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View Full Version : Lidio is a minor deity at least



dwasson
05-22-2004, 02:51 PM
I attended "Dyno Day" at Alternative today and had Lidio burn me a chip. This is the best money I could have spent on my car. It completely wakes the car up below 60 MPH. Floor it at 20 MPH and it runs like a scalded dog. I can't think of a strong enough way to tell you guys with stock cars to do this. Let me try this, If you aren't buying a blower do this chip first.

Trust me on this. Lidio rules! :bows:

MikesMerc
05-22-2004, 03:02 PM
One thing I do have to say about Lidio's style is that he takes all the seat time needed to get everything ironed out so the tune is "just so." It's that attention to detail that I can appreciate.

Was a great dyno day too! There will be a thread devoted to MCM Dyno Day with pics and stories galore I'm sure. (maybe this thread!).

Glad you like the chip Dan. It really is a sweet mod :beer:

Bradley G
05-22-2004, 07:38 PM
One thing I do have to say about Lidio's style is that he takes all the seat time needed to get everything ironed out so the tune is "just so." It's that attention to detail that I can appreciate.

Was a great dyno day too! There will be a thread devoted to MCM Dyno Day with pics and stories galore I'm sure. (maybe this thread!).

Glad you like the chip Dan. It really is a sweet mod :beer:Is the difference between SCT tuner and a performance chip that you can change settings with more easily with tuner . ie; if you do other mods you can recalibrate tuner accordingly vs. burning a new chip. I don't have a big budget for mods yet so I am trying to deciefer which mods I can build on and which mods are making others obsolete or less desireable. ie I hear read somewhere a huffer & 4:56 gears might be too much together:shot: my wife will drive mm on occasion & she might wigg a little if I get to nutty:eek:

bigslim
05-22-2004, 08:47 PM
Way to go Dan. I love my chip. Maybe you will do the 410 next. Now I will really have to chase you down on 696.

MikesMerc
05-22-2004, 09:05 PM
Is the difference between SCT tuner and a performance chip that you can change settings with more easily with tuner . ie; if you do other mods you can recalibrate tuner accordingly vs. burning a new chip. I don't have a big budget for mods yet so I am trying to deciefer which mods I can build on and which mods are making others obsolete or less desireable.

The best bang for the buck is a chip and gears.

You can certainly get the tuner which makes life a bit easier. But the chip is cheaper and gets you where you want to go. You can always run multiple tunes on a flip chip anyway.

Start with a chip for sure. They can always be reburned when you make more mods.

If you want more, then 4:10s would do it. It's hard to go wrong with a gear up to 4:10. Even with a blower it makes a good choice. Stay away from anything taller if you ever plan on a blower. The chip/gear combo is a great step up in seat of the pants improvement. And both can be had for a decent price. Most of the other inexpensive mods aren't big power makers and don't do too much for the seat o meter IMOHO, but some beleive differently and they like the few extra ponies.

After this, the next significant mods become more dicey and need planning. If you are thinking about a blower in the future, just start saving today. Perhaps get the chip/gear now, then save up and do a blower. Things which are very optional after a blower install include a shift kit, higher stall, and exhaust work. But, as you do those mods, you begin to sacrifice the luxo side of the factory formula to some extent.

If you plan on staying NA, go for the chip,gears and a bit of exhaust work. Then consider a slightly looser stall.

Bradley G
05-22-2004, 09:53 PM
does this mean with a tuner you can re burn flip chip for changes yourself?If I understand correctly the chip will give better power changes than reprogramming the ECM with SCT tuner. Thanks for your answers. Your car sounds like an animal ;)

jspradii
05-22-2004, 11:20 PM
The best bang for the buck is a chip and gears.

You can certainly get the tuner which makes life a bit easier. But the chip is cheaper and gets you where you want to go. You can always run multiple tunes on a flip chip anyway.

Start with a chip for sure. They can always be reburned when you make more mods.

If you want more, then 4:10s would do it. It's hard to go wrong with a gear up to 4:10. Even with a blower it makes a good choice. Stay away from anything taller if you ever plan on a blower. The chip/gear combo is a great step up in seat of the pants improvement. And both can be had for a decent price. Most of the other inexpensive mods aren't big power makers and don't do too much for the seat o meter IMOHO, but some beleive differently and they like the few extra ponies.

After this, the next significant mods become more dicey and need planning. If you are thinking about a blower in the future, just start saving today. Perhaps get the chip/gear now, then save up and do a blower. Things which are very optional after a blower install include a shift kit, higher stall, and exhaust work. But, as you do those mods, you begin to sacrifice the luxo side of the factory formula to some extent.

If you plan on staying NA, go for the chip,gears and a bit of exhaust work. Then consider a slightly looser stall.
I agree with this for a stock machine basically. But for more advanced applications (using either an S/C, Turbo, or a NOS application) the ability to run various different programs quickly is advantageous. I'm looking into the SCT Racer package that will allow me to tune my car with the laptop and store my own "tweaked" programs. This, to me would be the ultimate. I can program the car for density altitude and other variable conditions on any given day, and it makes a big difference. I can actually predict my ET's to 1,000th of a second (this can be embarassing when the driver is not up to the task: I know, I've been there) This also allows me to change other factors that aren't nearly as flexible with just the 9100 SCT tuner.:beer:

Lidio
05-23-2004, 07:10 AM
The difference between the chip and the hand held tuner is that the tuner doesn’t require you to access the computer in the car and clean the service port where the chip needs to plug into. Both the chips and the hand helds can store the exact same programs on them. The tuner can store up to 3 different programs that have to be uploaded when ever you want to make change or try one of the other programs. The only advantage to the tuner is that literally no tools are required to install one of the three programs and the computer can be flashed back to stock and the dealer or no one else will ever know the CPU was modded at one point.

