TruckinDude95

Member
Jul 9, 2012
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I am thinking of getting the autocal tune from blackbear, my truck is a 2008 sierra crewcab 5.3L. I know I want to disable afm and get my trans tightened up. Other then that, should I just let Justin do his thing? From the guys that have a autocal tune, does the tune come with a 87/89 and a 93 octane tune?

From what I have been reading, I should get most of my torque management tuned out. On blackbears web site, they say 75-80% removed on a stock vehicle. My trans just feels loose/sloppy, sounds like torque management is to blame for that. Any one else have any opinions/recommendations?
 

bgray

Stylish Canadian
Mar 17, 2012
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Just let Justin do his thing. DBW will be cleaned up considerably also after the tune. IMO I always remove 100% of TQ MGNT on all my tunes. Just will ask you want Octane you want to run, in my opion on a stock truck, use 87. The gains will be minimal
 

TruckinDude95

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Jul 9, 2012
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Just let Justin do his thing. DBW will be cleaned up considerably also after the tune. IMO I always remove 100% of TQ MGNT on all my tunes. Just will ask you want Octane you want to run, in my opion on a stock truck, use 87. The gains will be minimal

What does DBW mean? Do you think running 93 over 87 octane will be a noticeable difference in performance?
 

bgray

Stylish Canadian
Mar 17, 2012
3,052
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Onterrible, Canada
No it wont be on a fairly stock truck, stick to 87 IMO

Drive by wire...you have a electronic throttle body, which in factory tuning has a fair amount of lag built into it
 

TruckinDude95

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Jul 9, 2012
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No it wont be on a fairly stock truck, stick to 87 IMO

Drive by wire...you have a electronic throttle body, which in factory tuning has a fair amount of lag built into it

Ah ok gotcha. I have read that it has a slight delay. Have you ever gotten a BB tune on a stock truck? Did it make a difference in driveability?
 

Samuel6731

Cant Get Right
Mar 11, 2012
674
1
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New Roads La.
Any tune will wake up a stock dramatically. Itll drive the way it should drive! Drive ability will be alot better.

Yes you'll notice a slight difference in a higher octane tune, however I dont think its worth it on a stock truck. I also agree with B-gray, remove all the Torque Management.

I hate driving a stock tuned vehicle to me they are sluggish and drive like shit, You not only get a performance increase but overall the truck will drive alot better.
 

TruckinDude95

Member
Jul 9, 2012
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Any tune will wake up a stock dramatically. Itll drive the way it should drive! Drive ability will be alot better.

Yes you'll notice a slight difference in a higher octane tune, however I dont think its worth it on a stock truck. I also agree with B-gray, remove all the Torque Management.

I hate driving a stock tuned vehicle to me they are sluggish and drive like shit, You not only get a performance increase but overall the truck will drive alot better.

That sounds like what I am looking for, like you said the truck feels sluggish and the trans feels loose/sloppy. If I remove all the TM, will I have trans issues down the road?
On the 2008 5.3L, you should be running a minimum of 89, even on stock tuning.

I have been running 87 octane since new, the dealer said it would run fine on that. Should I switch to 89 or even 93 octane fuel?
 

slicksierra

Feel some type of way
Mar 8, 2012
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Central Jersey
Currently debating this for the summer as well, either a blackbear with autocal or a diablo intune with a custom tune from either diablew or east coast supercharging


Sent from my potato
 

Samuel6731

Cant Get Right
Mar 11, 2012
674
1
18
New Roads La.
That sounds like what I am looking for, like you said the truck feels sluggish and the trans feels loose/sloppy. If I remove all the TM, will I have trans issues down the road?


I have been running 87 octane since new, the dealer said it would run fine on that. Should I switch to 89 or even 93 octane fuel?
Yes TM plays a big part in it. It limits the amount torque you can put down and slowly applies more as parameters are met. Iv taken it all off every vehicle Iv tuned sure it can cause harm if you constantly beat on it but if you take advantage of it all removed all when it's appropriate then you shouldn't have a problem. That combined with a vette servo and shift kit with a good tune will make for one hell of a good feeling transmission. Also the factory shift properties have some to do with it ex shift timing and a little line pressure but again I stress a shift lit and servo makes it a lot better and in most cases prevents failure.

You can run 87 octane in it... No it won't get ideal Milage and make rates horse power but it'll drive without harming anything. Gm knows people are going to do it. It's like Ford putting they recommend BP gas on their gas caps....


