Need a Chip

Well I guess it depends on how much you wanna spend or what else you want to do with the car. Myself I love the Diablo Predator I just bought, but a lot of other people say the SCT chip is the way to go. All in all go to a dyno when you definently tune your car rather its a hand held programmer or a chip.

Chip stuff

The Diablo or SCT chip will can help your shifts ( but I would not rely on it soley, read on) and your hp through timing and A/F mix. Our 97's just need a 23 tooth speedo gear to calibrate for gears. Power programmers are generic. Chips can be custom burned to your spec. I would go with flip chip of some kind so you can switch from different settings.

DO NOt use the B&M Shift Kit. Do a Jerry MOD or Jmod. It is at tccoa.com. It is all Ford Parts, cost about 40.00. I read allot about this before I did mine. The consensus is that you are risking damage to your trans going with Transgo for sure. I would do a thread on this in regard to the B&M if you just feel the need to do the B&M. I would not trust anything except the Jmod. I have had mine in for 33000 miles. No problems. The writer of the Jerry Mod was part of the engineering team that design the 4w70r trans. He says that Transgo and others go about the shift control in the wrong manner and it eventually trashes your trans.

By the way the 96-98 had bad Aluminum accumulator pistons which will wear out the trans early. Kinda of hidden Ford problem thing according to Jerry. When I took mine out to swap in the different springs, which is part of the mod, the car had only 35k on it. It already had scuffing on the accumulator cylinders. A little Scotch Brite and the new piston, good as new. They have a new 99+ superseded part for it. The 40.00 covers these parts too.

If you are halfway mechanically inclined an not afraid of getting dirty do it.

Gears are must! All the mods you have done will not compare with the transforming effects of a Jmod and gears. I went to 3.73's cause I drive mine for a company car. 30k in 1 1/2 years. I just turned a 14.7 the other night the first time out. A few Tweeks and 14.5? The long tubes may yeild you a better time? These mods without a chip will make you equals with the 96-98 5spd cars. I outran a 5spd 95 5.0 with drag radials. I am on street tires!

How do you like your Kumhos? PM me on them. I need new tires. Michelin Z4's came on it. Got 32000 on them which is great, but no way again at like 180.00 a piece.


QUOTE=97gtconv.]I have a 97 GT Conv. It has Mac long-tube headers, off-road h-pipe, custom exhaust with Flows 40-series and tennesse tips, BBK cold air intake (air silincer removed) Steeda underdrive pulleys, 8mm spark plug wires and Eibach sport springs.

I also just ordered a B&M shift kit for my slowmatic.

I'm trying to find a programmer or chip that could help my car. In the very soon future i'm going to put 4:10's in the rear of my car. i need some help on what do i need.

thanks [/QUOTE]