I pm'ed my question - will try again.

mb

 

this went down the crapper fast.

I think jim did a decent idea of describing the differences in his own opinions. It's damn tough to come up with a comparison staying as un-biased as possible. Clearly this is because we all can agree.... if you are serious about getting the most out of your mini, you must have it tuned.

On that note I don't quite agree with the way you worded a few things hornguys, but that's personal preference. What is clear from your post is that you felt from your experience that having john drive your car in between runs and from working with john that you got your monies worth.

That is the key here. I also feel the same. I handed some one 350 dollars and got back what I feel is 350 or more dollars worth of performance. What people reading this have to understand is that you need to talk to the person tuning your car, get their recomendation for mods. Get an estimate at the very least going in and prep your car to prime running order. And bring your vehicle to whichever you trust and want to give your money to.

I made my decision and I am quite happy with it, people did the same with the other side of the fence and they seem happy there too. And of course, there is always the haters. :P

 

That was the point! No, I haven't been to LDG. I have no reason to distrust RMW at all besides however one might interpret internet arguments (I was a but wee rookie, too tame to verbally fight the initial "NAM ban"). I also have no reason to distrust LDG, unless I take your experience (of which I've read) as par for the entire course. And I really have no reason to distrust Eric or Helix since he and that place floored me and left me speechless with their customer service and quality work (my car even brandishes a Helix sticker!).

Man it's easy to get caught up in this stuff.

mb

Edit - well said "minimusprime" above.

 

PM sent

 

Amend my statement above - my questions have been answered. Thank you.

mb

 

I can only speak for my own experience as I don't know all the details of other local members as most told me either in person or through PM (so I can't reference their posts to be 100% sure), but suffice it to say....the DCMM forum was sponsored by LDG at one point and openly sharing dissenting opinions was discouraged (and there was quite a bit from the people that sent me 'attaboys' for speaking up). Heck, my posts to that effect were even deleted at one point. Thankfully, site mgmt saw fit to restore them after I brought it up with them.

I guess that's what's frustrating. Put all the info out there good and bad and let members decide. Just because I had a bad experience somewhere doesn't mean you will, but if I can save someone some grief or even get them to ask the right questions to be sure they're being given honest price quotes, then it's worth 'getting caught up in it'.

 

That's very fair. Imagine if all of the conversations could take this tone.

It's a shame because it comes across through my computer that Hornguys tried to state his opinion fairly in this thread.

So back to it - 2 tunes, both work, but there are some differences, for better or worse!

mb

 

I have a public question unanswered, post#3 ; I’m looking for some more demystification, and I would like to hear Jan’s perspective please.

 

which part is the ?

or did you mean post 17? I replied just after with my understanding of the answer, from my talks with LDG, RMW and two other tuners who use Dimsport (non-MINI tuners). Don't think that means that I think I'm an expert.....only relaying the answers I got to the same questions you asked in that second post

 

if you are asking if RMWs tune sticks.... yes it does

 

Thanks for the correction, #17 it is.

Now how about the adaptation part of the question?

 

Please pm for further questions as I don't want to post here


yes... it adapts better

 

can someone please post the recommended state / Minimum hardware requirements for each of these tunes?

I have read that LDG likes 15% (has had customers remove 19%, and may change a belt if slipping) and that RWM needs larger injectors for 15% with a stock head. Some I have heard around the forums, some form a more reliable source.

Can someone please state the prefered set up for your MINI when it arrives for either a RWM or LDG tune? (without name calling, please?)

(and yes, I do plan to PM each of the vendors directly as well....)

TY!

-Jac

 

+1

 

No it wasn't.
The DCMM forum has never been sponsored by a vendor. It has always been provided as a service of NAM.

 

I don't want to put words in Jan's mouth. But Jan will do his best to tune your setup no matter what is on it. This doesn't mean he wants people to show up with any and every bolt on... but he understands that it is your car and will make suggestions accordingly without demanding what you do with your car.

On the subject Jan does not "need" bigger injectors for a 15% pully with a stock head. There are just certain situations where it helps IE the car will spike way lean at around 7100 rpm. The bigger injectors alleviate this problem and allow jan to get an additional little bit of power out of the stock head.

So I think both "tuners" would agree that there are no minimum requirements to get use out of this tune. I think you'll get a good benefit if you've got a pully and catback. But you'll feel the difference with just a stock car.

I had the same questions that you do, and I approached both vendors with those questions. It was a good way for me to break the ice and see what their responses were. Jan was very good at politely suggesting what I should watch out for without slinging mud at other vendors directly.


P.S. After sleeping on it I'm still interested in Hornguys semantics between calling LDG's product a custom tune and RMW's product a customized flash. Is LDG not flashing his upgraded parameters between runs? Is he emulating real time on the dyno? Furthermore are either of them reading and changing the assembler in raw form off of the bosch ecu?

This is just the tip of the iceberg as far as my tuning questions go. I'd love to get ahold of one of these bosch ecu's or an emulator and see what kind of architecture it really is. I'd bet it's very similar to a motoralla 6800. (shudders with memory of architectures C625 at IU)

 

I'm taking my wifes car down to LDG on Thursday, they are going to put a 15% pulley on, a tune and put my old GP(JCW) exhaust on. She already has the JCW CAI. It should be interesting to see the results as her car is a automatic MCS.

 

My car has a Dinan 15% pulley without the fuel pressure regulator, Dinan CAI, and a invidia cat back. Would it be better to get the Dinan software upgrade first, then get the tune? Also I live in NJ, and where are the closest tuners for both LDG and RMW?

 

no. The dinan software is a canned flash that would be replaced by the tune.

LDG is the only place to get the LDG tune... Helix is a common landing pad for RMW to do tuning days.

 

We have the exact same situation, except I don't have the pulley yet. It is my deduction that you definitely should not get new Dinan software if you're just going to have it custom tuned. When you do, can I drive your car so I can see what it's like?

RMW is doing a tune/dyno day at Helix in PA in January. I can only assume, given their relationship with Helix, that they'll be back there eventually. I've been there - it's about an hour from my home in Mercer Co. I don't know if you can get on the jan. list (don't know if it's full). There's a thread for it in this forum.

LDG is in MD. I've never been there.

mb

 

I didn't say it existed due to LDG's sponsorship did I? You can't deny that dissenting LDG comments were summarily deleted in DCMM.

 

I'll have to find the list to see if its full or not. If I call helix would they know?

 

As soon as I get my cylinder head on, i'll be heading down to see John and the LDG crew.

 

14 cars are already signed up and I just spoke to Eric so we plan on doing a few days worth or whatever it takes to do them all

 

But I will be #15.