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Custom Tunes at Home

38K views 44 replies 9 participants last post by  RollinEarly99 
#1 ·
Is there anywhere you can buy a program to create our own tunes? I know that EFI live allows it user to tweak tunes, why can't powerstroke owners?

Also why doesn't anyone who writes tunes share there tuning strategys? If you look at cummins or duramax custom tunes, everyone is open about timing, injector pulse widths, turbo tuning etc…

What makes Powerstroke tunes so secretive? I'm not trying to piss off any people who write tunes, just wonder why we (end users) can't do tweaking ourselves? Almost seems like SCT has something to do with it
 
#2 · (Edited)
Yep I have it. There is a huge learning curve and if you dont know what you are doing you can really hurt stuff.

SCT Performance - Advantage III Ford / GM / DCX Dealer Custom Tuning Software**Part Number: Advantage III

By the way this link is for the home software. They make a pro software... that all the tuners use. This software in the link is for one license for your turck. The pro lets you tune for people.

Edit: I realized I didnt awnser the rest of your question. The pro software is not cheap. In order to pay for it and make it worth it yuo need to write tunes for other people. If the tunes were all open to the public there would be no reason to charge so much for tunes. Every tune writer is diffrent and thats waht make is great in my opinion. Again the "tweaking" could result in really bad things happening if you add a little too much or take a little too much. Also:

http://www.thetuningschool.com/3121/

There is now a online traing coruse for the tuning. This is going to be my next step but its about 1k so right now I am just playing with my truck.
 
#5 ·
If the tunes were all open to the public there would be no reason to charge so much for tunes. Every tune writer is diffrent and thats waht make is great in my opinion.
I disagree only because duramax and cummins writers are still thriving and "trading secrets" only helps make our trucks run better with more potential for more power.
 
#3 ·
I never seen an at home version. Has anybody ever bought this? How much does it cost and how did your tunes come out. I realize that build our own tunes is complicated but everyone has to start somewhere and this is the only option for people like me that don't have live tuning available but want a perfect running truck.
 
#6 ·
Yah I was kinda being vauge. The PW and timing isnt really secret. Its all out there, but how all of it interacts with the vgt and other perameters is what everyone holds close to their chests. The SCT programs encript all tunes once there made so only that tuner can edit and open them. There is a reason there are only a handfull of "good" 6.0 tuners. It takes alot of time knowedge and pratice to get these right.
 
#7 · (Edited)
That tuning school is all about cars and I doubt they have anything to offer as far as tweaking a Diesel. SCT also does training classes but to my knowledge they don't cover diesels either so you are pretty much on your own to figure things out.

When done writing a file the software doesn't encrypt it. It compiles it into machine code that the computer can execute. Just like writing code for a PC. You use an editor to develop your program source code then compile it to machine code for the computer to run.
 
#8 ·
With this software are you able to tune while diving down the road? Obviously you will need someone else driving while you look at the laptop.

And before anybody says it, I know I should have just used a search engine and would have found this.
 
#10 ·
Yup, no tune on the fly capability. The only person I know of that can make changes to the 6.0 on the fly is Bill at PHP. He wrote his own tuning software.
 
#11 ·
How does live dyno tuning work? They run the truck, shut it off and make the changes, then reload the tune and test it again?
 
#13 ·
Bill can not "live" tune a 6.0 any different than the rest of us. The 7.3 is the only plarform that we can.

Bill can do it a lot quicker with his software and using a passthru device that allows him to flash the ecm in about a minute I think, but it is still the same process.
 
#14 ·
#17 ·
I believe this is what Gearhead uses. Not for certain though. I think Bill at Php uses it too for some vehicles.

Delta Force Tuning - Complete Automotive Ford tuning products and programmers

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Bill uses a modified version of this software that he has tweaked for his needs. He actually owns the source code for the software and licenses it to DeltaForce. At least that's what he told me when I asked him about the DeltaForce software for tuning.
 
#19 ·
The delta force system looks like it would have great features compared to the sct pro racer software. Only problem is the price, but then again you gotta pay to play!
 
#20 ·
I was reading about further into the delta force software and came across this:

"8. Is your car/truck already tuned? No problem, just read the tuned file from your vehicle with our kit and load that file into Delta Force/Commando and view the changes. From there, you can adjust that file."
 
#21 ·
Looks like Bill at PHP has designed software for us end users to make our own tunes. He has lots of information about his tuning software. He also talks about tuning secrets and why him and others kept it a secret for so long. One thing I couldn't find was what programmer is used to upload into our trucks. Is it the gryphon? Hopefully Bill can comment a little about his new software....
 
#29 ·
Bill's Minotaur software has been available for the 7.3 for a while but it is still not ready for the 6.0. Hopefully he will get it done soon, but this is kind of like Bob Riley's Adrenaline HPOP for the 05-07.
 
#23 ·
I would love to be able to write tunes. I was under the impression that the cheaper versions (maybe it was just the PHP stuff?) you could only modify tables and what not to a certain extent (locked out from going past certain levels).

Could have sworn I read that somewhere, maybe I'm forgetting.

$2500-3000 is a bit steep, but if you have the ability to tune for others I guess that can pay for itself.
 
#26 ·
It makes sense that people writing the tunes encrypt their tunes so nobody else can copy them.
 
#28 ·
HP Tuners and EFI Live are also great software but EFI live doesn't offer for Ford. Only GM and Dodge.

Last I heard HP Tuner was just starting to work on software for Dodge and Ford diesel. They do offer some for ford gasser's. The 7.3 was not at the top of their list. They were concentrating on the newer stuff at the time. That was 1-2 years ago. I checked out their website and nothing yet.

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#30 ·
I can't believe the "hoops" SCT makes writers go through... Found this on another site. Thought others might find this information interesting.



All SCT Pro Racers are required to fill out the new NEULA (Non-Exclusive User License Agreement). You will receive a message when the Advantage III software opens after you have ran an update prompting you to fill the document out and mail in to SCT.

If you do not have the immediate time to fill the document out you may click on Continue and keep using the software. The Deadline to send in the EULA is October 21,2010

SCT License Agreement must be mailed to : 976 Florida Central Pkwy, Suite 136 Longwood, FL 32750.

New signing SCT PRP Owners: You may email or fax a copy of the signature page to sales@sctflash.com or 407-260-6275 for early activation. The original copy MUST be mailed to SCT. If the original copy is not received within 14 days of faxing or emailing the EULA, the software will be deactivated/remain inactive until the signed agreement is received. If you have any questions or concerns, please post on this thread.

Click here to download EULA:http://www.sctflash.com/PDF/SCTLicenseAgreement.pdf
SCT Performance

Here are the cliffnotes:

-All tuning files you create are the property of SCT
-Only you can use the software.
-Remote access to your computer by anyone but SCT is prohibited
-You need to keep records of all your files, including the names and address of those who use them. And SCT can select a CPA to review the records at any time.
-You can't sell any SCT product below the minimum advertised price
-SCT reserves the right to have a log file on your computer to keep track of your activity.
-After a certain amount of usage, you must connect to the internet to transmit the log file.
-If you don't transmit the log file, you software is disabled.
-If SCT decides to cancel your software access, you have to submit all tuning files to SCT and keep no copies
-You are considered a "work for hire" for the Licensor (aka, SCT). Thus all files and property are SCT.
 
#33 ·
I thought Bills tunes are used with the gryphon?
 
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