Snug

I finally got around to putting Kooks 1 3/4" long tube headers, catted X-pipe and Borla exhaust on my '06. The local tuning shop want $500 to tune it on a Mustang dyno.
Is $500 a fair price?


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Mike@DiabloSport

Well, how much did you spend on the headers?
Even a simple longtube install is not 'complete' until it is tuned, you could still be leaving 10-15 rwhp on the table.

The proper way to look at it is you can spend $1K on the headers, and just bolt them on and get about half the power that's available, or call it $1500 (headers plus tune) for the full gain

Snug

I think you misunderstood my question. I'm not questioning the cost-effectiveness of having the car tuned after a header install. I'm asking if $500 is a reasonable charge for the tune. I have no idea what most dyno tuners charge for this service.

KLLRVET

that price is right in line for the norm

Zip Corvettes

It really depends on what you are asking them for. If you are asking them to make some adjustments to the A/F and you end result on the dyno. Depending on how much time they spend on it, sure it is worth that being that your car is mostly stock. When you install heads or cam then that would be on the very cheap side. There is allot of price ranges out there, but you get what you pay for and in the end it is time spent. If you want someone to go through and rebuild the SD and the MAF side, and prettly much go through everything so that in the end you have a car that idles and drives in traffic or basically drives anywhere like a stock car, you will pay upward of 1200-2000 depending on what is done. Especially when you talk about dyno time, because that setup could require 3-4days of adjustments on the dyno before it comes off to finish idle qualities etc on it. I know a little off subject but before anyone jumps on a band wagon and says $500 is too expensive, there is allot that goes into it, but in the end it is time. If it took 5 hours to tune your car, what is there hourly rate, then what is the rental rate on the dyno because those are two different things. Dynos are usually $100 per hour, and example our labor time is $75 per hour. So if they get your car done in 3 hours (including strapping and unstrapping car) that would be $525. Anyways good luck with your tune.

FloydSummerOf68

For just a dynotune for a basic bolton car most shops around Houston charge around $400

stivette

IMO if you are not doing ANY other engine related mods in the near future (<1-2 years), I would have it dyno tuned. If you do a "mail order tune" you will still spend around $350 so, for the extra little power the tuner can squeeze for another $150 is worth it IMO. Expect to pay anywhere from $400-$600 for a dyno tune, so $500 is right in line. Now, if you are planning on doing anything else SOON, like a CAM or supercharger/turbo(s)/nitrous, I would do a basic "mail order tune" as you will only leave 5-10hp/tq on the table, if that. Hope this helps.

AIR_RAM

Get yourself a Wide Band Data Logger and then have it internet tuned by an experienced internet tuner... or if your capable, do your own tuning. Only cost would be the one time purchase & installation of the Wide Band Data Logger.

A wide band data logger reads & records the same information a DYNO does BUT the DATA LOGGER will actually record during "REAL WORLD" conditions such as under hood heat, road heat, engine load throughout the RPM range and wind resistance...things no DYNO can possibly duplicate.

After a Wide Band Data Logger is installed you virtually turn any open road into a DYNO session ANYTIME ANY DAY with no appointment needed. Simply record a WOT run, pull over, save the file, e-mail the file to your tuner. Once your tuner adjust the tune he will mail you a new tune, upload that tune into your hand held, data log that tune and send your tuner the file again... this typically only takes 3-4 tweaks or adjustments. Many times you can arrange your tuner to be available and knock it all out in one day.

Best part is once the Data Logger is installed... you no longer need to pay for its services... So if you add a new bolt on, you just record a Data log and E-mail it to your tuner... pay your tuner for the "TWEAK"... which would be around 100-150 bucks to tweak the tune... He will send you a "Tweaked" tune based of the file you sent him, upload that new tune and Data Log it again... Normally 1-2 files is all it takes to dial in a "TWEAK"...

I was actually able to tune my engine at the track between runs. My tuner was in a different state at the time and was able to knock off .45 off my initial run after only 3 passes down the track.

I'm a BIG fan of Wide Band Data Loggers. Once you start using one for tuning, your unlikely to ever go to a DYNO again.

The only time I would suggest a DYNO over a DATA LOG tune would be when doing the first tune of a boosted vehicle... the first few moments are way to critical to be going back and forth with your tuner... But once that first base tune is nailed down, the tweaks can be made from a data log file.

SPEED SAFE, NICK

0Tampa Tuning

I tell guys with bolt ons and below, lets street tune it for $280.

Heads and Cam and above, lets dyno tune it.
www.TampaTuning.com

LeftLane Z06

$400 for a tune where I'm at.

Zip Corvettes

I would agree with this in that data logging on the street afterward in a real world enviroment is good thing. However if you are using the right dyno you will notice that the tune would be so close that you really should not have any driveability issues on the street. For one you can't hold the car steady state on the street, and when you are working in your base air files the car needs to be at steady state or you corrupt your information. You can use filters etc, but it is not the same thing. You are also watching your map and filling the cells as need be and can hold a steady RPM and use the throttle to reach areas of the MAP that you really can't do on the street. There is no substitute for using a dyno, not to be said that you can't make improvements on what you have on the street. If you gave two guys the same car and one tuned it on the street and one on the dyno, and the guys tuning both knew what they were doing, the dyno car would drive better and make more power. You have no way do judge a street tune except by the seat of your paints, the dyno is a tool just like a torque wrench, that is like me saying I like installing my lug nuts better with a pipe wrench than a torque wrench that would actually tell me how much torque I am twisting them too, dyno is the same thing. It is also safer. However the street is the real enviroment of vehicle and there is not substitute for taking it out afterwards and making sure there is no issues with the driveabitity. Like I stated before, $500 is a fair price.

Ed@TheVetteDoctors

We charge $399.99 on our load bearing Dynomite dyno with a street test drive/final tweak.....SD tunes are a bit more.

Ed M

Snug

I've made an appointment for a $500 dyno tune with my local tuner for March 27th. I feel a 'seat of the pants' improvement after the header and exhaust install and I'm hoping for the same kind of improvement after the tune.
Thanks for all the replies as it's helped me decide to make the appointment for a tune.

edcmat-l1

That price is about average. If they're good LS tuners, it will be money well spent.

0Brian@RPT

$500 is a bit much and that one is easy to tune. Once the cam has changed, the tuning takes a lot more time and thus, the prices goes up. Stock internal engines are quite simple and with the right equipemt like dyno, wideband and 5-gas analyzer.....the tuning process is quick due to instant feedback.

Zip Corvettes

Ed,
How do you like your LAS dyno?

Zip Corvettes

It also depends on what they are doing. Are they just making some adjustments to the PE table or are they leveling the PE table and fixing the MAF transfer function and the VE so that the car is delivering what it is commanding. Big differences in time. You can spend two passes and 20 minutes or so just fixing the PE table. If you are actually fixing the MAF tables and VE tables so the car delivers the actual commanded lambda, that take time which is money. I guess you could say at the end of the day either way is right, I mean GM gives it to you like that. I personally like to fix all the base tables so that the car actually runs its commanded lambda, I flatten my PE so next time or later if I decide the car can run leaner or richer, I don't need to install a WB, I can go right to my PE table and plug in the lambda I want it to run and it will run it.

Detoxx03

Bingo

Ed@TheVetteDoctors

Its great simplifies VE mapping, can simulate road conditions for further tune validation/issue solving etc.

Ed M

Zip Corvettes

I flew up there and was talking to them about buying their wheel dynos. I have since change my mind and I am going to purchase on of there drum setups, looking at the 30" roller version. Have you had any issue with it software or hardware. How has the customer support been at LAS.