For those of you that dont know, I have a 2004 F150 5.4 3v. Its engine performance mods include Whipple S/C @ 11PSI, 47lb GT500 injectors, header back exhaust, Madenterprise E Fan and a 80MM BBK throttle body. I also have the privilege of having tunes from Troyer, VMP and JDM. I thought I would compare my experience with all 3 to possibly help someone who is looking for a tuner or is thinking of switching. These are all based on my PERSONAL experience and you MIGHT have a different one then I did.

Customer Service:
Troyer Proformance -
(PROS) For my initial 8PSI Whipple tune to 10PSI custom setup I went with Mike Troyer. If you never have talked to Mike or Anita (his wife and receptionist) they are both very nice curtious on the phone and Mike will talk your ear off. He sold me on what seemed his vast knowledge of these trucks.
(CONS) Tune took about 7-8 months to get. I felt it was rediculous especially after running the tune for a while.

VMP Tuning -
(PROS) While waiting for my Troyer tune I contacted VMP Tuning. I talked to Justin a few times via e-mail and he always amazed me at his quick response time. I was even more amazed that during the Christmas season he punched out my tune in 2 weeks.
(CONS) While all his answers were short and direct I never personally felt anymore then just "another paying customer". He's probably just busy, but I never felt important like I did when I talked to Troyer. This really isn't the biggest deal as I dont need someone to kiss my *** just for $280 dollars.

JDM Engineering -
(PROS) After about a year on my VMP tune, I wanted to mix it up a little and invested in a JDM tune. I waited for about 5 weeks for a tune (which they emailed me and told me was due to the tuner being on medical leave). Julie is always quick to email with responses and seems to generally care that you are taken care of.
(CONS) I noticed while installing the tune I can only change the 'Axle' and 'Tire Size' settings. Not a big deal but it maybe for someone else.

Initial Tune Thoughts
Troyer - I finally get my tune while at work. I download the SCT software onto a computer and load up my tune onto the device. I eagerly load my tune into my truck and get ready to head home from work. First thing that pops into my mind is "WTF?" the truck surges and if I push on the gas hard it wont downshift into 1st gear from second. The truck makes funny noises and just feels bad in general. "Ok" I think, "must be a goof in the tune". I revert back to my VMP tune that I got 2 months prior.

VMP - Get the email while at work again, install it in the truck for the drive home. Driving home is uneventful. Truck has good power, shifts way to soft but other then that feels good. Feels like how this truck should if it came stock with the blower. I end up turning up shift pressure 25% in all gears to get the shift firmness to where I feel is good.

JDM - First thing I notice driving home I notice it stays in all gears way to long causing the truck to feel sluggish. First gear shifts WAY to firm.

Tune Adjustments:
Troyer - I called Mike and talked to him about the issues I had with the now infamous "Troyer surge". To my general shock all he could say was "Thats how it is" and that he will not change anything. I even told him about the truck not downshifting like it should into first from second gear even at 20MPH he said "It should?" and that was it. "Put more miles on it" is what he told me. Air/Fuel ratio (AFR) was spot on first try and Wide Open Throttle (WOT) was a monster.

VMP - Justin had me data log 3 times as he brought my tune into perfection. In the end he told me to add 2* global timing with the handheld and it was good to go. I still disliked the shift firmness to the point of I had my transmission guy turn up the shift solenoid in the transmission to make up for lack the handhelds ability to compensate. I was amazed again at Justins speed. I would data log on my way home from work, the next morning I would have a tune adjustment.

JDM - After a few emails and 2 retunes, the 1-2 shift over firmness has been fixed, and the transmission does not stay in gear overly long. Its basically spot on, or atleast close enough that I dont personally feel there is an issue. Sr at JDM was quick to update my tune. Usually I would email Julie and that night Sr would work the tune for me to try the next day. Truck shifts with a very good firmness that the first two tunes lacked.

Daily Driving:
Troyer - Like I said, with the "surging" problems and inability to downshift it really was laughable. I knew after driving the truck for a week Mike knew alot about trucks, just not how to tune the Whipple so you can do anything other then drive WOT. Everyone that rode in the truck or drove it would tell ask me if "somethings wrong with the truck?". It was actually embarrassing.

