Gearhead newest revisions

[BP 09]

I got more behind the wheel time trying out various tuning companies on my stock 2018 Expedition. I've wasted money and time so that my fellow forum members don't have to. I made a few threads before but want to give some updates. Since the last thread, I have gotten pretty nerdy with datalogging all of my tunes through VCM Scanner, creating my own gauges and monitoring tons of PIDs. Even messing around with my own tunes. So here we go:

5 Star: This will anger some, but overrated! They are safe and feel juicy at part throttle around town, but WOT leaves a lot to be desired, and they could improve their trans tuning when not towing. They are a huge company with good marketing, but if you branch out to the "less popular" companies you can find better tuning. They were the first tune company I ever tried because of how popular they are.

MPT: Solid! Nothing bad to say about them at all. Customer service is the best out of everyone. Overall solid tunes. Good trans tuning especially in sport mode. I like how they support SCT and HP Tuners. Get their PRX if you want to go fast! Mike is one of the most experienced Ecoboost tuners out there.

ZFG Racing: Recommendation of Lokiwolf. I like how Adam reviews all your logs and builds the tune off of your logs. I am still working with him getting my vehicle dialed in. Currently on revision 4. ZFG tunes drive great with solid trans programming. I'd say ZFG is tied with Gearhead for first place with trans tuning. He seems to be the most popular in the Explorer ST world.

Gearhead: Matt updated his 2nd gen Ecoboost w/10 speed tunes in September 2023. I have the tow and the performance files. The tunes are set up the same and drive the same with the same transmission settings, but tow safe tune has boost limited to keep temps happy. This morning, in VCM Scanner, I logged a 5.1 second 0-60 running the tow safe tune with a boosted launch. I run 93 octane fuel. Boost settled around 13 PSI. Inferred turbo speeds never exceeded 155,000 RPM, well below the 220,000 limit that these turbos have, and even lower than I see with stock tuning. With stock intercooler, intake temps only went up 10 degrees during the run. AFR settled around .79 lambda at WOT. No knock. Blown away with how it pulls with low boost. Everyone else is pushing turbos north of 17 PSI to pull this hard. The transmission is snappy and in the right place at all times. The torque convertor locks up fast and snappy. Hard to explain how good the trans is. All I can say is it's the best. No one is more picky than me. PIDs show that Matt is making the safest performance tune out there. I wish he supported HP Tuners, but I keep my SCT tuner just for his tunes!

So there it be! Go get you a Gearhead tune!

 

[LokiWolf]

I got more behind the wheel time trying out various tuning companies on my stock 2018 Expedition. I've wasted money and time so that my fellow forum members don't have to. I made a few threads before but want to give some updates. Since the last thread, I have gotten pretty nerdy with datalogging all of my tunes through VCM Scanner, creating my own gauges and monitoring tons of PIDs. Even messing around with my own tunes. So here we go:

5 Star: This will anger some, but overrated! They are safe and feel juicy at part throttle around town, but WOT leaves a lot to be desired, and they could improve their trans tuning when not towing. They are a huge company with good marketing, but if you branch out to the "less popular" companies you can find better tuning. They were the first tune company I ever tried because of how popular they are.

MPT: Solid! Nothing bad to say about them at all. Customer service is the best out of everyone. Overall solid tunes. Good trans tuning especially in sport mode. I like how they support SCT and HP Tuners. Get their PRX if you want to go fast! Mike is one of the most experienced Ecoboost tuners out there.

ZFG Racing: Recommendation of Lokiwolf. I like how Adam reviews all your logs and builds the tune off of your logs. I am still working with him getting my vehicle dialed in. Currently on revision 4. ZFG tunes drive great with solid trans programming. I'd say ZFG is tied with Gearhead for first place with trans tuning. He seems to be the most popular in the Explorer ST world.

Gearhead: Matt updated his 2nd gen Ecoboost w/10 speed tunes in September 2023. I have the tow and the performance files. The tunes are set up the same and drive the same with the same transmission settings, but tow safe tune has boost limited to keep temps happy. This morning, in VCM Scanner, I logged a 5.1 second 0-60 running the tow safe tune with a boosted launch. I run 93 octane fuel. Boost settled around 13 PSI. Inferred turbo speeds never exceeded 155,000 RPM, well below the 220,000 limit that these turbos have, and even lower than I see with stock tuning. With stock intercooler, intake temps only went up 10 degrees during the run. AFR settled around .79 lambda at WOT. No knock. Blown away with how it pulls with low boost. Everyone else is pushing turbos north of 17 PSI to pull this hard. The transmission is snappy and in the right place at all times. The torque convertor locks up fast and snappy. Hard to explain how good the trans is. All I can say is it's the best. No one is more picky than me. PIDs show that Matt is making the safest performance tune out there. I wish he supported HP Tuners, but I keep my SCT tuner just for his tunes!

So there it be! Go get you a Gearhead tune!

Love the feedback!

You are 100% spot on with 5Star. Not the best, just a good marketing department.

I hate the SCT hardware, so sadly, Gearhead is off the table for me, but have heard nothing but good things about Matt@GH.

Keep working with Adam. The revisions matter.

Well done!

 

[BP 09]

Been really happy with Adam too! But he's been swamped and I'm doing about a revision a week with him. We are pretty close to a finished product just working out a misfire issue I am seeing in Sport mode!