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Samuel6731

Cant Get Right
Mar 11, 2012
674
1
18
New Roads La.
Currently debating this for the summer as well, either a blackbear with autocal or a diablo intune with a custom tune from either diablew or east coast supercharging


Sent from my potato

Iv heard nothing but good about black bear and prob won't ever hear anything bad...
Diablo does offer some damn good tunes as well

Like you said local tuners is also great but find a tuner you like if your going that route. Iv been hassled and hurried by local tuners after spending money with them and they wouldn't take their time for my nit picking self... So I ended up with hp tuners myself. So if you do go local tuner ask around and fine someone you can deal with if in the future you do need retunes for mods like cams and converters and such

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slicksierra

Feel some type of way
Mar 8, 2012
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Central Jersey
Iv heard nothing but good about black bear and prob won't ever hear anything bad...
Diablo does offer some damn good tunes as well

Like you said local tuners is also great but find a tuner you like if your going that route. Iv been hassled and hurried by local tuners after spending money with them and they wouldn't take their time for my nit picking self... So I ended up with hp tuners myself. So if you do go local tuner ask around and fine someone you can deal with if in the future you do need retunes for mods like cams and converters and such

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I saw things on oh tuners too how hard is it to work yourself?


Sent from my potato
 

Samuel6731

Cant Get Right
Mar 11, 2012
674
1
18
New Roads La.
Sorry my brains are scrambled yes that's what I'm wondering


Sent from my potato

User interface: yes extremely easy if you understand what you're adjusting and everything that is labeled. I mean if you know the order of numbers and simple math you easily figure out how to adjust what you're wanting to adjust.

This is the hard part:
Knowing what it is and actually what you're adjusting and in what way
knowing proper methods and order of tuning
knowing safe limits and signs that your past a safe limit and also what COULD happen
knowing what it is in Hp tuners you need to change to achieve a result your wanting (ex changing something simple and shift pressure)
knowing if you change something in one field, you may have others that you have to calibrate.
knowing how to data log and adjust the tune to get a desired outcome, and being able to realize parameters that need to be adjusted by data logging.

Hears the thing i could go on and on and on..... Heres how i learned. I got tired of paying people and went half and half with a friend for HP tuners which was 300 a person. However it came with 8 free cedits which allowed us to tune 4 GM vehicles @ 250 a pop we easily made out money right back.
I learned from a local friend of mine by watching him and asking questions.
Then I just started playing with it and tuning my truck and changing little things. The majority of my know how came from the hp tuner forum by simpling just reading how to's they have one for just about tuning anything, tires, fans, shift properties, AFR, fueling, timing, converters,........ ect, ect, ect.


I just cammed my truck, this is my first cammed truck im tuning because i refused to do others until i was comfortable with mine. My truck has a large cam for a 5.3 most would say, after research on hptuners forum it was easy. Took me 15 minutes to adjust to a perfect idle no stalling, no surging, and to also calibrate in my new injectors.

You learn the basics and become comfortable with it you begin to pick up on the rest very easily, at first its over whelming but it kills you to study because you want to know everything. The trouble shooting capability is also extremely nice to have, its equivalent to having a snap on tech 2 scanner.
 

slicksierra

Feel some type of way
Mar 8, 2012
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Is imagine with a mostly stock truck and a manual there wouldn't be much to play with but maybe I'll check out the forums and read some of the how too's


Sent from my potato
 

Samuel6731

Cant Get Right
Mar 11, 2012
674
1
18
New Roads La.
Is imagine with a mostly stock truck and a manual there wouldn't be much to play with but maybe I'll check out the forums and read some of the how too's


Sent from my potato

not hard at all man, and what you pay and pay for tuning say in my shoes like keep on building and changing it easily pays for itself and can make money for you tuning others
 

slicksierra

Feel some type of way
Mar 8, 2012
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Central Jersey
The east coast supercharging is a primarily corvette business and I heard from a guy at the last jersey meet that they just kinda pushed him along being a truck and all. Not something I want if I am paying hundreds of dollars
 

Samuel6731

Cant Get Right
Mar 11, 2012
674
1
18
New Roads La.
this is the shit im talking about. Alot of local in person tuners will push you along because they dont think you know much or not up to their standards.
Thats the problem i ran in to.
 

Jared

Administrator
Feb 8, 2012
20,572
117
63
North Dallas
I got dicked around, and pushed away since I had nothing "cool" to tune. This is why so many local tuners get bad raps. I wasn't going to chase down a tuner for a stock truck. I would much rather have a local tuner than can address issues at any time, but hell, some of them don't even do free re-tunes. You're lucky to have them look it over once or twice after the initial tune, unless you suck them off, or are good buddies with them, or have something that is high horsepower that will get them better known!

Luckily, there are several good tuners in Dallas, so if I ever decide to do some sort of FI or cam, I will look into the other options. For now, I am happy with my BBP tune.