I've got two '83 Z28s. If I wanted to upgrade to a bigger/better engine and keep the computer, can I do any programming with it?

They're LG4 cars. So far as I've been able to find, there is the ZZ4 conversion package ECM, the L69 ECM, and the LG4 ECM.

Is it at all possible to play with programming one of these myself (no prior experience)? I don't even know if they have a removable prom.

Any help, links, info would be appreciated.

thanks
Clem

 

Get the ZZZ instructions and use the ecm prom numbers they suggest.
Then Doug Roe's the Q-Jet Book.
the CCC is 90% just a timing computer, all the real HP is in getting the secondaries right, and they're not ecm controlled

 

oops, see below

 

 

i too am intrested in tweaking the older ccc proms. i will building a couple 350's. one will be CCC q-jet and the other F.I. right now i have an unknown ecm i pulled from the bone yards. the harness and a ugly q jet(needs love). how can you raise the tcc lockup or is it even possible on these older systems?

 

Again,
read Roe's book.
Again, BTDT.
At one time I'd run all the LG4, L69 chip / ecm combinations there are, the ZZZ is the perfect match for any 305 / 350.
There ain't no hacs available for them.

Once you read the book, then you can intelligently work on the carb and make some HP. In oem form the carb is way off. You need some primary needles and jets from a 4.1 Buick, AH, AN, AV, or CP secondary metering rods, a full selection of hangers. An idle jet and idle channel restrictor kit from the carb shop. Then do the adjustable secondary air valve trick, and then start tuning. Figure 6+ months to get the carb right. Might as well find a 17084201 carb as a spare and work on that, and make it all easily transferable so you can swap carbs quickly so your back to back testing is meaningful.

This is from work I did years ago, and errors are well errors.

You'd be 1,000,000,000,000x further ahead to convert over to TBI.

BTW, if you put several years work into the CCC, you'll really find out the problem is the needle and seat (for any other carb too), and the only way to get past that limit is with EFI. With a full set of webers you can min the needle and seat problem but for the $4K to do them, and months to tune them your again ahead to go EFI.

Being different to be different is a real time consuming thing. In your case you first need to research the prom, and learn Motorola Assembly language, and reverse engiineer the chip, figure 6 months at 4-5 hours every night. And if you choose the wrong ecm and can't do what you want you have to start all over again. With that ~700 hours you could have a TBI on and running really well.

 

So what you're telling me is there's no knowledge base in existence on the engine management system in these older cars. I'm ok with that, I was just ckecking.

I have no plans to be different just to be different (I wouldn't have this car if I did have such plans). Sorry, didn't realize I'd strike a nerve. I'll try to track down Roe's book. Sounds like it would be very informative.

thans for the info,
Clem