Im thinking about buying a performance chip. 1. Its supposed to be under the passenger side dash. Do I have to remove the whole dash panel? 2. Ill also need a thermostat. Im thinking the 180, but if I get the 160 degree, can I also run open element better? Now for the technical. The Haynes manual tells me to remove the air cleaner, yet the thermostat is on the intake?

 

You need to remove the underside of the passenger side dash (3 screws on the front). Lay down and look up, you will see a piece of white plastic with cables comming down, the ECM is attached to it with welcro strap. Pull it gently off and down. On one side there is a cower with two screws, thats were the chip goes.

For the 180 thermostate, from the research I have done, its not good for tbi.

 

Thanks for that info. But for the thermo, are you saying the 160 is better?

 

WERY important, disconnect the bathery when changing the chip.

160 would be even worse. You dont get hp from a cool tbi.

If your concerned about the engine overheating, probably a 200° fan turn on would be fine. Im locking into somethig like that too.

 

Well http://www.tbichips.com/instructions.htm says 180 or less and to support the use, I also wanted to do the open element.

 

That must be stage 2 chip. I have a chip from him too, and dont need a 180 thermostate.

Waith for someone else to answer and give you some more advice. Did you try the search option?

 

So can anyone else help me out here?

 

they say the lower stat helps detonation, he recommends it to keep himself on the safe side along with higher octane fuel so chips arent coming back to him with people saying their engines are pinging. He doesnt change a lot in his chips just the basic tuning like fuel and timing again keeps him on the safe side of business instead of him changing to many things and someone has a problem. I've used his stage 1 and 2 chip both were good.

you'll hear mixed things about the 160 or 180 stat personally I like it Im not big on heat, Ill put fans on my stereo and computer to keep them cool. I have a 160 and I had a 160 in another car, we get modest winters here cold enough for me anyway. it gets warm and heats up fine and in traffic it will still get up to around 220 from time to time but thats from the fan not turning on which you can change too and it does stay a little cooler under the hood, I would say the condition of your radiator, water pump and cooling system in general is just as important, a 160 doesnt do much if your engine hovers around 190 all the time.

 

I get the idea now. But isnt this a stage 1 because it doesnt say stage 2. The 160 would be better for open element? And are thunderracing and fbodymotorsports chips better since theyre more $? Finally, you anything about this whole thermostat location?

 

where did you see the chip for sale the website or Ebay he sells on ebay too. Im pretty sure it says stage 2, probably a stage 1 your looking at then. with the open element your sucking in air from all around the engine not a tube anymore, granted its more air its more hot air a 160 just helps lower the over all temps so it can help with the open element so the engine isnt suckin as much hot air.. but on a hot summer night it will be sucking in hot air no matter what, one of the draw backs of that mod. When mine used to get hot I used to take a quick trip down the highway and let wind cool the whole engine down before meeting up with buddies and other people to race. anywhere you read about intakes cold air makes the most power its true and its harder to do on tbi. just read some of the stickys about tbi build ups. start with a 180 if you dont like it or temps dont change that much try a 160. as far as their chips go im not to sure but pretty much the same things are changed if you go beyond that now your looking to go custom which is what a lot of people recommend, Im doing it too. what do you plan with the engine?

its pretty easy to see were the stat is its right in front if I remember you dont need to remove an open element but i think the stock on one you do, its a little bigger. those books tell you to remove everything under the sun you will learn short cuts and what you dont need to disconnect or unbolt in time. for now learn as you go the air cleaner is easy to remove and so is the stat.

 

Thats basically all I intend on doing for now. I am thinking no about the open element until i can get a hood for it. That tbi airbox i see listed under one of those ad sites is expensive. As for the thermo, from what im getting from this book is its right under the radiator hose thing (cant think of the name right now) on the intake. Thats the "thermostat housing?"

 

your right about the thermostat housing as for the air cleaner where are you looking? there usually not to expensive and you shouldnt need another hood depends though.. if you want send me an email or PM me im not on the mess. boards all the time and hopefully I can help out more.

