SCT Question.

[jrod_okc]

I am going to pull the trigger on a SCT today, If i can get a few answers.

I hate buyting things twice. So with that said, at the end of this summer when i am going to turbo the viper. Will the SCT be able to tune a Turbo viper? I am going to buy the pro racer package. Is it restricted by a 2bar map or something along those lines?

 

[jrod_okc]

SCT DCX Xcalibrator 2 Flash Programmer 9550 on eBay!

This is the correct sct flash tool correct? The 9550

 

[plumcrazy]

first thing id do is talk to the builder doing the turbo. IMO an SCT cant handle a big power TT setup but dan swears it can. I believe it is restricted to x bar but i dont know what that is. DC would know and be able to help out.

but talk to the guy who is going to build you the TT and tune it. let it be his decision on what to use.

who is doing the TT for ya ?

 

[Red Snake]

You will not be able to control W/M with the SCT either.

 

[MTGTS]

I own an SCT and like it but I would not buy one to control a boosted application

 

[jrod_okc]

A local shop in okc will be doing the turbo setup. Onepercentmotorsports, I talked to Dan. He said to get the pro tuner software you have to get it from sct. But places like roe and viper specialty sell it. And from my research, which could be wrong. The sct model number is the 9550. And buy buying it from eBay Would save some $$$ and then buy the pro software from sct.

 

[coupe]

1) Buy it either direct from SCT or from an authorized dealer.
2) The 9550 is correct flash tool.
3) I "heard" you can scale values to use a 3-bar sensor. Haven't confirmed

 

[Jack B]

A local shop in okc will be doing the turbo setup. Onepercentmotorsports, I talked to Dan. He said to get the pro tuner software you have to get it from sct. But places like roe and viper specialty sell it. And from my research, which could be wrong. The sct model number is the 9550. And buy buying it from eBay Would save some $$$ and then buy the pro software from sct.

It is a great tool and does an excellent job of basic viper tuning. I run a non-viper turbo car and tune it with a similar product. You may need some parallel mechanical/electrical control for the **** or boost refinement.

 

[Art 138]

There are several tuners who will configure a custom program on the SCT.......I just did that for my FGT and the tuner also does them for the Viper.

 

[speedracervr4]

You will not be able to control W/M with the SCT either.

I use an SCT on my ROE S/C SRT truck and it uses W/M. Just need a boost activated solenoid to control the ****. I would go AEM if you have a competent tuner near by. It Has more options/controls (progressive boost, two step) than the SCT.

 

[Viper Specialty]

first thing id do is talk to the builder doing the turbo. IMO an SCT cant handle a big power TT setup but dan swears it can. I believe it is restricted to x bar but i dont know what that is. DC would know and be able to help out.

but talk to the guy who is going to build you the TT and tune it. let it be his decision on what to use.

who is doing the TT for ya ?

That depends on your definition of "big power".

The SCT can handle up to 1 bar of boost. No more.

1 bar is Big Power for most... but not all

 

[Viper Specialty]

3) I "heard" you can scale values to use a 3-bar sensor. Haven't confirmed

No way... you would end up with horrible resolution. Not saying its impossible... but i can assure you it will run like crap on 90% of the engines out there. The only exceptions would be unless your build has an extremely linear fuel demand.

 

[Viper Specialty]

A local shop in okc will be doing the turbo setup. Onepercentmotorsports, I talked to Dan. He said to get the pro tuner software you have to get it from sct. But places like roe and viper specialty sell it. And from my research, which could be wrong. The sct model number is the 9550. And buy buying it from eBay Would save some $$$ and then buy the pro software from sct.

I am not by any means telling you where to buy it... but tech support that has some idea of what they are doing is worth its weight in gold. I can assure you, that without the help of a tuner in the Viper market, you wont be setting up a 2-bar SCT yourself in any remotely reasonable amount of time. SCT does not know this product very well, and for the most part, a tuner isn't going to send you files/time without being a customer for you to look at. And even then... having a tuner send you a 2-Bar MTF file to view on a PRP is probably not going to happen.

