H/C/I swap done!!! Tuning next?

[Lab Rat]

It took me WAY TOO LONG to do this, mostly because of work and not having enough time to spend on the car, but I finally got my H/C/I swap done: AFR 165s, Comp Cams XE264HR-14, Trickflow street intake, 24# injectors, 70mm Edelbrock TB, 75mm Professional Mass Air Systems meter, MAC longtubes, Steeda underdrives, and smog pump delete. Of course, when I first cranked it I got nothing, but that was just due to the distributor being in 180 degrees off, so now it's running pretty well.
So here's my question: I have no experience with computers, chips, tuning etc in these cars (this is my first real serious venture into engine mods in the fuelie 5.0 world - I'm mostly an old school guy). Should I be thinking about a trip to a tuner to have it tuned and a new chip burned? What would be the next step to get her running at peak performance?

Matt

 

[95gtdude]

I felt you pain on the time thing it took me about a month to get my H/C/I done and I'm still not all the way done. I still have to change my injectors to 24# and my MAF to go with it. And being that I was in a hurry I didn't get my Cam put in either. But to answer your question yes definatly get a chip and and a tune done. I have yet to do that my self too. again NO TIME!!!! OR MONEY!!!!

 

[Lab Rat]

......it took me about a month to get my H/C/I done and I'm still not all the way done.

Ooohhhh....... I hate to even admit this, but: 16 months from start to finish. Yep, 16 MONTHS!!!!!! Well.... it's our 3rd car, and it's a vert and we live in the Pacific Northwest, so not much good use anyway for 9 months out of the year. But still..... I was way too busy with a new job to start this project but I did it anyway

 

[lietuvis91]

CONGRATS!

hey, did you buy a brand new maf for the car or did you get a used fox one? I was just wondering cuz I'm about to do H/C/I myself and was thinking about getting a used fox maf.... if it would work?!

 

[Lab Rat]

I went with a new one. I'd spent quite a bit of time searching out info on MAFs, and most of what I found was that MAFs can be hit-and-miss in terms of whether they improved performance or actually made it worse. It also seemed like MAFs from certain makers gave worse results than others. You probably know all this. The ones I read the most positive things about were the Pro-M meters. Pro-M is out of business now, but evidently the folks at Professional Mass Air Systems are a bunch of former Pro-M employees. So in the end I went with a new MAF from them. So far it seems to be working well. I don' t know about a used Fox meter other than I'm pretty sure you'd have to have it recalibrated. Maybe someone else can comment....

Matt

 

[final5-0]

It took me WAY TOO LONG to do this, mostly because of work and not having enough time to spend on the car, but I finally got my H/C/I swap done: AFR 165s, Comp Cams XE264HR-14, Trickflow street intake, 24# injectors, 70mm Edelbrock TB, 75mm Professional Mass Air Systems meter, MAC longtubes, Steeda underdrives, and smog pump delete. Of course, when I first cranked it I got nothing, but that was just due to the distributor being in 180 degrees off, so now it's running pretty well.
So here's my question: I have no experience with computers, chips, tuning etc in these cars (this is my first real serious venture into engine mods in the fuelie 5.0 world - I'm mostly an old school guy). Should I be thinking about a trip to a tuner to have it tuned and a new chip burned? What would be the next step to get her running at peak performance?

Matt

Hello Matt

I also am old school with early sixtys Falcons and the like

Was out of the hobby for a few years and came back to no carbs and
a little silver box calling all the shots on the tuning

Your combo of parts sounds like a nice setup

If your old school then you already know fuel around the high 12 to 1
range and 36 degrees of spark all in by 2500 was the tuning it took
to make those old school a SBF's fly :Word:

Only thing about tuning that has changed these days is .........
Since the pcm controls spark and fuel .........
You no longer tune fuel by changing carb jets
and
Spark by changing dizzy springs

These days you tune by your finger tips
and
You don't even have to get your hands dirty

So ... having said that ...

Yes ... Fuel and Spark table optimization
with a tune would most likely pick up your rides go power.

You could take care of any drivability issues as well

You could kill the shift retard and other little things that can really
make a difference in the old seat of the pants department.

Now all you gotta do is decide if YOU or a PRO is gonna do the tuning.

I went the self tune route as I just don't wanna let anybody hose
around with my ride.

I've really enjoyed teaching myself about how that little silver box
goes about doing its thing.

You have choices in Self Tuning interfaces which don't require
much at all to learn.

And even better yet ... all the old school tuning principles still work
as good today as they did ... back in the day so that would put
you way ahead of the game compared to a noobie just getting
started

The bulk of the effort for you would just be getting a grasp on
the basic operation of the pcm.

Of course, you can get a chip done for it if you don't wanna deal
with that side of the hobby.

If you go with a chip ... I can't stress this enough :Word: :Word:

Check the tuner out real good ........
Be sure he can give you some GOOD references

Good Luck with your Stang

Grady

 

[94IVGT]

i went with the self tuner route in stead of the chip route. final5.0 is right on make sure you get some good references on a chip shop. i went with the PMS tuner due to its reputation and user freindly, it is pricey though but well worth it. tweecer is a good tuner as well the only drawback on that is a laptop is needed.
if you plan on continuing on changing your car more and more a tuner is much better than a chip and in the end alot cheaper. with a tuner you are in control and you can do it your way no setting up times to get another chip burned. i would strongly recommend the PMS which i use on my 94 GT, or the tweecer program. ive done all my research before i purchased my tuner and these two were at the top. hope this helps you in your process to more power

 

[Lab Rat]

AWESOME!! Grady and 94IVGT - thanks for all the info. I've been checking out some posts in the archives and was coming to the conclusion that I'd rather tune it myself. I didn't know about the Tweecer or PMS systems until yesterday! But I've had lots of success tuning carbed setups in the past when you still had to figure out your air/fuel ratios by "reading" your plugs These kids don't know how good they have it. I feel old - and I'm only 38!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, thanks for the info - I think I'll be looking into getting a tuner next!

Matt

 

[final5-0]

These kids don't know how good they have it. I feel old - and I'm only 38!!!!!!!!!!

Matt

Matt ... Matt ... Matt

And here all the time ... I was thinkin you was an Old Timer

heck fire ............... you're a still drippin behind your ears there boy

Now me ... I'm Old
I was on the ... "Should We Invent Dirt" ... committee

again ... glad to see you found our little place on the Web

Our tuning forum is kinda going through some changes at this time but

You can find lots of good stuff there about O U R pcm's
by many different peeps who knows what is what about
making them run better.

You will find trust worthy tuning info not only about WOT
but
methods to slay all those nasty, fire breathing dirvability dragons
that always seem to go hand in hand with h/c/i 94-95 Stangs

Grady