Which tuner should I buy?

FoxRod87 · Nov 27, 2007

I have a 96 5 speed Gt and the engine is stock and all it is going to have is a bbk off road x-pipe, bullet mufflers and flowmaster tailpipes. I am probably going to go with 4.10s and maybe an upper intake, tb, mass air, and some pulleys. Just woundering what tuner I should go with or which on is the best and what will each of them do? I also want to put a 180 thermostat in and be able to adjust the fan to get it to come on earlier. But which one is the best and what else can I do to my car to make it faster? Thanks.

CobraRed_96_GT · Nov 27, 2007

SCT x-cal II

myponyrocks · Nov 27, 2007

check your local area, whatever tuning shop is more highly recomended go with what hard/software they use.

FoxRod87 · Nov 28, 2007

I have heard that 96-98 GTs you can only get a chip and not a tuner. Is this true?

CobraRed_96_GT · Nov 28, 2007

FoxRod87 said:
I have heard that 96-98 GTs you can only get a chip and not a tuner. Is this true?

nope

lazerred02 · Nov 28, 2007

myponyrocks said:
check your local area, whatever tuning shop is more highly recomended go with what hard/software they use.

That is def. the most important thing right there. Don't want to have a SCT tuner and then go try to get tuned at the best shop in the area and the use Diablosport.

SilverBullet00 · Nov 28, 2007

Deff check around town first. The SCT is the best, so hopefully they use that.

Also, dont buy an aftermarket MAF unless you are pegging your stock one.

d98gt · Nov 28, 2007

I went the predator route at first without checking around. It wasn't too bad of a unit to play around with, however, since I am looking for a nitrous tune and all the local guys use the SCT. I sold the predator and picked up a locked xcal2 for cheap and it's off getting unlocked at the moment.

Unlock + 3 tunes for $90

hotmustang331 · Nov 28, 2007

Yea SCT rocks....iv always liked them and now I use their pro racer package and have become my own tuner. Good stuff and make sure a local GOOD tuner has SCT software though.

SaleenGT2001 · Nov 28, 2007

the new Xcal 3 is also a good tuner

flyboy86 · Nov 28, 2007

You should buy mine. SCT. I have no need for it anymore. PM me if interested.

Winters98GT · Nov 28, 2007

dont tune your car. Your not going to gain any hp in the tune with a bolt on NPI car, and most PI cars dont either. most of the hp/tq increase comes from the timing which you can adjust with a simple timing adjuster for much cheaper. Also, I dont recommend changing your stock thermostat with the mods you have.

If you plan on doing extensive mods, and want to do it yourself to compensate for the gear swap, turn off 02 sensors etc. Then get a tuner. But sn95s dont need a tune to adjust the speedometer, with a gear swap./
To make your car faster. PI headswap, or blower, or both.

LI98GTStang · Nov 29, 2007

Winters98GT said:
dont tune your car. Your not going to gain any hp in the tune with a bolt on NPI car, and most PI cars dont either. most of the hp/tq increase comes from the timing which you can adjust with a simple timing adjuster for much cheaper. Also, I dont recommend changing your stock thermostat with the mods you have.

If you plan on doing extensive mods, and want to do it yourself to compensate for the gear swap, turn off 02 sensors etc. Then get a tuner. But sn95s dont need a tune to adjust the speedometer, with a gear swap./
To make your car faster. PI headswap, or blower, or both.

x2. Having said that, I'm on the look out for an used (unlocked) Xcal2 for about the same price as an T/A, so I can do just that - change the timing but without having to remove the crank bolt again (I did pulleys). I saw too many posts were that bolt broke in the crank, so I'm a little gunshy personally.

myponyrocks · Nov 29, 2007

Winters98GT said:
dont tune your car. Your not going to gain any hp in the tune with a bolt on NPI car, and most PI cars dont either. most of the hp/tq increase comes from the timing which you can adjust with a simple timing adjuster for much cheaper. Also, I dont recommend changing your stock thermostat with the mods you have.

If you plan on doing extensive mods, and want to do it yourself to compensate for the gear swap, turn off 02 sensors etc. Then get a tuner. But sn95s dont need a tune to adjust the speedometer, with a gear swap./
To make your car faster. PI headswap, or blower, or both.

So very very wrong. While the peak HP gains on a bolt on N/A car may be minimal, the curve gains are usually a very big improvement over stock. Just with tune when I had minor bolt ons I gained an avg of 14 rwhp in the curve over non tuned with same mods.

Auto cars get even more benefits with the shift points

AND if you swap gears or tire sizes alot (or even catted to non-catted midpipes) the tuner pays for itself by eliminating the need for new speedo gears or mil elims.

*EDIT* Didn't read the part about that model not needing speedo gears so that part of my argument is defunct

Winters98GT · Nov 29, 2007

myponyrocks said:
So very very wrong. While the peak HP gains on a bolt on N/A car may be minimal, the curve gains are usually a very big improvement over stock. Just with tune when I had minor bolt ons I gained an avg of 14 rwhp in the curve over non tuned with same mods.

Auto cars get even more benefits with the shift points

AND if you swap gears or tire sizes alot (or even catted to non-catted midpipes) the tuner pays for itself by eliminating the need for new speedo gears or mil elims.

*EDIT* Didn't read the part about that model not needing speedo gears so that part of my argument is defunct

I dont agree, Bill Putnam, the fastest na bolt on car to date, as well as all the top NA guys have proven you wrong. Its been dyno tested, again, again and again. Three top tuners in the country lost power on his car over just advances in the timing. Nobody could get more out of the stock tune, and he had a bullitt intake and LT headers. Its been proven on many of the top 12 second bolt on cars with dyno slips. Dont believe me? Then go post that over at modular depot that you gained 12rwhp out of a tune in which your car had a timing adjuster before. Youll get called out all day long. Your car might have gained some, most of it was from the timing increase. Some cars do get 2-4rwhp with a tune even if they had increased timing, but thats about it.

And if you read my original post, I mentioned a gear swap or M.I.L for your o2's. However, your calculations are way off. MIL's can be bought for around 40-50 bucks or made for FREE, and the speedo gear is about 10 bucks. So how that pays for a tune is beyond me?

topless98gt · Nov 29, 2007

No one has mentioned the SCT LiveWire...are these tuners not any good or something?

Which tuner should I buy?

FoxRod87

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CobraRed_96_GT

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