I have a carbureted LQ4 and I’m about finished. Local engine dyno shops all seem to want me to drop it off and wait for a couple months. I’m debating just plugging and playing and have it tuned later. Using a 6ls box for ignition. I know dyno tuning is best, but how many of you guys just tune it yourself and what do you recommend?
Thanks

 

I would say, not.

You can do just as well yourself, with a stopwatch, a measured length of road, acoupla hills, a butt dyno, and a weekend.

I have NEVER IN ALL MY DAYS tuned a carbed car on a dyno. Not that it "can't" be done; not that it's not A Good Idea; just, it's not terribly efficient.

I'm assuming it's a Holley carb? I hope so? If so, read the Holley Tuning sticky on the Carb forum on this site. Feel free to post with any questions.

 

Thanks for the reply. It’s a new Edelbrock performer 750. I may switch to a Holley being that I keep reading that that’s the preferred LS carb. Do you think the performance is worth the difference in price(around $200)?

 

I think so. I'm just not a Carter AVS fanboi. Some people like em; they're not … "bad" or anything, they're just, … not, … ME. When they hit the market in the mid 60s they were a sedan carb. Just simply not "performance" oriented. Granted, Holleys in those days were mostly truck carbs, but they have ALOT more potential in every way.

A mechanical secondary Holley 750 would be about right I think. Even a 3310 (vac sec) would be better than the Vic.

 

Get a wideband and do street pulls. Dyno is just to know the numbers for curiosity sake and to check for leaks at wot lol also if you cant reliably go full rpm in gear on the street with traction. Most cars under 1000 hp on a good tire can tho

i street tune most everything that i can, its second best to track which will give mph. Street can dial in base fuel settings to then verify later on a dyno or track.

target 12.5 afr generally to be safe for most na deals. Jet up and down from there as needed to find max power