Gearhead tunes

00Powerstroke · Mar 8, 2015

I can't much help you with selecting a tune but i will say gearhead's service is second to none and his tunes are awesome. Currently running a set on my HS tuner!

Bigshow · Mar 8, 2015

Larz said their current power levels are STOCK, TOW, STREET, and PERFORMANCE.
For guys who have run different tunes, how do STREET and PERF compare to KEM and Spartan tunes?
I've only run KEM. Of all the KEM tunes, I liked the way the truck ran with the 345. The tune is too smoky for my liking, and I'm scared of that power level w/o studs. This seems especially risky in our cold, dense air and the associated high boost levels in winters. I will be going GH on the truck I am currently deleting...

Stroker f-250 · Mar 8, 2015

Bigshow said:
Larz said their current power levels are STOCK, TOW, STREET, and PERFORMANCE.
For guys who have run different tunes, how do STREET and PERF compare to KEM and Spartan tunes?
I've only run KEM. Of all the KEM tunes, I liked the way the truck ran with the 345. The tune is too smoky for my liking, and I'm scared of that power level w/o studs. This seems especially risky in our cold, dense air and the associated high boost levels in winters. I will be going GH on the truck I am currently deleting...

I've ran kem 345 and Spartan, the kem was a little smokey for me and ended up clogging up the ebps and cracked the tube the sensor is on. But it did shift pretty good. The Spartan I ran on hotest tune and I liked it as well it was just really touchy on throttle response. Pulled really good on top end. Needless to say I did blow head gasket "I wasn't studded" so I now have the jr high powers and run matts tunes, I run in the hottest tune right now, it shift amazing, absolutely smoke free but it doesn't pull hard top end like I think it should. But it isn't live tuned either. This is also on a livewire ts. Hope this helps.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

B585Ford · Mar 9, 2015

A while back, someone did a test of tunes (same truck, same dyno, same day)...Spartan, Innovative, GH, and another (can't remember which but it wasn't KEM). On a dyno, the max HP was with 5 HP of each other. I have always been very pleased with Matt's tunes.

Gearhead · Mar 9, 2015

Bigshow said:
Larz said their current power levels are STOCK, TOW, STREET, and PERFORMANCE.
For guys who have run different tunes, how do STREET and PERF compare to KEM and Spartan tunes?
I've only run KEM. Of all the KEM tunes, I liked the way the truck ran with the 345. The tune is too smoky for my liking, and I'm scared of that power level w/o studs. This seems especially risky in our cold, dense air and the associated high boost levels in winters. I will be going GH on the truck I am currently deleting...

Tow, Street, Hot Street, Race on SCT devices. On H&S it is whatever the name is on the device, but the power levels are the same.

Bigshow · Mar 9, 2015

Gearhead said:
Tow, Street, Hot Street, Race on SCT devices. On H&S it is whatever the name is on the device, but the power levels are the same.

Oh I guess I should have mentioned my tuner is H&S Minimax....

Bigshow · Mar 14, 2015

Gearhead said:
Tow, Street, Hot Street, Race on SCT devices. On H&S it is whatever the name is on the device, but the power levels are the same.

What are the power levels of each tune, and more importantly, where's the cutoff (albeit so many variables) that's non-studded safe?
Anyone with H&S - what do they end up being called so I can refer to the right one with more questions...
Does anyone further north where it gets cold drop back a power level in winter to keep boost pressures a bit lower? They climb high with cold dense air - I was extra cautious in cold weather with my KEM. Had a friend with the highest H&S setting (by no means the fault of the programming) stretch head bolts in cold weather / high boost days! After that I was very nervous about highest level / cold weather combo...
Thanks!

Gearhead · Mar 14, 2015

With the race setting, stock turbo trucks do 550 to the wheels typically. With a 75-76mm atmosphere turbo upgrade will do north of 650 on the same tune and a healthy pump.

madman1234509 · Mar 14, 2015

I live in upstate NY and when I drove my other truck in the winter I never saw a huge boost pressure increase that would concern me to turn a tune down. Your buddies truck probably would have stretched the head studs regardless if it was -10F or 30F. If you're concerned only run it on the tow or street tune. Unfortunately you have a 2008 which seem to be more prone to failure then an 09 or 10. You've got to pay to play and if you're willing to tune the truck you need to be willing and prepared to put head gaskets and studs in it.

