Black Bear Tune

[TLoud]

I've been doing some research and it sounds like everyone loves the Black Bear tune and for 200 bucks it sounds like a great thing. I know they have lifetime re-tunes but should i wait to get a tune from them if I plan on installing headers and exhaust in the future? I'm most likely going to be doing some 20s with 33" trail graps by the end of winter as well. So I was wondering if these are the types of things that they are going to need to know for the tune?

Edit* Ok so after reading Writeup: Installing 5.7 TBI headers on 5.7 Vortec by flyboy1294 It sounds like if I want to use the tbi longtube headers I would have to have the rear 02 sensor tuned out so it probably makes sense to do my exhaust first instead of having to send it back in to be re-tuned.

 

[DRAGGIN95]

You could either wait on the tune until you do the exhaust, or go ahead and order it with the mods that you plan to do it in the near future.

 

[am92]

If you want it now, you can just tell them what mods you plan to do and have it tuned for that. You probably wont notice as much of a change as if you had done the exhaust and stuff but it would still be a better tune than stock

 

[Tempted]

I use SCT Advantage software and if their program is the same then you will want to tell them every detail. I am assuming you are talking about one of the OBDII trucks. I can turn you rear O2s off so you don't get an SES if you don't have cats. You can always just use MIL eliminators but for the price you might as well get the tune. If they give you a hand held with the tune then you can adjust for tire/gear changes without having to have them re-tune. Simple 1-2-3 instructions, most hand helds walk you through every step. We can open up tables you can't, though, and that is where the extra power is found. For the most part custom tunes are just timing adjustments and eliminating your factory governors. We can also adjust the fuel tables for nitrous and F/I applications. First time I opened up SCT Advantage in expert mode I felt like a 10 year old trying to learn trigonometry. Turns out it wasn't that bad, I was just used to burning chips for OBD1 cars. Trimcal was a million times less detailed.

 

[Hezsus]

I had blackbear tune my truck before i did my exhaust, I got them to tune out the rear O2's and EGR before i even removed them, headers.ect will not affect the tune since you cannot tune for exhaust velocities really.

 

[Horns]

Hezsus, what is your experience on the difference in your truck after the tune? I hear a lot of stuff about gmt800 trucks but not a lot about these.

 

[Hezsus]

I have 3 diferent PCM's, Stock, mileage tune and performance tune. I had 80% TM removed on both. There was definately a performance diference between the performance and stock, the mileage and stock are close though, more power but about the same mileage (i told him i didnt want to lose too much performance)

I had egr tuned out, rear 02's tuned out speddo calibrated for tire size, governor bumped to 180kms/hr (160 stock) and efan provisions installed if i decide to go that route in the future. To me these things alone are worth the cost of the tune.
I havent used the performance tune in months, I just never really have the need for it... with the cost of gas and all.

I get about 16mpg mileage tune and 14mpg performance tune, this is if i watch the throttle too.

Overall I think the money was well spent, My mileage tune dosent really save me alot of mileage but it has those things tuned out so i run it over stock. Performance tune is great though, 1st to 2nd shift real hard and the shifts soften up after that.
My truck has always taken time to get up to rev from a standstill and still does, but once i break 2000rpm i'm gone, the swwespot for me comes around 4k but dosent drop off much after, wot shifts are incredible compared to stock.. this in on both tunes
I have a scanning program that gives a virtual 1/4 mile... i'm mid 14's according to it, i would think more into the 15's actually though.. I'm not sure what the diference would be on a stock truck, likley not as much but if your in need of egr, air, o2 sensor deletes it would be worth it... especailly for the cost

Also Justin is great to deal with

 

[Farmerdan91]

Ive never gotten a tune, chip, or anything done to my truck. Where would I buy this black bear tune? and how much are they?

 

[BlackBeauty]

BlackBearperformance.com is the site... If you get a tuned PCM, it's a $200 tune and $60 core charge, but if once you get the tuned PCM, you can send your old PCM back to them for a refund of the core charge... Also BB tunes are free lifetime retunes! Hope this helps!

 

[Farmerdan91]

Hell yeah man, thanks alot