Mountune 93 Tune - Remarkably Impressive (Data Inside w/Comparisons to Other Tunes)

[atlantaM3]

So, some feedback after bombing around my favorite roads in Western NC for the day. Prior tune was Cobb stg1 - car is totally stock otherwise, 50k miles, very good tires. For some context on feedback, driver experience is lots of track days both car and liter bike, multiple tracks in SE. Other cars are much wilder than the Fiesta, such as tuned RS and M3.

Day - 460 miles, altitudes ranging from 1200 to 6100 feet, so lots of climbing/descending involved overall, lots of tight curvy areas.

Good -
lots more midrange
easily controlled once on throttle past 3k
pretty linear pull past 3k rpm to redline, albeit dips a bit after 5500.
dont need full throttle to get strong power out of corner
still has very good mileage - overall average of 30 MPG for the day, Hwy still sits at about 37 MPG. Wow!
Makes me wonder if car needs any more power for mtn road use.

Not so good -
initial throttle tip in is very aggressive in comparison
very steep ramp in power from 2500 to 3k, need to be careful there if in really tight turn, initial surge in power is a bit hairy if it hits around mid-corner
a big grab of throttle results in a big amount of tire spin with loss of line - gentle application required compared to others
big heat control issues in some scenarios- will expand below
as expected, still runs out of go at 5500, but not really a tune problem - it is still better then stock on this though

Heat issue - ambient temps of 70' during my mtn day, so on flat ground it was fine. Also fine going down the mtn. Did 'ok' going up the mtn on the side that was super tight, so very shorts bursts of throttle through the corners. On the side of the mtn that had lots of sweeping turns - here I had to be very careful, could not go past 1/2 throttle going up the mtn as temps rapidly rose to concerning levels. Coolant temp of 225+, oil temp readings of near 240' - these while actively managing throttle use and limiting speed. Ended up running heater to help control.So, not great, will require cooling changes to keep under control.

Fun highlight of the day - guy driving a recent-ish model 911 Carrera had to give me a point by on the fun tight curvy areas, then dropped him like a bad habit. My have really hurt his ego, as when we got down the mtn, he kept wanting to drag race from a light. Really?? Its not the cars fault...


Overall, was stunned at the pace I could comfortably maintain while still leaving lots of room for mid corner corrections, etc. I still cant believe how good this thing is for being a parts bin car.

 

[rotation_nation]

OK so I just loaded up the tunewerks E30 tune. Randy has been very easy to work with and responsive. In the e-mail, he stated that the target boost of his OTS E30 tune is 21.5 PSI. Given that the Dizzy E30 tune hits 26.5 for me, I was convinced this would be a more conservative tune and lack the punch of Dizzy's.

When I first got on it, the tune felt smooth. It didn't have the initial wheel spin shove of the Dizzy tune, but it felt like a more linear power delivery. Upon returning home, I fed ChatGPT my logs and was stunned to see that the tunes are almost identical in terms of straight line speed delivery. I don't know how at 21.5 PSI the Randy Robles tune can keep up. It doesn't feel as punchy, but somehow is. The timing is more aggressive, but I didn't get a single negative correction (nor did I with the dizzy tune).

He must be doing some magic with other tuning 'levers'. I'd imagine the turbo is also staying a lot cooler spinning to only 21.5, so perhaps the charge density is higher? Who knows!

 

[rotation_nation]

So, some feedback after bombing around my favorite roads in Western NC for the day. Prior tune was Cobb stg1 - car is totally stock otherwise, 50k miles, very good tires. For some context on feedback, driver experience is lots of track days both car and liter bike, multiple tracks in SE. Other cars are much wilder than the Fiesta, such as tuned RS and M3.

Day - 460 miles, altitudes ranging from 1200 to 6100 feet, so lots of climbing/descending involved overall, lots of tight curvy areas.

Good -
lots more midrange
easily controlled once on throttle past 3k
pretty linear pull past 3k rpm to redline, albeit dips a bit after 5500.
dont need full throttle to get strong power out of corner
still has very good mileage - overall average of 30 MPG for the day, Hwy still sits at about 37 MPG. Wow!
Makes me wonder if car needs any more power for mtn road use.

Not so good -
initial throttle tip in is very aggressive in comparison
very steep ramp in power from 2500 to 3k, need to be careful there if in really tight turn, initial surge in power is a bit hairy if it hits around mid-corner
a big grab of throttle results in a big amount of tire spin with loss of line - gentle application required compared to others
big heat control issues in some scenarios- will expand below
as expected, still runs out of go at 5500, but not really a tune problem - it is still better then stock on this though

Heat issue - ambient temps of 70' during my mtn day, so on flat ground it was fine. Also fine going down the mtn. Did 'ok' going up the mtn on the side that was super tight, so very shorts bursts of throttle through the corners. On the side of the mtn that had lots of sweeping turns - here I had to be very careful, could not go past 1/2 throttle going up the mtn as temps rapidly rose to concerning levels. Coolant temp of 225+, oil temp readings of near 240' - these while actively managing throttle use and limiting speed. Ended up running heater to help control.So, not great, will require cooling changes to keep under control.

