How does the VAP tune feel on the 3.0? Does it feel like or better than the dynamic mode?

 

It depends on which tune you are talking about, Stage 1 vs Stage 2 vs Stage 3, and whether you are starting with the "base" 335 bhp or the "S" 375 bhp.
All three tunes end up at the same point regardless of which factory tune you start with, so the "feel" difference is greater if you start with the "base" tune.
All three tunes feel much better/stronger than the stock tune in Dynamic mode.

Stage 1 = tune only, 412 bhp.
Stage 2 = larger crank pulley + tune = 450 bhp.
Stage 3 = larger crank pulley + smaller SC pulley + tune = 475 bhp.

I started with Stage 1 which was a nice bump from the stock 375 bhp but not as much as I wanted.
I then went to Stage 2 and it felt (and still feels) much stronger, a much bigger bump than the Stage 1 bump of 37 bhp despite being an "on paper" of only 38 bhp up from the Stage 1.
I have not bothered with the Stage 3 tune as the extra 25 bhp is not worth the extra $ IMHO seeing as I would also need the special pulley removal tool and extra $ to get it done.

The Stage 1 tune released a little bit of SC whine over the stock almost zero amount and the Stage 2 tune then released a fair whack more SC whine.
I then had fitted the Mina Gallery lower intake set-up and that released a whole bunch more SC whine and maybe a few more neddies, my guess is around 10 bhp.

So all up I reckon the best bang for your buck is the Stage 2 tune.

 

Oz, I have contemplated this upgrade. Out of curiosity, why did you do the larger crank pulley verses the smaller supercharger pulley? I would think that going with the larger crank pulley would cause all the accessories to spin faster, causing more parasitic power loss (granted, if you have the 8 speed, I can possibly see the need for the crank pulley). I know I am probably only talking a few horsepower difference between the pulleys, but I am also pondering the lifespan of everything if it is spinning faster.

 

The short answer is that the lower pulley gives more bang for the buck (more power and much more torque gain), and is easier to install if you're DIYing this.

A more elaborate answer (Using figures from VAP's website for the 3.0 tune). The webpage will not allow me to select tune + upper pulley only, so I cannot include that.

Stock: 340-400 hp (Depending on model) / 332 lb-ft
Tune only: 416 hp / 353 lb-ft (+16-66 hp / + 21 lb-ft)
Lower Pulley (Stage 2): 450 hp / 440 lb-ft (+50-110hp / + 108 lb-ft)
Dual Pulley (Stage 3): 475 hp / 470 lb-ft (+75-130hp / + 138 lb-ft)

Looking only at the figures, the increase in power/torque (pulley ratio) is significantly greater on the crank pulley vs supercharger pulley. From memory, the upper supercharger pully is already pretty small, and there is only so much smaller they are can go before slippage starts to occur. The crank pulley does not have this issue - and it looks like they can't go much bigger on that either due to clearance concerns.

I believe the VAP lower pulley is 11.8% larger than the stock one. Given that the existing pulley system will be engineered to accommodate the full range of factory RPM + some room for manufacturing variance, I would not expect a dramatic increase in supercharger/accessory wear unless you spend a lot of time above 5000 rpm.

 

Best set of mods you will ever do is a lower pulley and the VAP tune. The car will be transformed.
I could not believe the difference and I got a gas mileage increase to boot!

But listen to what Oz posted above as I have the 5.0L SC version.
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On the AJ126/AJ133, the supercharger has a dedicated belt that is driven by a separate crank pulley bolted to the harmonic balancer. So, changing the supercharger crank pulley size will not impact the accessory serpentine belt system. It's actually easier to swap the crank pulley, as it is bolted on as opposed to the supercharger pulley that is pressed on. It is also a greater increase in supercharger speed resulting in greater power output. The supercharger snout pulley is really more of a "getting the most out of it" upgrade, especially on the V6.

 

Less chance of belt slip if you change the lower pulley over the upper pulley, also.

 

Yes that is the answer. The smaller pulley is required on the top to increase the blower speed but this is exactly what you don't want. The smaller diameter means you have less belt wrap yet your trying to spin the blower faster. It's a downward spiral. Now we do have Griptec surface treatment for the upper pulley which greatly reduces belt slip. VAP has released an improved SC tensioner too.

While the bottom pulley needs to get bigger in diameter which means your increasing the belt wrap and increasing the ability to transmit more power to the blower. Plus as posted above it's very simple and quick to change the lower pulley compared to all the work required to do the upper pulley. When I did the tune and lower pulley I think it was all done in under an hour.
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