BASSr

Hey guys,

I am hoping you can help me out here as I have a slight custom application that I need to modify a MEMCAL for. Since I am not sure the components I have installed will work to 100% efficency, I have decided that it is time for me to jump into doing my own MEMCAL.

Here is what I have installed so far:

- 1988 IROC 305 LB9 motor
- L98 Aluminium heads (difference here is 1.94 intakes as opposed to stock 1.84's, still 58cc chambers)
- ZZ4 camshaft (lift & duration is a little more than stock LB9 cam)
- installed stock 350 (21 lbs) injectors
- stock 200R4 trans
- 3.73:1 posi rear

I have started reading the suggested links in this thread and it is quite a bit to get through but figured I could start getting the PC stuff together such a the hardware to connect up to PC for chip reading/burning and what software I should use. The PC I want to do this on is running Windows XP. I also have DIACOM software to connect up to the ALDL.

So what I am hoping you can help me with is suggestions on PC hardware and software that is current. Obviously, $$ is always an issue!

Let me know what I should start looking at for PC hardware/software, what MEMCAL & ECM would be the best to start with. I think the ECM I have installed right now is a 7165.

What I am shooting for from this application is a combination of slightly increased power/torque with the best fuel economy I can get.

Bruce

scuzz

You might want to go over to moates.net and buy you a burn1 or burn2, I think now. While you are there, download Tunerpro RT. If you like it, pay to register it. It's well worth the money.
Also, read the Stickies in DIY PROM.
You might also want to buy the adapter to use flasable eprom from Craig Moates also.
Ron

Six_Shooter

iTrader: (2)

If, you're not worried about real time tuning, then all you will need in addition to the ALDL cable, is a programmer, such as the Moates BURN2, and the tuning software. I use Tuner Pro RT.

The nice thing about the BURN2 and TP RT combination is that TP RT will automatically set the proper chip offset when the bin is loaded to the buffer, so there's no guessing or referencing back to a chart, like I did for years when I used my Willems programmers.

I'm not sure the Diacom cable will work with TP RT, but might be worth a try. The benefit to logging in T RT is that you can watch the tracing to see exactly what cells are being used at each point in the log.

Your current ECM should be the '165, which is ok, but some people find they have ALDL connectivity issues with that ECM, due to needing (in most cases) to start logging in the 10K ohm mode, and the switching it off. Some searching of this forum will reveal many more details about that.
IIRC the '88 F-body used code mask $32b. What many people do, when they get into tuning with the '165 is to switch to the later code (from 1989) that is $6E.

Another ECM option is to swap to a '7730, and run $8D (AUJP, or S_AUJP being some specific BCCs). This moves from MAF to speed density, and has what seems like, more support in the tuning community.

For either ECM you will need a MEMCAL adaptor ( the G1 at moates.net ), to retain the LHM and RFD side of the MEMCAL, but put the new bin on a chip that the ECM will read.

If you want to go to real time tuning, look at the Ostrich 2.0. This saves a bunch of time, since you can make changes while the engine is running and see the results immediately. You could add this at a later date, but for the time saved off the hop, I feel it is worth the investment, right away.

J_D_

I agree with the above. Burn 2 and Tunerpro RT. A couple 512 chips and an adapter. So easy even I had burnt my first chip in 5 minutes and I cant even use a cell phone.

BASSr

Thanks scuzz, six-shooter, J_D_,

I am still reading through some of the links suggested in the stickies in DIY PROM. I looked at both TuneCat & TunerPro, but since they both have 30 day trials, guess best way to go there is see which one is best for me.

Looked at some of the hardware and was wondering your opinions on this one I found on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...=STRK:MEWNX:IT

Looks pretty good to me and says it does the 27C128 chips, so based on some of the prices I have seen, this one looks pretty good to me. Your thoughts?

What about new 27C128 chips? Anyone have a good place to get cheap, good, clean, new ones? I see some on eBay, new, for about $7.50 for 2.

Six_Shooter

iTrader: (2)

The BURN2 is cheaper than the TOP programmer, and is set up for the type of E/EPROMs you would use in automotive tuning. I have also used a Willems Programmer that is about the same price as the BURN2, (GQ-3X), but has no enclosure and requires a little more in depth knowledge of offsets and chip programming.

Tuner Pro has no trial period, it's fully functional as soon as you download it. The only thing it has is a 10 second "nag screen" at start up. The 10 second delay can be removed by making a small donation to Mark. IIRC, it's about $35 for the donation and worth every penny. Mark does an awesome job to continually update and add new features to Tuner Pro.

Most people now use SST27SF512 EEPROMs in place of the 27Cxxx EPROMs. The SST EEPROMs are electronically erasable (that's the "EE" in EEPROM), so you can much quicker turn around in programming time, also less equipment and therfore expense is needed. From what I have seen of online prices, the SST EEPROM is also cheaper than the 27Cxxx counter parts.

scuzz

I agree with sixshooter. I also have a willem, and burn1. I've used the burn1 mostly, and a buddy borrows it to burn his Honda chips. It is very versitale. I got lucky and found a dozen 27c256 chips for my use. These don't require offset on speed density stuff that I use.
The burn1 and burn2 actually pop up and is usable inside Tunerpro RT.
I have both Tunerpro RT, and Tunercat OBDI and Tunercat OBDII. On the OBDI stuff, I prefer using Tunerpro RT.
I know a lot of people use it and never donate, but Mark will help you if he can and good programmers need a donation to keep them going.
You might want to look at his Scannerpro later on down the road.

J_D_

Even if this is a one time deal (it wont be) You could resell the Burn 2 after the project is done and get most of the $$$ back.
Another thing I have is a ribbon cable/chip board mounted to the dash. This way the ECM is not hanging on the floor. Its mounted up in the dash like it should be and I can still swap chips in seconds. I think I change something almost every week.

Six_Shooter

iTrader: (2)

ScannerPro is no longer a supported stand alone program. It has been integrated into Tuner Pro V5 now.

scuzz

Great, didn't know that.
I've not done any OBDI stuff in about 8 months.
I'll have to get it.

complete loser

Thanks for this great thread. Helped me alot!

Im getting the Burn2, G3 with extra chips, and the remote. Heres my question... Do I need the HDR1 memcal header?

Im guessing I do, so that I can download my stock binary, transfer it to a new chip, then edit the binary once on the new chip.
Is that correct?

Six_Shooter

iTrader: (2)

Yes, for the $10 it's worth it. You can also use it to program the new EEPROM, without removing it from the adapter as well.

complete loser

Hell, didnt even think of that.

junkcltr

iTrader: (1)

A Willem USB programmer, a few SST27SF512 chips, and a Ryan Hess adapter for the ECM if he still sells them.

Six_Shooter

iTrader: (2)

I tried getting ahold of Ryan Hess about a year ago, and never heard back.

Honestly, getting everything from Moates is the easiest way to get what it is needed.

The only Willems programmer I would use, the GQ-3x (or the GQ-4X), being USB is about the same price as the BURN2. If a person never plans to program anything other than automotive related EEPROMs, the the BURN2 is perfect. FWIW, I have both a Willems GQ-3X, an a BURN2, to be technical I have a Willems DP as well, but it seems to have an issue, since I have found a couple ruined EEPROMs while using that particular programmer.

The Ryan Hess adapters are not that much cheaper than the Moates adapters, IF they were still available.

Lastly, yes you can get the SST 27SF512s cheaper elsewhere, but for someone just getting into the tuning game, it can take much of the worry off and footwork reduced to order from one place.