So, after much waiting I finally got my Overkill tune. I love it, it's awesome. As some people have told me I think the most noticable change is in the shifting, it's great. 1-2 is crisp and firm all the time, but 2-3 and 3-4 seem to be more dependent on throttle. Light throttle and they're smooth as glass, cant even feel it shift, but when Im gettin in it it's so firm and quick, I love it! Downshifts and TCC lockup seem to be way way better too, I was having a problem in another thread with a total lack of power or response trying to come out of a cruising/coasting situation like going from downhill to flat or uphill, when I needed the throttle for uphill or flat and I put the gas down I'd have 0 response until I was so far into the throttle it kicked down to the next gear hard and took off like I floored it. Well new MAF and a sealed vac leak fixed it but it remained a tiny bit... but that's gone completely now. There's also no lag on downshifts anymore, when Im doin 30 and I hammer it.. it goes... not 1,2,3,4... GO.
Definitely got some extra pull through the whole rpm band and any KR I had before has been wiped out. MPG's remain unchanged. Tranny seems to run way cooler, like 30*, and having the fan on all the time above like 180* I think it's set at keeps the ECT very stable and in a nice range, even stopped in traffic. It's definitely a lot of fun to have, and I recommend it for anyone boosted or NA... just the shift settings are worth it. It might take forever to get it, but it makes it that much sweeter when you finally get it.
I read a suggestion from Matt to use Shell V-power so I filled up on it. Since I bought the car it was having a problem of hard starting, almost like it would cough and sputter and shake then start all in one turn of the key on the first start of the day. It was really rough and bothering me. Persisted even after I did the Seafoam induction and spark plugs... well 2 days of running the v-power and that problem suddenly stopped... I was amazed. Still hasnt come back after a week now. No increase in MPG's yet but reading around some people take a tank or 2 to see full benefits. The car might even have a little bit more pep now going from a stop and at low speed acceleration.
Also I've been doing some studying on motor oil with Bob Is the Oil Guy, after looking at all the numbers and analyses on so many different oils, I decided to go with 0w30 Amsoil Signature Series. Im going to be doing a 7-10k interval on a Bosch Distance Plus filter. I dont want to sound like another Amsoil nut hugger, but I really did feel a difference from Castrol Edge. The car starts even easier than it did with using the V-power gas, like it feels like it has to crank less and takes less effort. It just seems more eager to move, like I noticed the tiniest tap of the gas makes the car go forward more than it used to. Acceleration just feels smoother and the motor is actually quieter. I know some people might say placebo effect, but I started off on the critical side, paying very close attention to before and after and reminding myself to be realistic and neutral.
Reading on synthetics in general I find that a few years ago a legal battle between Castrol and Mobil 1 caused the definition of "synthetic" to change. Synthetic oil basically used to mean there was zero petroleum in it, base stocks were a chemical lubricant called PAO that's far superior to anything made from crude and costs a bundle more as well, oils made from PAO were classified as Group IV. Castrol found a way to further refine petroleum base stocks that were used to make conventional oil even further. It was refined to such a point that Castrol claimed it no longer resembled anything in nature and so it was technically synthetic... and though it was way cheaper and not quite as good a lubricant as PAO, it was deemed Group III, and Castrol continued to charge the premium price of PAO synthetics.
From what I read, most major name oil manufacturers on the market have switched over to this Group III based oil, while only a few have remained pure PAO, and Amsoil is one of them. I think this is a big part of why Amsoil used oil analyses come out with noticably better numbers on average, why they can safely advertise a 25k mile oil change interval under their 'standard' service recommendation.
Anyway, I figure the cost will balance out or even come out better for me, paying 60 bucks per oil change and only doing it like twice a year.. vs 35 bucks every 3k.
Sorry for the book, wanted to explain my thinking on that and why I think it's not just placebo, lol... there's my update.
