PCM Diagnostics & Tuning HP Tuners | Holley | Diablo

Before or After?

Old Dec 26, 2013 | 02:53 PM
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I have a 99 z8 with a few bolt ons listed below and will be putting on heads/cam plus more In near future. I've been contemplating getting a tuner first. Would it be ok or worth it for that matter to tune it now or wait until I get all other parts on then tune and also would it be possible to go ahead and tune then retune after the other parts?

99 Z28 LS1
Ssra ( super sucker ram air )
Slp lid
Slp catback
Ported tb
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Old Dec 27, 2013 | 03:01 PM
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Originally Posted by Z28U!
I have a 99 z8 with a few bolt ons listed below and will be putting on heads/cam plus more In near future. I've been contemplating getting a tuner first.
I'm not sure if you're asking about getting a tune now or getting tuning software now when you say "getting a tuner first". I went the software route and purchased HP Tuners as I wanted to be able to make changes to my own vehicle. I've owned it for a long time and started using it before I had done many mods to my (purchased new) TA. It helped me learn a lot about tuning and there are things that can help the performance of even a mostly stock vehicle. Since tuning is "free" except my time, there's no downside to starting whenever you can afford the product. This would probably hold true for any of the other tuning products as well.

If you're talking about taking your car to a tuner or sending your PCM out to have it tuned, then I don't have a great answer. However, as above, there are things that can be done that will help performance so if you have the money you could talk to someone and see what they'd charge. If you explained what you had planned, someone might cut you a deal on a tune now and an updated tune after you made more mods.
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Old Dec 27, 2013 | 03:40 PM
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Wouldn't bother getting a tune until you at least get headers. If you are getting heads/cam you will need a tune immediately before you can drive the car much.

Do not buy a "tuner" as in hand held programmer for what you are trying to do. Take the car to be tuned by someone with professional software or start reading now and buy the software to do it yourself (EFI Live or HP Tuners).

If those are absolutely not options, you can get a mail order tune where you send off your PCM and have it tuned and sent back to you, but that will leave both power and drivability on the table compared to a street/dyno tune.
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