My "budget build" for my 96 TA is getting out of hand just like everyone else's. I have everything needed for my new Le2 355 setup. Now I'm wondering if I should go ahead and do the 24x conversion or just stick with the opti. I hate the idea of putting a used opti "maybe 5k miles" on a new motor. Would it be a good idea to just do it while the motors out already?
I'd like to keep this as cheap as possible. I've read that some guys have got this done for around $800.
There's just so many different ways to do this and there's no way I'm buying everything new. I'll be keeping a lookout in the classifieds section.
What coils should I go with? I've read that the round truck coils are the best.
What about the coil mounts?
The wiring harness is probably the main obstacle. I've read some great reviews on BP Automotive. Their diy harness kit looks like a good idea, just not sure if I should use my 18 yr old harness. Instead of buying a new harness could I send them my stock harness to save some $ and have them rewire/re loom everything? That way if anything needs replacement they can do it.
What PCM do I need? Any 99-02 f-body?
Any help would be great. Thanks

 

Truck coils with harnesses, I can send you some pics of coil mounts I use that should be cheap to make.
F-body 0411 PCM
Diy harness from BP
Efi connections cam and crank sensor setup ( reluctor wheels and cam plate)
96-97 timing cover

 

If you could send some pics of the mounts that would be great.
The car is a 96 so I'll just use my stock timing cover.
Does it matter if the PCM is from an auto car or an M6? My car is an auto.
So with the DIY harness all of my stock guages will still work?
I'm also going to delete my traction control before the swap with a resistor. Will I be able to have this deleted in the new PCM but still retain my ABS?

 

The gauges work in my 94 with a DIY harness I did, they also work in my 97 ws6 with a re pinned ls1 harness for the LS swap.

The computer can be either and a new tune can be flashed in but will need done before the first drive.

No idea on the traction control, neither of my cars had it.

 

Look in my 24x thread it's long but there's a lot of good info there. I did it on the super cheap!

 

I read your post and merim123s last night. I bookmarked both. Tons of great info. Did anyone ever figure out the wiring for traction control and abs? I'll be deleting my tcs now but I'd still like my abs to function.

 

Im a big fan of the LTCC it works great and everything else works as it should

 

Go 24X, you will not regret it, for the ease of tuning alone.

 

Yea I'm still happy I did mine.

 

Do you NEED a 24X conversion? Seems like the big reasons to switch is so that you can spin the motor higher 6500+rpm's and easier tuning ability.

Do you feel the need to tune the car multiple times in which the time "saved" tuning a 24X conversion is worth it? Is the motor built/capable of 7000rpm shifts?

Now, if I KEPT having opti issues over and over I would do the swap so I would never have to mess with it again. BUT until that time comes I see no reason to dump money on it.

 

I did it because there is very few lt1 tuners around the south where as finding a good Ls tuner is easy.

 

^That sucks.

 

Yea but all you need to do is contact Solomon. He will rent you the tuner/scan software, all you have to do is log data and email him the file. He will go through it, adjust the tune, then you flash his changes, rinse repeat until the tune is dialed.

That being said the 24x conversion is still a worthy investment.

 

Nobody NEEDS any of the mods they do to these cars. Its all about WANTS. The new motor is built and capable of 7000rpm. I just haven't decided how high I want to spin it and what kinda of street manners it will have. It's not my DD just a fun weekend car with an occasional track visit. I've had the car for a little over 10 yrs now and I've been slowly modding it. You're right about there not being a reason to dump money into it. We all know 4th gens especially lt1s aren't anywhere near worth the amount of money we've all dumped into them. I'm not planning on selling the car, I'd be giving it away. So why not update it to make tuning it easier. No one in the Houston area will dyno tune an Lt1. I could always run the opti now with a mail order tune and say screw it, possibly later go 24x. Then it would just be a pain to do it with the motor already in the car.

 

Just do the V6 mod and be done with it Seen lol

 

When I did mine, I bought EVERYTHING except for the harness directly from EFIconnection. The harness came from BP. Total cost was $2100. Then I tried to get a mail order tune from pcmforless and that was the only bad experience of the whole conversion. After selling all my old LT1 stuff on ebay, I made back $700 after ebay fees and shipping and stuff. So if you do 24x on the cheap, you can probably do it for a few hundred tops when it's all said and done.

 

$700!? How is that possible? I pulled all the opti crap from my car and it looks like junk to me.

 

Maybe found a complete idiot to grossly overpay for the LT1 wiring and computer?

 

We have yet to have a customer regret doing the 24x conversion. This includes both the LT1 and the SBC platform.

We have a shop project coming along, and the LT1 will get the 24x first and foremost.

A building is only as strong as its foundation. Will the LT1 EFI equipment work? Yes, but why would you not opt for something that is by far LEAPS AND BOUNDS better.

For example the 0411 is an incredible PCM! But the 04 GTO PCM is even better!!

We can actually build a harness for a 24 conversion using the GTO PCM, we can do the tuning and you can get Flex Fuel on your Boosted LTx Setup with a fuel composition sensor to monitor the alcohol content of your fuel!!

These are the kinds of options that the 24x Conversion offers.

Its just that so many people in the LTx community are so constrained by their budget and are in a rush. As with any build, it is what you make it. You see so many people wanting to run top notch times and HP numbers with cut rate parts. It just doesn't work that way.

Even if it takes longer to get the build completed, save the money and take the time to buy the proper parts for your goals, you will be much happier in the end.

I'm not saying this as a business owner trying to get you to buy thousands of dollars of parts, I'm saying it as someone who has been down that road before.

Thanks for everyone's kind words on our products! If there is anything we can help you with let us know!!!


P.S. we do offer tuning for 24x conversions, which help make your swap trouble free. We have had to fix several tunes done by others who are unfamiliar with the tuning needed for this swap.

Bill
BP Automotive
270.805.1777

 

I don't think the 24x setup is really needed unless you're making power beyond the typical H/C LT1 with some goofy setup. The stock stuff will suffice most of the time. You have to ask yourself if the build really warrants the added tuning capability. If it doesn't then you're just putting lipstick on a pig.

If you do need it then 24x is the ****. Even if you don't, nobody here is stopping you... it's your money.