tuner for sub or not

shasta24 wrote:
2001,2500 suburban with 8.1 engine and 4:10 gears. My camper is 8000 pounds and 36 footer. Does anyone really think a tuner such as flashpaq with no other mods would be worth it? Im not complaining about the power, but wondered if it would be even more powerful.

Tuners for gas engines really don't do much. To make a lot more power with a gasoline engine you need to put more air through it. Tuners can't do this. As already stated about the only thing they do for the engine is add timing and throttle % for any given throw. That just makes the engine "feel" more responsive. As stated, when you bump the timing up you usually need to add better fuel.

Also stated, they can make the shift points better and more forgiving which can be a big plus in some cases.

If you want more than just a handful of HP more, you're going to have to go a different route. If you go that different route and get more air into the engine, your going to have to burn more fuel with it.

The biggest advantage a tuner will provide is better shifting. In my opinion, that alone is worth the investment. I've had one on my 2000 f150 almost since it was new, and it makes a world of difference. Power wise, I'm never going to feel the extra 15hp they claim it makes, but it never hesitated to downshift, and firms up those shifts noticeably.

First thing to do is a CAT back exhaust. It helps a bit in stock form, even more with a tuner. Most tuners advance timing (not much else to do) which requires higher octane then the "cheap stuff"..

The 2001 Suburban 8.1 has the 4L80-E transmission. GM beefed it up to the 4L85-E in 2002. Increasing power and torque with a tuner may affect drive train reliability. My 8.1 with 3.73axle pulls 7500# with very little effort and I'm happy with the performance and mileage.

I have a BlackBear tuned 6.0 in my '00 Yukon XL 2500 and it made a big difference towing and unloaded. Unloaded it has plenty of power and averages 14 mpg city/hwy combined. Towing my ~8000lb TT is a much better experience as well. Prior to the tune I pulled several hills in 2nd with a lot of throttle. With the tune I can keep it in 3rd longer and if I have to pull it down to 2nd less throttle is required.

I do have a ebay 'cold air' intake and the exhaust is slightly more open, but the tune is by far the best 'bang for the buck' towing mod I have done to the Yukon. In order to maximize the benefit I have to run 93 octane fuel, but the benefit outweighs the $0.30/gal price difference. Last camping trip I averaged 8 mpg, and while not stellar, that 8 mpg was towing 8k @ 65-70 MPH loaded with 2 adults, 3 kids and gear for all 5 while blasting the A/C. Not bad IMO.

Also, the 'cold air' intake does lower intake air temps on the highway to 2-3* above ambient temp as verified by my ScanGaugeII. I can't speak to that adding any more power, but it does do what it's supposed to.

One more note - if you decide to get the BB tune, make sure your ignition parts and sensors are good to go. The tune will make any issues you have more prominent; I had to replace my knock sensors after the tune because the new PCM was asking more of the sensors than the stock tune.

Again, generic tuners don't do much in the way of power or mileage, they just change timing and shift pressure. What you want is a custom tune from a reputable company! I have mine from 5star tuning. These companies I mention do a lot of R&D with their tune so they can say that it will deliver what they say. If they didn't then they wouldn't be as good as they are!

My tuner has 3 custom tunes. I went with 89 octane economy, towing and performance! You can get them in any octane youde like. The biggest thing for me was the improved shift strategy 5star uses. With the tow tune each gear is held longer, shift pressure is turned up slightly and it also holds O/D longer. You do gain about 15-20 HP and about the same in torque, and I did gain .5 mpg towing, but that is not why I got it......but it is nice.

Do some research on Black Bear tuning, many happy customers!

How much towing are ya gonna do ? It will take several hundred thousand miles to save any money ? If ya ain't complaining why spend any money ? Spend it on whiskey and women or fishun gear !

I had a tuner on my 2005 8.1 Silverado with 4:10 gears and I really could not tell any difference towing or otherwise.

I have one for my X and it made a world of difference e! If I had a GM truck I would look at Black Bear Tuning. They are THE company to go to for tuning GM gas trucks!

Yes it is well worth it!

Can't offer much advice specifically for the 8.1 but I have it's little brother. I've read to the bottom of the internet for performance upgrades and came to the conclusion there isn't much 'bolt on' stuff that's worth the money.
A tune from Blackbear performance is about the only thing showing good results online BUT it's from the stop light to stop light crowd, not guys towing. I'm not even sold on the CAI and exhaust.
On the other hand, the 8.1 should pull 8000 around like nothing. My 6.0 does decent with 9000lbs. I wish I had the big block actually!