tuning suggestions??

[hutch_sr20]

i live near lansdale, pa and i have a stock sr20det ecu. i need a tune to get me started and i was hoping someone knows of a place that wont charge me a arm and leg. i cant go to rt because of stock ecu and i have BIG problems with psi pro performance. "why i need retune" anybody know anyone or anywhere. im willing to travel a bit.

[Mikester]

What mods do you have driving a retune?

[Croustibat]

Just to make everything clear, what do you call "being charged an arm and a leg", and what exactly do you want to be done ?

Because using various probes on a dyno costs way more money than soldering a couple of sockets on your ECU and plugging a random "stage" chip. But there is a reason for that : it works, and is nearly the only way to go (other methods include "do it yourself at your own risk" but that requires tuning knowledge).

[godsmack]

You had a problem at psi? I've only ever heard of good things from them. And they're the only tuner that I know of in the area.

[ultimateirving]

What are ur mods, so we can tell you what tune...

[fliprayzin240sx]

You have a stock ECU, no aftermarket computer or anything and dont wanna pay an arm and a leg. Sounds like your only option is a $500 rom tuned ECU. If you say thats still an arm and a leg, stop fucking with cars...

[hutch_sr20]

ill pay 500 but hoping for less. i have a ram topmount manifold with t3 turbo. full 3 inch exhaust. 650cc injectors. z32 maf. front mount. tial bov. not recirc. turbo xs wastegate with dump tube. spec stage 3 clutch. light pullys. no power steering, ac or heat. quest 125amp alternator. and i think thats it for the important info... and ya psi just liesssss thats my problem. plus horrible communication. frustrating..

[hutch_sr20]

and i have not driven it since i put all this stuff on. it was tuned for t25. front mount. and bov. and stock injectors. at 270whp

[steve shadows]

Get a used PFC and be done with it.

I don't know why people will spend 2000+ on wheels or 1500 on a turbo but will not invest more than a couple hundred dollars in the BRAIN of the entire system...

[fliprayzin240sx]

Get a used PFC and be done with it.

I don't know why people will spend 2000+ on wheels or 1500 on a turbo but will not invest more than a couple hundred dollars in the BRAIN of the entire system...

Because they need a reason to do a full engine rebuild...

[Mikester]

and ya psi just liesssss thats my problem. plus horrible communication. frustrating..

it was tuned for t25. front mount. and bov. and stock injectors. at 270whp

Speaking of liesss. No way an SR will make 270whp with stock injectors on ANY tune. Maybe 270-280 at the crank and 250-260 to the wheels... Even then, the knock would be horrible, regardless of which 'canned tune' they sent you.

I made 280rwhp with a T25 (horrible power curve, but 280 nonetheles)- took Power FC, larger injectors and an actual dyno tune to get it.

Get a used PFC and be done with it.



^^This ^^

Power FC & Z32 MAFS were the first two things I got once I knew I would be looking to make real power. Never looked back.

OP: Going top mount w/larger injectors... NO canned tune out there will be as effective as a good dyno tune (hell, even a street tune lol) with your car's specific nuances tuned for.

Unless THIS:

Because they need a reason to do a full engine rebuild...

and by the way, since you're sorta new here; damned near everyone on this board hopes Steve Shadows will chime in whenever they have tuning concerns... Just thought I'd throw that out there for ya ;)

[hutch_sr20]

I don't have wheels or abything nice on my car I wanted it to be fast first. Ya it was dynoed at psi. And I'm sure it was a lie. All they do is lie. Does anyone know where I can get a power fc for less then 600

[Mikester]

^^Dude... Search Ebay, Yahoo auctions, Craigslist, the FS section here. You may luck out, you may not. Gotta pay if you wanna play.

Word to the wise: Work the suspension and brakes first. Having a bunch of GO without the ability to handle or STOP it is dangerous... Borderline retarded, actually.