 

This should be closer to wat you really need. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...0830&rd=1&rd=1

And the chip. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HOT-C...76856343QQrdZ1

The thermostate on the fron of the intake manifold should already be 195°. That means it lets the wather circulate at 195°. 180 or 195° = no difference in performance. Your engine wather already circulates but your fan doesent cool it, thats whats happening.

Take the cheeper chip from tbichips, use 91+ gas, and do something to get the fan on at lower temperatures. Especially with the open element.

 

I did the TBIchips.com stage 1 chip. I ran it for a while after talking to Brian at TBIchips.com. After I put the car on a dyno, I took it out.

In short, if you are looking to make your 305 start cranking 200FWHP, this ain't the way to do it. The dyno showed me that all the chip was doing on my car was throwing twice the fuel into the motor and removed the speed limiter (I liked that feature - once).

The best way to get more HP/TQ is to add a full exhaust, a cam, and then learn to burn your own chips. The mail order chips aren't that great because they don't they don't take your car's specific traits into account. I'm sure the other old timers on the board could tell you more (but I am sure they are sick of this question by now).

Read these:

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tbi/...t=tbichips.com

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tbi/...t=tbichips.com (man, I was a dweeb in this thread)

I stir the pot good in this one:

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tbi/...hlight=TBIchip

Read. Learn. Tune...

 

Damnit. Had a feeling i shouldve gone with hypertech. I already bought that tbi chip with the thermostat. All i want to know is will it do any harm to my engine? Lower my mpg, opposite of what he claims? Looking at all that positive feedback, it seems like it works. i might get lucky...:\ I realize i could get all this power doing it myself, but anything on what THIS will do? Ive been reading through those threads and like i said I should be doing the open element after this mod. After that...other car stuff.

 

92 Camaro, have you ever searched or even looked on the tbi board? I feel bad, because it looks like you've went too far before Cadillac gave you the heads up. Hyperjunk or any aftermarket chip is like a shot in the dark. I guarantee your gas mileage will be worse. A 160 degree thermostat is not what computer- controlled- warm- intakes need to run well and make power. You will have trouble reaching closed loop (when o2 readings change the amount of fuel usage), so gas mileage will be noticably less. There isn't anything wrong with an open element, except it sucks a lot of hot air. The reason why "aftermarket" chips want lower temperature thermostats and high octane fuel is because they don't know your setup and don't really care what it is. It is a way for them to make money. Sorry bud, but you haven't really done much. Try to read more stickies and do lots of searching.

 

Ive read mixed reveiws. And have you ever used one of these chips? And im getting the 170, if that helps.

 

Custom chip is the only way to go. The run-of-the-mill performance chips just add some timing and fuel. Something that you could have done yourself for free.

 

Not exactly free if i have to buy a laptop. And Im not going to buy myself some crap laptop. for that money i could do something else. I just thought this would give me some power.

 

You don't need a laptop to bump your timing and increase your fuel.

 

Well its not like i intended to buy this thing for it to do **** for me. Why do you think I made this thread? Guy put up claim+A LOT of positive feedback+some here=purchase. Had me fooled...

 

Well with the stage 2 chip, my milage is up...No two ways about it, am running a 160 therm, full 3 inch exhaust, no cat....There was a performance increase, but not as much as would occur if the chip was burnt just for my car im sure...I would like to do a dyno tho, and see what the difference is..

Caddilac, what was the difference on the dyno for your car both with and without the chip????? Were there any other changes???? I am really curious about this...In other words has anyone done a dyno run just changing the chip, and no other changes????? Thanks for any info, Tom

 

Gallileo, same here. Except 170 thermo. And it worked. At least it feels like it did. Revs smoother thats for sure.

 

Oh yes, it was well worth 100 bucks...I would do it again in a heartbeat....It seems to hit 5500 RPM alot easier now than it did before....(Im sure thats not good for the motor)