B585Ford · Mar 14, 2015

madman1234509 said:
I live in upstate NY and when I drove my other truck in the winter I never saw a huge boost pressure increase that would concern me to turn a tune down. Your buddies truck probably would have stretched the head studs regardless if it was -10F or 30F. If you're concerned only run it on the tow or street tune. Unfortunately you have a 2008 which seem to be more prone to failure then an 09 or 10. You've got to pay to play and if you're willing to tune the truck you need to be willing and prepared to put head gaskets and studs in it.

Or the EBP sensor freezing causing you to make outrageous boost if the EGR is deleted.

drunk on diesel · Mar 14, 2015

I haven't seen any evidence that 08's are any better or worse on head gaskets.

I've had a couple job 2, a job 3, and currently still have my job 1. Lots of miles, lots of boost, and lots of EGT on every one of them, and not going to lose a moment's rest worrying about my early truck

madman1234509 said:
I live in upstate NY and when I drove my other truck in the winter I never saw a huge boost pressure increase that would concern me to turn a tune down. Your buddies truck probably would have stretched the head studs regardless if it was -10F or 30F. If you're concerned only run it on the tow or street tune. Unfortunately you have a 2008 which seem to be more prone to failure then an 09 or 10. You've got to pay to play and if you're willing to tune the truck you need to be willing and prepared to put head gaskets and studs in it.

madman1234509 · Mar 14, 2015

There have just been quite a few people with 09s or 10s that have run drop in turbos and what not that didn't have any issues, where as back in the day, most people ran deletes and a race tune and were puking. Tuning could have a big role in It as well I suppose. Not something to lose sleep over, just saying if you are willing to tune it, be willing to do a head gasket job.

drunk on diesel · Mar 14, 2015

I hear ya. I bet a lot of early failures were tuning and/or driver abuse issues.

I see 6.4's of all years drop like flies in the hands of novice owners who can't help but constantly make "use" of that big hot tune they loaded up

I do see more up pipe issues on 9&10's than 08's though

sootie · Mar 15, 2015

drunk on diesel said:
I haven't seen any evidence that 08's are any better or worse on head gaskets.

I've had a couple job 2, a job 3, and currently still have my job 1. Lots of miles, lots of boost, and lots of EGT on every one of them, and not going to lose a moment's rest worrying about my early truck

based on what i have seen with our fleet trucks, the 08's were worse. the head gasket part numbers changed 2 or 3 times so i believe that to be the contributing factor.

UpstateDieselGuy · Mar 16, 2015

The '08's had a long run so there a lot more of them than the '09-'10. I think tht makes the numbers look skewed.

Chris

drunk on diesel · Mar 16, 2015

Yeah, 08's were a 2yr run for 07 and 08, and 10 was a very short production run.

I used to be scared of early 6.4's based on everything I'd read on the forums.

That's one of many things that I've read/heard on forums that just hasn't proven an issue to me personally.

My buddy's favorite company truck was an early job 1 that we finally tuned with 270k on it.

He last saw the thing with low 3's on it.

Granted, none of these trucks pull heavy constantly or anything

Bigshow · Mar 16, 2015

Is the shifting on the STREET tune as good as on the higher HP tune?
On my KEM, the only one I really liked was the 345. I used the 210 for towing...

drunk on diesel · Mar 16, 2015

You'll get three trans tunes. It doesn't change on the fly.

Tree Trimmer · Mar 16, 2015

just tell him what you want, and he'll get you squared away.

Bigshow · Mar 4, 2018

Bringing back an old thread. I am finally getting around to the tuning on my second 6.4. I switched the CAI, exhaust, and MMax from my first 6.4.
The tuner needed updating before it would work on new truck. I had got it updated just prior to the H&S site closing down. I’ve been running their canned tunes since. Time to get some better tunes. I had run the KEM 345 exclusively on my last truck and Mike was great to deal with.
The GHead tuning comes across on here as highly regarded. Any advice, suggestions, feedback now that these tunes have more miles?
Thanks in advance....