Tuner questions...

[Variable556]

I tried to search for my answer, but I can't search the acronym "SCT", and I'm having a hard time finding the answer. So thanks for any help!

I gather from all I have read here so far that the group consensus definitely favors SCT for 6.0's. I want to get one, but I don't want to have any more gauge clutter than I have to. I see some people here use the Edge monitor instead of gauges. I like that idea, but if I get an SCT "Livewire" will that accomplish the same thing without buying extra stuff?

I'm mostly interested in safety/mechanical longevity info as opposed to performance. I gather I need to keep an eye on:
Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT)
Engine Oil Temperature (EOT)
Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT)
Transmission Temperature (don't know the acronym for that one... )
Maybe turbo boost pressure too? (don't know the acronym for that one either...) I guess the boost gauge in the dash is good enough for that one?
Anything else I should be monitoring with a tuner?

I tried checking SCT's site and their FAQs, but I'm too dumb or I can't seem to find the particulars I'm looking for to be sure the Livewire will actually do what I want it to do.

If you don't want pillar gauges, is the Livewire the way to go?

Thanks in advance for any help!

[Holly]

if you dont want all the gauges in your truck you could try the Spartan Phalanx for the 6.0L. the dashdaq has the ability of showing your temps and then some.yes the sct is recommended for the 6.0 but the dashdaqs are doing well for 6.4's and the 6.0s that have them.

[Variable556]

Originally Posted by Holly

if you dont want all the gauges in your truck you could try the Spartan Phalanx for the 6.0L. the dashdaq has the ability of showing your temps and then some.yes the sct is recommended for the 6.0 but the dashdaqs are doing well for 6.4's and the 6.0s that have them.

Thanks for the tip Holly, I'll check it out. Would the Phalanx definitely be as safe for my truck as the SCT products? I don't have head studs, and I can't afford to tempt fate jacking it up too much so I need to be positive whatever tuner I use will be safe in the long run.

Any Livewire users here?

[Mudvain]

the advantage of SCT is that your tunes are just that, yours. custom written for your truck with all your mods you have done taken into consideration when they're written. the edge insight type monitor looks super clean the way its mounted, and when i was shopping for a tuner the Livewire didnt have a pillar mount out yet for it (i dont think there is yet ) . the only draw back i see is if you lose power, or the monitor gets stolen you have no guages. the standard 3 or 4 guage set up isnt that bad once you get used to it.

[tex25025]

Originally Posted by Mudvain

the advantage of SCT is that your tunes are just that, yours. custom written for your truck with all your mods you have done taken into consideration when they're written.

Spartan's tuner does the exact same thing. The only thing now is that he is trying to get everyone with pre-orders taken care of. So it might take awhile for any new orders, but that should be resolved shortly. I know quite a few(about 4 on this forum) have gotten them already, that would be the only hiccup at this point.

[Mudvain]

do they write a custom tune? reason i ask (and replied earlier) is this thread...

Spartan tunes

but i would like to hear what their tunes are like if so

[tex25025]

Originally Posted by Mudvain

do they write a custom tune? reason i ask (and replied earlier) is this thread...

Spartan tunes

but i would like to hear what their tunes are like if so

Yes they do write custom tunes. At one time the tunes in that archive were custom, but since he had lost support from SCT in tuning, those tunes became "one size fits all". They didn't start out that way. In fact, during the hay-day of Matt's tuning with SCT, he gave Eric a run for his money, but when Matt "fell" out with SCT, he had to pursue his own tuner.

Long story short, yes his new tuner does have custom tunes written for "your" individual strategy and it actually goes a step beyond SCT as it also tunes the FICM as well as the ECM and TCM. So we are talking even more custom tuning then what SCT people are used to.

There is no way that I would be able to use his new tuner if it didn't offer custom tuning as what I'm running would necessitate custom tuning as most "off-the-shelf" tuners can't tune for the mods that I have on the truck.

[Mudvain]

awesome, i guess my curiosity might lead to Spartan in the near future. i've heard nothing but good about their 6.4 tunes. i'll check em out. thanks for the info

[Variable556]

Arrrgghhh! I seem to be spiraling around in circles trying to figure out what to get!

