FordChips Dyno Tune, San Diego CA

[RocketCouch]

I'm posting this for a friend. All you Marauder guys had better represent :) Hope to see some of you down there!

Hey Guys,

Im really sorry for the very late notice but I didnt get this set up
until last night due to circumstances out of my control.

FordChips will be here in San Diego on the 6th and 7th of Oct depending on the amount of interest. Ive got it set up at JBA Racing again, 5155 Convoy Street, San Diego 92111. This a Monday and Tuesday since we already have the weekends obligated.

Fees are the same:

$300 for the tune and $120 for the dyno, For all new customers, who do not currently have a chip or program from Ford Chip, or current customers that have done extensive modifications.
$150 for the tune and $120 for the dyno, For all current customers with a Ford Chip or Ford Chip program from a previous dyno event or mail order.

$50 extra for a Flip Chip, You can add an additional program with a multi-position chip. Example: Tune with NOS and tune without NOS.

You will have the choice of either having the EEC reflashed or a chip burned for your vehicle. Price is the same for either way. NOTE: You must go with a chip for a multi-position program and EEC IVs. You need to let us know what your choice is prior to us starting.

NON REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT of $50 will be required by Oct 4th. Spots will be filled on a first come, first serve basis.

To reserve a spot, contact JBA Racing and place your deposit with them, they do take credit cards. Locally at 858 495-3395, out of town 888 522-5570 you can also contact them via e-mail at btucker@jbaracing.com

Your remaining balance will be due in full at the event.

Again, Im sorry for the late notice. Hope to see some of you there.

Lonnie

[studio460]

THANKS ROCKET!!!

I just called JBA and submitted my nonrefundable $50 deposit via credit card for the FordChip dynotune session in San Diego with Jerry!!! I'm currently booked for a 10:00AM session on Monday, October 6th. I JUST read Dennis' recent post about the new collaboration going on with Jerry on the Superchips MicroTuner programming, and that sounds VERY interesting! But from everything I've read here, I understand that the dynotune will be just a little bit better at eeking out every ounce of performance available from my still bone-stock Marauder.

My only indecision is whether to get the 4.10s installed before the tune, since I'm probably Trilogy-bound anyway within six months or so from now, and I won't want or need the shorter gearing when blown. The FordChip tune is really just to hold me over until I decide to buy the Trilogy package through Ford Racing this winter.

[SnakedMark8]

Yes the dyno tune would get you the best results. The new Tuner kits will give you the real ability to tune, burn chips and reflash any Ford EEC IV or V and it is user friendly. I mean you don’t have to know 0s and 1s at all. Just need some real common sense and the basic understanding of how the fuel injected Ford works besides your basic engine skills. Jerry (JW) FordChips and Chris Johnson JMS have put their heads together with Superchips to bring us a new state of the art and probably the most accurate tuning software to the market. This stuff should be hitting the market sometime next month.

So you still need to know how to tune. Yeah it will walk you through the basics but you still don't have the years of experience that Jerry has.

As far as the gear change that won't matter to the tune. The trans shifts are set by mph and the TPS. So if you change your gears afterwards as long as you put in the correct speedo gear for it or have a speedo calibrator you will be fine.


Lonnie

[jgc61sr2002]

SnakedMark8 - Welcome to the MM site the best on the net.:D

[studio460]

Thanks for the post, SnakedMark8! And welcome to the board!

Yeah, I expect that the forthcoming Jerry-programmed Superchips MicroTuner will be nice complement to the Marauder line-up of tuning options, but thanks for assuring me that the dynotune is the way to go! Not inexpensive at $420 including the dyno pulls, but I'm sure I'll be driving out of JBA's shop with a bigger smile on my face thanks to Jerry's extensive Panther platform tuning experience, in addition to his Marauder-specific tuning skills. It'll be interesting to see the dyno comparisons from a bone-stock Marauder WITHOUT gears to a FordChip dynotune on a car without gears, Denso plugs and 180-degree stat. I'm planning on getting a PCM flash over the add-on FordChip to keep the stock appearance.

One of Dennis' mods that's really tempting (bang-for-buck wise) is the underdrive pulley--but I'm hesitating because my friends don't recommend underdrives due to the reduced water volume pumping through your cooling system. Still on the fence on this one.

Wonder if I should start my own FordChip dynotune session countdown . . .

16 days to go 'til my FordChip dynotune!

[RocketCouch]

Get pullies...

I have them and love them! :)

[studio460]

Hey Rocket!

