)
[Z06] mail order tune?
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,626
Likes: 174
From: North pole
mail order tune?
How conservative is a mail order tune vs dyno tune? My z is a lt headers,zip tie mod...I know for what mods I have mail order is probably ok. My question is how much timing is left on the table compared to dyno tuning.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 6,957
Likes: 65
From: South FL
I had 06 Monte from Diablosport do remote tuning for me since I had an inTune laying around, and it was a very thorough and positive experience. I later put my car on the dyno with his tune, and with basically your mods (LT's, x pipe, vararam, ported TB) the car made 382/379. Keep in mind this is on an '01 car; most well tuned 02-04 cars see in the 390's, so he was pretty aggressive with the tune on mine in my opinion.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,626
Likes: 174
From: North pole
I've often wondered that myself, and I think it depends on your relationship with the tuner.
I had 06 Monte from Diablosport do remote tuning for me since I had an inTune laying around, and it was a very thorough and positive experience. I later put my car on the dyno with his tune, and with basically your mods (LT's, x pipe, vararam, ported TB) the car made 382/379. Keep in mind this is on an '01 car; most well tuned 02-04 cars see in the 390's, so he was pretty aggressive with the tune on mine in my opinion.
I had 06 Monte from Diablosport do remote tuning for me since I had an inTune laying around, and it was a very thorough and positive experience. I later put my car on the dyno with his tune, and with basically your mods (LT's, x pipe, vararam, ported TB) the car made 382/379. Keep in mind this is on an '01 car; most well tuned 02-04 cars see in the 390's, so he was pretty aggressive with the tune on mine in my opinion.
I heard alot of good things about them. I guess I'm just looking for more power from idle to 3000 rpms. It just seems alittle lazy.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 437
Likes: 39
From: PA
I wondered the same before I got my ECS mailorder tune (which is great btw). Search for the ECS mailorder thread and poke around there a bit, Doug provides some great insight that should answer your question. From what I gathered/recall, on a car at your level you may dyno a couple less hp with a mailorder tune vs a dyno tune because a good tuner will error on the side of caution and not go too aggressive with certain aspects of the tune without having it hooked up to a wide band etc. To me, paying $150 for a mailorder tune for a bolt-on car made sense as the additional say 2-3hp is not worth the additional money for a dyno tune IMO.
My heads/cam car has a dyno tune and I wouldn't have it any other way, I think it just depends on the mods.
EDIT: saw you just posted up that you have ECS mailorder tune. I suggest contacting Doug and getting his opinion. I'm willing to bet he says stick with what you got. If you were to even gain a couple hp with a full on dyno tune, you won't feel the difference.
My heads/cam car has a dyno tune and I wouldn't have it any other way, I think it just depends on the mods.
EDIT: saw you just posted up that you have ECS mailorder tune. I suggest contacting Doug and getting his opinion. I'm willing to bet he says stick with what you got. If you were to even gain a couple hp with a full on dyno tune, you won't feel the difference.
Last edited by wrkdWS6; Jun 3, 2016 at 04:11 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 6,957
Likes: 65
From: South FL
If I'm not mistaken, with ECS you have to mail them your PCM correct? The advantage in my situation, and perhaps in the situation you are in, is with my Intune I can make a change, or need to make an adjustment, send Lewis my log files, he can write a new tune, email it back, I upload it on the tuner, and then on to the car.
We have gone back and forth a few times making adjustments, and he responds super fast, and a lot of the time you have your tune in under an hour versus having to ship, and enduring downtime.
That said, I'm doing a cam swap next week, and will be getting a Jeremy Formatto tune on the dyno with HP Tuners, so I will be returning the intune to factory settings and will have it for sale for $225 shipped if anyone is interested.
We have gone back and forth a few times making adjustments, and he responds super fast, and a lot of the time you have your tune in under an hour versus having to ship, and enduring downtime.
That said, I'm doing a cam swap next week, and will be getting a Jeremy Formatto tune on the dyno with HP Tuners, so I will be returning the intune to factory settings and will have it for sale for $225 shipped if anyone is interested.
Pro
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 608
Likes: 17
From: South Lyon, MI
The proper tune is dyno/street tune. The mail tune is also good IF you keep sending logs to the tuners. Some tuners will use a common tune based on the mods, meaning if they have a tune developed for headers and intake then they will use the same one for all the cars that have those mods. In this case thats not accepteable for me since no engine/car is the same or behaves the same.
Race Director
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 15,866
Likes: 196
From: PA
My only power mods are the vararam and XS power LT's, got my pcm tuned by mail by ECS a few weeks ago and I think the car feels great now, pulls way harder now since I added the headers & tune. I'm sure I could get a few more hp out of a full Dyno tune but for just $150 I'm very happy with it.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
Racer
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 332
Likes: 41
From: Mesa, AZ
My only power mods are the vararam and XS power LT's, got my pcm tuned by mail by ECS a few weeks ago and I think the car feels great now, pulls way harder now since I added the headers & tune. I'm sure I could get a few more hp out of a full Dyno tune but for just $150 I'm very happy with it.
Chas