2-bar SCT from scratch is not for the quite moderately experienced... let alone a new-to-DCX-SCT tuner.

FYI, PRP's have to be purchased from SCT-DCX dealers or SCT directly.... see above paragraph

 

[97snk]

what is 1bar 2bar and 3bar power referred to?

 

[Viper Specialty]

what is 1bar 2bar and 3bar power referred to?

bar=atmosphere=~14.5psi

1 Bar= Perfect Vacuum to Zero Vacuum. [Stock Viper]

2 Bar= Perfect Vacuum to 1 Bar Boost/ 14.5psi Boost [SCT Limits]

3 Bar+= Perfect Vacuum to 2 Bar Boost/29psi Boost [Upper level controller territory]


"1 Bar of power" means as much as could be produced on the typical viper within the limit of 1 bar of boost. General terms, I would put this in the 1000 ballpark.

 

[Red Snake]

I am going to pull the trigger on a SCT today, If i can get a few answers.

I hate buyting things twice. So with that said, at the end of this summer when i am going to turbo the viper. Will the SCT be able to tune a Turbo viper? I am going to buy the pro racer package. Is it restricted by a 2bar map or something along those lines?

From everything said on this thread it sounds to me like you need to buy an AEM.

Good luck with the build. Keep us posted.

 

[97snk]

bar=atmosphere=~14.5psi

1 Bar= Perfect Vacuum to Zero Vacuum. [Stock Viper]

2 Bar= Perfect Vacuum to 1 Bar Boost/ 14.5psi Boost [SCT Limits]

3 Bar+= Perfect Vacuum to 2 Bar Boost/29psi Boost [Upper level controller territory]


"1 Bar of power" means as much as could be produced on the typical viper within the limit of 1 bar of boost. General terms, I would put this in the 1000 ballpark.

Dan is there any difference or issue tuning big injectors 60lbs on 96-98 ecu than on the 99+ ecu?

 

[Viper Specialty]

Dan is there any difference or issue tuning big injectors 60lbs on 96-98 ecu than on the 99+ ecu?

Yes. Even though the parameters are technically "the same", I have had nothing but problems with the 96-98 PCM's in that respect. There are many software disconnects and oddities that pop up.

You can run a 99-02 PCM in a 96-98 w/ a 99 flash as a starting point and a little wiring.

 

[Dan Cragin]

Dan is correct, but I should clarify a few things.

You can tune with SCT and a 2 Bar map for big power, we have done numerous. The problem is very few tuners are able to do this, we can simply because we have had so much practice. We have done 2 bar calibrations up to 900 rwhp with no problems. For more information on JTEC tuning, visit our blog.

As far as the Pro-Racer software you can buy it from dealers like Dan with great support. We do not do that as we specialize in calibrations and not end user tuning.

Another good point made here is to go with the advice of your install shop. These twin turbo systems require some thought, let them take the lead as ultimately they will need to stand behind the work.

If you are into tuning and want control over your tune then AEM- Pectel-Motec and Roe having tuning solutions for your turbo setup. Remember, there is a learning curve and mistakes can be costly.

Hope this helps.

 

[plumcrazy]

Dan and Dan,

what are the real reasons to go AEM over SCT then ? ( i know about the lack of W/M on SCT)

i know Baz had DC tune his roe (700+) but who else has done it big power with an SCT alone? i cant think of anyone. not that im saying DC is a liar cause im not.

 

['Trust']

I would imagine Jrod plans for over 1k to the tires, so he can keep up locally. I've got my old VEC Jared if you want, but you know Bryan hates it.

 

[jrod_okc]

That is true Reza, but I pulled the trigger on the sct. See how far it gets me.

 

[97snk]

Dan and Dan,

what are the real reasons to go AEM over SCT then ? ( i know about the lack of W/M on SCT)

i know Baz had DC tune his roe (700+) but who else has done it big power with an SCT alone? i cant think of anyone. not that im saying DC is a liar cause im not.

Todd at A&C is tuning my car with SCT alone. Results to follow next week or so...

