno Tune Motor Sports.