The 6.0 Vortec is a pretty decent engine, but it’s not without its problems.
There are many different tuners that you can purchase for your car that will help to keep the performance up and make it run better overall, but which one is right for you? That’s what we’re here to find out!
We’ll review the top 7 tuners for Vortec 6.0 engine based on the way they work and how much value they provide compared to the money you put into them. So, without further ado, let’s get started.
[wptb id=1716]Our Picks For the 7 Best Tuner for 6.0 Vortec:
1. Edge Products 85450 CTS2 Gas Evolution Programmer
The Edge Products 85450 CTS2 Gas Evolution Programmer tuner comes in at first place on this list, and anybody who’s tested out this fantastic product probably isn’t too surprised.
Offering some of the most noticeable gains for Vortec 6.0 engines, the first thing you’ll notice after installing this tuner is the massive boost to acceleration, improving your 0-60 time. According to our research, it can shave off as much as 4 seconds from your 0-60.
We researched most of the modes the CTS2 comes with, but the economy model proved to be one of the most useful overall. It reinvigorates cars and trucks with Vortec 6.0 engines, giving them better acceleration and enhanced power.
If you’re an aftermarket enthusiast with an okay budget, this is the tuner for you. It can eliminate turbo lag and helps massively with shift points. The firmware it runs on is very easy to update before installation.
The Edge Products 85450 CTS2 tuning chip comes with a range of Edge calibration tunes to improve your engine’s performance. Most of the tunes, though, come with the massive advantage of giving you firmer shifting, which means you won’t have to spend minutes hanging on to the gears anymore!
Benefits:
- Improves your miles-per-gallon and overall fuel economy
- Straightforward installation and firmware update process
- Features include easy mountability and real-time monitoring of vital engine data
- Comprehensive and easy-to-read screen provides easy readability for gauges
- It is suitable for both lower-grade fuel and higher 93 octane
Drawbacks:
- The MPG display is buggy and often shows numbers far lower than the built-in gauge.
- Very expensive when compared to other tuners in the same performance range.
2. Bully Dog 40417 GT Platinum Tuner for Gas Applications
The Bully Dog 40417 GT goes far beyond being just a tuner: it’s a one-stop-shop for upgrading your car’s performance in every way possible. It comes with a range of high-performance and fuel-economy preloaded tunes, giving you almost unmatched versatility in how you use it.
It does require some previous know-how when it’s time to install the firmware, but when the product is this good, we’d say it’s worth taking a few hours to read through the manual.
Coming in at just over $400 from most sellers online, casual drivers and aftermarket enthusiasts highly rate this product as a good choice for tuning units to invest your money in.
The Bully Dog 40417 GT Platinum Tuner shines at fuel economy and can even show significant gains of 3 to 4 miles-per-gallon for Vortec 6.0 engines towing a large trailer. Its preloaded tunes are a substantial gain over stock tunes, not to mention the various custom tunes Bully Dog offers for specific car makes and models.
The easy-to-read display of the tuner can be hooked up to your car in a couple of simple steps, giving you easy readability of 15 essential performance parameters. The gauges are outlined in large white letters against a bright screen, making them readable in daylight.
Benefits:
- It lets you monitor 15 engine parameters with an easy-to-read and accurate display
- Suitable for a wide variety of Ford, Nissan, Dodge, and GM Gas makes and models
- Can read and clear Diagnostic Trouble Codes for smooth engine operation
- Can be powered temporarily through the OBD port or permanently installed
- Best tuner for cars, pickups, and trucks used for professional towing
Drawbacks:
- It has to be manually removed from fuses when being reprogrammed
- Shows below middling performance for gas-powered vehicles
3. Jet 15008 Performance Programmer
Unlike other tuners, the Jet 15008 Performance Programmer isn’t complex. Instead, the beauty of this easy-to-use product lies in its inherent simplicity.
Installation takes under a minute because all you have to do is plug the tuner into your diagnostic port, mainly found under your dash. On top of that, tuning is done through a series of simple yes or no questions, removing the requirement for any technical know-how whatsoever.