The other great thing about the hand held tuner is that the number one cause of problems with chips and Fords in the aftermarket is that lots of consumers are not cleaning the service port correctly where the chip plugs into. The service port where the chip goes has a film or waxy coating on it from the factory. If this coating is not removed correctly the car wont run at all or will continue to run but the chip will be ineffective. The hand held rules out this problem by plugging into the OBD port under the dash and simply reflashes the stock computer with no tools what so ever needed.

Here’s what I don’t like about the hand held tuner. First off as a tuner like my self when calibrating a car and trying to make a living….. Time is money like any thing else. When flashing a stock computer with the micro tuner, the whole procedure from start to end takes about 12-15 minutes just to upload one program. From a end user consumer stand point, this is not to bad as long as the three installed programs are well though out and you are happy with one of them and you go about driving your car and all is well. The other thing is the hand helds don’t give you the ability to switch from one program to another on the fly in an instant.

Three of the most popular things I do with the chip when making them switchable is;
a nitrous mode,
a valet mode and
a race fuel mode where I add about 3-6 degrees more timing.

This super easy switching on the fly chip thing does not happen with the hand helds and will be gone for the most part on most Fords in ’05. Starting in ’05 most all Ford will no longer have a chip port, forcing us to get used to some sort of hand held tuners or equipment of that nature to be used all the time.

From a tuner stand point, in the future when the chip port goes away, it will be much more difficult for us to develop programs for the highly moded cars. Because of the lack of upload speed from the hand held to the computer through the OBD port. And even uploading from the laptop to the hand held tuner takes a little bit longer then uploading to a chip. At this time with the chip port I can make a pull on the dyno or go on a test drive and come back to the shop to lets say tweak a shift point, and with in about 3-4 minutes I’m ready to go on a test drive again or make a pull on the dyno. The other disadvantage to hand held tuners is typically their about $200.00 more then a chip.

We get $350 for our MM chips with up to four programs and $525.00 for the SCT hand held tuners with three program on them.


Thanks

dwasson
05-23-2004, 05:48 PM
Way to go Dan. I love my chip. Maybe you will do the 410 next. Now I will really have to chase you down on 696.

For my purposes the 4.10 gear would ruin the car. I like how long legged the car is. I can run at 85-90 MPH all day and never feel like I'm stressing the car. The 4.10 gear means that at 80 MPM it's turning 3000 + RPMs. That is more noise than I want on the interstate. Remember, I've got 28K miles on mine.

bigslim
05-23-2004, 08:24 PM
Honestly, I hardly notice a difference at 80 mph. I do love the launch it has now. I do know you do more highway driving though Dan.

Dan
05-24-2004, 06:28 AM
Lidio,

How is the switch between programs actually done? You talking about 3 modes and switching between them Please explain this in a bit more detail.

Also, what does the valet mode do to the car.

Last question... do you need the car there to do a chip?

Thanks,

Dan

Lidio
05-24-2004, 09:53 PM
The multi program chips are simply programmed with up to four different programs that can be switched between with a little rotary dial that comes with the chip. Programs one and two can usually be switched on the fly. While going from program 2-3 or 3 to 4 seem to require the key off. Its that simple.

On our valet mode if you want…. What I do is rev limit the car to about 4000rpm and it wont go over 60mph if that’s what you want.

And I do not require having the car at our shop if it’s a basically stock MM. If it extensively modded then it require a full custom tune in our presents.





Thanks

schuvwj
05-25-2004, 06:47 PM
The multi program chips are simply programmed with up to four different programs that can be switched between with a little rotary dial that comes with the chip. Programs one and two can usually be switched on the fly. While going from program 2-3 or 3 to 4 seem to require the key off. Its that simple.

On our valet mode if you want…. What I do is rev limit the car to about 4000rpm and it wont go over 60mph if that’s what you want.

And I do not require having the car at our shop if it’s a basically stock MM. If it extensively modded then it require a full custom tune in our presents.
Thanks



Very nice Lidio!!!! When can we get a dyno tune with your four position chip?

Anybody want to buy a SCT 9100 Custom Tuner?

Dan
05-25-2004, 06:55 PM
Lidio,

I am currently in an 03 MM which has the SuperChips Microtuner treatment. As you know, my plan is to go the supercharger route in the next few months.

Two questions...
1. How would your chip improve the tune of my car of the SCMT in terms of high performance?

2. Knowing my SC plans would you suggest I wait to do the chip?

Thanks,

Dan

Lidio
05-25-2004, 07:26 PM
When ever your ready for a tune at our facilities just call about 2 – 4 weeks ahead of time during the busy summer months.

I don’t make clam’s that my tunes are better or out perform other tunes. I will say that my transmission/torque converter tunes are getting great reviews though. As well as the other parameters I adjust too.

If you have a SCT micro tuner already… it can be reflashed to accommodate a blower tune as well and you could just keep it then. Or sell it and use the supplied chip with the blower kit as well.


Thanks

schuvwj
05-25-2004, 07:49 PM
When ever your ready for a tune at our facilities just call about 2 – 4 weeks ahead of time during the busy summer months.

I don’t make clam’s that my tunes are better or out perform other tunes. I will say that my transmission/torque converter tunes are getting great reviews though. As well as the other parameters I adjust too.

If you have a SCT micro tuner already… it can be reflashed to accommodate a blower tune as well and you could just keep it then. Or sell it and use the supplied chip with the blower kit as well.
Thanks


Thanks Lidio I'll call tomorrow. I've got some additional mods coming that will require some very different programs.

I currently have a dyno tune program from Jerry W. and his trany shifting program is tops!

Not happy with my two other SCT 9100 programs. Maybe you can help!

Thanks!