In a different topic it was mentioned several custom tuners were able to turn a custom tune out and get it to the customer in a matter of 1-5 business days. On another F150 message board I frequent it was mentioned by one guy that he received his tunes in 1 business day. That got me wondering.

How the heck do some of custom tuners turn their tunes out in a matter of days while Troyer takes up to 2 months? SO far I am more than satisfied with my Troyer tunes and I'm really glad that I went that way, but the time lag for Troyer tunes compared to several others has me scratching my head. Are these other tuners compiling the information on your trucks and taking every modification into account like Troyer when they're building their tunes? Is it simply that Troyer has so much business that his tunes take that long? I just find it very hard to believe that a truly custom tune (I know that some will argue that even Troyer isn't custom unless it's dyno'd) cannot be turned out in a matter of a couple days. Am I wrong?

 

I spend a lot of time at Mikes shop, and have for the past several years. Yea, you could say since my retirement from Ford Motor Company that I have become a part time Troyer employee, which would be a true statement.
I also have my own Performance business and Mike just happens to be one of
my wholesale distributors, by my preference...
I can guarantee you that those that can provide a tuned XCal2 for you in just a day or two are not giving anyone "custom tunes".. They will install what I would refer to as a generic tune thats data was compiled from a large group of vehicles with a "one size fits all" program.
Mike on the other hand has tuned literally thousands ( for himself) of F-150's and has created his own files and tuning for each computer code, and the specific trucks equipment. I can tell you for a fact that NO, and I mean NO two trucks that he writes tunes for share the exact same tuning files. I know because I have spent hundreds of hours with him while he writes his tunes and I watch every thing he does. I did so because he was basically teaching me how it is done for my own use. After spending a lot to time attempting to learn this, I decided it was too damn labor intensive and have given up on even considering it any further. Mike will write ALL the tunes for me and my customers...
If you think it isn't custom because it wasn't dynoed you are dead wrong my friend. There have been hundreds that have been on his dyno after installing tunes form one of his XCal2's that required absolutely NO tweaking...They were dead on straight from the UPS man that dropped them off at their door.
Mike is the only one that writes the tuning he provides his customers and it all takes time, and a lot of it. There are also many, shall we say other Performance providing companies that call him daily wanting his custom tuning for their products and customers. You would be surprised to who these companies are. I know because I have answered his phone many times, and was shocked myself. Does he do it? That is for him to answer.......
Hope this answers some of your question.....

 

Thanks Marc, I figured you would set the record straight. Trust me though, I'm not one of those who believe just because my truck hasn't been dyno'd yet that I don't have a custom tune. The exact reason I went with Mike was because I was getting the best custom tune out there and he did take more than a day or two to get the tunes done. As I told there guy on the other message board if he's getting a custom tune in a matter of 1 business day it's either (a) not truly custom or (b) the custom tuner just isn't getting any business which should tell you something about the tuner.

 

Well there are a few things in this post that have me scratching my head. I work part time with a friend of mine who owns two dyno's one 248hs and one Model 188 Dynojet. I have been around 100s of cars/trucks/motorcycles/quads/ and Jr dragsters getting dyno tuned.

One thing that I know from experience is that rarely there are any two exact engines that run exactly the same. So with that being said, I have no idea how ANYONE can do a "custom" tune with out actually having the vehicle in their possession on the dyno while tuning.

I am by far not questioning Troyer's ability to possibly write the best tunes out there (he may be the best)... but I question more of how it can be done via mail order. I just don't get it. I have witnessed a canned tune being loaded and being close but I have NEVER witnessed a tune come mail order and be spot on.

 

Hi.

Just because you have never witnessed it, doesn't mean it can't happen.

I have. Mine was just one of them - by far not the only one.

I took the time to datalog the truck myself using one of the recommended alternative methods provided by MT - 2nd gear WOT-to-rev limiter pulls with an LM-1 wideband feeding the Analog 1 input, plus the Xcal2/Livelink 'logger running on an on-board laptop. Sent those data files in - they were reviewed - NO changes required AT ALL.