VMP - Perfect. Absolutly nothing wrong with the tune for the daily commute. I feel I can control how little/much boost I want at any time. The tune is so uneventful it honestly feels boring. The truck doesnt feel like its high performance but rather a stock tune that came on the truck. To me thats a little bit of a negative I want something a little more 'edgy'

JDM - With the tune fixed daily driving is a pleasure. I still haven't figured out exact pedal position to dip into boost. It seems as if I either have vacuum or lots of boost. I may not have enough pedal time with this tune yet but I would have no issue letting a friend drive my truck being worried they may think its "broken"

Vacuum and WOT Butt Dyno:
WOT - All 3 tunes feel really about the same. I would say the strongest of the 3 would maybe be JDM or Troyer. I know WOT Troyer feels stronger then VMP. I WONT install the Troyer tune to compare WOT to JDM.

Vacuum - JDM has the other 2 beat easily when the truck is driven with no boost applied, or when the truck is easily driven. VMP of course is better then the surging Troyer.

Real Dyno
I've only had the Troyer tune dynoed (numbers in sig) and that was on the 10PSI pulley and no Efan so its not going to be apples to apples. I will have the VMP and JDM tunes dynoed back to back and see what puts down more if either does. I will update this come that time.

Honest Assessment
Troyer - I honestly cannot recommend anyone with a twinscrew supercharger to buy a tune from this guy. I hear the Roush guys dont have issues but from personal experience I never could.

VMP - Possibly the easiest to recommend. If I was to sell my truck, I would probably install this tune as it maybe boring, it still seems the most "stock"

JDM - With the Troyer tune and JDM tune I can put the truck in neutral and rev up the motor and show up a mustang at a light. With VMP it doesn't let you rev the truck at all. As stupid as that sounds. I love that to me it feels like JDM combines the best of Troyer (WOT power and reving ability ) and the best of VMP (good daily driving).

If I was to really recommend one, I would say if you want a stock like driving experience with great power, easy to drive and complete predictability, VMP tuning. If you want something that feels like you are holding back a beast that will bite you in the *** if you dont watch your right foot. JDM.

 

Great post. :thumbsup

 

Very nicely done.

 

Nice writeup. This just confirms that I want to get a dyno tune when the time comes. Luckily I have a good one close by

 

Thanks for the great info.

 

Cracking write up fella.

I was gonna get an email tune from Jim but found a local'ish tuner and dynoed it.

Best dollar spent on the truck so far.

 

I wish I could dyno tune my truck. I dont know of any local tuners that know the 3vs. Mainly just Lightning or mustang guys

 

Summed it up perfectly....nice job!

 

The guy who did my tune is a big Mustang GT / GT500 tuner.

Did a stand up job on my truck and will be doing the base tune and high power tune on my new build.

 

Yea we have some good Mustang tuners around here I'm pretty sure. However, at this point I honestly dont know if they could really make much of a power difference over what my tunes are now.

I kind of feel like if JDMs tunes are good enough to where Saleen (the company) would update the tunes in their trucks JDM tunes that to me says alot.

 

Of all the tunes I've had on multiple cars, Jim Sr's is the absolute best I've had for all around.

He comes to Houston once a month and I actually got him to dyno tune and street tune my truck. It is an absolute blast to drive, and super easy to drive every day.

He was disappointed though I still had a stock long block, he actually liked my truck quite a bit and wanted to crank it up.

 

Nice write up.

I had a few VMP tunes on some other F150's and Justin's response times were outstanding but at the end of the day he always struck me as a Mustang tuner so when I got my current F150 I saw an article about Troyer dropping in a Roush. After spending face time with him and many hours on the phone he is most definitely a Roush guy. According to him he had a hand in developing it which I thought was cool and could explain not only why he pushes it for the 04-08 F150's but why he knows so much about it. Unfortunately now I'm curious about JDM ha. I wish he would come to Colorado so I can see what Troyers current high elevation tune (got the truck originally tuned at his place in VA so who knows what was taken out when I requested a high elevation tune after moving) compares to what he can do hands on. Only tuners in the Springs area are import guys who run Diablo tuners which I do not have and will not buy.

 

Jon Lund?

 

Anybody got a website or a link for this JDM company? Sounds like I may be giving him some business sometime soon.

 

Just Google JDM.