2002TransAmFirehawk

I just bought an 02' Trans Am Firehawk 6M w/ 48k miles. I want to keep it fairly stock but want to add a little power. It looks like the prev owner polished and descreened the MAF, it has mid length headers, and the rest of the SLP options. I bought an SLP underdrive pulley (and the new belts for it) and a 160 thermostat. Here are my questions:
-Where is a good place to have them installed? I'd screw it up if I tried.
-I keep seeing Mark Romans as the best person for a tune (Sacramento, CA). Does anyone have his contact info? Or better recommendations?
Thank you in advance
-Ken

murphinator

iTrader: (2)

whoever you end up using to tune before you spend any time or money let them know the maf has been polished and de screened they will likely want stock parts back on the car before tuning it if it is actually getting a full tune including airflow modeling ( maf & VE tuning) if the polish is minor thats not a huge deal but removing the laminar flow screen is a no no from a tuning standpoint. Remove the screen from your kitchen faucet and turn it on and you will see how critical that screen is to consistent flow and you want consistent flow across the element for it to represent the area of the maf... by the way removing material via polishing/porting in a maf increases the area of the opening. The tune in the car matches airflow with fueling to hit optimal targets. anything that causes inaccurate readings will reflect in an inaccurate tune. Any time the tune references the maf it is applying what the element is seeing for flow across it and multiplies based on the known area of the inner diameter of the maf housing increasing area means more air is coming in than is being reported by the sensor.

The 160 t stat will definitely need tuning as it will pop a code thinking it isn't coming up to operating temp and will likely give you emmisions problems in Cali.

The underdrive pulley should cause you no issues in cali or with the tune good move there.

2002TransAmFirehawk

I probably used the word polished too liberally, here is a pic of the MAF.

I wasn't super happy to see the screen removed, just because it's there for a reason. Thanks for the heads up on its affect on air flow. I might be investing in a new MAF sensor. Recommend just going back to stock on the MAF? I really don't want to get into the motor, mainly bolt ons... any other recommendations? As it sits I have the SLP lid, SLP Loudmuoth II exhaust, Stock Firehawk Headers and the two items I just purchased. Then once installed, the Dyno tune.

RevGTO

iTrader: (12)

I'd put one of the Saxon honeycomb airflow straighteners on that MAF. I run them on my cars. They have some filtering effect and do a better job with the airflow than the screen.

2002TransAmFirehawk

Great advice, thank you. I found the website, can you recommend the cell size ratio and size (inch/mm). It says 86mm for F Body LS1s, but I thought they were 78mm stock? Lastly any specific adhesive to keep it in place? Thank you.

JD_AMG

You said it had mid length headers in the first post, so which is it? If you really do have the stock exhaust manifolds then getting long tube headers would be a great upgrade for power.

2002TransAmFirehawk

It definitely has mid length headers. I assumed they were aftermarket but the service manger at the dealership I bought it from said the hawks came with headers stock. I didn't know that to be true, he said it was part of the SLP package. So either way it has mids. Hope that clarifies. Thanks for your question, was probably unclear. I really appreciate the help.

cookseyb

I had the SLP underdrive balancer on my 99 Z, after spending untold dollars on trying to diagnose a high RPM miss I found out it was causing knock and making the knock sensors pull timing out at about 4200 RPM. FWIW. I installed a new stock one and it would pull to the rev limiter no problem. Just be careful when installing it and go beat on it some and make sure you got a good one.

JD_AMG

The service manager told you that? lol i would ask for documentation proof. Never heard of any fbodies coming with headers stock, all of them got the same cast iron exhaust manifolds.
Unrelated but check under the car and see what shocks you got, hopefully its the optional bilstiens (yellow and light blue), if you have the orange/black ones then its likely the decarbons which suck.

RevGTO

iTrader: (12)

I don't know why they use that number, but it's the right one. You don't need adhesive; it's an interference fit.