Im beating the dead horse here but im still really wanting to tune my truck, Its the 05 in my sig and i just need more power and fuel economy. My bigger rims and tires have cut down on the fuel mileage (yes i know its a truck but i drive 500 miles a week sometimes and tow real heavy often). My only option for tuning right now is from gearhead, because ive heard excellent things about matts tunes for non-studded trucks. Anyone with gearhead tunes could you chime in on how they have been treating you?
Im looking to order the tunes here soon, i need a little more giddy up

 

I have only heard good things about Matts tunes. I would get his tunes but already have Innovative Diesels tunes and love them.

 

I have Matt's tunes. SRL 8k tow unlimited tow When I first got them my truck was not studded. I am glad that I did not get anymore than what I got because I tow a fifth wheel and would rather be a bit more conservative, but I digress. I love the tunes and keep my truck on 8k tow. I tried the SRL and all I can say is WOW! I did not leave my truck there because even though I spoke with Matt about the unstudded tunes, I just could not figure that anything that changed the truck's performance that much could not keep from stressing something(I know, Matt knows a lot more about this than I do)more than I wanted to take a chance on. Anyway, I was in the same place you are and I went for it and have not regretted it. I believe if I keep my foot out of it that I was getting 1 more mile per gallon or maybe 2 in city driving. I have not taken a road trip yet or towed with it so I cannot comment on mpg in those categories. I saved up some bucks and went ahead and did a one at time stud job just to be safe and I am leaving my truck on the 8k setting and am happy with it. Hope this helps

 

Matt & his tunes are the bomb We were headed to alpine wy in feb & i didn't have the 8k tow tune. So after e-mailing him, he called me on saturday to get the info for the tunes! So he e-mailed his custom power max 8k tune for the trip back

 

best way to make the headbolts last tuned is to be gentle to it until the temp is up. don't let it idle a bunch, just fire it up and drive away, but just add enough go pedal to add 50-100 at a time until your up to speed. keeping peak cylinder pressure spikes down is your friend

 

My truck doesnt see rpms past 2200 and boost past 15 till its warmed up fully. (i would baby it more but i live right off a 60mph state road so i cant go to slow or i risk gettin creamed lol)

I emailed matt today and its 490 shipped for the Xcal 3 with SRL, 8k, and unlimited tow.

 

Once you are warmed up, you really shouldn't baby it like you would before warmed up. That is just counter productive.

However, don't not think that buying a performance part is going to help with MPG. Tuner companies really have done a good job with marketing on this one. Way too many variables go into mpg calculations to attribute it to one part. Some do regardless and some claim good MPG improvements, especially when they get the reading from the truck's computer, which I really wouldn't trust on a tuned vehicle.

Get it for the power and fun factor. You'll enjoy it more.

 

Is there many people that have installed head studs one at a time like that?
I guess if you stay in roughly same torque parameters the cylinder head doesn't know what happpened.

Just curious have many people done this, and how is it working out longterm??

 

May want to look into changing the gears in your truck. In my opinion that will be the best bang for your buck if your runnin bigger tires an towing. It will make your truck pull better an help your fuel mileage. Yes, a tuner will help but I think gears wood be a better choice.

I'm runnin 37x13.5x18 tires on my truck. I'm changing the stock 3.73 gears to 4.56 gears. I mostly use my truck to pull my 7500 LB camper. I have a SCT tuner, but no custom tunes, an my truck still has to work pullin hills.

If you do some lookin you can find gears for reasonable price. I found 4.56 for front an rear, mine a 4x4, for 440$ shipped.

Just my nickel worth

 

Mhatlen, as posted by DSMMH some of use did the studs one at a time, why remove cab/engine to replace your head gaskets or have your heads milled if not needed? 30k since i did mine and no problem's. I did mine at 65k and didn't have any other engine trouble.

 

I wouldn't advocate this route and the reason why is because what is in bold is an assumption that it isn't needed. You are assuming that you have been diligent enough with looking at gauges (if applicable) and observing other signs (if applicable) in making sure that you don't have any problems when you did it one at a time.

Yes, there might indeed not be any problems, but you don't know that for sure.

30k and no problems since it was done does lend credence to you being right in your assumption, however, it took a year and ~65-70k miles before my tranny crapped out on me due to the mods that I had. I push my truck hard too, so depending on how you drive, things can take time to manifest themselves.

I don't believe in halfway doing things if I'm going to do it. I would rather know for certain then to do things one at a time and hope that I was right in my assumption that there wasn't anything wrong with the truck. Also while you are in there doing that, other mods can be done with only the cost of parts since the labor has already been doing for the heads (if you go to a 3rd party to get it done), unless they try to get you coming and going (which is possible).

 

That might be my next route, except 4.10s because i see alot of highway also and 4.56s might be too low. What brand gears did you find for 440?

 

With 35" tires 4.56 would be to low of a for you. Someone on here has 35" tire an has 4.30 gears. I think they said at 65 they are turnin 2200 RPM. I don't know how fast you drive when towing but I think 4.30 with 35's would pull very good. Reason I'm goin with 4.56 is 37" tires an I want it to pull like a freight train.

I found them on 4wheelparts.com. Ones I looked at were the G2 gears. Life time warranty on them. But I had been talkin to another guy from another website, can't remember the name, that found the G2 gears for me. He said he would match the price from 4wheelparts site. So I'm goin to order mine from him.

If you would like I can pm you his number an name.

 

We take risk's in all that we do, some of us have a higher tolerance than others. I have gauges since the first month (per fte advice) let my truck warm up. I think at least 10% of us have done it that way. I could replace all my sensors, in advance of them failing playing it safe that way. If the engine has problems, then 1 at a time could be a disaster, just my .02...

 

That statement is an oxymoron. Pick one or the other.