A gear head friend of mine at least helped explain (I think...) to me why some people prefer analog gauges over digital. He said sweep gauges are easier to see on rapidly changing numbers. OK, I get that part, but since I'm not going to be racing, and I only want to see temps for safety, then I still think I'd prefer digital. Less clutter that way.

I was willing to cry a whole lot about spending 1200+ bucks and just order a Spartan Phalanx, but now I understand that I can't actually get one yet... It truly sounds like an awesome product, but it won't help me much in it's current state of unobtanium...

I'm getting my egr taken care of soon, and I'm going on a long trip near the end of August. I want to have a tuner onboard before then, so I'm guessing the Phalanx is out...

Next: I wanted to just punt and order an SCT Livewire and an EGT probe for it and call it a day. Some people say it isn't that reliable though??? I see in some of the advertisement pictures that they say it has a "Redisigned Case & Higher Quality Screen!" now. Does that mean it has had the bugs worked out???

My only other apparent option would be to get an SCT X3 and also buy an Edge Insight monitor and egt probe to go with it.

Lets see:

Edge Insight monitor= $270.00
Edge egt probe = $80.00
Edge Dash pod = $40.00
SCT X3 = $379.00 ($250.00 used-- if you like to roll dice...)
Appr. = $770 (I don't like to roll dice...)

SCT Livewire = $483.55
SCT EGT probe = $196.87
Windshield pedestal = $28.00
Total = $708.42

Am I missing anything?

I'm, really just mainly interested in seeing:
Coolant temp
Oil temp
Tranny temp
Exhaust gas temp

With just the addition of the egr probe, the above combos will display all of that info on my truck??? Or do I have to buy even more stuff?

Sorry my post is so long winded, but this is a major investment for me, and I don't want to screw it up!

This board is an awesome source of info, and I thank you all for everything I have learned so far!!!

[tex25025]

Originally Posted by Variable556

A gear head friend of mine at least helped explain (I think...) to me why some people prefer analog gauges over digital. He said sweep gauges are easier to see on rapidly changing numbers. OK, I get that part, but since I'm not going to be racing, and I only want to see temps for safety, then I still think I'd prefer digital. Less clutter that way.

I don't subscribe to your gear head friends take on that, particularly since I get make it out the numbers quickly versus on my digital gauge and I have both in my truck.

Originally Posted by Variable556

I was willing to cry a whole lot about spending 1200+ bucks and just order a Spartan Phalanx, but now I understand that I can't actually get one yet... It truly sounds like an awesome product, but it won't help me much in it's current state of unobtanium...

They are shipping out now with his new tuner. They are just filling out pre-orders first(for obvious reasons). So you can get it in one sense. I say this just in case you're getting your info from past threads on here.

Originally Posted by Variable556

I'm getting my egr taken care of soon, and I'm going on a long trip near the end of August. I want to have a tuner onboard before then, so I'm guessing the Phalanx is out...

No, it's possible. I can't say more then that other then it's possible.

Originally Posted by Variable556

Next: I wanted to just punt and order an SCT Livewire and an EGT probe for it and call it a day. Some people say it isn't that reliable though??? I see in some of the advertisement pictures that they say it has a "Redisigned Case & Higher Quality Screen!" now. Does that mean it has had the bugs worked out???

If this is a major investment for you, I wouldn't take the chance on it. The X3 is proven, the Spartan Phalanx is as well because the DashDAQ has been around a long time, but you may or may not be able to get that in time.

Originally Posted by Variable556

With just the addition of the egr probe, the above combos will display all of that info on my truck??? Or do I have to buy even more stuff?

The only other gauge that I would actually suggest outside of those is Fuel Pressure. However, none of those that you listed will have an analog input for fuel pressure. However, the DashDAQ does.

Fuel pressure is debatable with your level of performance mods, however, the 6.0s love a constant flow of fuel and that is about the only way that you'll know if your truck is getting that fuel. I was glad that I put mine in because it let me know when my stock pump wasn't able to hold it's own.

Originally Posted by Variable556

Sorry my post is so long winded, but this is a major investment for me, and I don't want to screw it up!

I can't speak for everyone, but that's why I'm here on this board(and others). People know I had my rough starts with this stuff and I'm just trying to get people from making the same mistakes that I did.