Unleashed/Bama/Lund/Cobb tuning

[ATLDesigns550]

I'm new to this forum, if this was already discussed and I missed it searching the threads please just redirect me.

I am looking around to see what the differences are in all the kinds of tunes that are available and I cannot seem to find anything on the different tunes out there. I am interested in pulling the trigger on a tune and while searching for which company I want to get the tune from I just got my self frustrated.

I've seen a lot of praise on here and youtube for the Unleashed tune from Torrie. And there are a lot of people that get the Bama or Cobb tunes for their cars.

But what are the advantages for one over the other?

And what does one tune offer that another doesn't? Is there one that offers more torque or hp?

Also, someone is willing to sell me their x4 that they had a Bama tune with as they are selling their Ecoboost. If I purchase that will I need to pay for a tune from Bama even if we have the exact same setup?

--

Craig

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[Glenn G]

I'm new to this forum, if this was already discussed and I missed it searching the threads please just redirect me.

I am looking around to see what the differences are in all the kinds of tunes that are available and I cannot seem to find anything on the different tunes out there. I am interested in pulling the trigger on a tune and while searching for which company I want to get the tune from I just got my self frustrated.

I've seen a lot of praise on here and youtube for the Unleashed tune from Torrie. And there are a lot of people that get the Bama or Cobb tunes for their cars.

But what are the advantages for one over the other?

And what does one tune offer that another doesn't? Is there one that offers more torque or hp?

Also, someone is willing to sell me their x4 that they had a Bama tune with as they are selling their Ecoboost. If I purchase that will I need to pay for a tune from Bama even if we have the exact same setup?

--

Craig

All very good questions I had myself, I was planning to go with COBB just because I come from the Japanese tuner world and COBB is the only one of those companies I have experience with.

I will however sub this thread and wait to see what people more experianced with this platform and tuners say.

 

[Juben]

I'm new to this forum, if this was already discussed and I missed it searching the threads please just redirect me.

This has been discussed numerous times over. Search the words "tune", "Bama", "Cobb", etc., and you'll net some good results that will show what you're looking for. I'm sorry, but right now, I'm at work and have limited time to copy/paste threads.

I am looking around to see what the differences are in all the kinds of tunes that are available and I cannot seem to find anything on the different tunes out there. I am interested in pulling the trigger on a tune and while searching for which company I want to get the tune from I just got my self frustrated.

The majority of members on here are running Adam's tune (from MAP) with the Cobb AP.

I've seen a lot of praise on here and youtube for the Unleashed tune from Torrie. And there are a lot of people that get the Bama or Cobb tunes for their cars.

As I said above, the majority are using the Cobb AP with Adam's tune. In regards to Torrie w/Unleashed, there's quite a few running his tunes with positive reviews. Most of the tuners on here are very good tuners and you couldn't go wrong with any of them.

But what are the advantages for one over the other? It boils down to what you're looking at for the tuning device, i.e. what features you'd like to have, and customer service. To me, the Cobb AP is far superior to the X4, but there's members that's happy with the X4 too. As far as customer service, I think both Adam and Torrie take the cake for their respective tuning devices, Adam with the AP and Torrie with the SCT.

And what does one tune offer that another doesn't? Is there one that offers more torque or hp?

You're going to be looking at similar numbers for any 91 or 93 octane tune. Some tunes might be a little more aggressive than others, but generally, most numbers will be the same or similar. What I look for is the overall robustness of the tune. I don't just want a WOT tune, but I want a tune that's dialed in across different loads, rpm ranges, etc. For me, Adam has did the best job with that.

Also, someone is willing to sell me their x4 that they had a Bama tune with as they are selling their Ecoboost. If I purchase that will I need to pay for a tune from Bama even if we have the exact same setup?

I'd keep an eye on the 2.3 Classifieds section. And yes, you'd have to pay Bama to get their tune(s).

--

Craig

See above in bold.

