I just this morning placed my order for the SF3 through VMP Tuning. I am only getting canned tunes at this time. I found a shop that will do gears in my truck for approx ~1100. I'll try some canned tunes out, see how they work, make a final decision on the gears and then decide if I want to go with a custom tune or 2 after the gears.

 

Nice but you could have got custum tunes for like 20 dollors more when you bought the tuner? Or am I thinking of another shop?

 

An custom XCAL 3 was $399, but I couldnt decide on my tune choices, so I wanted to get canned tunes. I may get some custom tunes as well. Dont know if they give a deal because I bought the tuner from them. If they do great, if not thats fine.

One of the choices for the tune was gear ratio. I should probably have called to see if that really mattered, but I've been on the fence about spending money on the truck for so long, that I wanted to at least get something. Now I can take the step to schedule gears to be installed.

I'm fighting the urge (and the wife on some levels) to go big as in Supercharger.

I'm not spending money on my race car (for the last 4 years) so I need to do something. Its not that I have to spend money, its that I have the urge to modify.

 

I would call VMP and discuss the upcoming gear change before you use the canned tunes. Gearing changes the tuning.

 

if im not mistaken... the SF3 cannont be custom tuned.... the original Xcal3 had canned tunes and could hold tune files.. then they got rid of the canned tunes in the xcal3 and split it up into the SF3 and the xcal3... i could be wrong but thats why i made sure i picked up the proper programmer.

 

The SF3 holds 3 custom tunes and has multiple canned tunes.

 

For 390.00 you could get the xcal3 with custom tunes from 5 star tuning.644.00 with s+b intake tuned and ready to rock. http://www.5startuning.com/page38.php

 

My tuner arrived today.

After downloading about 35megs of files, I was ready to tune my truck.

I went with the default settings, which is 87 performance tune.

I have to say that before I put it in drive, I noticed a difference. I could bump the pedal and get immediate throttle response. I drove a few blocks to get out on the hwy. 1-2 and 2-3 part throttle shift very crisp compared to stock. WOT throttle 2-3 shift very nice. Performance like even.

Oh and the truck can even chirp the tires from a dead stop.

Only problem is she pings. Pings momenarily with a WOT or near WOT stab from stopped. Also pings at the top of each gear when WOT.

Its a little cool tonight and I dont know that I got the motor warmed up 100%, but I'm dissapointed and surprised that it pings at the 87 setting. I may tweak it out some more, no time tonight.

 

I've dealt with Just @VMP for awhile now and you will have to pay for custom tunes which are pretty pricey. On the XCal2 & 3 you can just re-gear on the programmer it's not really built into the tune, they have an option for it on their website so if you fill that in you don't have to mess with it when you get it.