Johny GTO

how is your car running? are you happy? what size cam?
I myself am running a 236-240 streetsweeper with other mods (heads, intake manifold, headers, etc)
I ask because i recently met a dude who had a cammed Vette. I really didnt get to talk to him for more then a minute or 2, but he was having issues. THe car bucked, surged, etc. HE said something about it in passing, then i listened to him leave the lot, and his car sounded like **** with the RPMS all over, the car stuttering as he stepped on it, etc. And i think he said he had a 230 or so cam, in a ls2 vette (2006). I have also read some horror stories on the boards of shitty tunes. And many others dont say anything about their tunes, cause they dont know any better. I would bet lots of people have shitty tunes or under-performing tunes and dont know any better.

It made me think, cause i have often wondered about my tune. I dont know dick about how to tune a car, and that has always bothered me that i have to have blind faith in what someone else did to my car. However, i have been happy.

I read some criteria for a good tune, and it is the following...
"Almost any tuner can make a car get more power at wide open throttle. What makes a great tuner and a great tune is getting a car with good power to behave at idle and low speed. If you've got a modified cam/intake/heads and your tuner has your car:
1. starting easily when hot and cold,
2. idling smoothly without hunting up/down the rpm range,
3. not bucking surging at light throttle, zero load,
4. not stalling when pulling up at the lights, or when you load the engine at low rpms by turning the steering wheel (i.e. parking) or switching on the A/C.
5. not holding high rpms as the vehicle coasts to a stop,
6. not stumbling when you stab the throttle,
then you've got a really good tune. Its drive-ability issues like these that most tuners struggle with"

As stated, i have a Streetsweeper 236-240 .610 .610 111lsa cam, with other mods, and i dont have any of these problems. I would say this...
1. my car starts right away, any time i start it..hot, cold, whenever.
2. idles at 700rpms or so. lpes like a beast. When it is cold, it idles around 900-950rpms for about 2-4 minutes until it warms up.
3. only does this if i am cruising witht he rpms under 1500. like if i do 45 in 6th. otherwise no.
4. never stalls.
5. not "high rpms". but will sit at 900rpms till i stop, then goes to 700-750.
6. no stumbling. touch the gas and it goes.

I am just curious if it could possibly be "better", more power or so. Cause i mean, isnt that what all us car guys are after, more power, better, etc?

Gh0st

iTrader: (3)

1. Great
2. 700 idle with that cam? cool
3. I have no idea what your point is here or what you're trying to say
4. Great
5. That's normal
6. Great

Sounds like your tuner did a fine job if you have no issues.

Johny GTO

lol. thats what happens when i should have been sleeping hours before, yet i was reading car ****.

what i was trying to say was, i only get bucking at a very select area. And its not even bucking really, or like slight chugging that you feel in the seat of your pants. If i am under 1600rpms in a gear while cruising, like driving 45mph in 6th gear, i feel it. Once i get over 1700rpms it stops. Its not constant either, but periodic (maybe 2 every 10 seconds, then none for 10 seconds) hiccups.

I have one complaint, my shitty gas mileage. I get like 18mpg highway, and 12-14 city. Its probably a function of the big cam, but i may be rich.

Gh0st

iTrader: (3)

Ah. Yeah I get that at 1500rpm and slightly below. From what I can tell it's just from modulating between 0% and 3% tps that the car keeps going back and forth between "modes". If I give the car 5% tps it goes away even at the same rpm

You can increase your mileage by some tricks with timing, but it's not going to be a big difference.

uscg02ws6

I have an MS4 with 2.5 tsp ls6 heads and a ls6 intake. The heads were milled just a bit and the pistons fly cut. The car has an m6.

I drive my car a lot. I will be doing 150 mile a day with the car next month. It drives damn good. Stop and go traffic is no prob. I was driving it during the winter starting It up in 15* to 35* temps and wouldn’t even warm it up caz it's loud and didn’t want to **** off ppl at 6am. I drive the car under 1000rpms on the highway. It is all about the tune.

Johny GTO

yeah, i probably need a lil work on that "real low" rpm cruising tuning.

ultradriver10000

iTrader: (13)

I haven't ever had any tuning issues with my 232-238 .605 lift 114lsa cam.

troopercar

iTrader: (6)

232/236 .595/.601 110 LSA ported 243's big valves
I tuned it myself, idles fine at 850 drives great everywhere 20-21 mpg interstate
among many things I set my converter to not lock up in any gear but 4th and then only above 1900 rpm 56mph IIRC.

Don't get me wrong, it has a real cam in it and acts like it but you don't have to live with as much acting up as many think.

I can hold the brakes, whack the throttle turning the tires over, and suddenly let off and it just settles down and idles. THAT always impresses those used to lesser tunes.