 

[EcoBOSS]

Ouch, OK, I'll bite...

But what are the advantages for one over the other?

COBB: On the fly changes, NO BREADCRUMBS (other tuners show on the PCM as a "reflash"), Flatfoot shifting, good looking product, "fast" loading times (compared to the SCT). Went to their Plano facility last week and I was GREATLY impressed by their staff and product/Ford knowledge. For folks that "just go in to the Ford market", they are on point. (Thanks Nick!)

SCT: (All the same devices regardless of WHO tunes them, it is ONE piece of hardware EVEN IF rebranded, with a custom faceplate) - YEARS of experience and a pretty good handle on "what works". I don't agree with the wireless updates, but that's a personal thing. I prefer connecting to a PC after the car has been returned to stock for safety. Dual stage rev-limiter, user adjustable settings, MANY choices of tunes/tuners/fuels/options, PRO-RACER Packages (YOU do the tuning!) and there are LOTS of them out there...

SCT Tuners: Vary greatly, there are some that will simply do "canned tunes" and others that are almost from scratch tunes. All the base files are identical - as provided from Ford, but there is ALWAYS room for improvement and some tuners spend more time on finessing and refining little things like WOT shift points at the track, shift pressure in part throttle, AFR, etc. These little tweaks make a BIG difference, especially in a Daily Driver.
I DO NOT recommend buying an SCT Tuner from a wholesaler or "Big Box Store", ever. The pennies you save will only lead to a disappointing customer experience.

And what does one tune offer that another doesn't? Is there one that offers more torque or hp?

If possible, get a LOCAL TUNER as ANY tune not written on your PCM, in your car, in your environment, on your fuel is not a "Custom Tune", it is a guess (...with all due respect).
Dyno tunes are great if you ride a dyno to work or don't care about drivability/just want BIG numbers. Otherwise a live street tune is going to be much better; and I'd give up 10 peak HP for 10 lb/ft of torque off idle ANY day.

Also, someone is willing to sell me their x4 that they had a Bama tune with as they are selling their Ecoboost. If I purchase that will I need to pay for a tune from Bama even if we have the exact same setup?

X4 is VIN Locked, if it is not set to STOCK, you can't use it (Common scam on auction sites). Now - is it a "supported tune" (canned tune: SCT 93 Octane: 36.34 HP/40.06 TQ) or is it a custom tune? Custom tune is going to get higher numbers, but it is only for a SPECIFIC strategy code, if you don't have that strategy, it won't work at all.

Hope this helps..

 

[MAPerformance]

I have a lot of customers running SCT currently that are switching to Cobb Accessport for the reasons mentioned above, and to get my custom tune or E-tuning. Information can be found in my signature below regarding custom tuning, E-tuning, and Dyno Tuning.

I am looking to get SCT software as well, but I will still prefer to use Cobb because of their many benefits.

Here is an email I sent to a customer earlier today:

Thank you for the email. Regarding the benefits of the Cobb tuner over SCT, here is a quick list!

1. Launch Control
2. Flat Foot Shifting
3. On the fly map switching
4. Great user interface and you can mount it and use it for a gauge
5. Easier and much better datalogging capabilities than SCT
6. More load/torque control (on my end, so I can refine the tune)

Overall the Accessport has more features, easier to use, faster loading, and aesthetically pleasing. What does it for me is the software for tuning, and the ability to do on the fly map switching. It makes for much faster tuning.

Here is what can be changed through on the fly map switching:

1. Fuel targets
2. Fuel Stoichometric (allows for me to calibrate the tune for different fuels like E30, Race Gas Concentrate)
3. Ignition Timing
4. Launch Control Rev Limiter
5. Rev Limiter
6. Boost
7. Boost By Gear

So why the above feature is great is say that you are on a roadtrip, you can be in MAP Slot 5 which can be setup for Economy mode getting 33-35mpg. Then if you come across a quick race, you can drop it down into MAP Slot 1 which will be full power Map. No need to stop, flash the car, then race, then flash it back. All you have to do is hold Cruise Control Cancel, then hit the Set + or - buttons to flip through the Maps. This is also good for setting up different fuels, so you can swap fuels on the run and not have to worry about flashing the car. Swap maps and go!

