am I missing out with magnuson install

[jstev4610]

I'm adding a tvs1900 to my stock 2015 silverado 5.3 (already ordered). To keep the magnuson warranty, I use their tune on the stock engine. Alternatively, I was going to have it either dyno or remote tuned (local options are slim) and add headers. Am I missing out on a significant amount of hp by using the maggie tune and no headers? Significant amount to me is over 10% increase in hp.  I suspect the maggie tune is pretty good, but if someone has feedback from using it I'd love to hear it.

Edited February 19, 2018 by jstev4610

[Black02Silverado]

If you put that on you will need the headers.  More air in = more air out.   As for the tune. I would say you would get more power from a dyno tune than what Magnuson offers. It will take full advantage of the 1900 and put the power to the wheels.

[Bonjosco3ss]

That Maggie tune is only good for the pulley it comes with. If you plan on putting a smaller pulley then you will need a custom tune. More air = more fuel. So if you stay with the stock pulley then there really isn’t any need for headers. It’s only about 6-7lbs of boost on stock pulley. May even be 5lbs. I bought mine used so I’m not sure.

[Nasty]

4 hours ago, Black02Silverado said:

If you put that on you will need the headers.  More air in = more air out.   As for the tune. I would say you would get more power from a dyno tune than what Magnuson offers. It will take full advantage of the 1900 and put the power to the wheels.

Not true. You do not need headers with the Maggie. 1 reason I know is becsuse it's carb legal here in California. Headers are not. Second. Matt of gp tuning has a 14 sierra with 1.  For 30k miles.  Running the stock pulley.  Not 1 issue. 

 

Headers are not needed

[jstev4610]

Yeah definitely don’t need headers, and not 100 percent positive that they have as much benefit to a fi system as a na system.  But if I’m going to blow a Maggie warranty with tuning I was thinking they might as well go on but maybe not?  Did Matt of gp tuning do his own tune?  Sure he did but asking.

[Black02Silverado]

7 hours ago, Nasty said:

Not true. You do not need headers with the Maggie. 1 reason I know is becsuse it's carb legal here in California. Headers are not. Second. Matt of gp tuning has a 14 sierra with 1.  For 30k miles.  Running the stock pulley.  Not 1 issue. 

 

Headers are not needed

Let me rephrase this, you will need headers if you want to get the most HP out of the engine.  Will it run ok with out headers, yes.  Remember an engine is an air pump.  If you try to put more air in than it can get NA then you will need to get more air out in an efficient manner.  California has some strick laws.  I'm surprised they even allow one to modify their engine at all. 

[Grumpy Bear]

Is there a reason you feel it is 'all or nothing'? Can't the project be done in stages? Magnuson has been around a long time and have it pretty well figured. There's a reason they limit boost on 'stock'  motors. 

 

6L80E is rated for about 440 lb/ft torque. The 5.3 stock is about 390. Half an atmosphere (7psi) of boost will send the input torque to a level roughly 50% greater than the units design. That has never stopped a hotrod builder. The clutches will start to slip and the average fella will apply a tune to increase servo pressure and that will stop that...for a while. Now your cooking rubber and add some bar and tire and what do ya know, the 4/5/6 apply piston cones, fractures and grenades. You rebuild it with tougher parts and toss a little converter at her and now that alloy driveshaft is twisted like a pretzel. Get a steely made and snap goes an axle......Eventually you'll keep adding boost until the ring gap closes and pulls the top off a piston daylighting the block as the rod breaks and then....rinse and repeat. 

 

Most oddly survive this anyway and suffer none of the preceding true enough. Those are the fellas that can't get her to hook so nothing really bad ever happens and they go there merry way creating clouds of smoke and a cash cow for some tire shop. It's all good.  Let the games begin. It's my first rodeo.  

[Grumpy Bear]

What? Was that too harsh? 

Edited February 22, 2018 by Grumpy Bear

[jrob56]

Personally Id run as is for awhile with their tune and warranty. That way if you have any issues you have recourse. Im sure that power added alone will put a smile on your face. You can always add headers, pulley and tune it later once you get used to the stock 1900 power.

