LFP mail tune for Xcal 3....is it any good?

[04gtstang]

Well I will be buying my dad an X cal 3 for his 01L (Christmas) and found LFP to have the best price on the Xcal 3...but ofcourse when it comes to tunes they are VERY important and saving a few bucks isnt worth a blown engine. (I tune my car BTW..so I definatly know how important they are in not only power, but for reliability. check sig for stock shortblock #s)

And I have conviced my mom to buy him a 4# lower (will be from LFP), so I can have them set the tune up for that now. Otherwise its stock besides the soon to be removed boost bypass mod, since a tune will disable it.
Only problem im seeing with LFP is that they dont seem to have a "shop" where they tune Ls, seem just like an online vendor. So im not sure how experienced they are at tuning.
Iv had a bad experiance with that before with an online vendor with claimed XX years experience, but with no real shop to speak of. Canned tune for my GT when it was mild bolton, and my A/F was riding between 14-15 on a local dyno after the tune.
So im not sure how good their tunes are and would like some feedback on what I should do. I would like opinions on the 4# lower, if thats a good idea... and if LFP are good tuners or if I should go elsewhere (like Amazon...seem great, but I didnt see the X cal 3 offered).

I Just dont want to risk my dads engine and want the very best....you guys are the experts and im in your hands. BTW NOTHING has been purchased yet.

thanks

 

[throttle jockey]

IMHO... dyno tuning FTW. I never have ran a canned tune and don't encourage others to do it. I just prefer the comfort of knowing a reputable tuner dialed in my investment to its full potential, "safely" :dw: . Many run with canned tunes and have no problems, but then there is always one or two that had experiences similar to your own. For people who already have a wideband so they can keep an eye on the A/F and know how to datalog with the hand-held, canned tunes are probably not nearly as risky since flaws can be detected before its too late.

As far as purchases, the 4# will be a great improvement and is more "safe" than the 6#er, but if you (or your father) would prefer a little more power (particularly torque) at at a slightly higher level of risk, the 6# is the way to go. I ran a 6# when I had the Eaton and was very happy with it. Regardless, an upgraded MAF is advised just to err on the side of caution, and this may as well be added before a dyno tune (if you go this route) so you don't have to re-tune later.

Get rid of the boost bypass mod... its worthless. If you want to eliminate it for the track just unplug the sensor, then plug it back in before heading home.

 

[FlaHP]

Too much is at risk.

Get to a dyno.

 

[Kryo-Genik]

you can get an Xcal3 from Amazon..however Rick is not a fan of them.
I spoke with him at length today in regards to them...ill be staying far away for a while.

 

[wicked90lx]

What did rick say? just ordered the xcal3 from LFP, not here yet tho.

 

[Kryo-Genik]

What did rick say? just ordered the xcal3 from LFP, not here yet tho.

In a nut shell they are behaving like the livewire did (lock ups while flashing etc). But then again it is new hardware so there are kinks that need to be worked out..and well you can always reflash the firmware to update
ANother reason Ill keep going back..Rick pulls no punches and will tell you how he feels about a product, not many vendors will do that for you...they are too interested in making a sale.


Dammit i shoulda ordered my upper pulley while i was on the phone LOL

 

[fuzzie]

If your in Texas make the trip to PSI Motorsports in Webster,Tx. Patrick is one of the best tuners out there today. Good luck and let me know if you need any more help.

 

[svtpwd831]

nothing againts LFP but stay away from the mail order tune, i learned my leason the hard way

 

[203Cree]

I've heard nothing but bad things about tunes from them. Stay away.

 

[AmazonTuning]

I've heard nothing but bad things about tunes from them. Stay away.

how recent was that?

 

[04gtstang]

Thanks guys. thats exactly what I needed to know. They probably just do enough to get it right. Mail tunes can be safe...just depends on who does it. Tim @ modulapowerhouse has known SAFE mail tunes and they are always on the way safe side. Ill plug my wideband into it or something and ill see what the A/F is.

How much is a dynotune from PSI?

Im thinking Rick @ Amazon will be a very stand up guy from what I hear and treat us right....and from the sound of it he really knows what he is doing.
Im also ditching the Xcal 3 then....I dont want any problems and I know the Xcal 2 is very reliable since I use one.

 

[Derek@Amazon]

Im thinking Rick @ Amazon will be a very stand up guy from what I hear and treat us right....and from the sound of it he really knows what he is doing.
Im also ditching the Xcal 3 then....I dont want any problems and I know the Xcal 2 is very reliable since I use one.

id say so!

 

[04gtstang]

^Is rick the only tuner @ Amazon or will I just have to request Rick when I buy the Xcal2?

 

[fuzzie]

Give Patrick a call at the shop for pricing. 281-557-2874
I am using the X-Cal 3 right now without any issues.

 

[AmazonTuning]

^Is rick the only tuner @ Amazon or will I just have to request Rick when I buy the Xcal2?

Rick is the only tuner at Amazon

 

[Kryo-Genik]

Im thinking Rick @ Amazon will be a very stand up guy from what I hear and treat us right....and from the sound of it he really knows what he is doing.
Im also ditching the Xcal 3 then....I dont want any problems and I know the Xcal 2 is very reliable since I use one.

Rick and Linn both are freakin awesome! I know Amazon has some of the best customer service I've ever had. Rick knows his stuff and I trust him when it comes to my truck.

Rick is the only tuner at Amazon

And the only one thatll be tuning my vehicles

 

[AmazonTuning]

Give Patrick a call at the shop for pricing. 281-557-2874
I am using the X-Cal 3 right now without any issues.

we got a shipment and had issues with several of them..glad to hear they have the firmware issues worked out..I wouldnt cancel any orders if you have an X3 ordered...if you do have any issues they will be taken care of


nor should you worry about getting a mail order tune from someone with Ricks backround and experience..knowing about your tuner's qualifications is very important whether you are getting a mail order tune or a dyno tune..all of our mail order tunes have been dyno developed and street and track tested..and rick can do a remote tuning session for any of his mail order customers..he can actually tune you from right here in SC to wherever you are located..contact me for details..

 

[04gtstang]

Ok, I REALLY appreciate all the help and after looking into it both Rick and Patrick are amazing tuners....both remind me alot of Tim @ MPH as far as dedication to quality goes. But the truck actually isnt running properly as it sets and there may be problems with it (ran a best of 14.09 @ 97MPH in 55* weather and no air filter....2 hour cool down...previous best was a 14.6 @ 94 in 60* weather) so I felt the best thing was to get it on a dyno to see exactly what its doing.

I called up Patric and talked with him and decided to get a dyno tune from them. I know mail oder tunes can be safe, especially from someone like Rick, but since this truck has some issues already I just didnt want to risk anything. It cost a bit more for this route but atleast I KNOW its safe and maybe he can let us know if something is wrong with it.

Again, thanks for all the input....and you guys at Amazon can definatly expect me to recommend people to you, its obvious you do really great work.

 

[AmazonTuning]

good luck with your issues..we are always hanging around here if you need us for anything..