Building from "the wheels up" is not just a figure of speech- it's the correct thing to do if you would like to live to see 24 ;)

[hutch_sr20]

I got sway bars. Lowering kit. Strut bars and 300zx brakes so I'm good there. Getting coils and wheels after I tune it

[Croustibat]

Forget PFC ( i would recommend nistune as its cheaper but read what follows) or any other EMS, if you dont know how to tune you wont go anywhere -and if you did, you would not ask. Besides, if you dont have an AFR, EGT and knock sensor set, you cant tune either.

Tuning once costs money, but tuning it yourself costs even more. If you know how to tune, and you plan more upgrades, then it COULD be worth it ... but you are looking at an EMS or a daughterboard system (400+ ), and sensors/gauge combo (easy 600), and datalogger (depends if the EMS has it or not).

An EMS is a tool. It cant be used without other tools, nor without knowing what to do with it.

TL;DR: stop trying to cheap out, and get your car tuned by someone who makes a living out of it. It will be worth it and cheaper in the long run.

[hutch_sr20]

I am not trying to get a mail order tune. I started this thread because I wanted someone to tell me if there was anyone near me that could tune my car besides psi pro performance. im not trying to cheap out. I know it is going to be around 500 to get it tuned. that's fine I just need someone to do it. if they can tune my stock computer great if not send me in a direction where I can get a ecu that will work for my needs.

[slidewayz240]

Check out nistune. Basically makes the stock ecu a programmable standalone, and decently cheaper than most new standalone units.

[Mikester]

^^How about doing a Google search of tuning shops within a 100mi radius of wherever Parkside is. That's how I found mine ;)

[Croustibat]

I am not trying to get a mail order tune. I started this thread because I wanted someone to tell me if there was anyone near me that could tune my car besides psi pro performance. im not trying to cheap out. I know it is going to be around 500 to get it tuned. that's fine I just need someone to do it. if they can tune my stock computer great if not send me in a direction where I can get a ecu that will work for my needs.

SR / CA tuners i know replace your ECU by their own modded ECU (nistune usually), tune the car, then extract the maps, burn them on chips, then put the chips on your ECU. You need a socketed ECU for that ,so they may charge you for doing this too.

But the tuner you will find may or may not do that, so it depends mainly on him/her.



@slidewayz240 > nistune does not self tune. Again, it just is a tool, if you dont know how to use it, or if you dont have the other necessary tools, you cant use it.

[slidewayz240]

@slidewayz240 > nistune does not self tune. Again, it just is a tool, if you dont know how to use it, or if you dont have the other necessary tools, you cant use it.

Oh yeah, it most definitely does not self tune, was just posting it as an option to the more expensive AEM and Apexi units.

[ultimateirving]

Oh yeah, it most definitely does not self tune, was just posting it as an option to the more expensive AEM and Apexi units.

Im going nistune, and I do plan to have it tuned professionally at first, i do plan on learning how and the nistune is a great platform to start with.

[steve shadows]

Because they need a reason to do a full engine rebuild...

You don't need to rebuild the entire engine to get the benefits of a real ems? Not to mention you can push 350+ WHP on a totally stock block, head gasket and head on SR motors with a safe tune.

You can pull out another 25+ hp at the wheels just by putting a reprogrammable ems (like a pfc) on a stock SR20DET with a FMIC and installing a decent timing map. Literally. If you turn the boost up you can make even more. Especially since the stock ECUs are setup for 98 octane in Japan.

Most of the time the maps need much much less timing to avoid knock and make hp safely and you'll make more HP and torque over the whole power-band.

I don't see what investment for HP could be better for the money. Period.

[ShadowMan]

You don't need to rebuild the entire engine to get the benefits of a real ems? Not to mention you can push 350+ WHP on a totally stock block, head gasket and head on SR motors with a safe tune.

You can pull out another 25+ hp at the wheels just by putting a reprogrammable ems (like a pfc) on a stock SR20DET with a FMIC and installing a decent timing map. Literally. If you turn the boost up you can make even more. Especially since the stock ECUs are setup for 98 octane in Japan.

Most of the time the maps need much much less timing to avoid knock and make hp safely and you'll make more HP and torque over the whole power-band.

I don't see what investment for HP could be better for the money. Period.

I think he was referring to the fact that most people who go bat shit crazy with 'ooh la la' shit and leave their tuning to the way side end up blowing their motors.