Automatic Transmission 2-Speed thru 10-Speed GM Autos | Converters | Shift Kits
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Converter tuning-yes or no?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Apr 20, 2005 | 10:55 PM
  #1  
'00_Z's Avatar
Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,458
Likes: 0
From: holding down the couch
Default Converter tuning-yes or no?

What drivability issues would there be without tuning? The guy I talked to about doing my install said I will not need to tune. Will the car shift right or am I gonna need to get a Predator or something like that? He quoted me a great price, but I want to make sure its getting done right. That and I don't really have the money to blow on a programmer right now.
And by "tuning" I mean raising shift points, firming up shifts and tweaking or deleting the torque management. I would think those would be included in the deal but correct me if I'm wrong.
Reply
Old Apr 20, 2005 | 11:25 PM
  #2  
TNormZ28's Avatar
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (9)
 
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 562
Likes: 0
From: Edmond, OK
Default

Originally Posted by '00_Z
What drivability issues would there be without tuning? The guy I talked to about doing my install said I will not need to tune. Will the car shift right or am I gonna need to get a Predator or something like that? He quoted me a great price, but I want to make sure its getting done right. That and I don't really have the money to blow on a programmer right now.
And by "tuning" I mean raising shift points, firming up shifts and tweaking or deleting the torque management. I would think those would be included in the deal but correct me if I'm wrong.
To get the most out of it you'll want a tune as far as adjusting shift points and adjusting your torque managment settings. It will run pretty good without.
Reply
Old Apr 21, 2005 | 08:06 AM
  #3  
WAHUSKER's Avatar
10 Second Club
iTrader: (4)
 
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 9,448
Likes: 0
From: Marysville, WA
Default

My car would not have been any fun to drive without tuning. It surged badly, even died a couple times, shifted at the wrong points, went in & out of lock-up, etc. And I have been tweaking the WOT shift points for a week now (found out at the track it shifted too early). So in my opinion, YES.

Note - I do have a cam & 4.11 gears, which makes things worse.....
Reply
Old Apr 21, 2005 | 09:10 AM
  #4  
TNormZ28's Avatar
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (9)
 
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 562
Likes: 0
From: Edmond, OK
Default

Originally Posted by WAHUSKER
My car would not have been any fun to drive without tuning. It surged badly, even died a couple times, shifted at the wrong points, went in & out of lock-up, etc. And I have been tweaking the WOT shift points for a week now (found out at the track it shifted too early). So in my opinion, YES.

Note - I do have a cam & 4.11 gears, which makes things worse.....

The cam and gears make a huge difference. With my current set up on my 99 I had to do tuning with the 4400, FM11 cam and 3.73 gears, but had a 3200 in it before on stock gears and stock cam with no tuning and it ran very good. Also had an 01 before with an 02 LS6 cam and a 3500 stall with only edit to torque management, and it ran very well too.
Reply
Old Apr 21, 2005 | 04:29 PM
  #5  
ShadowLightCSU's Avatar
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 639
Likes: 0
Default

On my car, I didn't really have any problems and everyone says 02s are bad. The only thing I noticed that I really liked was that some shifts before a tune felt like 2nd was slipping, I tuned it, bam, nice and snappy shifts.
Reply
Old Apr 21, 2005 | 05:39 PM
  #6  
jdustu's Avatar
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,162
Likes: 0
From: detroit rock city
Default

4200 stall/3.73 gears .....only tuning was with hpIII to mess with shift ponts last year, which was with the stock stall.......it could possibly be optimized with a tune, but that can be said with a stock car too, it drives awsome as is....
Reply
Old Apr 22, 2005 | 08:29 AM
  #7  
'00_Z's Avatar
Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,458
Likes: 0
From: holding down the couch
Default

Can the TM, idle shift points and that stuff be handled at my G.M. dealership? I'm in good with the guys there and they usually give me preferential treatment. It would save me from having to buy a programmer. What should the shift points be raised to, as I do alot of city driving?
Thanks for fielding all these questions guys, durability and reliabilty are the most important factors for me, I just want to make sure i'm doing this right!
Reply
Old Apr 22, 2005 | 02:31 PM
  #8  
Ragtop 99's Avatar
TECH Senior Member
iTrader: (7)
 
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 9,491
Likes: 1
From: Bethesda, MD
Default

How big a stall are you putting in? A low 3000s may not need anything.

A programming tool like HPT is a great investment for an A4, especially if you will be adding more mods down the road. If the GM guys will do it for free, that's one thing. Otherwise put the money toward buying a good programmer that will allow you to change part throttle shift points, lock-up, etc.
Reply
LS1 Tech Stories

The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time

story-0

Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-2

Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

 
story-5

Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

10 Camaros You Should Never Buy

 
story-9

10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die

 Verdad Gallardo




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:03 PM.

story-0
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin

Slideshow: This heavily modified 1971 Camaro mixes classic muscle car styling with a fifth-generation Camaro interior and modern LS3 power.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:06:42


VIEW MORE
story-1
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them

Slideshow: From wobbling harmonic balancers to failed EBCMs, these are the issues that define long-term C5 ownership and what repairs typically involve.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-07 18:44:57


VIEW MORE
story-2
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

Slideshow: A modern Camaro transformed into a retro icon, this limited-run "Bandit" build blends nostalgia with brute force in a way few revivals manage.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:57:02


VIEW MORE
story-3
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

Slideshow: Cadillac didn't just crash the high-performance luxury vehicle party, it showed up loud, supercharged, and occasionally a little unhinged...

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-16 10:05:15


VIEW MORE
story-4
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

Slideshow: Top ten most powerful Chevy trucks ever made

By | 2026-03-25 09:22:26


VIEW MORE
story-5
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

Slideshow: Hennessey has turned the Silverado ZR2 into a 700-hp off-road monster with supercharged V8 power and a limited production run.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-24 18:57:52


VIEW MORE
story-6
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes

Slideshow: A one-off sports car that looks like a vintage Italian exotic-but hides a C6 Corvette underneath-just sold for the price of a new mid-engine Corvette.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-23 18:53:41


VIEW MORE
story-7
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power

Slideshow: A heavily reworked 1972 K5 Blazer swaps its off-road roots for a low-slung street-focused build with modern V8 power.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-09 18:08:45


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There are thousands of used Camaros on the market but we think you should avoid these 10

By | 2026-02-17 17:09:30


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die

Slideshows: Which one of these myths do you believe?

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-28 18:10:11


VIEW MORE