Tuning my Vortech Supercharged 02 GT

[miked272]

Hi there mustang community! I recently purchased an 02 Mustang 4.6 2V with a V-1 trim Vortech supercharger system installed. Kit originally included 38lb injectors, and a 255 lph fuel pump according to Vortech. The kit is smog legal and the car only has 55,000 miles on it.

Upon reading the included maintenance records I noticed that before taking it in for smog the previous owner had the dealership prepare it and I believe they may have returned the ECU to stock tune. When I asked Vortech about receiving a replacement tune which they apparently provide with the kid upon purchase, I was told that it’s illegal for them to provide one for free or even to sell one due to CARB restrictions.

I’m very interested in making sure that the tune is maximized for not only performance but also to prevent any possible damage caused by an incorrectly tuned ECU. Any suggestions on a shop to provide a dump-tune, or your experience using custom tune tools (like SCT) would be much appreciated. Thanks! I look forward to hearing your replies.

 

[OneSick99GT]

You need a custom tune! No handheld tuner will work for the setup you have. Call a well reputable shop, ask them what you will need and go from there. Don't let anyone fool you into buying a handheld tuner as a fix. Although you will need one for a shop to custom tune it.

 

[miked272]

You need a custom tune! No handheld tuner will work for the setup you have. Call a well reputable shop, ask them what you will need and go from there. Don't let anyone fool you into buying a handheld tuner as a fix. Although you will need one for a shop to custom tune it.

Thanks so much for the advice! I found a tuner shop a pass Sacramento that specializes in mustangs and I’m going to be in contact them to set up a proper tune. I will post on the forum when I have it finished to let other people know about my experience.

 

[Noobz347]

You need a custom tune! No handheld tuner will work for the setup you have. Call a well reputable shop, ask them what you will need and go from there. Don't let anyone fool you into buying a handheld tuner as a fix. Although you will need one for a shop to custom tune it.

Thanks so much for the advice! I found a tuner shop a pass Sacramento that specializes in mustangs and I’m going to be in contact them to set up a proper tune. I will post on the forum when I have it finished to let other people know about my experience.

Wait... There's a caveat to that.

First is that not all hand-held tuners are created equal. The next is that some can even be programmed [by] authorised dyno-tuners.

Let's say for instance, that you have an (I dunno, this is just for instance) an XYZ hand-held tuner that accepts mail-order tunes from company XYZ. Call the dyno centers near you and see if they have the capability to flash XYZ hand-held with their in-house tune before tossing it in the can. If not, it may also be possible for the dyno-tuner to send data to company XYZ to have a tune generated.

My question is this: How was the car tuned previously? What exactly, do you think was set back to stock? Hand-held tuners for OBD-2 cars were a lot better than they were previously. There are some capable hand held tuners out there.

 

[Noobz347]

@a91what

 

[a91what]

In this case I suggest calling around and finding a reputable shop to deal with, don't buy anything. Let the shop tell you what they are comfortable with.