 

[plumcrazy]

i just wanna know why is aem supposedly better ? other than ifring nitrous or WM with the aem, what makes it better ?

i am looking forward to hearing how your car turns out. its gonna be sick

 

[Viper Specialty]

Dan and Dan,

what are the real reasons to go AEM over SCT then ? ( i know about the lack of W/M on SCT)

The AEM, Motec and Pectel units have many upsides over a JTEC controller in certain applications. The aftermarket controllers have much better resolution than the JTEC, as they were designed to operate in a much larger manifold pressure range. They can offer options such as knock logging, EGT input and logging, closed loop wideband, boost control, traction control, dozens of inputs and outputs, multiple calibrations, telemetry and digital dash control.

It all depends what you are looking for. While the JTEC is a great OEM controller and very reliable, it does not have the ability to integrate with what many people might want to add on. If you are looking for the simplest route in the 2-bar range and don't care about or need any extra bells and whistles, stay with the JTEC. If you are going beyond that, choose your controller based on your budget and possible system demands. A system like AEM, Motec or Pectel will also be inherently "safer" as the power increases. They have a larger number of safety routines and measuring devices integrated to them.

The SCT-DCX tuners have shown what the SCT is capable of, and it can integrate quite seamlessly in moderate builds. It still has its place among the tuning options, and I don't expect that to change. It has basically taken over the position of the VEC-2/3 of yesteryear, and sits mid-market into the AEM territory.

 

[coupe]

No way... you would end up with horrible resolution...The only exceptions would be unless your build has an extremely linear fuel demand.

Yea, I was a little skeptical too, but then again, I don't know the capabilities of the SCT stuff yet. I recently picked up the handheld and the advantage III software for my personal '96 GTS... so you'll probably be hearing from me!

Another option I'd like to add (since it's a thread about tuning boosted vipers) is the "Split Second" fuel/timing controller.

I used one on a '99 RT/10 a couple years ago that we put twin turbos on. The Split Second is a separate box that wires into the ECU harness underhood and has an on-board 3Bar MAP sensor for the boost reference (instead of stock MAP sensor). When under boost, the intercepted fuel and timing signals are altered and allow you to add/subtract fuel or pull timing. It won't allow any timing advance over the stock computer settings, but it still allows for a safe way to tune under boost. This '99 had 60# injectors and a return-style fuel-system. We did 746rwhp and 750rwtq on a safe 13psi and it actually drove better than stock.

 

[Viper Specialty]

Yea, I was a little skeptical too, but then again, I don't know the capabilities of the SCT stuff yet. I recently picked up the handheld and the advantage III software for my personal '96 GTS... so you'll probably be hearing from me!

Another option I'd like to add (since it's a thread about tuning boosted vipers) is the "Split Second" fuel/timing controller.

I used one on a '99 RT/10 a couple years ago that we put twin turbos on. The Split Second is a separate box that wires into the ECU harness underhood and has an on-board 3Bar MAP sensor for the boost reference (instead of stock MAP sensor). When under boost, the intercepted fuel and timing signals are altered and allow you to add/subtract fuel or pull timing. It won't allow any timing advance over the stock computer settings, but it still allows for a safe way to tune under boost. This '99 had 60# injectors and a return-style fuel-system. We did 746rwhp and 750rwtq on a safe 13psi and it actually drove better than stock.

The Split Second is used on 90% of the Paxton Vipers out there. They work well, what you are talking about is basically a SS version of the SCT/VEC combo we ran for a while a couple years back. The 2-bar SCT is the replacement for that method for the most part... only downside is no AUX outputs for N20/W-M control on the JTEC.

 

[Viper X]

Hey Guys,

Been down this road, i.e. bigger power and tuning. Lost two engines with improper tunes. Lots of wasted $$$$ by not going to the "Pros" the fist time.

Tried AEM and while it made OK power, the unit I put in my SRT was designed for a GTS / RT. AEM should work OK for those of you with Gen II cars, provided the tune is correct. On Gen III cars, the gages did not function correctly and never did, not sure why - maybe the wiring harness wasn't perfect. Perhaps this has been updated. I'd check with AEM, DC or Daniel; they will know.

