LT1-LT4 Modifications 1993-97 Gen II Small Block V8

Lt1 vortec 350 pcm

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Old Nov 30, 2023 | 06:41 PM
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Default Lt1 vortec 350 pcm

I did a p01/0411 pcm swap on my 96 trans am. It was pretty simple and I did it on a Saturday. I've learned that the 96-97 cars have a crank sensor for misfire counting, but I was wondering does the vortec 350 do that too or does it use the crank sensor for fuel injection timing?

The reason I was wondering was if the vortec 350 uses the crank sensor as an actual crankshaft reference then it should be pretty simple to repin an LT1 harness to what the vortec pinout is using its own connectors and flash the pcm as a vortec 350 with correct injector size accounted for and you basically have done the same thing that you would have done with a 0411 pcm. Optispark can fail all it wants because at that point its just a front mounted distributor.
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Old Nov 30, 2023 | 11:40 PM
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Originally Posted by BishopTS
I did a p01/0411 pcm swap on my 96 trans am. It was pretty simple and I did it on a Saturday. I've learned that the 96-97 cars have a crank sensor for misfire counting, but I was wondering does the vortec 350 do that too or does it use the crank sensor for fuel injection timing?

The reason I was wondering was if the vortec 350 uses the crank sensor as an actual crankshaft reference then it should be pretty simple to repin an LT1 harness to what the vortec pinout is using its own connectors and flash the pcm as a vortec 350 with correct injector size accounted for and you basically have done the same thing that you would have done with a 0411 pcm. Optispark can fail all it wants because at that point its just a front mounted distributor.
I have run a LT1 exactly as you mention. 4x reluctor and 0411. Ran great. The opti becomes a front mounted dumbed out distributor.

I ran my L31 for a year with a bad cam sensor pigtail. Only fixed it to get through inspection. Zero difference in the way it ran. The L31 I am talking about is in a 1997 Express van with a P59 Green/Blue PCM and I kept putting off diagnosing the cause of the code until I had to.

You don't want the garbage black box if that is what you were asking about.
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Old Dec 1, 2023 | 06:17 AM
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Originally Posted by Fast355



You don't want the garbage black box if that is what you were asking about.
it's not really something I would want to go back to but for people that seem to be hesitant to go to a 411 pcm changing your black box pcm for one that looks just like it and moving around probably 5 pins would be at least a reliability upgrade that it very budget friendly.
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Old Dec 1, 2023 | 11:28 AM
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Originally Posted by BishopTS
it's not really something I would want to go back to but for people that seem to be hesitant to go to a 411 pcm changing your black box pcm for one that looks just like it and moving around probably 5 pins would be at least a reliability upgrade that it very budget friendly.
Those of us with Vortecs replace the black box with the 0411 for reliability and tuneability. With tuning software like Universal Patcher, Tunerpro and PCM Hammer it is inexpensive to tune the 0411 and P59 PCMs. I personally prefer the P59s myself. In Mexico they kept the L31s in the GMT800s until 2007 so GM calibrations to run the L31 with the P59 exist as well including one for a manual transmission.
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Old Dec 1, 2023 | 02:04 PM
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Originally Posted by Fast355
Those of us with Vortecs replace the black box with the 0411 for reliability and tuneability. With tuning software like Universal Patcher, Tunerpro and PCM Hammer it is inexpensive to tune the 0411 and P59 PCMs. I personally prefer the P59s myself. In Mexico they kept the L31s in the GMT800s until 2007 so GM calibrations to run the L31 with the P59 exist as well including one for a manual transmission.
411 is a p01
p01 to p59 swap probably isn't worth going though the hassle of it i wouldn't think. I have one in my garage but the p01 seems to work fine. I'm tuning it with hptuners.
I would guess that the p59 probably operates a little faster. What are your thoughts on it?
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Old Dec 1, 2023 | 02:52 PM
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Originally Posted by BishopTS
411 is a p01
p01 to p59 swap probably isn't worth going though the hassle of it i wouldn't think. I have one in my garage but the p01 seems to work fine. I'm tuning it with hptuners.
I would guess that the p59 probably operates a little faster. What are your thoughts on it?
I went from the 97 black box to an 0411 to a P59 on the same L31 engine. The newer the calibration the more refinement GM put into it. They do run a bit smoother and stronger with each revision to the PCM that GM made.

The biggest plus with the P59 calibration is the manaul trans calibration to start with for a manual trans vehicle.
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Old Dec 1, 2023 | 06:07 PM
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Originally Posted by Fast355
I went from the 97 black box to an 0411 to a P59 on the same L31 engine. The newer the calibration the more refinement GM put into it. They do run a bit smoother and stronger with each revision to the PCM that GM made.

The biggest plus with the P59 calibration is the manaul trans calibration to start with for a manual trans vehicle.
That makes sense. I just copied the idle and fan control from an 01 ls1 car and built my own fuel and spark tables.
if I go back into it I will probably get a 58x crank wheel from torqhead and run an e38 pcm just because of the boost controller ability. From what I've read the e38 processor is quite a bit better.
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Old Dec 3, 2023 | 10:14 PM
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Originally Posted by BishopTS
That makes sense. I just copied the idle and fan control from an 01 ls1 car and built my own fuel and spark tables.
if I go back into it I will probably get a 58x crank wheel from torqhead and run an e38 pcm just because of the boost controller ability. From what I've read the e38 processor is quite a bit better.
E67 is what I am going for. 6L90E.
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