# Best Programmer



## YellO5LS2 (Jan 9, 2011)

I've been researching all of the possible programmers for the GTO. From what I see, the Diablosport appears more on the forum than superchips does. Does any one have Dyno-proven numbers on which one is better for the GTO? My bro in law has an 05 SRT-10 and used Superchips. Truck rips now! I use it on my 04 Hemi quad cab and it's awesome but I have no experience with the predator tuner.

BTW I can't use HP tuners (at least not now), as I won't have access to a Dyno because I'm moving to Germany soon. In short - I need a handheld canned tune.

OPINIONS?


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## dustyminpin (Jun 19, 2006)

I don't know about the others, but the folks at Diablosport claimed about 20 hp. More important then the hp gain, is the disabling of torque management which lets you fry tires at will, the way a muscle car should be. Hitting the traction control button on the center console alone won't do it. I've had my Diablo since the car was new. I trust them. They were the 1st ones to market for our cars. They were the only ones available for the longest time.

As far as "dyno proven numbers", of a canned tune, that's an oxymoron if you ask me. My dyno shop charges $75 for a dyno pull. The handheld tuner costs $300, for a total of 375 clams. A full blown dyno tune that will make a canned tune look foolish costs $450 with reprogramming down the road for future mods at $250 a pop. Why would I pay $375 just to see what gains I've made form a generic tune? I'll pay my EFI-Live (or HP Tuners if it's your shop's thing) tuner $75 extra bucks for him to work his magic on the dyno while I stand back with a video camera smiling at the responses the vid's gonna get on youtube.


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## Falco21 (May 11, 2010)

^^^^perfect response hahaha


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## YellO5LS2 (Jan 9, 2011)

So is it worth getting a hand held or no? My mods so far are the CAI and SLP headers and the cat back is soon to be installed also. Can I get a dyno tune without buying software? In other words, can they tune the computer with their system?


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## Falco21 (May 11, 2010)

Yea what they'll do is hook your car up to their HP Tuners and put it on the dyno and make the changes based on that. HP Tuners are great because you basically can make changes wherever you feel necessary. The only downfall is that its extremely expensive and extremely hard to learn. It takes a lot of reading and a lot of trial and error. A LOT!!! I was looking into purchasing it but realized a dyno tune is cheaper and is done by someone who knows exactly what their doing. I would go with a dyno. At least that's what I am going to do. Just got to find a decent place near me thats not so pricy! But good luck to ya


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

I realized I couldn't afford a retune after doing mods piecemeal, so I just nutted up and bought HPT and a wideband and jumped into it. With patience, I learned it. There's a lot of hardcore engine theory at work, volumetric efficiency, fueling rate, intake charge temp, timing, all working together in a logarithim to keep your air:fuel ratio at 14.7:1 consistently, until you floor it. Then it goes into power enrichment, which is 12.5-8 N/A typically.

There's a lot to learn about what information is put into the ECM, how that information is processed, and the commands it sends to the ignition and fuel systems.


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## YellO5LS2 (Jan 9, 2011)

I understand how it all works, but don't feel comfortable changing calibrations and such myself. I want all the HP and torque i can get out of my car but I don't want to break something. That's why I think a handheld is best for me. 

Like I said...at least for now.


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## YellO5LS2 (Jan 9, 2011)

Actually, I'm in the tampa area so if there's a decent dyno shop around here I'd go check it out and see how things go. I imagine that any tune they do can be re-done after I put more performance parts in the car?


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## Falco21 (May 11, 2010)

I am from Miami!! Ive been looking for a tuner for a while now and one of the best ones they recommended to me was in Boca. Its 250 an hour. Im gonna make a road trip up this summer there. Maybe if your gonna do it later on we could meet up!! That'd be pretty bad ass. But this guy is supposed to be awesome and a great guy to work with.

MASPORT SPEED SHOP Home Page


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## YellO5LS2 (Jan 9, 2011)

Yeah man definately. I'd love to meet someone else who has a passion for the GTO like I do. I'd like to meet a bunch of people at the track sometime and talk to them about the best bang for the buck so to speak when it comes to HP. it's easier in person I think. 

250 an hour seems cheap! I was looking on the forum earlier and found a reputable dyno shop about a half hour from me for $400 for a full tune (don't know how much "full" is)


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## YellO5LS2 (Jan 9, 2011)

What track do you go to? I only know of the ones in bradenton and gainesville.


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## Falco21 (May 11, 2010)

I haven't been to a track with the goat yet. Theres one down by me but its only 1/8 mile. Wish it was 1/4. 

Also I contacted Dan from the shop I told you about and with my normal bolt ons he said it would cost me 450 for the entire tune no matter how long or how many passes it takes. Also he seems like a very knowledgeable guy with the lsx engine. I am probably gonna pull the trigger this summer on that tune for sure. I will keep in touch with you about it though. For sure


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## YellO5LS2 (Jan 9, 2011)

Yeah keep me posted. Are you sure you can wait till summer for a tune  I bought a new intake for my car 3 days after I go it. Hadn't even made one payment yet! If you're pleased with his work, i have no problem traveling to Boca to get my car done as well. I always get nervous before mods cause I spent 6 years keeping my high school driver z28 on the road so i analyze every sound I hear and think something is wrong (that car made a lot of noise, but what do you expect with a 16 year old car with 160,000 miles on it?). 

Just sayin that I don't wanna regret getting my car tuned. I never rev my engine up any higher than about 5K RPM or so and the dyno sounds a bit higher than that!


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## Falco21 (May 11, 2010)

Yea well the dyno definitely goes higher than that lol they take your car to redline. Thats the only way they can tell the exact horsepower and torque to the wheels


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## dustyminpin (Jun 19, 2006)

YellO5LS2 said:


> Just sayin that I don't wanna regret getting my car tuned. I never rev my engine up any higher than about 5K RPM or so and the dyno sounds a bit higher than that!


Don't fear dynos. Dynos are fun.  Just do everything you can to go back to the same one over and over again for repeatability. No 2 are the same. I've had mine on one 3 times now. It's nice to have an idea of what you got, instead of guessing. I went from 330 rwhp to 455 to 481, knowing what I did, when I did it, and how it effected the car. By comparing my latest dyno run from the one of last spring, I know that I gained 26 rwhp and 20 lbs-ft. from my Nick Williams 102 throttle body/SNL 100mm CAI/Texas-Speed 100mm MAF install. 

I felt like I was in one of those "priceless" Mastercard commercials when I brought the dyno sheets in to work the next day and rubbed them all up in my Lingenfelter C5 Vette buddy's face who said I wasted my money and time on "stupid" mods like that and there was no way my motor could suck in that much air....... he he he. Now I know, and knowing is half the battle...


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## YellO5LS2 (Jan 9, 2011)

I'm sure i'd be alright with that  long as the engine has oil in it. figure if it hurt the engine, they'd have a different way of doing it. How much better is a true dyno tune than a canned tune? If your numbers are accurate, holy crap! Can't wait to have those numbers on my car. you're naturally aspirated too right?


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## ericyow (Nov 17, 2010)

I use superchips and LOVE the difference it makes!


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