Tuning an ecm

It costs $1500 because that shop can do it and you can't.

 

$1500? Does that come with an oil change, overhead and a 3 axle alignment?

It doesn't cost $1500. He's being hosed! Unless the program he's getting is something no other shop has. I know Diesel Doctor was working on a program to remove the IVAs from the equation.

 

I'd do a little research on deleting the IVA's if I were you. I seem to recall a lot of the guys on here with lots of Cat on-road engine knowledge saying that deleting the IVA's without going to a lower compression ratio will blow up stuff. The IVA's do something to limit pressures. Definitely read into it cause blowing a headgasket isn't cheap.

 

IVAs are a jake brake for the inlet valve.

Anyone that claims its for emissions is ill informed. They're to reduce cylinder pressure during operation. its needed because of the ridiculous compression ratio used from factory to generate the complete burn needed to meet emissions.

without them the cylinder pressure is phenomenal. excessive cylinder pressure will make the liner flex more and chew into the deck faster. it will also generate additional heat. The most common failures seen are recessed liners causing head gasket failure and cracked cylinder heads.

I would strongly recommend reducing compression back to the pre ACERT 16:1 if deleting IVAs. leaving it at 18:1 will still work, but the service life of the engine will drastically reduce.

As for file cost. That is for 1 of 2 reasons. They have purchased the file to flash from someone and are simply marking it up when on selling to you, or they have spent countless hours of time developing the file with expensive software and hardware. either way they are recovering the cost of purchasing a file or capital invested into file development as the on sell to you.

Yes, the flash is fast, but making the file wasn't.

 

You'd have to change pistons most likely.