Damon

I've never burned a chip in my life. I've played with aftermarket EFI setups a little, but reprogramming stock stuff is unknown territory for me. I DO have extensive experience with scan tools like Diacom and I understand all of the terminology and what all the different parts of a GM EFI setup do.

My brother and I are screwing together a Mini-Rammed 30 lb-injected 400 for his 87 GTA. It's almost for sure the chip we get for it (which will be custom from TPIS) will not be dead-on right. And that's a GREAT excuse for me playing with it!

What software/hardware do I need to get started? I've got a laptop laying around doing nothing that I'd like to put to use, if I could.

What kinda costs are involved with doing myself?

THanks in advance.

Damon

Um, sorry. Just caught Traxion's article. Anything anyone have to add to that?

Bobalos

Before you get stomped on, read the article that @ the top of this page that says "please read Traxion's prom burning introduction technical article". this is about the most comprehensive "how to" on the net.

BW

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Bobalos
aka Bob W.
www.r71camaro.homestead.com
r71chevy@earthlink.net
<><

Ed Maher

Honestly, whey even bother paying the mega $$$ to TPIS for their chip when you know you want to tweak it yourself anyway. Unless you're going super radical, you could make a chip that would run it in a few minutes, and then use diacom and your spare time to dial it all in. And the grand total for everything you need to get started will be less than half the cost of just the TPI chip.
I tell you damon, PROM burning is where it is at

edit...to add, i'm using tunercat, it's lovely. I'm also using the pocket programmer from xtronics, it's lovely too. For chips, use flash chips, they program in seconds and don't need to be erased which eliminates time and money for the UV eraser. From what i hear, diacom is lovely, just need to make the cheap laptop i got off ebay breathe again and i'll be all set. Other than that, as the article says, just read everything you can, and if you have a question definitely search around, it's probably on here.

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Ed Maher - Moderator @ The Carb Board
92 Z28 Convertible - Quasar blue / Tan top
LB9 4L60 GU2 G80 - stock, soon to be sleeper
-=ICON Motorsports=-

- Definitely prototypes, high powered mutants of some kind. Too weird to live, too cool to die

[This message has been edited by Ed Maher (edited June 12, 2001).]

Grumpy

To be brutally honest,
forget the 1227165 ecm you have and go to the 90-92 Speed Density 1227730.
The 400 will use alot more air then the 350 the MAF was designed to work on. With the 165 your guaranteed to run out of resolution in the calibration.

Please read as many of the posts as you can sand here, and I've tried to do kinda a FAQ with the term **finnal answer** in posting.

While sown for the moment go to DIY_EFI.org, and snag a copy of the archives from incoming, both gmecm, and diy

from www.tunercat.com there is a link to Bruces Page

ZaphodB

If you get a pre-made custom chip from TPIS, chances are that you will not be able to edit it yourself with Winbin or Tunercat, since they might have moved some of the maps around because they want you to get another chip from them instead of doing it yourself.... I think you'd be better off doing it yourself in the long run.... I am quite a novice myself in this field, but I am picking things up bit by bit, byte by byte


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ZaphodB a.k.a Carl Andersson - zaphodb@faxancruisers.org
'89 Camaro IROC-Z 5.7L TPI - Mods under construction :-)
Ed Wright Fastchip Stage II/160 stat, Edelbrock TES Headers,
SLP Airfoil, K&N Filters, Accel 8mm wires, Relocated MAT, AFPR @ 47 PSI

Damon

Zaphod- that's a really interesting piece of information. That would definitely blow my plan of buying pre-made and tweaking out of the water! Anyone know if this is actually the case or not?

Grumpy- we already installed a larger TPIS MAF sensor on the motor, planning for more airflow early on. We just weren't expecting to put the 400 in this summer (the original 350 decided to yak a rod unexpectedly). Does this help the "end of adjustment range" problem or make no difference? We figured the stock MAF would saturate pretty easy. I know this one will flow a lot more air before it's topped out, too, but does that buy me anyting in tuning?

Grumpy

Ya but how linear is it?.
You might have a real mess trying to get the MAF scalers, and tables right.

If your really serious about HP you might look at the 90-92 Speed Density set up. With speed density there is no maxing the sensor out.

Yes, resolution in the tables is the name of the game, period. Pegging you air flow readings will always make for a poor calibration. Might be OK to run, but the motor will be running in compromised areas of tune.

Nothing against MAFs, I run one, but there was alot of research that went into running a LS1 MAF on a GN.

Damon

Hmmmmmm........

How about runnign the stock MAF and the high flow unit back-to-back while saving readings from Diacom (g/sec) or something like that. If it's reading 10 g/sec on the stock MAF and 8 g/sec on the high flow (under identical conditions) then I'd know the dfference between the two (a percentage wuld probably work best, I would think) and calibrate for it. No?

How would/did you go about it?

The idea of scraping up a different ECM, different wiring harness, etc ON TOP OF dropping in a completely different motor with an aftermarket intake and different cam, etc etc. It's gonna get REAL complicated real fast. I can't tune a CARB for more than one change at a time, let alone an ECM.

How would you suggest I proceed?

leirch

Damon,
I wouldn't even question it, just go with the Speed Density. Its not hard to swap over, parts are cheaper(MAF sensor is EXPENSIVE, etc..), check out this page

http://www.eecis.udel.edu/~davis/z28/ecm_swap_730/

I did almost exactly what Mike Davis did on my car. It works great, still tuning. It will take alot of tuning but shouldn't be to difficult. Just read ALL of the info you can find on the Speed Density. Do several searches on "P730" and other general topics.

Check out my webpage in my signature, click on picture 29. It shows the header that I made to adapt to my old "165" harness.

Brendan

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1987 IROC-Z L98,SuperRam,EB 6085's,LPE 219/219 Roller, Crane 1.6RR, EB TPI Base, 58mm TB, ADS 24#, AFPR, K&N, EB TES, Catco Cat, 3" Borla Cat-Back, Accel cap,rotor,distro/other crap, MSD 6AL, MSD Blaster 3, Aluminum DS, 94 Disk Rear, Adjustable Valve, Precision 3.73 Gears, Sub-Frame Connectors, Hotchkis Lower Control Arms, KYB Shocks/Struts, Suspension Techniques Lowering Springs, Polyurethan Bushings all over the place, Moog Upper/Lower Ball joints and Tie Rods ends/Idler Arm,

To see the ROC, Check out the webpage Here