The Jet 15008 comes with three preloaded performance tunes suitable for high-grade and premium octane fuel, providing peak efficiency, and for lower-cost octane fuel, where it still shows appreciable gains.
If your ABS trouble light is blinking because you’ve changed tire size or gear ratios, you can use this tuner to fix that in minutes.
It can also read (and clear) the annoying but important trouble codes, saving you the money of taking the trip down to the dealership and having to pay for it.
The unit shows significant increases in miles-per-gallon even in cars with considerable mileage, combined with more power throughout the vehicle and increased RPM shifting points for smooth driving and effortless acceleration.
Another neat feature of the Jet 15008 is its extra horsepower (maximum of 15 HP) and increased power make it perfect for people starting with aftermarket upgrades.
Benefits:
- Allows easy modification of rev limit and the speed limit in your ECU
- Built-in trouble code scanner to read and clear Diagnostic Trouble Codes
- Showed one of the best MPH gains out of the products on this list
- Great at turning your transmission shift points
Drawbacks:
- 91 octane tuning doesn’t show a very notable difference in horsepower and torque
- It doesn’t offer a setting for torque management, which is a problem for drivers that want enhanced customization
4. DiabloSport 7202 DiabloSport Predator 2
If you’re looking for an affordable tuner that provides over-the-top performance for your truck, the 7202 DiabloSport Predator 2 is what you should be looking at. It dramatically increases your horsepower and torque while still being 50 State Compliant and easy to install.
Are you tired of your plain tires and want something that lets you open up the throttle without burning rubber? You’ll need to correct your speedometer, and the Predator 2 is just the thing for it.
You can run the plug-and-play 7202 DiabloSport Predator 2 by just plugging it into your OBDII port. The preloaded canned tunes are a great improvement over your car’s stock tune.
The MPG Tune is of particular interest because it provides the best combination of torque and horsepower while significantly increasing your fuel economy. With increased up torque at the wheels, you have a tuner that’s perfect for towing.
You can also use Predator 2 to disable cylinder deactivation methods for most makes and models. We love saving money too, but these methods are just annoying when you’re trying to go up a hilly road.
Like the Bully Dog 40417 GT Platinum Tuner, the DiabloSport Predator 2 can read and clear diagnostic trouble codes.
Benefits:
- Updates using DiabloSport’s free update software, and plugs in through USB
- Adds 15-30 Horsepower and 15-30 Torque on most gas-powered models
- Can add up to 100+ horsepower on diesel-powered makes and models
- You can use the platinum version of the product to apply custom tunes
- Records data 10 minutes at a time and comes with complete data playback functionality
Drawbacks:
- The tuner can show problems and error codes if you try to apply a tune without updating the software first.
- Preloaded tune for 93 Octane doesn’t show noticeable gains over other tunes.
5. Range Technology Active Fuel Management Disable Device
One of the absolute best devices to instantly upgrade your fuel economy, keep your vehicle performing at peak efficiency with the Range Technology Active Fuel Management Disable Device!
If you own a Chevy Silverado or a GMC Sierra 1500 (both great models, we love them), this fuel management device will be borderline life-changing for you. It gets rid of the annoying drone from the exhaust system and keeps your truck running in 8 cylinder mode for optimal performance.
The Range Technology Active Fuel Management Disable Device isn’t just for removing annoying noises, though. It considerably enhances your throttle response and makes your acceleration and deceleration smoother.
Engines that constantly switch from V4 to V8 end up wearing out as a result. This device keeps your engine in pristine working order by disabling that, which also has the distinct benefit of making the vehicle stronger, faster, and more responsive.
Did we tell you the Range Technology Active Fuel Management Disable Device isn’t a usual performance tuner? That means it won’t disable your warranty, no matter how much you use it!
We should say, though, that the glowing blue light from this unit can get… well, pretty annoying by itself. Go for an at-home fix and cover it up with electrical tape if you don’t want your feet glowing blue all night.
