BAMA Ghost Cam Tune, GOOD OR BAD?
 

So i recently put the ghost cam tune on my car and i am curious if this has any negative effect on the engine? Of course the BAMA guys said that it doesnt but i have noticed a few things that have me concerned. One thing is that it will occasionally die at idle because it causes the rpm's to go so low to get that lope sound. I have also noticed that sometimes it doesnt make any type of "cam" sound and then i give it a rev and then it will kick in. Finally i have heard on a couple ocassions a kind of knocking sound, i think this is because it almost acts like it wants to stall out at idle. Just not sure if faking it just to get the sound i want is worth it. Maybe there is something i need to do to adjust for this but i dont know what that is.

I would put back in the stock tune personally. If you are having drivability issues I would take it out.

I wouldn't put a Bama tune on my lawnmower. lol


In all seriousness, poor driveability, no performance gains, very poor gas mileage, cylinder wash. The lope goes away when you touch the pedal because the timing changes. I think it's a silly tune personally, it makes no sense to go out of your way to make your car drive like garbage, but to each to their own.

im not having drivability issues. They are all during idle and only happen every now and then. im just curious if the ghost cam causes any damage to the engine.

It's only good if done right. Shaun at AED knows how to do them pretty well.

From what I can see from the reading I found, there should be no damage to the engine since it's only causing more of a rich idle. Your stalling is from the missing data values that the aftermarket tuners did not have...

If you want to keep it, do like Pony said...get it done by someone that knows the ghost tunes very well up at AED :)

Bama isn't as awful as everyone makes them out to be. I was happy with their tune when i was just bolt on's. I've only seen one auto car run faster than me tune only and he was up north at the "fast tracks"

Have you data logged for bama yet? The issues you are having are common issues with the lope tunes, the tune still needs some final tweaks.

BAMA Ghost Cam Tune, GOOD OR BAD?
 

They aren't what they used to be before AM bought them...but there is better

I bought their tune back in september.. I ran a 12.08@113 with just their 93 race tune and GT 500 mufflers. No track "tricks", full weight preimum brembo auto in 90ft DA. The shifting was crisp and fast. Around town no complaints everything was very responsive. I would rather have their trans tuning than what I have with my lund tune now. There's only so much you can get out of a tune on a stock car and mild bolt ons.

BAMA Ghost Cam Tune, GOOD OR BAD?
 

If you're looking for a good auto tune check out VMP-flawless shifting just right. I can take you for a ride if you want to check it out.

I also like my bama tune. I run the 91 performance tune most of the time.
Dnt feel much difference in the 93 but, I'm prolly used to it lol.
Yea yea
This.

I'll put another vote in for VMP's mail order stuff. Justin's canned tune on my car ran 12 flats at 117 with muffler deletes and dr's. That said, and as good as his mail order stuff is, there is still no substitute for a hands on custom tune by a skilled tuner.

BAMA Ghost Cam Tune, GOOD OR BAD?
 

I heard from a buddy that the only issue that a ghost cam tune can cause is a need to change out spark plugs a little more often. Just bc of extended periods of idle time like sitting in rush hour traffic.

Any truth to that?

Yes. It's due to all of the unburned fuel from the car running really fat.

BTW, Mike Wilson is not even at Bama anymore and hasn't been for awhile. He is back here in DFW and like usual Bama's shady business practices they are still using his names for their tunes even though he's not there.

Fake cams ftl

Re: BAMA Ghost Cam Tune, GOOD OR BAD?
 

I'm a little ignorant on cams, but do they even make decent cams for these motors? All I've seen for these cars are nsr cams and I would think they couldn't add much if the lift isn't enough to require new springs... is lift even the right term for a dohc??

Maybe this is pure ignorance on my part, but why do you guys consider it "fake"? Isn't it the cams making that sound?? I understand it's just an idle thing, but I don't think I would consider it "fake" if it is, in fact, the cams making it make that sound.

With a "ghost cam" tune, you don't actually have aftermarket cams with a different LSA causing the "loping" sound. It's purely done with variables and causing the car to run very rich :)

Well of course they aren't "aftermarket", but it's still the camshaft's lobes making the "lope" correct? I know they dump fuel into it, as well, but it's the lobes that are making the sound?? I may be wrong, I'm curious.

Incorrect. The sound of a car "loping" is due to the grind of the camshaft and the LSA of that camshaft. On a stock grind the idle will be smooth, such as if you remove the "ghost tune" from the car. All it's doing is tricking the car into dumping excess fuel, adjusting the timing and the lift electronically to simulate the cam lope.

Thanks for the feedback. Oh and thanks to JDM for the heads up that running the A/C during idle can cause the car to stall when the ghost cam is on the tune.

aed?

never mind. found it.

I thought the lopey idle comes from the intake and exhaust valves overlapping slightly on an aftermarket cam and in the ghost cam's case it's being done electronically.

I believe that overlap is the LSA (lobe separation angle).

With the new 5.0 they have electronic solenoids that act with the oil pressure and a spring on the cam sprocket to adjust the Lsa. The intake and exhaust have their own separate solenoid and galleys to where each can be adjusted how ever and what ever you want, you just need the correct software that gives you access to these tables in the tune. With the factory setup the computer can advance or retard the Lsa as much as 50*!! With the ghost tune it simply advances the cam timing thus causing the lope sound. When installed "straight" up the factory cams would be some choppy mo fo's!!!

My Bama tuner/tunes just came in on Tuesday. Been on Race tune since then and I'm satisfied so far. Much smoother power band, throttle response is great, and like stock drive ability. Cant really speak on the cam tune but I'm happy so far.

Re: BAMA Ghost Cam Tune, GOOD OR BAD?
 

I just got mine today. Happy so far, may do the dyno thing when im settled on mods for a bit. Anyone have a little longer crank time on the first initial start up after loading the tune? Im assuming because the key is on and the fuel pump is ready to go for so long when loading...

The more I hear about the coyote motor the more it seems like a kseries motor from Honda. It to can adjust timing up to 50degrees! Man I guess we should be thanking Honda for variable valve timing in a way.

Uh oh you just went there. :gayflag:

One other issue with the lope idle from any tuner is that you should not have your cats still on the car as it will destroy them. Besides..who still has cats on their Mustang anyways??

I just saw your car in 5.0 Magazine. I looked past it a couple of times and didn't even click. Wasn't used to seeing your car on the stock wheels. lol

It's true.

Yeah....except that VTECH functions in a completely different way and Honda didn't invent or even conceive variable valve timing.

I see nothing wrong with a lope tune. You're just taking advantage of the inherent valvetrain adjustability to get a better sound out of the car. Frankly I can't stand the near-silent sewing machine idle on these cars. But the lope tunes also sound completely ridiculous, like a nascar stocker. Be nice to just get a 'burble tune' lmao.

It Vtec. Actuated by oil pressure. How are they different?

:snoopfacepalm:

I already explained that Honda didn't conceive or engineer the first variable valve technology, so WHY would Ford thank them for it?

Honda uses a secondary high lift, high duration lobe for each valve. Ford uses one lobe per valve and phases the camshaft as needed.

Honda can be considered the first true "can switching" system.

Steve, I'm not used to seeing it on stock wheels either ;-)

Or not cause it was first used in the 19th century for steam engines or something similar to the process known as steam cutoff.

If you are talking automotive then you can thank FIAT who successfully patent one that was fully functional in the early 60's. However, if you are about to argue who first actually put it in a production car it wasn't Honda, but Alfa Romeo in the early 80's. Honda had nothing to do with the technology till the late 80's in the automotive world. But Ford owned that shit in the truck world. Give credit where it's due. :P