2.0T LTG Performance Mods

[zach.friend]

I have Contacted Trifecta. I was told that a tune should be available this summer. Let us hope that statement holds true and that Trifecta is not making promises like Elon Musk. At best the attached could show the performance potential of the tune.

Take a look at Vermont Tuning. I had their tune on my 9-5 for Six years with no issues and he kept tweaking it until is was just right. Unfortunatley you're probably already near the limit for power and torque. At least the last gen Regal had a 300lb/ft limit on the auto trans so regardless of how much power you had the tranny couldnt hold it or stand up to the abuse. So be careful!

 

[mike69440]

Take a look at Vermont Tuning. I had their tune on my 9-5 for Six years with no issues and he kept tweaking it until is was just right. Unfortunately you're probably already near the limit for power and torque. At least the last gen Regal had a 300lb/ft limit on the auto trans so regardless of how much power you had the tranny couldn't hold it or stand up to the abuse. So be careful!

354 lb/ft is rating on Aisin tranny. the GKN AWD system is a beast, the tranny is weak link.
I've looked at the Vermont tuning website. Does he do on site tunes? AWD dyno?
Site has been a bit boring lately, I guess I'm no help.

 

[zach.friend]

354 lb/ft is rating on Aisin tranny. the GKN AWD system is a beast, the tranny is weak link.
I've looked at the Vermont tuning website. Does he do on site tunes? AWD dyno?
Site has been a bit boring lately, I guess I'm no help.

Use the contact form, he’s been tuning the Ecotec 2.0T and 2.8T V6 and other GMs for a while and uses EFI Live. I was the first to offer up my LHU powered Saab 9-5 and never had any trouble and always had great support. Especially $125 update tunes when you add supporting mods.

 

[mike69440]

Use the contact form, he’s been tuning the Ecotec 2.0T and 2.8T V6 and other GMs for a while and uses EFI Live. I was the first to offer up my LHU powered Saab 9-5 and never had any trouble and always had great support. Especially $125 update tunes when you add supporting mods.

Just FYI

______________________________

 

[WestDeerPirate]

Yes, the 2016+ malibu downpipe will directly bolt in. My 2018 regal is awd, and is the same exact layout as the awd tourx.

Do we know if the O2 pipe with Cat fits a LTG motor? I have a 2017 GS AWD and want to confirm.

 

[kunfuzion]

Do we know if the O2 pipe with Cat fits a LTG motor? I have a 2017 GS AWD and want to confirm.

The GS doesn't use the 2.0 LTG but rather the 3.6 LGX. But if you do have the LTG, then yes the +16 Malibu downpipe does fit our cars. I installed one myself since last month.

 

[mike69440]

The GS doesn't use the 2.0 LTG but rather the 3.6 LGX. But if you do have the LTG, then yes the +16 Malibu downpipe does fit our cars. I installed one myself since last month.

Notice any positive improvement?

 

[D2R]

The GS doesn't use the 2.0 LTG but rather the 3.6 LGX. But if you do have the LTG, then yes the +16 Malibu downpipe does fit our cars. I installed one myself since last month.

The 17 GS has LTG though.

______________________________

 

[WestDeerPirate]

The 17 GS has LTG though.

Yes it does. I was not clear on why otherwise was stated previously

 

[WestDeerPirate]

Yes it does. I was not clear on why otherwise was stated previously

And really I’ve answered my own question. Yes, the Malibu LTG Downpipe fits the 2017 Regal GS though I was informed that there are 3 different flanges in use depending on where and when your car was assembled. ZZP had to cut and reweld the flange in the Malibu O2 Sensor housing / Downpipe for my car.

I arrived at ZZP with only a intake. I was there about 6 hours mostly due to tuning. With the K&N intake, ZZP Downpipe and HP Tuners tuning by Bo and Matt the car pulls much harder, shifts better, recovers boost sooner and feels like I gained the 50 HP (crank) they speak to and back up.
Since then I removed the 2nd cat and stock resonator, replacing the 2.74 and 2.5” sections with 3” stainless. I put a Borla straight through resonator in and left the stock mufflers.
For me it’s what I wanted. I have a diverter valve and throttle body to install next.

 

[kunfuzion]

Notice any positive improvement?

There is a definite increase in turbo spool and it pulls slightly faster and stronger throughout the powerband. I have an adjusted Trifecta tune and GFB diverter valve. I did have some idling issues after the install/before the tune as the ECU/02 sensors were likely trying to compensate for the increased air flow. It's been fine since the adjusted tune and regapping the factory plugs to 0.032.
I plan on opening up the rest of the exhaust as well as the intake side to see what other marginal gains can be acquired.

 

[mike69440]

ZZP LTG Z57 Turbo

After more than two years in development and testing, we are ready to release our new Z57 turbo for the LTG platform. Since 2017, we have sold several hundred of our popular Z54 and Z57 model turbos for the Ecotec platform, and we're now bringing this technology to the LTG market. The Z57 turbo...

zzperformance.com

Who is the first going to test the Asin trans and the stock internals?

______________________________

 

[300T]

The stock AW 8 speed transmission has been neutered by GM in order to meet strict group wide EU emissions standards and I very much doubt they devised a specific tune for the US market and removed these restrictions.

You'll understand why these cars are way off of the pace from a standing start due to the various limiters that arrive from the TCM via CAN:

Limited to to 230 PS gears 1 - 6.

Torque limited in gears 1, 3, 4, 7, 8 and as low as just 200 Nm in certain gears.

Torque limited during each gear change.

Soft top speed limiter from 140 mph.

Stop Neutral (transmission shifts to neutral at a stop for fuel economy/emissions reasons, hence the delay when you get back on the gas as that's transmission has to shift back into drive).