[jstev4610]

On 2/21/2018 at 10:45 PM, Grumpy Bear said:

What? Was that too harsh? 

Good discussion.  Decided today I'm loading up the maggie tune first and seeing where that's at.  Got headers and a wideband waiting to throw on, and pat g on tap to tune.  The guy above is right, I used to rock crawl and the constant fix chasing with mods is something I really want to avoid.  No cam, no smaller pulley, hopefully no fueling issues.  Going to have to watch the transmission.

[L86 All Terrain]

The canned Mag. tune will not be tuned for headers. It will probably run fine with them but I would run it with the blower and install your headers just before you get it dyno tuned. I am in Canada so I know how hard it is to find someone you aren't scared to let tune your truck. 

[Darth_Vader]

On 2/20/2018 at 7:11 AM, Black02Silverado said:

Let me rephrase this, you will need headers if you want to get the most HP out of the engine.  Will it run ok with out headers, yes.  Remember an engine is an air pump.  If you try to put more air in than it can get NA then you will need to get more air out in an efficient manner.  California has some strick laws.  I'm surprised they even allow one to modify their engine at all. 

Headers are the least of your worries on this exhaust.

[jstev4610]

Got the blower on and their tune loaded. Transmission feels pretty bad, had a lew tune on the truck when it was NA so the shifting might be close to stock but unsure.   Feel what might be a miss at high rpm too when it's stomped on.  My mpg in the first 110 miles went to under 13 all highway.  The next 110 that went up to 17.5 all highway.  I had close to a full tank 10% ethanol oxygenated 91 gas in it initially, refilled after 100 at a bit over a half tank with 91 no ethanol non oxygenated.  Driving habits were the same both ways, stomped on it to pass but that was it.  75mph avg.  Not sure if it's the maggie tune, gas, computer relearning, or all of them causing such a weird variance in the mpg.  Waiting on the retune to get to me then going to see how it feels.  Definitely feel the additional power there and it would be worth the upgrade as is.  

 

 

[L86 All Terrain]

Definitely find a reputable GM tuner and get it on the dyno before you hurt the motor. High RPM stutters or pings are never good. I don't have a supercharged vehicle, but if you try to run my high performance/high compression sled with ethanol or blended 91 it will ping and cough and melt your pistons before you even know it is happening. These truck engines have a very high compression as it is, when you boost a high compression engine it only makes matters worse as far it being prone to pre-detonation. This is why you see ratios like 9:1 or 9.8:1 when talking boosted engines, not so much 11:1 like the new LT engines. My guess is the engine is pre-detonating the charge on the high end, or heat-soak type issue? Is the air charge intercooled? If you can't sort it our with a dyno tune and 91 non-ethanol, you may want to look into water-meth injection to keep the charge air temp down or go to E85 for resistance to heat and pre-det issues. E85 is alcohol based so it burns cooler than gasoline and has a good resistance to pre-detonation. This is the boosted guys new C15 race gas, for guys that don't want to spend $15/gal on race gas.

[.justin.]

On 3/12/2018 at 10:17 AM, jstev4610 said:

Got the blower on and their tune loaded. Transmission feels pretty bad, had a lew tune on the truck when it was NA so the shifting might be close to stock but unsure.   Feel what might be a miss at high rpm too when it's stomped on.  My mpg in the first 110 miles went to under 13 all highway.  The next 110 that went up to 17.5 all highway.  I had close to a full tank 10% ethanol oxygenated 91 gas in it initially, refilled after 100 at a bit over a half tank with 91 no ethanol non oxygenated.  Driving habits were the same both ways, stomped on it to pass but that was it.  75mph avg.  Not sure if it's the maggie tune, gas, computer relearning, or all of them causing such a weird variance in the mpg.  Waiting on the retune to get to me then going to see how it feels.  Definitely feel the additional power there and it would be worth the upgrade as is.  

 

 

That's not uncommon with the way the throttle control scheme is on the 2014+ trucks.  Are you having their tuner update it?

 

We've got a tune dealer in your area, Scotts EQ Auto on Brooks street if you wanted to go that route and will be relocating Black Bear Performance to Northern Idaho this summer.