DaveX

Mine has very good manners, and I tuned it myself. It took a long time since I didn't know what I was doing. But well worth it. I can't imagine letting someone else tune it then never touching it again. More often than not when I drive it I have the laptop on the seat monitoring and/or logging. To me that's just as much fun as doing the motor mods that required the tuning.

Johny GTO

glad to see so many people happy with their tunes. I wonder how many arent saying anything, cause they dont want to be asked "who did ur shitty tune?"

sroach20

iTrader: (31)

i did my shitty tune, but its getting better since i have a new laptop battery and can do some logging now.

Ericdm

iTrader: (1)

well i need help with a good tune the. I just got my first ls1 m6 trans am and it has a tr224 cam at 112 lobe seperation with the supporting valve train, a ls6 manifold slp mass air flow sensor ported and polished throttle body long tubes cateless exhaust and 373 gears. It starts right up hot or cold idles at about 1000-1100 cold and hot never idles less than 1000. I thought i really sucked at stick but at low rpms when im shifting from like 1-2 sometimes 2-3 it bucks like crazy, unless i give her more gas before i let the clutch out theres no happy medium . has stalled once or twice when i was going fast then slowed down suddenly and the rpms mostly when cold will go from 1000-1200 up and down not a constant smooth idle so i am guessing i need a tune but i was told that this car was dyno tuned and made 385 rwh does this sound like bullshit or not i am new to the ls1 so i need help thx.

srpoweredcoupeNWH

iTrader: (12)

i have a bad tune and need some guidence on who is a good tuner in the tennessee area. my car is heads,cam,intake,injectors and it surges awful at low rpm doesnt start good and holds 2000 rpm when ever the car is rolling so it gains speed. i had it tuned by a local shop and these are the problems i'm still having any help would be appreciated

Johny GTO

there we go, the people with tune problems have chimed in. Where are all of you locate (ericdm and srpowercoupenwh) ?

perhaps if you chime in with where you are located, someone who knows how to tune (shop or member) will chime in and be able to help you.

Juicy J

iTrader: (5)

I have alot of issues with my tune. My car is cam only with an MS3. I had so many issues with the shop messing up other stuff on my car, that I would not trust them to retune my car. It really makes my car unenjoyable.

1. Car always starts easily no matter what the temperature.
2. Idles smoothly until it is fully warmed up. When in traffic, and warmed up, I have to baby it with the throttle to keep if from stalling.
3. Surges really bad at low rpm. I still have 3:42 gears tho...
4. Starts to stall when turning steering wheel, and with AC on. (Luckily its been cool)
5. Holds high rpm's when coming to a stop.
6. Does not stumple when you stab the throttle.

I highly recommend everyone does good research before they have a shop do their tune. Although sometimes it doesnt help... I read lots of great reviews about the shop I went to, and had a horrible experience.

Johny GTO

Have you contacted the shop and told them of your problems? When you say "I had so many issues with the shop messing up other stuff on my car, that I would not trust them to retune my car", what do you mean? what have they messed up? perhaps you should ask for a refund on your tune. I cant see paying $500 to have a car that is un-drivable. Thats a disgrace. Pm me if you would like.

srpoweredcoupeNWH

iTrader: (12)

i'm located in nashville,tn and really need help finding someone who can do a good tune my car is very anoying to drive right now

Johny GTO

you should make a thread in this forum, and your regional forum asking if anyone will give you a hand. Honestly, i have no idea how to tune, but if i did i would help anybody who needede help. I am sure there are otyher people who feel the same way but actually know how to tune, that would help others out.

good luck mang.

NOBR8KSS

iTrader: (12)

I'm about 50% satisfied with my tune. There a lot of little things that you start to notice after you drive it home that you just don't notice during the excitement of picking the car up. Some people say that they should be easy to tune out, others say it's just something you live with. My cam is a 230/230 111+1 Comp XFI lobes.

1. Starts fine when cold, not so well when the engine is really hot (like during summer)
2. Idles at 800 rpm, but will search on the hot starts
3. Bucks on light throttle...worst in 4rth gear
4. Stalls sometimes...particularly in low speed situations and releasing the throttle
5. Holds high rpms when coasting...however, I suspect this is TB related, not PCM
6. Throttle response is great

The car no longer goes into DFCO, so there is no engine braking, which is annoying.

I paid for the full dyno tune...$500. My opinion is that most of the tuners tune the idle and WOT, but don't even glance at the driveability because it takes so long to diagnose and calibrate. They're in the business of making money and the less time they can spend on the car, the better for their pocket books.

I went to a very well known professional tuner who kept the car for three weeks because of his backlog.

Johny GTO

have u brought the car back to him to fix it? you should talk to him about it if you havent. you didnt get what you paid for.