Hmmmm . . . I just lost the post I made . . . So, I don't need to install the underdrive pullies before the dynotune, do I (in case I can't them in time)? Can JBA put them on for me while I'm there? Having them or not shouldn't affect the optimization of the tuning, should it (other than a slightly understated dyno pull)? (Hope Dennis has some in stock . . .) Thanks for your help, Rocket!

[RocketCouch]

You don't need them come dyno time and they won't affect your tune, but it'd be nice to see the improved numbers :)

JBA might be able to put them on for you on dyno day, but they get really busy, so double check with Bruce.

[studio460]

Thanks, Rocket. Think I'll call Dennis Tuesday about the pullies . . .

14 days to go 'til my FordChip dynotune!

[SnakedMark8]

Thanks for the welcome guys. I've been on this site for about 4 months now but just lurking...lol. I didn't have a whole lot to add to most of the post so I just kept quiet.

When Jerry was first testing the prototype for the Marauder he brought it with him. He stays at my place when he's in town. I swear that car was hooked up with everything you could think of, reminded me of that car in Men in Black.

As far as the underdrives go, yeah it would be nice to have them on for the tune. They won't effect the tune but will add some hp.
I personally have the ones from STEEDA on my 4V. I couldn't feel the seat of the pants difference but did gain 11 hp. The new engines have a better water pump than the old 4.6s starting back in 2000. They went from an 8 vane open style to a 7 vane closed style. I don't have a heating problem with mine or a charging and I've got a Mark VIII which uses a butt ton of juice.

As for JBA installing them, yes they can. I've got it set up so there will be a couple of guys to support any needed fast mods done to the cars. You will have to pay shop labor price though. Just let Bruce know so he can schedule it.

Reason being is it seems every one of the dyno tunes I have set up we have at least 7 out of every 20 show up and they have a Lightning 80 or 90mm MAF and have no idea how to install it or even bring in the proper connectors and tubing for it. I couldn't tell you how many guys show up with a new supercharger and have the air temp sensor is still before the compressor or to small of injectors.

The time before last we had a guy drive down from San Fransico and we ended up installing his supercharger for him and it held up everyone. So now I, Jerry or who ever comes with him no longer do the mods. We have the techs at JBA do it so we can keep the cars going and not work until 1 or 2 in the morning like the last couple.

Ask RocketCouch what we went through with his....lol

[RocketCouch]

All the problems we had and the ghetto fixes we tried would take up pages :)

Favorite highlighted stories would have to be:

1.) Interesting intake pipe that hung out over the fender to relocate the MAF away from the BOV.

2.) Belt shredding and nearly missing poor Bruce

3.) Jerry's talk of dynomite and blowing the car up again

4.) Leaving the breaker bar on the pulley after changing belts, starting and breaking off a fan blade.

That's just a few, not mentioning the complete rewire Lonnie did swapping from EEC IV to EEC V coil on plug

[SnakedMark8]

I was wondering how the fan blade got busted. I missed all that part. Was that when you were out test driving it?

Yeah Bruce won't stand near a car on the dyno anymore. He's either in front of it or behind the door now...lol.

[RocketCouch]

Changing the belt out in the parking lot after the first belt was slipping so bad on the dyno it was smoking :)

[Dave Compson]

Hey Rocketcouch,

I checked out your webpages, and i want more info on your older supercharged vic! How cool is that! Seriously, is it running again? What happened? The photos were cool, i even checked out the videos. Man, after i totaled my 97 work vic, they gave me a 92 vic. We called it the pimpmobile because it had the same red interior as yours! Everywhere i went, people made fun of my car! But if i had a supercharger... well then who would be doing the laughing? Anyway, didnt mean to take over the thread.

Ok, i am sorry to say i cant make it to the meet in san diego. Work and all, gotta pay the bills. So, have fun...

[studio460]

Thanks for the info, Rocket, Snaked! Yup, after much hesitation, I think I'm going to go with the pullies. I'll call Bruce and see if he can fit that install in before the dyno tune. Helped to know about the improved water pump (also read those same comments in another publication).

12 days to go 'til my FordChip dynotune!

[RocketCouch]

NBC: I'm scheduled for 10am on Monday with my blown 92 and 1pm for the 98. When are you driving down?

[SnakedMark8]

Chris,

There's 2 Marauders scheduled for 10 with you right now. One has Dennis R's SC kit installed. Then there's another on the standby list. I have names but don't know any of the people.

