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Best tuner for 5.9L

11K views 10 replies 10 participants last post by  dtrmmr 
#1 ·
My dad has a 2007 Mega Cab with the 5.9L CTD and has started doing a lot more towing. I told him to look into getting a tuner to help with mileage and a little more power. His truck is almost completely stock. What are some of the best tuner options for his setup and where can you buy them? I've been looking at the Mini Maxx and it seems like it would be great but I can't find where to buy it online.
 
#2 ·
H&S MiniMaxx is by far the best diesel tuner out there. They are getting harder to come by now though because of all the crap going on with the EPA. The street versions are still fairly easy to find though and that's all you'd need. The part number you're looking for is 209007. Here's a couple links I found with a quick google search:

http://www.smithdieselparts.com/h-s...-209007-chips-tuners-p-1273-c-21_192_194.html

http://www.pmtdiesel.com/_e/Duramax...reet_TunerGM_Duramax_LMM_LML_LGH2008_2013.htm

Another great guy to talk to about getting a tuner is Dave Matthews at Draconian Diesel. He's a great custom tuner and will set you up with a MiniMaxx with 4 custom tunes of your choice. You will pay more for it though.... Not sure what he charges for the 5.9 guys but it's worth contacting him. dave@draconiandiesel.com
 
#3 ·
been a while since ive been on here but we always run the smarty jr on our 5.9 for towing. its the safest and easiest tuner out there. since you have a 5.9 emissions arent really an issue for ya but H&S is a good tuner as well but alot of guys with the 5.9 are now going with EFI live with custom tunes for towing i would check into those. You can pick up a smarty for under $450 and its not a ton of power but gets a little more torque at low rpms and seems to get rid of the turbo lag a bit. look up kensperformance solutions and talk with kenny.
 
#4 · (Edited)
For all out tuning Smarty UDC is in the same arena as EFI live but it is definitely for the person with a lot of knowledge of how everything in the engine works especially the injection cycles and timing and duration ect ect ect..................and time.

For towing I would go with a Smarty JR.:smileup:
 
#5 ·
I personally am running a Smarty Sr on my truck and am looking to switch to EFI Live. Either tuning will come from Fleece Performance or Anarchy Diesel. I have one friend running the H&S Black Maxx but don't know of anyone running the Minimaxx. EFI Live is gonna be the way to go for me due to the ability to run cleaner tunes and overall drivability. I tow a 42' trailer with my truck and the smarty usually on level 5 or 6. I have a built trans while it runs pretty good it is a complete smoke machine. I have stock injectors with 7 inch stacks, just daily driving the truck it smokes like a train. EFI Live tunes can run a lot cleaner and lower EGTs from what tuners have told me. I also like their ability to switch tunes on the fly better than the Smarty Power On Demand. The CSP5 switch with EFI Live is a ton better than having the smarty controller and its cable hanging out of the OBDII port.
 
#6 ·
The smarty junior is a really good option for a safe tuner. I ran that on their tow tune for a couple of months. Not smokey really and it gave an okay mileage bump. I also like that smarty adjusts for tire size, which EFI Live does not do.
 
#9 ·
Running Edge Juice with Attitude, perfect for trucks that are gonna remain stock with a few bolt ons, Adjust on the fly, Levels 1-6 *have to unlock level 6; Not the most powerful or customizable, but in my opinion, the lay out of the screen (CTS) and gauges is unbelievable. Love it. If i had to do it again, I would run the CTS monitor with EFI live though. Depends on whatcha want!
 
#11 ·
I personally prefer the Edge Juice with Attitude ... but that's just me. No matter what tuner you get, be sure to install an Exhaust Gas Temperature probe and gauge. Even without a power boost, towing a trailer up a hill with a wide open throttle will generate an Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) that is very near the safe limit. Too high an EGT and you will fry your turbo, exhaust valves, pistons, etc. etc.

My Edge tuner can be configured to monitor the EGT and automatically cut back on the power if the EGT gets too high.
 
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