I am needing a new chip. Well, not needing, just wanting. I have heard alot of good things about the PCM for less chips( mostly for LS1s, and LT1s), but cant find anything here using the search feature. Are they good, can I even get one for a tbi? I know ultimately I need to learn to program my own. But Im sure this engine wont be the final engine, and I just want a bit more kick, without tearing into the engine. Am I better off having one made by a board member, or are the pcm for less chips good? I did use the search, several times, so if this is a common question, please provide a link, and Ill leave you guys alone.

 

First of all, any reputable board member won't burn you a chip. Second of all it won't matter how good they are it won't be worth any where near the 200-500$ they are going to want for it.

Your best bet is to spend your money elsewhere. Put your money into an exhaust system that will support your next motor. They it won't be money wasted.

 

I already have a complete 3" exhaust, with 1-5/8 headers. And a few other small mods, that Id rather keep to myself. My point is, I think the next mod I need to improve will be a chip. I can get a chip from PCM for less, for $150. I was just wondering if they are good. I havent heard anything good about the hypertech, and PCM is the only other one I know of. I dont want to spend a fortune on TBI mods, because I havent decided to keep the L03. It just has to get me by, till I can figure out which way Im going. I guess I could get a tbi spacer, but it wont get me as much of an improvement as a good chip.

 

Yeah actually a spacer and a mail order chip are about the same HP bracket. They'll make you around 0-10 HP. Completely not worth it. If you do some searching on here you'll see where we constantly preach that mail order chips are a wast of time and money. Learn to DIY, if you have any plans of making more power with TBI you'll HAVE TO get into DIY tuning. The programing equipment is only about 150$. Most mail order chips that I've opened up and looked at have only had a few degrees of timing added in, and the top end richened up. Which 90% of cars need the top end leaned out. You can get the same gains by adjusting yoru distributor and fuel pressure regulator.

Seriously though, I'm not just spouting off here. I have a darn good idea of what I'm talking about. Save your money.

 

I appreciate it. I think I have decided on what to do. Ill wait. I did alot of research yesterday, here, and decided to wait on the chip, until I definitely need it. There are a few other mods I can do until then. I didnt mean to sound like I didnt think you knew what you were doing. Ive never done a chip, and I guess its a little bit of a mystery. Ill look into it. I did search, but it didnt turn up anything. I went back about 6 pages, and found what I needed. Thank you.

 

Chip tuning is looked upon as a black art, and the mail order chip companies cash in on it big time. I didn't mean to imply that you implied that I didn't know anything....got that? I just added that to let you know that I do know what goes on inside of a chip and I know from experience that mail order chips are a wast of money. It's one of those things you just won't know untill you do it.

Anyway, I think your're making the right decision.

 

Getting into chip burning to get your car running right isnt as hard as it seems to most people. I didnt know anything about it until BMmonte convinced me to do it and that it wouldnt be that hard. Take a look at the sticky at the top of the TBI board called "COME IN FOR A FREE TUNE", and read it little, you could be up and running and tuning by the end of the week and have a good running car by th end of next. I was in your place not too long ago, i just wanted someone to make me a chip so i would be done with it, but after you get into it and start doing it, you see where doing it yourself it what needs to be done. You can then feel what the car is doing, see what your datalog info is telling you, some of that stuff is impossible to have someone do over the message board. I know see why everyone preaches about doing it yourself, and im going to start preaching it too, because i am a beleiver now. i struggled with an ill running car for 3 years, and all it took was some help from this board, about $150 and about a month of driving the car a couple times a week, and it is becoming more of the car it can be instead of the car it could be. Thanks guys!!!

 

Thanks guys. I have one more question. I plan on getting all I can out of the L03, at least till I figure out if Im gonna keep it, or replace it. IF, I switch to a 350 tbi, will all I learned about the tbi still apply? And IF say the 350 is a truck/van 350tbi, or a crate motor, with an aftermarket tbi, will it be the same hardware/software, and all? I dont want to start learning all this, and then have to start over, in the event I change engines. Im pretty sure Ill stick to tbi, cause it looks slow, and thats what I want. As for everything else, IDK, till I start writing checks. Im up for the tuning challenge, but hate doing things more than once, unless its necessary.

 

Everything you learned about 305 and TBI will apply to the 350, that is what I did. I put a truck 350 in and a holley tbi unit, and then i tuned a little bit and BAM, a nice running camaro, good luck, let us know if you need any more info!

 

ANYTHING you learn about tuning is going to be directly related to any internal combustion engine. I learned to tune on a TBI setup, and it took me less than an hour to be up and tunning on a TPI setup. I bet I could jump right into a Ferd setup and have it figured out pretty quick. For the most part fuel injection is fuel injection, some of the terminology might change and some strategies might be a bit different but they all strive to inject the correct amount of fuel and light off the spark plug at the proper time. Thats pretty much it....as a great tuner once said "Give the engine what it wants", FI just allows you to do this with better accuracy.