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mail order tuning - how this can work?

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Old 11-13-2011, 11:22 AM
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Default mail order tuning - how this can work?

hello
Some company's offer mail order tune. You send your pcm and he tune it. I can understand tune like idle rpms, calibration spedometer... BUT, how tuner can successfully tune pcm without running engine, especially if you send new pcm (never used), ? He cant view real time data.

thanks
Old 11-13-2011, 12:42 PM
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Well, a few can't honestly. Others like Blackbear send you a data logger to drive with under varying conditions to build a tune around your vehicle. The foremost experts such as Frost etc have tuned so many builds that they know what works for xxx cam with xxx injectors and heads. Tuning is in some of these guy's blood and they just know what works.

I would take a mail order tune from one of these guys before paying an unknown person to tune something in person, already been there and got burned.
Old 11-14-2011, 07:26 PM
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hu so frost can tune a pcm and it would be like it would have if it was on a dyno?my car is stock but would like a better performance tune for a 98 t/a
Old 11-14-2011, 07:38 PM
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Originally Posted by capt.ld
hu so frost can tune a pcm and it would be like it would have if it was on a dyno?my car is stock but would like a better performance tune for a 98 t/a
NO; a frost tune is not meant to take the place of a dyno/hands on tune, your comparing apples to oranges, a frost mail order is $150, a full dyno tune is $350 up!

A basic mail order tune will: turn off sensors, adjust shift points, adjust cooling fan on/off points, compensate for headers, for CAI, and other minor details. It will give you a basic street tune, not a detailed full blown dyno tune, nor is it meant to be. In fact when I was just starting with my car, I had frost send me one of HIS PCM's (yes, he sells pcms too) with a tune based on the mods I told him. I kept my stock pcm too if I ever wanted to go back. Fast forward a few years and I'm almost in the last point in my build and about to add my cam, then I will get a dyno/on hands tune to finalize my build. Email Frost he will tell you the same, now he will do a full dyno tune if you live where he works...or want to travel there.

read more:
http://www.tunedbyfrost.com/services.htm
Old 11-14-2011, 07:55 PM
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I did a mail order tune on my Camaro. I did the tune with the same company that designed my heads and cam package thinking they would know best and the car ran like crap. I had to take it to a shop and have it tuned again.
Old 11-14-2011, 08:37 PM
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A mail order tune can get you close and is good IF you have no good tuners locally.

I can build 6 of the same exact engine combo's and all 6 end up with different tunes to get them 100% correct.
Old 11-14-2011, 08:42 PM
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I'm in the same boat with my truck. I heard a mail-order tune is much better then a hand held tuner but dyno tune is best. Personally I'm goin to Speed Inc to get a "mail order" tune but it's local for me so I'll just drive there. $150 can't beat it with a stick and there lsx tuning masters IMO
Old 11-15-2011, 07:35 AM
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It's not a matter or "live" dyno tune versus mail order tune. It's the person doing the tuning. Some guys can do better mail order tunes than other guys' in person dyno tunes.

Might sound like I'm tootin my own horn, but this guy had a tune done by a "V guru" lol............. https://ls1tech.com/forums/pcm-diagn...ning-guru.html

I knew just from looking at one of his data logs I could greatly improve on the performance, driveability, shifting, etc.
Old 11-15-2011, 08:50 AM
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Originally Posted by Slowhawk
A mail order tune can get you close and is good IF you have no good tuners locally.

I can build 6 of the same exact engine combo's and all 6 end up with different tunes to get them 100% correct.
Exactly, when we had the shop, we would have two car with identical setups installed cams, heads, ect, One would start right up and idle and the other would not, I would tune one on the dyno and the other would have different parameters, Heck one even made like 20 more RWHP. It was two friends with the same cars, basically the same mileage ect. Why? who knows...
Old 11-15-2011, 10:20 AM
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Originally Posted by edcmat-l1
It's not a matter or "live" dyno tune versus mail order tune. It's the person doing the tuning. Some guys can do better mail order tunes than other guys' in person dyno tunes.

Might sound like I'm tootin my own horn, but this guy had a tune done by a "V guru" lol............. https://ls1tech.com/forums/pcm-diagn...ning-guru.html

I knew just from looking at one of his data logs I could greatly improve on the performance, driveability, shifting, etc.
I spent 3 weeks sending logs and tunes back and forth and had the same issues, just in different areas. Ed named that tune in 3 tries....lol.


I had a PCM tune from LPE when I 1st bought the car and had the LPE 630 installed, then a W4M handheld mail order and both were pretty good and drove nice. the other started out as 7 hours on the dyno, then what felt like another 100 on the street and still didnt match Ed's work that he did in a few tries. just shows a full understanding of everything that is going on with any vehicle vs what works on one persons car that they have had good luck with and think they can replicate it on every car.
Old 11-15-2011, 02:24 PM
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Originally Posted by edcmat-l1
It's not a matter or "live" dyno tune versus mail order tune. It's the person doing the tuning. Some guys can do better mail order tunes than other guys' in person dyno tunes.

Might sound like I'm tootin my own horn, but this guy had a tune done by a "V guru" lol............. https://ls1tech.com/forums/pcm-diagn...ning-guru.html

I knew just from looking at one of his data logs I could greatly improve on the performance, driveability, shifting, etc.
Like I said, stick with an expert like one of the sponsors on here, and you will not have a problem.




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