Share your LSX Tuner Experiences and Recommendations

[MattG]

I finally found a tuner that made my LS7 run the way I always wanted it to. Ed at https://www.virginiaspeed.com/ really came through for me and I feel like we should all share which tuners have come through for us!

After 3 different tuners had their way with my car (some with better success than others), I can finally drive my car without it stalling or surging anywhere near idle (not to mention Much more Power).

There are many tuners that can post some big numbers (they are all over the place on LS1Tech.com), but with my experience the difficult part for tuning an LSX Pro Touring car is getting the drivability right.

I have a combo that I thought would be straight forward to tune, but proved to be vary challenging in the end. I found that just because someone can tune a new gen. Corvette, it doesn't mean they will be able to tune the many different combos that we come up with when we put and LSx into an old car. There are so many differences in computers, sensors and power combos that a tuner must really know the finer points in tuning.

I don't have my original dyno graph to show, but with a Much larger cam (243/253 on 113+3 .650 lift) my car only managed 500 rwhp and 475 rwt. I was very dissapointed to say the least and the drivability was poor. I then changed to the Katech Torquer cam to gain more torque and drivability (220/244 on 110) and got a retune. More torque for sure, but still didn't idle well and proved to be very difficult to manage.

Now to Ed at VA speed. He came highly recommended to me by a couple of local guys and by following him on LS1tech.com.

Ed discovered some key issues in the computer right away that no one else had seen, and ultimately discovered that the MAF was not working correctly.

Here are the results:



I drove the car home 3.5 hrs and picked up 2 mpg (23mpg at 70mph, Ford 9inch w/3.70 gears and t56) with 50 more hp than before, WOW!

At 70 mph I can cruise with the cruise control on with zero surging (never had a problem with that anyway) and when I come to a stop regardless of how I do it, it settles in at an 850 rpm idle.

First and second gear are a major exercise in throttle control and after 3 years of frustration, I FINALLY enjoy driving my car!

Hope this helps someone, and maybe we can make this a sticky to make finding a Good tuner easier for everyone around the country.

Thanks and lets hear about everyones tuners they trust,

Matt

[ProdigyCustoms]

Mike Norris is the best I have ever seen with LS motors.

[XcYZ]

Matt, are you running an E38 ECM? Mass air or speed density?

Great numbers!

[Vegas69]

Look at that air/fuel, it's one of the best I've ever seen. Crazy good numbers out of a 427 with that little cam.

[KPC67]

It's a long ways away but I have been wondering who I will get to help me with this up in Canada when the time comes...

[Chicken Louie]

Originally Posted by KPC67

It's a long ways away but I have been wondering who I will get to help me with this up in Canada when the time comes...

KPC 67,

James Hatfield at HorsePower Solutions in Edmonton is a name I have heard a few times up here in Alberta.

Dave

[James OLC]

Originally Posted by KPC67

It's a long ways away but I have been wondering who I will get to help me with this up in Canada when the time comes...

Davenport in Calgary should be able to help you out - they seem to have one of the best handles on LS engines that I know of in "the neighborhood". Good luck

[MattG]

Originally Posted by XcYZ

Matt, are you running an E38 ECM? Mass air or speed density?

Great numbers!

I've got the old 24 tooth from Speartech. I wanted cruise control and at the time that was the only option. Did you ever get your cruise to work?

[XcYZ]

No, I haven't really looked any more into cruise control. It would sure be nice on the Power Tour.


Yep, that cam is small, but the LS7 heads are great right out of the box. Look at the out of the box flow numbers, 360cfm at .600". The Torquer gives up some power above 6600, but it makes up for it with great mid-range torque. I've thought about doing a cam swap just to try something new, but my car runs so well - cold/hot starts/idle/driveabilty/etc - I don't want to change it. lol It traps 124mph weiging in over 3500 with me in it, so it's making decent power.

I had my car on a chassis dyno when it was brand new, and with only 19* of total timing (had intended on spraying it on the dyno, but never did), it made 500rwhp.

I'd like to get it back on the chassis dyno now that it's fully broke in and see what numbers it will make with the full 26* of timing.

[Vegas69]

Looks like the perfect pro-touring cam. Great low end torque and even thought it makes peak hp at 5900, it doesn't drop off much all the way up to 6600.