Fun highlight of the day - guy driving a recent-ish model 911 Carrera had to give me a point by on the fun tight curvy areas, then dropped him like a bad habit. My have really hurt his ego, as when we got down the mtn, he kept wanting to drag race from a light. Really?? Its not the cars fault...


Overall, was stunned at the pace I could comfortably maintain while still leaving lots of room for mid corner corrections, etc. I still cant believe how good this thing is for being a parts bin car.

Very good review! The whoosh v3 intercooler is the best thing i have done to my car. In my view, it is an absolute requirement for any tune beyond stock. These turbos generate so much heat when running higher boost. With whoosh, you will see charge temps of 5* above ambient. I would imagine that you were getting charge temps of 110* or more, which robs tons of power and leads to other issues.

It's a very easy install - no modifications required. It will completely transform your car and driving enjoyment.

 

[atlantaM3]

Actually, IAT's were pretty controlled, since I couldn't stay on it for any length of time. Even coming up the mtn where I experience the heat mgmt issues, IAT's were at worst 10-12' above ambient.

I already have a pile of parts, including the S280 and Mountune radiator, just havent made time to install. Thought it an interesting data point about how much cooling load this tune added compared to the prior.

 

[rotation_nation]

Actually, IAT's were pretty controlled, since I couldn't stay on it for any length of time. Even coming up the mtn where I experience the heat mgmt issues, IAT's were at worst 10-12' above ambient.

I already have a pile of parts, including the S280 and Mountune radiator, just havent made time to install. Thought it an interesting data point about how much cooling load this tune added compared to the prior.

Are you looking at intake air temps or charge temps? Charge temps are what matter (the air that’s been compressed and heated by the turbo).

 

[atlantaM3]

charge temps - even went out to the car to validate

 

[rotation_nation]

charge temps - even went out to the car to validate

Nice - your stock IC does a lot better than mine with a tune. FYI, usually “staying on it” brings the charge temps down because the intercooler only works under boost. Which is why I thought you might be referencing IATs. Staying out of boost is when charge temps can climb to their highest levels.

 

[XR650R]

Nice - your stock IC does a lot better than mine with a tune. FYI, usually “staying on it” brings the charge temps down because the intercooler only works under boost. Which is why I thought you might be referencing IATs. Staying out of boost is when charge temps can climb to their highest levels.

Yes. Having driven my FiST in heavy city traffic and also at 90 mph set on cruise on curvy, mountainous interstates in certain states, I agree.

mountune doesn't sell FiST intercoolers anymore. Glad I got one when I did. Fits like stock, and its much more substantial. Needed for the Tunewerks tunes.

 

[rotation_nation]

Yes. Having driven my FiST in heavy city traffic and also at 90 mph set on cruise on curvy, mountainous interstates in certain states, I agree.

mountune doesn't sell FiST intercoolers anymore. Glad I got one when I did. Fits like stock, and it’s much more substantial. Needed for the Tunewerks tunes.

Yes. Having driven my FiST in heavy city traffic and also at 90 mph set on cruise on curvy, mountainous interstates in certain states, I agree.

mountune doesn't sell FiST intercoolers anymore. Glad I got one when I did. Fits like stock, and it’s much more substantial. Needed for the Tunewerks tunes.

For sure. I can’t imagine hammering on a tuned fiesta without a better intercooler. The heat soak saps almost all of the gains afforded by the tune after just a few pulls. In the winter it’s totally fine, but I’ve found that anything over 80* makes the stock IC almost unusable on a tuned fiesta. And on some tunes you will start to see negative corrections (knock) on hot days - always makes me nervous even though some say they aren’t a big deal.

I’ve heard good things about that mountune IC. For those who missed it, I believe the whoosh v3 offers similar charge temps unless you are running a massive turbo. and it requires no cutting/modification. Ron/whoosh are wonderful to work with. It’s a screaming deal considering the quality at <$400 shipped.

Under 350 whp I think there are rapidly diminishing returns for intercoolers larger than the whoosh V3 or similar. And some of those really tall intercoolers can block some amount of flow to the radiator.

 

[M-Sport fan]

Not just blocking air flow to the radiator, but also whatever air gets through those monster ICs is heated well past ambient temps.

 

[rotation_nation]

I just ran the dizzy e30 tune again in 60 degree weather (it’s tough in the summer!). In fairness to him, i am posting updated logs. As initially expected, his e30 tune (which runs 5psi more boost) is definitely faster so long as the weather is nice and cool. In hot weather they are about the same (I suppose timing does better than boost when it’s hot outside).

I was speaking with Randy and he said his OTS E30 tune is EXTREMELY conservative in order to be safe for all motors without receiving logs. He said there is a lot on the table so next I am probably going to do a custom ethanol tune with him and will report back.

Randy also made it very clear that his Mountune 93 tune was intended to be a STARTING POINT from which to optimize via logs and tweaks. He apparently used to do that for people while at Mountune, but now he’s just sold as a OTS tune without revisions. To me it seems like a worthwhile investment to let Randy dial in these tunes to your specific car. He said it’s not just a great way to increase performance, but very important to ensure that tunes are safe for your car and your gasoline.