 

[LokiWolf]

Been really happy with Adam too! But he's been swamped and I'm doing about a revision a week with him. We are pretty close to a finished product just working out a misfire issue I am seeing in Sport mode!

Hey, how's it coming. You on the final revision now?

 

[BP 09]

I am on revision 5 with ZFG, a 91 performance file, normal mode is excellent, trans is perfect, fuel trims always nice between -2 and +2. However I am still getting a misfire on cylinder 4 in sport mode only under WOT after shifts, I've done DI and PI injectors, coils, plugs, and intake gaskets and still fighting it. Even upgraded to a CVF Titan V2 intercooler in case my stock one was contaminated or anything. Just a weird one off thing only in Sport mode that I think is stemming from the extra firm shifts and TCC lockup. I asked Adam to put the normal mode shift/slip pressures into the sport mode style scheduling and throttle sensitivity and we will call it a day on revisions. Don't really need the firm sport mode shifts since this is my kid hauler anyway. Thinking about upgrading to the Raptor in tank fuel pump at some point.

In Adam's defense, my MPT tunes did the same thing in sport mode on the base revisions and those had to be adjusted too. I think it just has to do with how fast ZFG and MPT have the trans shifting in sport mode at WOT. Almost wondering if a motor mount or something is a little loose and is shifting some wiring or something on those firm shifts, causing the misfire.

I know Adam will get the misfire sorted out as each revision is misfiring less, but I find myself loading Gearhead and sticking with it. Same strong acceleration (5 second flat 0-60 with both GH and ZFG on 93 octane) with less boost, no misfires, and better MPG for me. Just personal preference I guess. I still recommend ZFG though and I still prefer HP Tuners over SCT.

GH, ZFG, and MPT all have been great, each unique in their own ways. I've turned quite a few people onto GH lately with his latest revisions and his tuning style seems to fit my driving preferences the best.

 

[LokiWolf]

I am on revision 5 with ZFG, a 91 performance file, normal mode is excellent, trans is perfect, fuel trims always nice between -2 and +2. However I am still getting a misfire on cylinder 4 in sport mode only under WOT after shifts, I've done DI and PI injectors, coils, plugs, and intake gaskets and still fighting it. Even upgraded to a CVF Titan V2 intercooler in case my stock one was contaminated or anything. Just a weird one off thing only in Sport mode that I think is stemming from the extra firm shifts and TCC lockup. I asked Adam to put the normal mode shift/slip pressures into the sport mode style scheduling and throttle sensitivity and we will call it a day on revisions. Don't really need the firm sport mode shifts since this is my kid hauler anyway. Thinking about upgrading to the Raptor in tank fuel pump at some point.

In Adam's defense, my MPT tunes did the same thing in sport mode on the base revisions and those had to be adjusted too. I think it just has to do with how fast ZFG and MPT have the trans shifting in sport mode at WOT. Almost wondering if a motor mount or something is a little loose and is shifting some wiring or something on those firm shifts, causing the misfire.

I know Adam will get the misfire sorted out as each revision is misfiring less, but I find myself loading Gearhead and sticking with it. Same strong acceleration (5 second flat 0-60 with both GH and ZFG on 93 octane) with less boost, no misfires, and better MPG for me. Just personal preference I guess. I still recommend ZFG though and I still prefer HP Tuners over SCT.

GH, ZFG, and MPT all have been great, each unique in their own ways. I've turned quite a few people onto GH lately with his latest revisions and his tuning style seems to fit my driving preferences the best.

LOVE the honest reviews! I think you are honestly dealing with the 2 best as far as tuning the 10R80. I think that is where 5 Star and LMS are lacking significantly. They focus on power, and don't respect how much the Trans comes into play to getting this right. ZFG has always been aggressive with getting the TC locked up. I like it, but it can cause these weird issues if the Trans behaves a little wonky. No misfire on Sport for me, but the shifts are SOLID! You better be ready for them. My Tunes that have Drag mode, are even crazier...but it took over a 10th off my 0-60. I rarely load it...but it is a difference.

Yeah, I REALLY don't like SCT's hardware. I also LOVE the logging on HPT. Nothing beats it out there honestly right now.

 

[BP 09]

Yeah man I'm addicted to logging on VCM, drive my wife crazy, I've made my own config files and gauge set ups to make everything I want to see easier to see, luckily even my SCT flashed tunes like GH are still able to be logged in VCM, I just have to make sure the strategy code is the same.

 

[BP 09]

Well, the misfire issue I had described earlier that I was working through with both MPT and ZFG has finally been fixed. I decided to back track from when I did my cam phaser repairs, and turns out when reinstalling the intake manifold, I cranked down one of the bolts too far and it poked a small hole in the valve cover, close to the intake tract for cylinder 4. Cylinder 4 was misfiring only under the most extreme and harsh conditions. I think what was happening is cylinder 4 was sucking oil from the PCV system built into the valve cover and when I was getting those crispy shifts with ZFG and MPT at WOT, it was disturbing things enough to make it misfire. Replaced the driver side valve cover and all misfiring is gone on all tunes no matter what.

Waiting for ZFG to send me one last revision and get him a fresh datalog. Be careful everyone when zipping down your intake manifold after repairs!