Benefits:
- Keeps your truck in V8 mode 100% of the time to ensure peak efficiency
- Gets rid of jerkiness and slow throttle response, especially on Chevy and GMC models
- Removes annoying noises from aftermarket parts
- Having V8 mode on all the time means fantastic throttle response and smoother acceleration
- It offers the best price-to-quality ratio on this list
Drawbacks:
- The blue LED is solid and can get annoying very quickly.
6. Innovative Performance Chip/Power Programmer
If you’re tired of slogging along in a Chevy Silverado that isn’t using its total capacity, the Innovative Performance Chip/Power Programmer is what you’re looking for. This programmer chip boosts everything from your horsepower and torque to throttle response and fuel economy and everything for the low cost of about $90!
This tuner works almost specifically for the Chevrolet Silverado 1500. It’s effortless to install, and you don’t need any previous experience to install it. The package also includes an installation kit that makes the whole thing a lot easier.
The first thing you’re going to notice after installing this tuner is the gains in horsepower. This tuner provides an average of 30 Horsepower in gains for the Chevy Silverado 1500, making it an absolute must-have for anybody that owns one.
Fuel economy is another strong point of the Innovative Performance Chip/Power Programmer, as it adds about +5 MPG in fuel economy.
With the fuel price these days, we guarantee it’ll pay off its negligible cost of $89 in almost no time.
Add smoother throttle response and the fact that it won’t void your warranty by making any permanent changes into the mix, and the Innovative Performance Chip/Power Programmer is by far the best performance-enhancing tuner available for the Chevy Silverado!
Benefits:
- Provides immediate gains of up to 30 HP and 5 MPG in gains
- Increases power throughout the vehicle for better driving and smoother response
- The cheapest but the best tuner for Chevy Silverado 1500 trucks
- It works equally great for cars that have a lot of mileage
Drawbacks:
- It shows minimal gains or doesn’t work at all for other models, severely reducing its functionality for different makes and models.
- You can’t calibrate and change tuning like more expensive tuners.
Read Also: Best Tuner for Camaro SS
7. Banks 66410 AutoMind 2 Programmer
The Banks 66410 AutoMind 2 Programmer is just the thing to wake your Vortec 6.0 engine truck up. This impressive handheld tuner gathered thousands of good reviews for its over-the-top performance and performance boosts.
The work/tow setting of the programmer comes greatly recommended from aftermarket enthusiasts that have several bolt-on mods on their truck, as it can get rid of any transmission slips or miss shifts.
You can load up custom tunes on the tuner, but the best part about the Banks 66410 AutoMind 2 Programmer is that you probably won’t need to most of the time! The preloaded tunes are perfect for both professional towing or casual use.
One of the standard tunes will bump up your Ford truck’s (just an example, we like other trucks too) MPG from 6-7 per gallon to 9.9 to 10.2 MPG. On the other hand, economy mode gives you an outstanding 18 miles-per-gallon, making it great for casual driving.
From our research, it’s also really long-lasting, so the price you’ll sink into this tuner should well worth.
Benefits:
- The tuner works for almost every type of four-wheeler made from 2000 to 2015
- The economy mode has the best fuel economy gains we’ve seen in tuners yet.
- The ‘Banks Value’ setting even allows people with technical knowledge to customize the tunes they use
- It doesn’t need any aftermarket mods to provide an immediate performance enhancement.
Drawbacks:
- The PCM needs to be refreshed every time you change settings, lagging the process up by a few minutes.
- It doesn’t offer a wide range of calibrations like the 7202 DiabloSport Predator 2 does, which is almost the same price.
Conclusion
We’ll be honest, choosing this time was hard. All the products on this list have their pros and cons, and while some shine out for overall usefulness, we’d be lying if we didn’t tell you they’re all great choices.
So this time, we’re considering a few particular criteria. Firstly, the tuner has to work for a broad range of makes and models, and secondly, it has to provide very significant gains.
Judging by those criteria, we picked the 7202 DiabloSport Predator 2 as the winner! It’s a phenomenal tune for anybody who wants excellent performance boosts, as well as being the perfect option for people who want the best optimization for their decked-out ride.