 

[ATLDesigns550]

Thanks, to everyone, you guys really answered my questions. Now I just need to decide which one is right for me or I feel comfortable with.

My only other problem I have is I run strictly on a Mac platform and there are only a handful of tuners that are compatible. So this may also influence my purchasing decision.

 

[Anthony@HTM]

See above in bold.

You have a lot of patience.

 

[ATLDesigns550]

You have a lot of patience.

Thanks, you added a lot to this conversation.

 

[MAPerformance]

Thanks, to everyone, you guys really answered my questions. Now I just need to decide which one is right for me or I feel comfortable with.

My only other problem I have is I run strictly on a Mac platform and there are only a handful of tuners that are compatible. So this may also influence my purchasing decision.

Cobb has Accessport Manager for MAC so you are good there. If you won't be doing any tuning yourself, then MAC isn't going to hold you back.

Just FYI, I do E-tunes at home on my MAC from time to time. I just remote into my laptop plugged in at the office and tune away!

 

[ATLDesigns550]

Cobb has Accessport Manager for MAC so you are good there. If you won't be doing any tuning yourself, then MAC isn't going to hold you back.

Just FYI, I do E-tunes at home on my MAC from time to time. I just remote into my laptop plugged in at the office and tune away!

I noticed that when I was researching it.

I also run a Mac at work as well and the only access I have to a PC is if I jump on someones PC at work.

 

[Juben]

I have Macs at home and a PC from work. I use both and one is just as seamless as the other. You really should give Adam's tune a try. I've had tunes from various tuners on here and others, and no joke, his has been the best.

 

[rgingo]

I have a lot of customers running SCT currently that are switching to Cobb Accessport for the reasons mentioned above, and to get my custom tune or E-tuning. Information can be found in my signature below regarding custom tuning, E-tuning, and Dyno Tuning.

I am looking to get SCT software as well, but I will still prefer to use Cobb because of their many benefits.

Here is an email I sent to a customer earlier today:

I've been reading all the threads getting ready to order the COBB AP (as well as other mods) from MAP (Adam has a great rep). MAP recommended COBB facility in Plano to do installs for me as well as do a custom tune..... but I am thinking maybe Adam's tune may be best for me (street not track). Am I getting this right?

 

[ATLDesigns550]

I have Macs at home and a PC from work. I use both and one is just as seamless as the other. You really should give Adam's tune a try. I've had tunes from a various tuners on here and others, and no joke, his has been the best.

Thanks for all your replies and help. It really is appreciated.

I have been scouring through the threads here and other forms. Without clicking on the thousands of discussions and reading every line the majority of what I am seeing is "X tune was so awesome you can really feel the power difference" or they were the companies just promoting their product. You really gave me a real condensed answer and I appreciate it.

 

[Juben]

Thanks for all your replies and help. It really is appreciated.

I have been scouring through the threads here and other forms. Without clicking on the thousands of discussions and reading every line the majority of what I am seeing is "X tune was so awesome you can really feel the power difference" or they were the companies just promoting their product. You really gave me a real condensed answer and I appreciate it.

I'm glad I could help. [emoji106]

 

[MAPerformance]

I've been reading all the threads getting ready to order the COBB AP (as well as other mods) from MAP (Adam has a great rep). MAP recommended COBB facility in Plano to do installs for me as well as do a custom tune..... but I am thinking maybe Adam's tune may be best for me (street not track). Am I getting this right?

Cobb is a great company, and their Plano location is good as well. They can do a dyno tune for you at their facility. I had a customer get a tune there, and then I e-tuned it after as was happier. That doesn't mean Cobb's tune wasn't good, I was just able to spend more time on it and make some more power.

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