When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
2016 C7 Stingray Z51, M7, 8000 miles, Magnuson Heartbeat (no secondary drive), with Magnuson tune, no other mods.
Took me about 1.5 days to install. Install went ok. The install manual is very good.
Thanks to some members here for notes and inspiration.
Also thanks to RDP Store for the great deal.
Car is running very well and has very good drive-ability. Drives just like before except when you punch it
It's also quiet, which was what I wanted.
Definitely a lot more power when you need it. I haven't dyno'd it though.
I did have an HPDE at Thompson. Did pretty good and extra power helped get up to speed quicker, I thought anyway.
Fastest on the straight was 119. This was only my second HPDE ever and may have done better that day but rained half the day.
Only had one really good dry session at the end. Here's quick vid...
As mentioned here, ECT was running a bit hotter @220, and fan roaring all the time.
Emailed the Magnuson tuner and he says they are still shipping the old 2014 Tstat, which ran hotter.
He said to just swap out the stock Tstat, which I did. He also said that they plan to remove the Tstat all together and have the installer use the stock one.
Step #9 warns about being careful in removing the dry sump breather tube from the right valve cover but, I broke the plastic tips anyway.
Forced me to remove the valve cover and get the pieces out of the valve cover baffle. That was fun...Not.
Anyway, I searched the forum and found some members with some good tips on removing this tube without breaking the clips...
1 - Twist the tube 190 degrees as you pull straight up.
2 - Pull up slightly, then use a small screw driver to press in on the sides, then pull up.
I'll have to remember that next time.
Belt was really tight and tough to put on. Had the tensioner released all the way but still had to struggle to get the belt on.
What really helped me was to loosen the top alternate bolt and completely remove the bottom one.
Once the belt is on there, it is easier to get the alternator bottom bolt back on!
As another member mentioned, you don't need to remove the wheels nor the wheel wells to remove the ft bumper.
Just turn the wheels a bit and remove the 3 screws next the the bumper that's it.
You can remove the marker lamp and video camera connections when you start pulling the bumper off.
Didn't have any trouble with the tuner/tune. Just used the supplied SCT tuner to download the stock tune, send the file to Magnuson, then they send back the tune file I uploaded to the ECU.
Magnuson includes a manual for the SCT tuner stuff.
Being a DIY'er, the only trouble I had was knowing that the GM/Stringray "Appropriate ECM designation..." was "E92", even though it was highlighted in the manual.
Maybe it was just me. Funny...I sent magnuson a question about that but never got a reply.
One final weird thing with the install...The last step is to install these metal stand-offs under the hood liner.
I just couldn't figure out how that would be helpful. I sent them an email about that and never got a reply.
Anyone know the purpose of these stand-offs? Seems to me they are just going to make the liner hit the top of the charger right?
Just discovered that the SCT tuner can be used as live gauges and data logging. Will have to try it out on the next HPDE runs...
Forgot to mention...The idle speed is now bit higher. Used to be @600 but now @750 RPMs.
I don't mind it too much because it feels smoother than it was idle'ng lower.
Anyone have any thoughts/concerns about that? Seem ok?
BTW, here are some basic numbers using the SCT from a quick 2 minute pull on the highway - without breaking the speed limit!
Air temp was about 82F.
The entire trip was only for about 10-15 minutes so I would image the temps would eventually get a bit higher but even during the HPDE, I noticed that they were stable and recovered quickly.
Magnuson tuners are quick to respond. They agreed it was rich and gave me a new tune. Feels better on the highway but will have to schedule another Dyno pull...
Sorry T/A Kid, missed your reply before I reposted...
I had previously checked the boost with the SCT scanner. It was at 6-6.8 PSI. I still wasn't sure if it was sustaining it. Anyway, new tune feels better so far.
I'm going to see if they will let me run some data logging on the next Dyno.
Sorry T/A Kid, missed your reply before I reposted...
I had previously checked the boost with the SCT scanner. It was at 6-6.8 PSI. I still wasn't sure if it was sustaining it. Anyway, new tune feels better so far.
I'm going to see if they will let me run some data logging on the next Dyno.
Thanks,
Pj
The date logging is the only way to really get the car tuned by someone that knows what they are doing. These mail tunes yes should get the car to run is the best you can hope for.
Let me tell you this these DI motors will not take but so much of running rich. Will foul out the plugs more so and worse than the LS set up..Robert
Could use some help on the spark plugs...I wasn't going to worry about going one-step colder till the next stage but I'm being told that I should go one-step colder now since it will be closer to 100HP+ now with the fixed tune.
A search showed that people use LTR7IX-11 (NGK 6510) gap'd to .038". Does this sound right? Do I need to get them from a pro shop or the ones from Amazon the same? And lastly, any re-tuning need to be done?
All the centrifugal kits ask for those plugs (1 step colder). I am assuming the magnuson would be the same case. I bought my plugs on amazon, no problems here.
And of course you will need re-tuning. Your dyno pulls weren't even close to redline and clearly you are not making proper power. Did you put it on a dyno 3x just for numbers or were they tuning it? Call around for corvette shops and find one that will dyno tune your setup (some will decline because they didn't build it but others will accept)
I interpolated your dyno to a full pull and even if gone to redline, you're down on power in comparison to all the other kits available right now (sample dynos, not always exact)
Dyno pulls were just for the numbers. I've been sticking with the Magnuson tune for the warranty.
Looks like I may have to have it custom tuned like you suggest.
Dyno pulls were just for the numbers. I've been sticking with the Magnuson tune for the warranty.
Looks like I may have to have it custom tuned like you suggest.
Thanks, appreciate the feedback.
Pj
Well in that same token, the canned tune that came with my procharger kit made 540 rwhp and 510 rwtq (probably more actually since the filter cone was mispositioned). I'd be surprised if the maggie couldn't hit those numbers. If magnuson assumes their tune isn't correct, why not have them continue to fix it. Did they not ask for datalogging nor provide a way for you to send it to them?
They haven't asked for data logging, and I was surprised but I guess it was obvious that it was running too rich.
Anyway, I'm either going to make it a point to get some data logging on next dyno or just have it custom tuned. We'll see...
11:1 is richer than I like to see on c6’s, it’s WAY too rich for a DI engine. If they aren’t going to fix it then I’d have it custom tuned. I know they want safe but that is so rich I’m not sure it’s reallh as safe as it’d seem on an old port injected motor.
I like the Magnuson setup otherwise..
Last edited by schpenxel; Jul 26, 2017 at 09:52 AM.
Thanks schpenxel, everyone else seems to agree. Magnuson did send me a new tune for the rich issue, which did seem to improve the ride/power, but I haven't dyno'd it again yet.
I have decided to just have it custom tuned, scheduled for this Sept. 7th. I'll post the results then...
Yet another Magnuson installed...
The date logging is the only way to really get the car tuned by someone that knows what they are doing. These mail tunes yes should get the car to run is the best you can hope for. 