This is NORMAL for him... experience+knowledge+specialization+doing thousands of F150's+raw talent+attention to detail + 'you name it' = spot on mail-order tunes.

Marc - an Engineer never gives up !!!

Cheers
Bubba

. <--- my 500x100 angstrom compliant sig lol

 

I had a mustang tuner TRY and TRY to tune my 97 F-150 ON a dyno for days, and never had any luck at all getting it right. Later on I found out that he didn't have the knowledge to tune the PCM on these trucks, which are totally different from all the others. You either know these trucks, or you don't, and Mike does.

 

I've only had my truck for 1 month and thanks to the info on here I know I want a Troyer. My question is. Does Mike do every single tune himself? Or are there also other people that work for him doing tunes? It sounds stressfull.

 

You can believe what you may. Just so happen I have spent a few years in the tuning and performance field myself, before meeting Mike. I spent 5 years tuning an NHRA Alcohol Funny Car, have owned more race vehicles than I care to mention, and when I tell you Mike can tune an F-150 spot on, thats exactly what I mean. Maybe those that don't believe in his ability should purchase one of his tuners, and one from one of his competitors and do a dyno comparison themselves and post those results here..That would surely be an unbiased way of proving who is right and who is wrong.
When your on top in your game you need not have to prove it to those who disbelieve...They in turn should have to prove otherwise....
Just this mans opinion...And I am sure several others too...

 

Mike will not let anyone other than himself write the tuning for a customers vehicle...Another reason the wait is so long....

 

Wow, that's nuts. AND SWEET CUSTOMER SERVICE!
I will be proud to say my tune came from the man himself.
The wait is well worth a good tune in my book.
I'm holding off on my Troyer because I'm going to order my Power commander and some other stuff for my quad since summer is here. And we don't get much of that in MN! hahahaha

 

Marc, I think you know best from your experience with Mike why his tunes are the best and why the wait time. I didn't realize that Mike himself wrote every tune. All I know is there could be no way that a custom tuner, who is really good enough to generate multiple customer orders, could actually turn out a custom tune in a matter of 1 or 2 days. I mean to turn out a custom tune in 1 day you have to be drawing it from a database of trucks rather than building it for that customer's specific truck.

 

I’ve been running Mikes’ custom tunes in my 04Screw since 12-03-04; never had a problem, they’re ultra reliable; da’bomb

 

As I said before, I am not questioning Mike's abilities at all or saying anyone is right or wrong. Nor is this meant to be a rip fest on Mike. I am asking very simple questions.

The question I asked still stands unanswered. HOW can someone (anyone) tune a vehicle with out knowing the A/F ratio's or timing with out knowing where it currently sits?

In order to properly tune a vehicle you would NEED to know where these numbers are to make any adjustments... if not, you are guessing. How would anyone know where to pull/add timing or pull/add fuel without seeing it with their own eyes? If everyone agrees not all engines are 100% identical and rarely run 100% the same... how can anyone be spot on with out knowing what each and every motor is doing? What if one person is experiencing a stumble at WOT 1500rpm and one guy isn't. Or another example is one motor is dropping power up top a little... It happens ALL the time.

I 100% agree that if you take 1500 5.4L motors, put identical mods on each one, and create a tune.. you probably could create a tune that will be pretty close. I've seen custom tunes come from very well known tuners (I won't mention any names)... People were saying the same exact things you are saying about how good the tunes are... etc. Guess what, they have been off, as a matter of fact they have been way off at times. And yet at other times, YES, they have been close but most people did spent time trying multiple tunes before getting it "spot on" (which means dyno runs, logging and sending stuff back and forth with the tuner) Why was this happening? IMO, because every engine responds and runs differently. Sure, there are always going to be the people who are close enough and just happy.

Just some simple questions guys... no hostility meant by this.

 

btt

I'm curious...

 

Hi.

Curiosity should foster the desire to search ....

Start with this : https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...1&postcount=26

The other thing you can do is simply call them & talk to Mike. Have a good, comfy chair handy. If that won't do the trick, nothing will.

Good luck.

Cheers
Bubba