lm38330

iTrader: (12)

Im finishing up my HCI swap on my 2001 LS1.how necessary is it to get a tune after this? Will my car run like crap if i dont get a tune? What other problems can i have without a tune?
Here are my mods
Stock 799 heads
228R cam
LS6 intake
Ported TB


Thanks

scidav87

iTrader: (16)

Not a good idea to run the car long at all without a tune (like drive it to the place to get the tune). The car will run and be drivable but the air/fuel ration will be all over the place either too lean or too rich with different loads and throttle positions. This can cause cylinder wash down from too much too and valve overheating from running too lean. Get a tune asap to be safe!

nascarnate326

iTrader: (1)

Get it tuned ASAP. You will regret it if you dont.
IMO: I wouldnt even start it with out a tune.

YellowToy/A

iTrader: (1)

Lean is hot. You will be lean. You have added alot of air to the engine and no fuel. I would also get a tune for u more the car. It can be bad if you don't.

sscamaroburn02

iTrader: (14)

driving it to the tuner is as far as I would go. Even then I trailed mine to my tuner.

James Linder

You have to retune. The changes are tremendous. Do you have any type of software to do your own tuning? You can do these changes yourself and I recommend HP tuners. I've been using LS1 Edit because I bought it years ago but this is very limited compared to HP tuners.

ucanthangwme

iTrader: (12)

Haul it to the tuner. Don't even start it!

lm38330

iTrader: (12)

The only guy that does tunes around here is about 20 min from here,besides him,the next guy is about 3 hours away.

How safe is it do a tune without a dyno and wideband?
What about a Frost mail order tune? Safe?
I dont have a wideband hooked up,and idk if he does.theres no dyno in my area either.

Thanks

James Linder

I would trust a Frost mail order tune because he appears to be a very knowledgeable tuner and very professional to deal with. It appears he has tuned quite a few cars and he should have a tune that would get you in the right ballpark until you can arrange for a live tune. He will be able to tell you for certain. I received a mail order tune for a car equippment nearly identical to mine and it made a 200% difference in the performance and I would never have been able to figure out the right changes by myself no matter how many hours I spent adjusting things. The less modifications you have made the closer to ideal your mail order tune should be.

James Linder

Make certain what the tuner offers before you take your car to him, since anyone who owns the software and even some like myself who are shade tree tuners think they know more than they do.

The wide band and load bearing dyno is the best approach, however some effective tuning can also be done on the street with the right approach.

Bottom line, the guy has to know how to tune MAF, VEs, timing curves, idle fueling, and PE verses RPM and how to analyze the data they log during the tuning process. It is not easy but it is not rocket science either.

Ask some questions about what you would be getting and if there is a guarantee that the tune will result in a car that does not buck, surge, die, or otherwise ends up with unacceptable driveability. You want turn of key starting at the appropriate idle RPM without touching the accelerator pedal.

There are 100 hacks out there for every good tuner and Frost is is not a hack based on his results and reputation on this forum and others.

thegroup

iTrader: (1)

next to him would be a dyno tune. he is worth every penny in my book

MUSTANGBRKR02

iTrader: (91)

You are fine to start it and drive it. Just don't go around town giving it full throttle. Not starting it and hauling it to the tuner in my opinion is just silly. The car is going to need to have all of the air bleed out of the cooling system and among other things ie exhaust leaks, air leaks etc etc.

axon360

iTrader: (3)

the car will be entirely out of wack, you've likely changed the compression along with the valve timing which definitely requires a tune

trans_am7935

iTrader: (15)

so i live about 2 hours north of seatle and that is the closest LSX tunner that i am aware of (ellis) and that is who i would like to go to. after my heads and cam swap i was gonna go over there so he could port match my FAST 92 to my new heads and do a dyno tune. would i be able to safely drive it on the freeway for an hour or two to get it there for a tune?

Carter01

iTrader: (11)

I would, just don't go over 3,000 rpm max. I mean ZERO wot hits!

trans_am7935

iTrader: (15)

now i do still have my diablo sport for my car, should i do a self tune and then drive over there, would that be better? (i plan to sell this after i get my heads and cam with the dyno tune)

MUSTANGBRKR02

iTrader: (91)

Only if you know how. If you are asking these questions, then i would lean towards no.

SweeTbone

iTrader: (8)

Did you upgrade/change your fuel injectors? That is one of the paramount questions on running with a stock tune. I wouldn't even attempt to drive it or even start it if you did change them. I mailed my PCM to the tuner, got a safe baseline, got it back then drove 2 hours south to Columbus for a full tune.

If the guy is local and only 20 mins away, see if A.) He can come to your place to do a baseline tune to get you rolling or B.)Take you PCM over to him and have him upload a quick baseline.

It's still safe. Without a wideband it can be done, but this is critical information your tuner needs to get the best possible tune. As far as the dyno, my tuner did 95% of my tune on the street then tweaked it on the dyno. Dyno is not a big thing if finding one local is going to be a song and dance.

trans_am7935

iTrader: (15)

yea i am going to 36lb injectors...and when i did my diablo tune, my brother actually did it, he is now in texas. so call the tuner, take my PCM over there for a baseline tune and then drive it there? now when you were talking about wideband, do i have to provide the wideband or will a good tuner provide it? i am going to Ellis in Seattle WA

SweeTbone

iTrader: (8)

Yes. Remove your PCM and take it over there, and he will be able to give you a baseline with your new injectors and current mods. I shipped my PCM down to my tuner and got it back 2 days later and re-installed it. I didn't go WOT or anything but the car was driveable and never died at idle or stoplights. I also did not any uneccessary driving afterwards. Just got it running the drove to get the tune. Some people drive hundreds if not thousand of miles on a stock or **** poor tune.

As for the wideband, most tuners have there own wideband and equipment. My guy had me go to an exhaust shop and have a bung welded into the side of the header collector to get the most accurate reading. If you don't want to do that your tuner can clamp one onto the end of your exhaust pipe, but with cats and being further downstream from the engine the readings are not nearly as good as right in the header.