Also the schedule may change some since we now have an editor from Hot Rod magazine bring down his Bullitt. So he gets special treatment to finish an article and since this is a chance for JW's new tuning stuff to get it's first real exposure.

If we can get some of the locals tuned after the car show on Sunday the schedule should stay the same.

[RocketCouch]

Hey, no worries. As long as both my cars get tuned by the end of Monday night/tues morning, I'll be happy. I took Mon and Tues off completely.

ahh... the joys of skipping class :D

[Matt Johnson]

I'm on the "waiting list" for Mon or Wed if it's extended a day as Bruce mentioned it might be - hope I can get in there somewhere...

[SnakedMark8]

For those that are on the waiting list we won't know until Sunday. Then first thing Monday we will start contacting those on the waiting list. We are trying to arrange some of the locals to get done that night. Leaving openings in Monday and Tuesday. Everyone that is scheduled for either day will get done that same day. It just may be earlier or at the most an hour later.

Yes we also are working on any leftovers or late comers to be done Wed. morning. This depends on if I or Bruce and I can convince one of them to stay a day later. So far there's 38 and this started out as me asking him to drop by for a day to finish my car. So at least we are making it worth their while to do this. The past 4 that I've set up we were able to accommodate everyone and I see no problem this time either.

[studio460]

Hey Rocket!

My Marauder is scheduled for 10:00AM on Monday (I took Monday off from work). Since I'm not much of a morning person, I'm seriously thinking of driving down Sunday night and staying in a cheap hotel. Any lodging suggestions for something real close to JBA would be appreciated!

[SnakedMark8]

There's a place just off I-163 about 3 blocks from JBA. I'll get you the info and post it for you later today.

[SnakedMark8]

I've got 2 choices for you. The Ramada Inn that I mentioned or the Days Inn.

Ramada Inn 1 858 278-0800
5550 Kearny Mesa Rd
San Diego, CA 92111

Coming south on I-163 as soon as you pass I-52 you would want to take the Clairemont Mesa Blvd exit heading West. As soon as you enter that exit there's a light. Take a right and you pull right into the Ramada parking lot.

To get to JBA from there you pull back out and head west again on Claremont Blvd for 4 lights. At Convoy St take a right, go past the fist light and right before the second light it's on the right hand side with the racing checked flags painted on the building.
If you go past it you'll end up on I-52 heading East, just get back on I-163 South and make a loop.

Days Inn 1 858 560-4551
5550 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

I've never been to this one but I know it's right off of I-805. So you would have to take the Clairemont Mesa Blvd exit. I don't know if it's East or West though. It is West of JBA so if you stay there you need to come East for about a mile and a half.

[studio460]

Thanks for all your help, SnakedMark8! Really appreciate the detailed information! I called Reinhart Automotive today to order the Steeda underdrive pulleys--they're gonna drop-ship them direct from Steeda so that I'll have 'em in time for Monday. I let Bruce know that I would like JBA to put those on for me while I'm there, so he told me to show up at the shop at 8:00AM (my dynotune is still scheduled for 10:00AM). If any of you know the exact part number for the Steeda underdrive pulley set for the Marauder, please PM me so that I will be able to confirm that I've got the right ones when they arrive (James at Reinhart didn't know and Dennis was kinda busy). Thanks.

[studio460]

THREE MORE DAYS 'til my FordChip dynotune and Steeda underdrive pulley install!

[Dave Compson]

Wish i was going down with you, can you take lots of photos?

[RocketCouch]

that's the plan :) Maybe some video's?

I'm really nervous...

[studio460]

Dave:

Wish you could make it too! No problem--I expect I'll take a few photos (sans bikini model, this time). I'm already starting to scout models for our next L.A. meet!

Rocket:

Video? Sure, I'll take my video camera too--it's a 3-CCD Sony VX2000 DV camera, if anyone cares; I also have a 24P camera (Panasonic DVX100) for "film-look" digital filmmaking projects. Need to check with Bruce and Jerry to see if they're okay with that, but that's actually a cool idea.

Rocket, what are you nervous about?

ONLY ONE MORE DAY 'TIL MY FORDCHIP DYNOTUNE!

[RocketCouch]

Are you kidding? I'm totally nervous! This is going to be the 4th time I've been down there and I want to get this damn car home!

Are you for sure bringing a camera? I really want to get this on video and I'm not sure I can snag my buddies camera I used before.

I'll call you if I can find your number.

-Chris

[studio460]

Yup, I'm packing the camera right now, Rocket! See ya there!

8 MORE HOURS 'TIL MY FORDCHIP DYNOTUNE!