Want to Learn To Tune - Need help getting started

[Bachert24]

While I keep my other thread going, I want to start a separate one for the tuning aspect. I want to learn to tune my own truck. As time goes by I will be adding mods and changing things so there will be the basic tune when I get the truck running, and then tuning as I upgrade the exhaust and then the heads and cam.

I have 0 knowledge on tuning, so my first question is, what hardware and software do I need? What is everything I need to start? I know I need the 0411 PCM and I found plenty on ebay for $120 shipped with my VIN number programmed in before shipping. I see many different tuners on EFI site and I have no clue which one I need. I am not rich, right now I am pretty broke but come early next year I should be pretty well off and get the ball rolling pretty quickly but I want to budget in what I need for the swap and tune and work on this this summer. I know we have a lot of tuners in here so please help if you can and act like you are talking to a dummy lol. I know it probably doesnt help but I have been a mechanic on the side for 25 years, I have background and college credits in mechanincal engineering, autocad, architecture, computer programming, electrical engineering, etc so I usually learn and understand very quickly after asking a lot of questions as to why, what it means, and how it affects what I am working on. TIA!

 

[df2x4]

Looking at your other thread, it appears that your truck is a 1998. If that's the case, the 0411 PCM swap isn't entirely necessary for tuning. The '98+ black box PCMs in these trucks are supported by HPTuners and EFILive, so you can tune your existing PCM with either of those solutions.

 

[Bachert24]

Looking at your other thread, it appears that your truck is a 1998. If that's the case, the 0411 PCM swap isn't entirely necessary for tuning. The '98+ black box PCMs in these trucks are supported by HPTuners and EFILive, so you can tune your existing PCM with either of those solutions.

this is true, but everything I have read says the 0411 swap will give me much more control for my future mods as well as dialing in the stock tune much better for better driveability and maybe even a little more ponies and fuel mileage. Though I am not countin on the fuel mileage lol.

 

[BeXtreme]

this is true, but everything I have read says the 0411 swap will give me much more control for my future mods as well as dialing in the stock tune much better for better driveability and maybe even a little more ponies and fuel mileage. Though I am not countin on the fuel mileage lol.

I have HP tuners now because I needed it to be able to tune my 2011 Suburban, but I started with an OBDxPro VT(now discontinued and moved to the VX for the same functions plus more) https://obdxpro.com/product/obdx-pro-vx-obd2-diagnostics-and-tuning/

Using that tool, you can then use free software like LS Droid or PCM Hammer to change the VIN, segment swap, read/write the PCM, datalog, etc... You can then use Tunerpro RT or Universal Patcher to adjust just about every parameter that you could need to adjust. All of that software is free, but less intuitive and user friendly.