Without a TCM tune, you won't even see stock power or torque in most of the gears, let alone the fruits of a tune, downpipe or turbo upgrade.

I found this information by way of the German Insignia B forum, FB Insignia B group and the FB page of the German tuner EDS, who offer a very popular full TCM tune for the 8 speed but only for stock tunes or in combination with EDS own stage 2 or stage 2 +.

EDS puts 530 NM through this transmission for the Insignia Biturbo Diesel tune (stock = 200 Nm to 460 Nm) and 490 Nm for the LTG stage 2 + (stock = 200 Nm to 400 Nm).

I spoke with a Volvo tuner as the entire range uses this transmission (low and high torque versions) and they put 550 Nm through this transmission on the Biturbo diesel tunes (stock = 480 Nm) as Volvo do not use the in gear torque limiters incorporated by GM and the limiters present with each gear change are removed as part of a tune. Volvo have been using this transmission since 2012 on for example the S60 2.0T Polestar (367 PS and 470 Nm) before a tune and the tuner has not seen any problems with increased power and torque.

Hopefully of help to some of you in pursuit of those additional ponies.

 

[adam728]

The stock AW 8 speed transmission has been neutered by GM in order to meet strict group wide EU emissions standards and I very much doubt they devised a specific tune for the US market and removed these restrictions.

You'll understand why these cars are way off of the pace from a standing start due to the various limiters that arrive from the TCM via CAN:

Limited to to 230 PS gears 1 - 6.

Torque limited in gears 1, 3, 4, 7, 8 and as low as just 200 Nm in certain gears.

Torque limited during each gear change.

Soft top speed limiter from 140 mph.

Stop Neutral (transmission shifts to neutral at a stop for fuel economy/emissions reasons, hence the delay when you get back on the gas as that's transmission has to shift back into drive).


Without a TCM tune, you won't even see stock power or torque in most of the gears, let alone the fruits of a tune, downpipe or turbo upgrade.

I found this information by way of the German Insignia B forum, FB Insignia B group and the FB page of the German tuner EDS, who offer a very popular full TCM tune for the 8 speed but only for stock tunes or in combination with EDS own stage 2 or stage 2 +.

EDS puts 530 NM through this transmission for the Insignia Biturbo Diesel tune (stock = 200 Nm to 460 Nm) and 490 Nm for the LTG stage 2 + (stock = 200 Nm to 400 Nm).

I spoke with a Volvo tuner as the entire range uses this transmission (low and high torque versions) and they put 550 Nm through this transmission on the Biturbo diesel tunes (stock = 480 Nm) as Volvo do not use the in gear torque limiters incorporated by GM and the limiters present with each gear change are removed as part of a tune. Volvo have been using this transmission since 2012 on for example the S60 2.0T Polestar (367 PS and 470 Nm) before a tune and the tuner has not seen any problems with increased power and torque.

Hopefully of help to some of you in pursuit of those additional ponies.

I would be surprised if the US actually HAD the same tune as Europe. For emissions the engine tuning is almost undoubtedly different. US and EU have different standards, us favoring more NOx reduction, EU concentrating on CO2.

The stability control calibration is different for the US.

By chance I spoke to the Vehicle Development Engineer who tuned the TourX Stability Control.

By chance I spoke to the Vehicle Development Engineer who tuned the TourX Stability Control. GM Subcontracted the work, although he did the work at the Milford proving grounds and drove a TourX most of the winter. Apparently Buick wanted their own vehicle dynamics vs that of the Std Opel. He...

buickforums.com

If the US cars are just as limited as EU, then how did a Trifecta tune manage 325 ftlb st the wheels? And stock was 258 ftlbs? Certainly a far, far cry from 200 Nm (147 ftlbs). And remember, Trifecta has cracked the transmission module and make changes in their tune.

Point is, I find it hard to believe the US model has the same calibration / settings as the EU version. Yes, I believe the car is hampered by stock tuning, and know GM is well on the safe side for torque management. But why would they up a 260 ftlb fwd rating to 295 ftlb for the awd if they just limit it to 150 ftlbs? How does the TourX and fwd versions of the 2.0T lay down the torque numbers that they do if so heavily limited?
I feel like you might be way overthinking this with way to many unknowns.

 

[300T]

Just passing on what I have learnt over here in Europe where these cars are manufactured as you know. I have a Trifecta tune myself and the transmission optimisation makes no change whatsoever to the torque limits. I know this because I have been speaking with Trifecta in the hope they might also look into introducing a full TCU tune.

Like you say, it's entirely reasonable that North American bound cars receive a totally different tune with the various limiters increased or removed but we won't know until someone like Trifecta takes a look and I believe they are going to as they run a TourX themselves.

What's interesting is TourX owners still mention in various threads, what feels like the lack of change in 0-60 after a tune but how it really starts to pull at Highway speeds, which totally fits the profile of those power and torque limiters I previously mentioned.

Over here in Europe, the stock Insignia LTG makes a consistent 230 PS on the Dynojet AWD used by EDS and they have had many cars on the same rolling road. We are also making a consistent (gps) 7.5 - 7.6 sec 0-60 in stock tune on 99 RON, so maybe some of you guys with a stock tune can run the same numbers and then we might have a better idea whether your cars are limited like ours. It would be fantastic to hear they aren't torque limited as I can then see if Trifecta can install a US stock TCU tune on my Insignia.

 

[Rhetoric]

All this is making me think the cars the test magazines got had "different" torque modifiers in the transmission so they could publish those "hot" numbers.

______________________________

 

[Idano]

All this is making me think the cars the test magazines got had "different" torque modifiers in the transmission so they could publish those "hot" numbers.

It makes me want to go and test drive a white needle ToadX and see if there is more of a difference than just the alleged top speeds.