Newb tuning ? GM Maf+T/dsmlink/safc II

[16vdohcturboawd]

Ive done some research but still cant figure out a tuning solution for my upgrade path and the pros and cons to each. I cant decide what to go with or if I should go with a mixture of the three.

I know with the GM Maft I can vent to the atmosphere which I dont really care about, what else can it do?

The safc II ive heard is harder to tune with bigger injectors and i plan to run 650-680s.

From what ive heard the link is the best/most expensive way to go. If I run the link can I keep my stock MAS or will I still need to upgrade it for over 300hp?

My current mods are.

All free mods done, K and N, Dejon intake pipe, 2.5" VRS Turbo back with test pipe.

Parts I will be getting within a month.

Evo III 16g, FMIC, 650-680cc Injectors, ACT 2100, autometer cobalt boost guage, wideband maybe?, walbro 190.

My goal is about 290hp-320hp to the wheels.

 

[snowborder714]

The MAF-T setup will allow you to vent, but is not a recommended tuning device. Yes, it can be used (some of the higher models are better at this - MAF-T Pro or GenII), but is not as good as the other two solutions. This is typically used in conjunction with one of the other two for venting/less restriction purposes. In that case, the MAF-T would be zero'd out and the other device used to tune. Also, there are not too many people running this option on here, so user support would be very sparse.

The S-AFC is a good device. It can be used by itself or in conjunction with the MAF-T. It's not very hard to tune, and there are a bunch of people on here that use it if you have any questions. It is limited to injectors smaller than 660cc, but should work for your goals.

ECMlink is the best of the three, but also the most expensive. It has extensive tuning capabilities over the other two, as well as incorporated logging. With the other two you will also need a logger. The user support for ECMlink is great - on here as well as in the dedicated forums. You will need an EPROM ECU (or convert your 1g to an EPROM) to run this. You can run any size injectors you'd like with ECMlink.

You will need a wideband for any of these applications if you plan to tune yourself. Your stock MAS might become a restriction, so upgrading to a 2g MAS would probably be the cheapest/easiest route.

I would say you'd be fine with an S-AFC/logger/wideband setup. But, just know if you want to go bigger, you'll need to find another way to control your injectors. There are other setups out there for 1g's that are good from what I read (ie. DSMap). So you can always do a search on 1g tuning setups to see other options.

 

[JEFFREYCASTGSX]

In my opinion DSMlink is best for what your doing. It is real easy to tune(i tuned one last friday) with, you can datalog from and there are many features that later your gonna think that you cant live without them. Theres is also a lot of support for it
By the way to clear something up AEM EMS is the best/most expensive way to go(if you can afford it, but im not telling you to get it).

 

[snowborder714]

I would not agree that AEM EMS is the best/most expensive way to go. And that is way over most people's heads that are on this forum.

And that is also for another thread.

 

[1gDSM4g63]

I wouldn't necessary say EMS is the BEST now that ECM Link v3 has come out, but it all depends on personal opinions.

I'm would lean towards ECM for the cost and the uncomplicated tuning software for self tuning.

 

[->PrOjEcTGS<-]

I have to input that if you are a DIY type of person, you can't go wrong with purchasing a Moates Ostrich EPROM Emulator and downloading TunerPro RT and doing all the tuning/editing yourself. You will have pretty much the same setup I have currently. I had the SAFC for a while and couldn't get away from having too much timing with 650's.

Yes, I know people have and continue to be able to tune around it. But, the fact is that you NEED to be inside the ECU and editing the timing and fuel maps to get the most out of your setup. Granted, it's not as PnP as ECMlink but the possibilities on what you can do with it are virtually endless since you have full control of all the code in the ECU at your finger tips.

 

[19BLACKGST98]

I have to input that if you are a DIY type of person, you can't go wrong with purchasing a Moates Ostrich EPROM Emulator and downloading TunerPro RT and doing all the tuning/editing yourself. You will have pretty much the same setup I have currently. I had the SAFC for a while and couldn't get away from having too much timing with 650's.

Yes, I know people have and continue to be able to tune around it. But, the fact is that you NEED to be inside the ECU and editing the timing and fuel maps to get the most out of your setup. Granted, it's not as PnP as ECMlink but the possibilities on what you can do with it are virtually endless since you have full control of all the code in the ECU at your finger tips.

Do you actually have to know the code to use it?...or does Ostrich decifer the codes and stuff for you so that you can just tune?

 

[->PrOjEcTGS<-]

Do you actually have to know the code to use it?...or does Ostrich decifer the codes and stuff for you so that you can just tune?

For some more of the custom stuff, yes. But for the basic injector compensation, maf compensation, injector deadtime, timing table, fuel table, no you don't.

TunerPro is just a Program interface for your laptop. It's a universal program you can use on a lot of different cars. There is two files that you load into the program, one called a .BIN file and one called a .XDF file. The .BIN file is the code that is read directly off of the factory chip. You could do it the hard way and just edit the BIN file's code with a HEX editor and just reburn it to a chip and plug it in without even using TunerPRO. But TunerPRO adds a GUI to the code. What the XDF file does for you is it pulls up specific things in the hex code for you to edit. And instead of sifting through the code to find the location you pretty much just double click on "Injector Compensation" and type in the value you want such as stock is 450.

Like I said someone originally went through and made up an XDF file that has the most basic functions that you will want to edit. It's a great starting point if you don't know how to program the code. Once you get a little bit better, you can edit the XDF file to include stuff you've added such as a stutterbox, NLTS, the possibilities are endless. If you don't add the locations for stuff you've added to the chip then you'd have to sift through the code just to change when the stutterbox is. I added it so I can change it on the fly if I ever needed to. I also added Wideband support and put the switching points in the XDF file so that I can edit them whenever without having to sift through the code.

Here is a website hwnd.org - 1G DSM EPROM Editing it goes through the most basic and most popular mods that most people want to do to their ECU and walks you through step by step how to program that into the hex code of the BIN file. It's a great starting point to do some very amazing things with the stock ECU.

 

[All_Boost16G]

Why not get a keydiver chip, and not have to, or do very little tuning. If you don't want to mess with a tune, and want to have some security that it will run good, get a chip!

 

[->PrOjEcTGS<-]

Why not get a keydiver chip, and not have to, or do very little tuning. If you don't want to mess with a tune, and want to have some security that it will run good, get a chip!

I'm not discouraging you from getting one of Jeff O's chips. But, if you are wanting to learn something new and/or want to do everything on your car yourself then you should at least try to DIY. Plus, Jeff can get the tune close, but since every car runs different then you will need to keep sending a chip back to Jeff for more tuning if you want to squeeze everything out of your setup. BTW, Each reflash costs $20. 4 reflashes and you've pretty much bought your own burner. If you don't care about tweaking your setup to run at it's best all the time then get Jeff's chips.

Nothing against Jeff at all since he has helped me understand alot of this from reading on Yahoo! DSM-ECU group with all of his great information there. He has a great product!! And backs it fully.

 

[16vdohcturboawd]

Thanks for all the replies and input guys, I think im gonna go with the Link.

 

[benjimatt]

AHH if I was you id check out ds-map.net. Easy method for tuning and they tell you how also. and there are two complete write ups that tell you how to install everything perfect.

 

[J-speed99]

This will probably get deleted but get an ostrich and check out ds-map.net you can do pretty much the same stuff as dsmlink but you can make more power because you wouldn't have the restriction in the intake pipe. Since dsmlink is the sponsor of this forum they don't want people to know about it.