I see that this is a Gen II forum, but I believe the following would still apply.

I finally bit the bullet and took the car to DC Performance. They tuned my 04 Paxton SRT using the FACTORY computer. The engine is a 530 ci big bore with wet sleeves, Styker heads, forged pistons and rods, blower cam, roller rockers, solid lifters, headers, custom fuel system, etc., etc. It makes 11.5 lbs of peak boost and runs on 91 octane. RWHP is over 910 at 6000 rpm (it will spin to 6600 - very quickly too), RWTQ is over 860 at 5000 rpm. It makes over 600 rwtq at only 2200 rpm.

The engine starts and runs like a stock car, smooth idle, no issues with warm up, will run down the freeway all day long at 75 mph, no overheating; drive-ability is great. Heck, my grandma could drive it to the grocery store.

But when you ask it to go, make sure you're pointed straight over smooth pavement and hang on.

Dan

 

[Jack B]

Hey Guys,

Been down this road, i.e. bigger power and tuning. Lost two engines with improper tunes. Lots of wasted $$$$ by not going to the "Pros" the fist time.

Tried AEM and while it made OK power, the unit I put in my SRT was designed for a GTS / RT. AEM should work OK for those of you with Gen II cars, provided the tune is correct. On Gen III cars, the gages did not function correctly and never did, not sure why - maybe the wiring harness wasn't perfect. Perhaps this has been updated. I'd check with AEM, DC or Daniel; they will know.

I see that this is a Gen II forum, but I believe the following would still apply.

I finally bit the bullet and took the car to DC Performance. They tuned my 04 Paxton SRT using the FACTORY computer. The engine is a 530 ci big bore with wet sleeves, Styker heads, forged pistons and rods, blower cam, roller rockers, solid lifters, headers, custom fuel system, etc., etc. It makes 11.5 lbs of peak boost and runs on 91 octane. RWHP is over 910 at 6000 rpm (it will spin to 6600 - very quickly too), RWTQ is over 860 at 5000 rpm. It makes over 600 rwtq at only 2200 rpm.

The engine starts and runs like a stock car, smooth idle, no issues with warm up, will run down the freeway all day long at 75 mph, no overheating; drive-ability is great. Heck, my grandma could drive it to the grocery store.

But when you ask it to go, make sure you're pointed straight over smooth pavement and hang on.

Dan

SCT uses the stock computer. DC was just ahead of the curve and has been rewriting code for years.

 

[plumcrazy]

Hey Guys,

Been down this road, i.e. bigger power and tuning. Lost two engines with improper tunes. Lots of wasted $$$$ by not going to the "Pros" the fist time.

Tried AEM and while it made OK power, the unit I put in my SRT was designed for a GTS / RT. AEM should work OK for those of you with Gen II cars, provided the tune is correct. On Gen III cars, the gages did not function correctly and never did, not sure why - maybe the wiring harness wasn't perfect. Perhaps this has been updated. I'd check with AEM, DC or Daniel; they will know.

I see that this is a Gen II forum, but I believe the following would still apply.

I finally bit the bullet and took the car to DC Performance. They tuned my 04 Paxton SRT using the FACTORY computer. The engine is a 530 ci big bore with wet sleeves, Styker heads, forged pistons and rods, blower cam, roller rockers, solid lifters, headers, custom fuel system, etc., etc. It makes 11.5 lbs of peak boost and runs on 91 octane. RWHP is over 910 at 6000 rpm (it will spin to 6600 - very quickly too), RWTQ is over 860 at 5000 rpm. It makes over 600 rwtq at only 2200 rpm.

The engine starts and runs like a stock car, smooth idle, no issues with warm up, will run down the freeway all day long at 75 mph, no overheating; drive-ability is great. Heck, my grandma could drive it to the grocery store.

But when you ask it to go, make sure you're pointed straight over smooth pavement and hang on.

Dan

if you are telling me that the paxton car you have is run solely on an SCT with those numbers and i trust you when you say it runs great. IM SOLD.

(having DC close by helps too)