Houston: Need some help finding a tuner for my ls1 swap...maybe :( - Third Generation F-Body Message Boards

3.1EyeCandy · 06-19-2009, 08:47 PM

As some of you know, my GTA's been under the knife for the LS1 swap for quite some time now. I took the car into ARD April 21st for the exhaust build, final lookover, and tune. After a month of complications and delays (like my fuel pump not working...and being replaced) - they got the car on the dyno and after one run the 700r4 wouldn't shift out of 1st gear. I've spent enough on the 700r4 and still wasn't sure it would work out in the end...so I gave them the ok to source a 4L60e and install it. They told me they had a core and probably had a used torque converter. I bought a new 4L60e harness from Speartech (who made my ls1 harness) and rushed it and a ls1 conversion tranny mount to ARD shortly thereafter.

Well - another month has passed. Each week I was told it would be ready by the following week. Last week I was told it would be ready by Tuesday, and this week I was told it was all put together and they would be dyno'ing on Saturday and I could get it thereafter. Today I called and they're not sure it will be ready to dyno tomorrow, as the tranny isn't shifting correct (not to mention my speedo isn't showing anything).

I feel I've been patient and understanding through this all. If I don't hear anything tomorrow, I'm going to start the process of getting my car back regardless of what's done or not. At that point, I'm going to need somebody to make sure the tune is correct - nothing major, it's a stock ls1/4l60e in a thirdgen. This is really hard for me to ask, as I believe in small businesses and getting what you pay for. Maybe ARD will make this right? Am I being naive? Am I asking for too much from them? Is there somebody you'd trust your own car to in the Houston area that could help me finish this up?

At this point I'm unsure I'll make the meet on the 25th... Sorry to vent, it's been really frustrating recently.

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one92rs · 06-20-2009, 07:07 AM

what is the computer out of. is it out of a another car or one ordered with a stock tune.

3.1EyeCandy · 06-20-2009, 09:16 AM

I bought it thinking it came from an 01 z28. ARD said it's actually from a similar year model truck. From my understanding the two are identical, just use different operating systems. ARD tld me they've flashed it with the correct car tune.

$750 L98 · 06-20-2009, 01:43 PM

I can tell you how to fix your speedo when you get the car back, I had to rewire the whole dash after getting mine back....

3.1EyeCandy · 06-20-2009, 03:21 PM

Thanks $750. I've been curious if I need a "step-up" resistor for the tach, but had no idea on the speedo. Post what you did, if you don't mind.

$750 L98 · 06-20-2009, 03:30 PM

You are going to need to cut the cruise control box out, and wire the speedo up directly to the speedo line from the LS1 computer, make sure the gears and pulse per mile are set correctly in the computer though. As for the tach, i hooked it straight up to the output from the LS1 computer, works fine. You are probably going to end up redoing most of your wiring, or replacing it down the road though....

3.1EyeCandy · 06-20-2009, 03:34 PM

Shucks... your instructions are what I've already done. Tach and speedo both don't work....

$750 L98 · 06-20-2009, 03:53 PM

Make sure the sensors are actually hooked up to your dash, aslo, might need to ask them about making sure the correct parameters are set. Where you able to do that part yet?

3.1EyeCandy · 06-20-2009, 03:58 PM

I've asked about the correct parameters bit several times and been reassured...but the gauges still don't work. Time will tell. I haven't heard anything today either.

$750 L98 · 06-20-2009, 03:58 PM

BTW, what motor did you go with? I went with an LQ9, and XER281HR cam...thing only put down 285rwhp. No clue what is wrong with the pile lol

3.1EyeCandy · 06-20-2009, 04:02 PM

It's a stock 2001 LS1 with stock cam (as far as I know). The one time they got it on the dyno (before the 700r4 wouldn't shift out of first) - they said it saw 280hp. I'm hoping for better, obviously.

Course at this point I'll be happy with a car that moves.

$750 L98 · 06-20-2009, 04:07 PM

I hear that. Mine was supposed to be north of 370RWHP, obviously it never got that far, then it started spitting parts, 4 alternators, toasted the FP wire, Trashed the verter...

l_dis_travlr · 06-21-2009, 01:11 AM

3.1

Please keep up posted about the project.
I'm really surprised to hear about your experience w/ ARD.
They've done several things for me, and I've always been
very satisfied. Owen & Jay seem like stand-up guys,
but no business has a 100% approval rating. Do you think
you're gettin hosed over, or are things just not going like
anyone expected?

