How much tuning does a newb need?
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Teching In
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 16
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From: Batesville, AR
How much tuning does a newb need? I'm pretty new to EFI and this is my first LT1 build. I've got a severely ragged out 95 TA that is getting a rebuild. My plan for the build is using pretty much all stock components with ARP hardware in every threaded hole, a port matched top end, and [I]maybe[I] a 58mm throttle body. I'm planning on running some serious cam timing for a street motor. I've got my eye on either a 230/236 .576/.570 lift or a 242/248 .584/.579. I may end up going for the milder cam just for streetability. Probably gonna eliminate EGR as well. I've done a lot of research and I'm confident a well ported top end will work well with this cam and how I'm going to use the car. It's an OBD1.5 car meaning it's got an OBDII plug and an OBDI ECM.
So my questions are does this setup need a tune? I've heard these ECMs are pretty flexible when it comes to "learning." Since I'm pretty sure all of you will say that I will need a tune, my next question is where? I live in North Central Arkansas and I'm within decent driving distance of Little Rock, Jonesboro, and Fort Smith. Is a mail order tune a viable option? Which is more cost effective? Thanks for helping a newb.
So my questions are does this setup need a tune? I've heard these ECMs are pretty flexible when it comes to "learning." Since I'm pretty sure all of you will say that I will need a tune, my next question is where? I live in North Central Arkansas and I'm within decent driving distance of Little Rock, Jonesboro, and Fort Smith. Is a mail order tune a viable option? Which is more cost effective? Thanks for helping a newb.
Tune its the way to go when it comes to mods like you're doing, if you want mail order tune, pcm4 less can do it for you they're really good and reliable, that's who I used to get chips from on my 93 before I started doing my ow tuning.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Batesville, AR
Port matching or gasket matching actually decreases flow because you create a reverse hour glass effect. It slows down velocity, you want to increase velocity and decrease turbulence. If you are going yo touch the heads at all either send thrm out to someone who KNOWS lt engines (not a small block chevy shop) or read up on head porting and just clean up around tge valve guides. I would get a mail order tune in before initial startup.
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Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Batesville, AR
Port matching or gasket matching actually decreases flow because you create a reverse hour glass effect. It slows down velocity, you want to increase velocity and decrease turbulence. If you are going yo touch the heads at all either send thrm out to someone who KNOWS lt engines (not a small block chevy shop) or read up on head porting and just clean up around tge valve guides. I would get a mail order tune in before initial startup.
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Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Batesville, AR
Ha! I wouldn't bet the farm, but it's like bufmat said. It takes someone who knows what they're doing. A lot of people just match the flange surface to the gasket pattern and leave a sharp transition from the flange into the runner. If you wollow out the rest of the runner and maintain a contiguous flow with flat runner walls it does pretty well. I've got a decent amount of experience hand porting SBC heads and the LT1 runner castings aren't too different.
Last edited by SPF77; Nov 21, 2012 at 01:36 PM. Reason: unclear info