So, I just recently saw that I could buy software to tune my truck myself. I know there's alot more to it, but I'm still curious. The one I've heard the most about is Sniper, but what are some of the other well-known brands? What's involved? How does it work? How do I interface with my PCM... just tinker with the stock tune and tweak it as I drive, buy a blank F6 from Joey and upload my tunes, get an SCT uploader (I do have an old Superchips tuner BTW)? Thanks, guys!

 

Good Morning Jon, you might want to look at Power Hungry Performance. Bill has the Minotaur software for self tuning. Bill's been at this game a long long time.

Barney

 

Yes there are a few options.

I personally use Minotaur from PHP. Bill is a nice guy, and very helpful. Cody also works for PHP, and has answered a ton of my tuning questions.

When you buy the Minotaur package, you also get Bill's tunes that he writes for that specific PCM code. That way you not only have a stock tune that you can modify, but you can also look at Bill's tunes and see how he does it. That way you can learn by example, rather than going at it blindly.

Of course, there are other options too. Sniper has their own package. TS Performance also sells theirs, but I'm not sure of the price or what all comes with the package. Jody at DP-Tuner is planning to release his own version of the tuning software he uses. I got a sneak peak of it this summer, and it's a nice setup.

I would suggest you talk to some of these guys (Bill, Jody, the guys from Sniper, etc) and see what you might be most comfortable with. If you do have tuning questions, feel free to ask... you can ask me all you want. I bugged so many people when I first started, now it's my turn to help out others. PM me if you want my email address or phone number, and I'll be happy to help you out. I can even send you some screen shots so you can see what you're getting into. Mmmuuuuhahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!

Tuning is addictive once you start to figure it out.

 

I think I would have to have another engine ready to go if I tried to start doing my own tuning.

 

Probably would be a wise idea. I guess the question is "why". If you are changing tunes every day because you are a race driver and you are trying different parts every day, sure. OTOH, how often would you change a tune to justify buying another piece of hardware to sit around?

Edit: Hardest part is not the items mentioned. It is the experience to properly and safely change the tunes. Unless you have access to a dyno for free, it is going to be hard to learn what each parameter you alter will do. It will take lots of datalogging and without the dyno, the best you are doing is a SOTP dyno SWAG. Anyone can learn to alter parameters but it takes time and mistakes and $$$$ to learn to do it right. How far can you push it till "BOOM" is the question. It will take you breaking something sooner or later before you find that out. I don't think there is a tuner that hasn't broken something if he has been doing it long enough.

 

TwEECer is another option.

 

To be honest, yes tuning is not for everyone. I think it takes a combination of wanting to have tunes that do something different than what you can buy from anywhere else.... and being somewhat of a computer geek.

I've been tuning my truck for a year now, and I'm still learning. However, I've gotten to the point to where I'm now VERY comfortable with my tunes, and I'm also VERY happy with them. It was a long road and a lot of time devoted, but personally I've enjoyed it.

When I first started tuning, I would make minor tweaks to a tune, burn it to the chip, then get sick to my stomach wondering if I was going to blow my engine up because of something I did. Now I look back and laugh. Yes I made some mistakes, but nothing I did was ever endangering my engine. I just remembered not to make drastic changes.

Now my tunes have morphed over time. Looking at my tunes, they have reached the point to where they are drastically different than what I started with. I can't even compare them to Bill's tunes or Jody's tunes anymore. There's just not that many similarities anymore. I'm not knocking Bill or Jody, they do fantastic stuff, but I just have a different approach, and it's something that for me has worked out fantastically.

At any rate, anyone who is interested in tuning... I'm more than willing to help. I can also be brutally honest and let some folks know if they aren't ready to tune their own truck.