At any rate, good luck -- I hope things work out.

kk

3.1EyeCandy · 06-21-2009, 10:12 AM

Thanks I_dis_travlr. Thus far, the work that they've done (that I've been able to see) has been top notch. Kerry did a bang-up job on the exhaust system. Whether I'm gettin hosed over all depends on how this deal turns out. I didn't schedule my transmission swap with them in advance, so I can understand the delay to getting back to the car - but don't tell me next week every week unless you mean it.

Whenever I've been by there, their entire crew have been good to deal with. The lack of communication and unexpected delays when I'm not there is what has me bothered.

I truly hope everything works out as well. I'd like to get back on here (this week) and post tons of pictures praising the work that they did. Time will surely tell.

one92rs · 06-22-2009, 09:56 AM

if they flashed it with the correct tune it will run good. stock ls1 minus 20% drivetrain loss--336 hp. that would be about correct. unless it is cammed. then there would need to be some more tuning to get it right. but you will have to get it out of first gear to get her tuned right. i know of a few people that do tuning here in houston. and a couple to stay away from.

3.1EyeCandy · 06-22-2009, 12:03 PM

talked to ard this morning. Everything is on track for me to pick the car up on Friday. The issue with the tranny was due to having the manual tune still in place.

Could I drive the car this week? Is the moment finally here? I feel like a kid the week before christmas! Here's to hoping it all works out

l_dis_travlr · 06-22-2009, 10:11 PM

Well huzzah, huzzah, we'll all keep our fingers crossed.

If I may offer an observation, all the guys seem very mechanically
capable, artistic if you will. And artists seldom have good
organizational/administrative skills.

Case in point:
About 7 weeks ago, I dropped off a diff housing, & a basket full
of new internals for Jay to assemble. Said I wasn't in a hurry, it
would be at least 4 weeks before I could get back to that end of
town to pick it up. (Remember, I'm an hour away in League City.)
"No problem."

Three weeks ago, I was planning for my return trip (family in Tomball,
etc.), & called just to status the project, that I wanted to be sure
it would be ready on Jun 6.
"I haven't started yet, but I'll have it next week."
I'm back in town on Jun 5, and call out to confirm its ready, since
I wasn't going to waste a family trip if it wasn't.
"Yessir, finished it up yesterday."
(And it appears to be top-notch. But won't know until the car
is actually running, which is still a long ways off.)

I can readily see how things might have gone down differently, if
I had been on an originally tight schedule.

I'm sure it will be worth the wait, & I really want to see this in July.
(I think I actually recall seeing it in the shop -- lonely & forlorn in a
corner, as if crying out "Help me, Help me.")

kk

3.1EyeCandy · 06-22-2009, 10:48 PM

Ha! That was definitely "her"

I'm feeling better about it now. I think waiting and being told the "it'll be ready _____" thing just got to me. Good to hear somebody else has had good results with them

Neil350 · 06-23-2009, 03:15 AM

I saw your GTA up there and was able to guess the correct year, really clean car.

3.1EyeCandy · 06-24-2009, 07:07 PM

Thanks

I talked to ARD yesterday and the car is ready for pickup. I believe he said it made 313 hp / 360 torque - looking forward to seeing the dyno sheet.

Glad this is resolved. In retrospect, 1 month to source a tranny, build it, get a few parts to fit it into the thirdgen, and tune it with the tranny isn't terrible. I'm looking forward to picking the car up and will report on quality.

$750 L98 · 06-24-2009, 07:15 PM

Grats, your stock LS1 is making more power than my cammed 6.0 LQ9 they put together LOL

3.1EyeCandy · 06-26-2009, 11:41 PM

Got my car back from ARD today. Before loading the car on the trailor, Owen commented that the car didn't seem to have very good brakes. I had previously told Jay (and saw him write it down) to bleed the brakes on the car, as we'd recently finished redoing the rear brakes. The car was all setup to be loaded, so I went to load it anyway...bad idea. With the rear brakes not working properly, one of the boards used for a ramp got pushed away while the car was going up the ramp. This let the car shift and slide over - denting my passenger door. My fault for loading the car without bled brakes...but didn't I ask to have this done?

