What do you guys use to tune your engines? I have a TPI and want to be able to tune it. I hear getting a wideband is a start? FAST system? Open to opinions...

 

The stock computer is more than capable of handling most anything you throw at it. The aftermarket ECM's like FAST or DFI are for drag racing and/or older classic cars.
You can get yourself a tuning setup as described in the prom burning tech article and get started fairly easily and cheaper than those other ECM's, in my opinion.

 

Im running the FAST ECU and can't be more happy with it. I gained 100RWHP with it compared to the SD ECU I was running along with a ED Wright custom chip I had burned. I will NEVER use as MAF or SD TPI style ECM ever again. The worse part about them is that 99% of all the dyno shops out there cant even retune the stock chip. They dont want to even be bothered with it. I got so frustrated trying to find someone that could get me the right tune in my chip that I just got fed up and ripped it all out and bought a brand new FAST ECU with stand alone harness and WBO2. I installed it all myself and it went pretty straight foward. There are a lot of older FAST systems out there for just about $1,000. The new XFI ECU is the latest one out but I see no need for that setup on a street driven car. The older setup works just as good. I still think it is one of the best investments I have made with my car. it cost me $1,000 for it and then another 600 at the dyno tuner for him to dial it all in. Granted I had my car tuned on a Mustang style dyno compared to a dynojet which is why it cost more. Think about how much your gonna spend in parts to just tune your stock chip and then still live with the fact that your still using old technology stuff. For me it was a no brainer and I wont ever look back. I love my FAST setup.

 

I was originally going to use my stock ECM and just get a custom chip burned but my buddy did that for his new 355 HSR and it barely runs. His is an SD setup but I still see it as a hassle and that's why I asked about the FAST system. Don't know if I'll fork out that much cash for it though...

We'll see next year!

 

im not sure what a FAST ECM can do that a factory ECM can't.
i know with a factory ECM there are a lot of things you can change.
things such as PE, timing curve, VE, injector size, acceleration enrichment, & more.
as far as the data logging/tuning software goes for the factory ECM, its cheap.
if you already have a laptop & a WBO2, for around $100.00 or so you can have the stuff you need to start to log, edit, & burn chips.
a wideband isn't completely necessary, but it does help, its next on my to buy list.

 

Yeah, same here.

Reading up on some of the guys on here that burn their own chips and hearing from other car guys about tuning my stock ecm, it's probably what I'm going to do. One of my buds has a brand new Cobalt SS that he played around with. It now has no govener, power output is increased drastically and the damn thing spins the tires all through the first 3 gears. It's a rocket ship now!

Once I get my WBo2 than we'll see what my car can do...

 

I really find it hard to believe you gained 100 horsepower from changing the computer. For that to happen, your engine would have to be either so rich its flooding, or so lean you're burning the pistons. When I dyno-tuned my car, it went from 301 RWHP at 10:1 air/fuel ratio, to 319 RWHP at 12.8:1 air/fuel. That's a gain of only 18 horsepower.
There is absolutely no magic in a DFI or FAST or whatever that the stock computer cannot do, EXCEPT for making changes immediately while you're driving. However, with the invention of the Ostrich from Craig Motes, now stock computers can make immediate changes too.
If you couldnt find someone local to you that burns custom chips, I feel for you. I can also understand you not wanting to buy all the equipment, as burning your own chips on a stock computer is a bit more difficult than the aftermarket ECM's.
By the way, how do you get passed MA's emissions testing? Last I heard those aftermarket ECM's do not operate the SES light the same, and so you will fail a visual test when the tech turns the key on. Have they been updated to work the SES light now?