Cost of Dyno Tuning??.....

[TC]

So how much does it normally cost to have a car dyno tuned??...... I'll be doing the head and cam swap on my '99 Camaro in the next few weeks and was wondering how much money it cost for them to tune the car....... The guys at Chuck's who are going through the heads and setting them up for the new cam told me it'd be between $500 and $800 for them to tune the car..... Is that a good price??..... They like to use EFI Live, but said they can use my HPTuners, which might save me a little....... Anyway does that sound about right for Dyno tuning??........

[JeffClark]

What kind of money is Schofner charging these days we use to do alot of work togeather in the 90's good guy!

also 500 to 800 is cheap if they are good.

[TC]

What kind of money is Schofner charging these days we use to do alot of work togeather in the 90's good guy!

also 500 to 800 is cheap if they are good.

Not sure, haven't been there since my two friends Bod and Ted worked there, though you might have dealt with them since 90's sounds about right when they were working there??, Chuck's has been around for a really long time and they do good reputable work.... I even got a chance today to talk with their dyno guy....... You just got to love a shop were the service writer just takes you to the guys doing the work and lets you talk to them so everyone is on the same page..........

[JeffClark]

I did not do much with the guys working there, Jim would come to my place in Havasu I was doing alot of R&D with various people my major work was ATI at the time (procharger) they were new in the game we made a few programs with packages and Jim could store them so I could just mail him a mefi and he load it up for me..

Old School and the first 1000+ hp Procharged deal me when I was a buck sucking on a pic tool...

[JeffClark]

On Chucks I agree with you I was always front page with everyone we did business with also a long conversation of what was the intent and what use. Communication is King!

[Scott Liggett]

Westech, the mag guys all go to, charges $700/ day for the chassis dyno. They do half days too. In the end, you are charged by the hour. It cost me about $300 when I took the Impala there. The more you do before the dyno session, the less it will cost you. You dont want to waste time and money on the dyno fixing crap that could be used laying the down the numbers.

[mlcraven]

I was hot to trot on a dyno tuning session a few years ago and my mechanic at the time, Gerry Otley at GO Auto Performance in Ottawa, CAN, told me it would be WAY cheaper to take the El Camino out to the local strip (Luskville Dragway northwest of Gatineau QC) and undertake some time slip tuning (at $30/day for time trials). Gerry ran a 9 sec street-driven Camaro at the time so I didn't blow his advice off. That said, I'm intrigued by these modern AFR guages and their amateur tuning potential.

And I understand that in some parts of USA (and CAN) that access to a dyno may be less of an issue than to a dragstrip (quarter or eighth mile).

[DanStokes]

I realize that I'm hopelessly far away, but I use Wayne's Dyno in Jacksonville, NC (home of Camp Lejeune). Wayne is a great guy and an excellent tuner and charges $65/hr (Dynojet). Wish he had a dyno with the ability to apply a load at steady state but he's a great tuner and gets you in the ballpark quickly. SO worth the money.

Dan

[dieselgeek]

Most of these guys are quoting you "dyno rate"

You'll need to pay the dyno rate, PLUS the cost of the tune. Use your HPT so you don't have to pay for a "credit" - my guess is, $400-600 for the tune.

Now, the question is, do your local guys REALLY know what they're doing tuning the LS? I know a lot of guys that claim they're good at it - few really are.

[Bamfster]

There's a shop here in the metro area that give 3 runs on the chassis dyno for $75 every few Saturdays. No tuning done, but you can pull out to the lot and make changes and get back in line. Not a bad deal if you ask me ...

[Scott Liggett]

Most of these guys are quoting you "dyno rate"

You'll need to pay the dyno rate, PLUS the cost of the tune. Use your HPT so you don't have to pay for a "credit" - my guess is, $400-600 for the tune.

Now, the question is, do your local guys REALLY know what they're doing tuning the LS? I know a lot of guys that claim they're good at it - few really are.

I know of one who knows his stuff tuning late model LS engines. The numbers he gets dont lie.

https://www.haddadmotorsports.com

[DanStokes]

I've posted this on here before. As Scott and I know all too well, the dyno is just a tool. If you use a screwdriver to pound a nail it isn't going to get you anywhere (please don't ask how I know this...). Anyhow, like the screwdriver, it all depends on the skill of the guy holding the handle. And like the screwdriver, it can be a wonderful thing when used properly.

Dan

[TC]

Most of these guys are quoting you "dyno rate"

You'll need to pay the dyno rate, PLUS the cost of the tune. Use your HPT so you don't have to pay for a "credit" - my guess is, $400-600 for the tune.

Now, the question is, do your local guys REALLY know what they're doing tuning the LS? I know a lot of guys that claim they're good at it - few really are.

Like I said earlier I got to talk to the guy that does their dyno tuning, seem like he knew what he was talking about, like he was able to tell me the differences between EFI Live and HPTuners and why he feels EFI Live is better(basically it gives you more control over certain parameters, like idle control), he also got into some details about how he tunes the cars and he did say he was with Chuck's when my friend Rick was working there at their old location, which means he's been with them dyno tuning cars for over 10 years now....... Figure if he was a hack they probably would have got rid of him by now....... I guess we'll see how it goes....... I guess worst case scenario is I got to buy you a plane ticket and have you come show them how it's done.

[ksj2]

Worst case? Better be video of that.

[Scott Liggett]

Like I said earlier I got to talk to the guy that does their dyno tuning, seem like he knew what he was talking about, like he was able to tell me the differences between EFI Live and HPTuners and why he feels EFI Live is better(basically it gives you more control over certain parameters, like idle control), he also got into some details about how he tunes the cars and he did say he was with Chuck's when my friend Rick was working there at their old location, which means he's been with them dyno tuning cars for over 10 years now....... Figure if he was a hack they probably would have got rid of him by now....... I guess we'll see how it goes....... I guess worst case scenario is I got to buy you a plane ticket and have you come show them how it's done.

Talk with guys in your area. Then go with your gut. If you think these guys can get the car tuned well; use them.