Paid my bill and asked to make sure they had tuned the tach like I asked (8 cyl. mode instead of the stock 4 from the ls1). Jay told me he believed they had. Owen looked it up for me and it wasn't tuned - so I'll be going back for that, no biggie.

During the first month there, the fuel pump wasn't working. I was ok with paying to have them drop the tank to replace it - but both Jay and Owen told me they all run fuel pump access panels in their cars (some pretty fast) and they look right and are properly sealed. I was against the idea, but they did a pretty good job convincing me. I agreed as long as it was "done right". My final surprise tonight was pulling up the rear carpet to check their work. What did I find? The 3 sides-cut square of sheetmetal taped down. No access panel. No rounded corners. Arg. More work I'm going to have to finish.

I took a couple videos ya'll can see to show the car as a whole and the hack job done to my fuel pump "access panel". I can't say I'm happy with the quality of work the hack job hole represents, and hope it is not indicitave of things I am unable to see.

Click on the pics for video. The exhaust really sounds great, but the mic on my camera can't handle it:

ZONES89RS · 06-27-2009, 02:24 AM

Damn it...i CANNOT STAND when people wont man up and drop the damn tank....

one92rs · 06-27-2009, 07:29 AM

that is pretty sad. all that time there and they cant do it right. hopefully it runs and drives good. i would get one of the local tuners to tune it for you. i wouldnt even ponder the idea to take it back there.

3.1EyeCandy · 06-28-2009, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZONES89RS

Damn it...i CANNOT STAND when people wont man up and drop the damn tank....

I'm with you Zane. We've dropped the tank before (when swapping the new one in) and it wasn't terrible. They said it would be 4 times the price to drop the tank, and the car was already there so I went along with it. I think this is still salvageable. Maybe a nice access panel would clean it up? Like this one (https://ssl.circletracksupply.com/pr...1&bestseller=Y) ?

esc · 06-28-2009, 03:57 PM

That is a nice looking panel, but it doesn't look like it would make an air tight seal, so you might end up taping over it anyway to keep the exhaust and heat out.

BTW, how do you like it? How does it drive?

3.1EyeCandy · 06-28-2009, 10:14 PM

I've driven it less than 1/4 mile thus far. I've got some vibration from the exhaust rubbing against something - and in general it feels a bit rough riding (we replaced all suspension parts...springs, shocks, struts, everything else). However - it shifts great and the power feels right for what it dyno'd. Definite improvement over the 350 TPI

Obviously I haven't gotten a chance to really get on it yet. But that 0-30 sure is nice!

3.1EyeCandy · 06-28-2009, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by esc

That is a nice looking panel, but it doesn't look like it would make an air tight seal, so you might end up taping over it anyway to keep the exhaust and heat out.

I just now noticed that. I think I'm going to put in some rivet nuts and top them with a piece of thick plexi. Some silicone should provide the seal needed, and it would be easy to take off at a later point if needed.

Now I just need to learn how to use rivets and get some tools

esc · 06-28-2009, 10:38 PM

I had another idea.

If you get a panel like you were looking at, but bigger, so that the door covers the entire hole, then put some "gasket" material around the edge of the hole, the panel door would seal against the "gasket" when closed.

The "Gasket" could be as simple as a bead of silicone.

$750 L98 · 06-29-2009, 04:26 PM

Yeah, the "access door" they made me is the reason the interior fills with fumes...

3.1EyeCandy · 06-30-2009, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by esc

I had another idea.

If you get a panel like you were looking at, but bigger, so that the door covers the entire hole, then put some "gasket" material around the edge of the hole, the panel door would seal against the "gasket" when closed.

The "Gasket" could be as simple as a bead of silicone.

That could really work. The hole is 7 1/2 by 6 1/2 - so the 8x8 door would fit the bill. Talking to my father (car's at his house) - I believe we're going to use the metal square cutout from ARD's "panel" and put a thin metal border around it (1 1/2 inch or so) welded. We'd then bolt this into the car, using some rtv/silicone to seal against. This would allow us future removal if needed. I'll post some pics when it gets done

I called ARD Monday and asked Jay how they normally do access panels, as when they convinced me it seemed like it was going to be a very proffessional looking job. He told me they normally make them just how they made mine.

Go figure.