holstein13
Fort Lauderdale, FL
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I recently installed the 5 star tuning program on my '11 Fleetwood Storm V10. It made a noticeable improvement on the shifts. The shift lag was pretty much eliminated and the transmission doesn't downshift at every minor grade.
I am unable to detect any improvement in torque or MPG at this point but the improvements in the transmission alone make this a worthwhile purchase for me.
As was already mentioned, the tune only works with 87 Octane E10 fuel. Premium fuel can damage the engine with this tune.
I don't think the person mentioning the "magic hidden power" has considered that a stock tune must provide for different octane fuels and ethanol blends. The custom tune can optimize for one fuel.
2011 Fleetwood Storm 32BH
2011 Scion XB
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RVUSA
Orlando, FL, USA
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holstein13 wrote:Premium fuel can damage the engine with this tune.
Is that something they told you?
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holstein13
Fort Lauderdale, FL
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RVUSA wrote:holstein13 wrote:Premium fuel can damage the engine with this tune.
Is that something they told you?
I just called Mike at 5 star and he said it is OK to run higher octane gas on the 87 tune, but it is not OK to run lower octane on the 91 octane tune. If you run lower octane than the tune, the timing will be off and it will knock and damage the engine.
So I stand corrected, he said you can run higher octane fuel. It would most likely be a waste of money, but would not damage the engine.
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427435
Rochester, Mn
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Joined: 11/12/2005
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A word of caution on "improved" shifts. A "quick" shift can easily cause more transmission problems than the factory shift. The quicker a transmission shifts, the greater the impact on the shafts, gears, and bearings within the transmission.
From what I can see, the 4 speed tranny behind the V10 unlocks the torque converter before shifting to "soften" the impact on the mechanical components. If a "re-tune" doesn't do this, it isn't good on the mechanical stuff.
The same goes for speeding up the engagement of whatever clutch pack is being engaged------it increases peak loads on the mechanical parts.
I like the stock shifting of my tranny with the possible exception of how easily it downshifts-----------but the V10 isn't a grunt motor. It likes to rev. If it starts shifting between 4 and 3 too much, I just lock out 4th.
Mark
2000 Itasca Suncruiser 35U on a Ford chassis, 65,000 miles
2003 Ford Explorer toad with US Gear brakes,
Ready Brute tow bar, and Demco base plate.
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Pirate
East Of The Mississippi
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427435 wrote:A word of caution on "improved" shifts. A "quick" shift can easily cause more transmission problems than the factory shift. The quicker a transmission shifts, the greater the impact on the shafts, gears, and bearings within the transmission.
From what I can see, the 4 speed tranny behind the V10 unlocks the torque converter before shifting to "soften" the impact on the mechanical components. If a "re-tune" doesn't do this, it isn't good on the mechanical stuff.
The same goes for speeding up the engagement of whatever clutch pack is being engaged------it increases peak loads on the mechanical parts.
I like the stock shifting of my tranny with the possible exception of how easily it downshifts-----------but the V10 isn't a grunt motor. It likes to rev. If it starts shifting between 4 and 3 too much, I just lock out 4th. I wonder how the 5star tune works re: tranny shifting.
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RVUSA
Orlando, FL, USA
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427435 wrote:A word of caution on "improved" shifts. A "quick" shift can easily cause more transmission problems than the factory shift. The quicker a transmission shifts, the greater the impact on the shafts, gears, and bearings within the transmission.
From what I can see, the 4 speed tranny behind the V10 unlocks the torque converter before shifting to "soften" the impact on the mechanical components. If a "re-tune" doesn't do this, it isn't good on the mechanical stuff.
got anything to substantiate that? I have yet to read where a tune caused a tranny to fail.
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427435
Rochester, Mn
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RVUSA wrote:427435 wrote:A word of caution on "improved" shifts. A "quick" shift can easily cause more transmission problems than the factory shift. The quicker a transmission shifts, the greater the impact on the shafts, gears, and bearings within the transmission.
From what I can see, the 4 speed tranny behind the V10 unlocks the torque converter before shifting to "soften" the impact on the mechanical components. If a "re-tune" doesn't do this, it isn't good on the mechanical stuff.
got anything to substantiate that? I have yet to read where a tune caused a tranny to fail.
Years of engineering work including drivetrains in off-highway machinery that included power shift transmissions.
A "tune" won't fail a transmission in a few thousand miles(or probably not in 10-20,000 miles),, but where does the blame get put when it fails at 50,000 to 75,000 miles???
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LVJ58
Las Vegas, Nevada
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We're fortunate to have members on this forum with engineering backgrounds who can inform us about potential mechanical failures that could arise from aftermarket modifications to our engines and/or drivetrains.
Great Forum.........
Jim & Sherry Seward
Las Vegas, NV
2000 Residency 3790 V-10 w/tags & Banks System
2003 Suzuki XL/7 toad
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C-Leigh Racing
Nashville NC
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LVJ58 wrote:We're fortunate to have members on this forum with engineering backgrounds who can inform us about potential mechanical failures that could arise from aftermarket modifications to our engines and/or drivetrains.
Great Forum.........
Yes we are,,,, now if we could somehow get "him" to go to work for Ford & engineer a bullet proof trans or things to add on to that trans to keep it bullet proof, man what a blessing he would be to us.
If he did go there & while he is there, maybe some chassis improvements as well.
Man talk about happy campers, we should be so lucky.
Neil
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wildmanbaker
Kennewick, Washington
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Joined: 02/24/2005
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What 427 said is true. It use to be a requirement to have a shift-kit installed to prevent early trans failure due to shift overlap. they had large shift-overlap to give a smooth shift feel, Ford did this a lot. Too tight of a shift is really hard on internal parts and cases. Seals tend to give-up also.
Wildman 
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