hows it going. i wanted to see what you guys think i should get for my next mod, i have all in the sig below, and i wanted to get something else but i cant decide. these are my 3 choices:
1) new waterpump (never painted mine when i rebuilt the engine, so it looks weird)
2) march underdrive pullies (do you guys know of any difference bettween the steel and the aluminum)
3)MSD 6a ignition box, to furthermore compliment my other MSD ignition parts.

so what would you guys get for 200$ im thinking im gonna go with the march pullies but im not sure, either that or the MSD box would be my second choice
Thanks

------------------
90 RS 305 tbi, 4 3/4" cowl Hood, Edelbrock TES headers, Flowmaster exhaust, Crane roller cam, comp roller rockers, vortec heads/intake, ported tbi, w/new injectors, MSD probillet Distributer/ coil, 1 inch tbi spacer, air foil, 14x4 k&n flat base air cleaner, Rebuilt 700r4 w/ B&M shift kit, B&M Megashifter, 3.23 posi, 2 12 RF's with mtx amp, top of line alpine cd player,autometer phantom gauges, soon to have 91-92 gfx, z-28 wing, new paintjob, rims, all new suspension, and new inteior

 

I'd save up a little bit more money and get a higher stall TC.

------------------
2 Tickets to game= $250
Gas= $20
Sitting 20ft. from MJ= Priceless
'86 IROC T-TOPS, TINTED WINDOWS, BRAKE LIGHT BLACKOUTS
GM GOODWRENCH 350
EDELBROCK HEADERS Hooker CatBack
EDELBROCK 600CFM CARB.
KN AIRFILTER
ACCEL HEI DISTRIBUTOR
160* Stat, just switched to 180* b/c of winter coming and going to college in the mts.
3:73 Posi Rebuilt 700R4
B&M Megashifter, 5" Autometer Tach w/shift lite

 

id get a nice tune up, but if it already runs good, get the msd, unless yer weird'd out by the water pump.

daniel

 

well its not something i am saving for its a christmas present for myself, my mother gave me 1500$ for both christmas and my birthday for parts for my engine, but she said she doesnt want my sister and i to not have any presents (she bought her labtop) so she said she will spend anouther 200$ on us each, so im just trying to figure out what i want. why would you choose a ignition box over over the pullies, and no im not to caught up over the water pump, just curious

------------------
90 RS 305 tbi, 4 3/4" cowl Hood, Edelbrock TES headers, Flowmaster exhaust, Crane roller cam, comp roller rockers, vortec heads/intake, ported tbi, w/new injectors, MSD probillet Distributer/ coil, 1 inch tbi spacer, air foil, 14x4 k&n flat base air cleaner, Rebuilt 700r4 w/ B&M shift kit, B&M Megashifter, 3.23 posi, 2 12 RF's with mtx amp, top of line alpine cd player,autometer phantom gauges, soon to have 91-92 gfx, z-28 wing, new paintjob, rims, all new suspension, and new inteior

 

Ignition box = throttle response, and a better SOTP type of feeling.... Besides, it is really neat to see that thing under the hood....
If you have a good coil, and good low guage plug wires, then the box will greatly compiment them.....


Pullies : Not too knowledgable on them.... but the results are not fantasitc (from what I hear)

------------------
http://kiztope.50megs.com
92 Pontiac Firebird Formula WS6 5.7/A4
K&N, Blue Streak Cap and Rotor, strange unknown exhaust system (sounds good though)...
Mods are in direct proportion to income!

92 Rs 3.1/T-5
Beautiful car, many mods, but now I am turning attention to the 'bird!

AIM : Theonekiztope
ICQ: 8787542

"Maybe one day life will take a turn. When it does Lean into it!" Leon Calrinsky (98)

 

I have no personal experience with the underdrive pulleys but haven't heard the best stuff about them. Mainly that there's little power to be gained, but a lot of potential problems with charging and water pump. I've also heard guys swear that the pulleys make them burn up alternators, although I can't imagine why if they use the correct underdrive pulleys. Anyway, if I were you I'd invest in an MSD box, waterpump gaskets, and a good can of spray paint.

------------------
91 Z28
Come see The Vicious...

 

I got positive gains from underdrive pulleys on my old L98 but lost charging capacity.
I noticed a good gain on my old TBi motor with the addition of a good coil and aftermarket ignition module. Since the best thing you can do is air in/air out I'd save a little more and get some headers. If you really just wanna spend the $200, get some SFC or maybe LCA's They'll help your 60ft times and improve the ride.

------------------
Rob P
89RSconvtZZ4TPI Edelbrock Intake
SLP Dual Cold Air Intake 1 5/8" Headers Semi-Siamesed Runners, IROC
suspension, alum shaft. Numerous mods.
92Z28convt5spd (stock)
71Impala convt 402BB
BETTER DRIVING THRU SUPERIOR HORSEPOWER!

 

i tihkn i might just get the box, i myself have heard some not to good of things about them outside this board, but i just wanted to see opinions. i already have headers' as it says in my sig, and im buying 1700$ in suspension come spring time, after im done paying for my interior in january.

------------------
90 RS 305 tbi, 4 3/4" cowl Hood, Edelbrock TES headers, Flowmaster exhaust, Crane roller cam, comp roller rockers, vortec heads/intake, ported tbi, w/new injectors, MSD probillet Distributer/ coil, 1 inch tbi spacer, air foil, 14x4 k&n flat base air cleaner, Rebuilt 700r4 w/ B&M shift kit, B&M Megashifter, 3.23 posi, 2 12 RF's with mtx amp, top of line alpine cd player,autometer phantom gauges, soon to have 91-92 gfx, z-28 wing, new paintjob, rims, all new suspension, and new inteior

 

$200? Buy prom burning equipment. It is the ONLY way you can really tune your engine.

Almost EVERYONE that gets into prom burning says they wished they'd gotten into it a lot earlier. And working on the spark advance and fuel mixture can get you some nice gains, while ALSO saving gas.

 

If you already have a good cap wires and coil I wouldn't waste my money on the box. My MSD box was by far one of the biggest waste of cash performance wise I've spent on my car. I've run my with and without it at the track and produced identical times. I've seen plenty of people on the board say the same thing.

 

Agreed with the PROM burner. And use your sister's laptop and some freeware to monitor the ECM.

 

the problem is my sister is in roode island in collage, and she doesnt let me use her laptop because i dont let her drive my car. i never thought about prom buring equipment and have no clue how to do it, but im willing ot learn, do you mean the thing you plug into the port and just select what you have, and it programs it, i already have a custom chip, so whould it still be compatible

------------------
90 RS 305 tbi, 4 3/4" cowl Hood, Edelbrock TES headers, Flowmaster exhaust, Crane roller cam, comp roller rockers, vortec heads/intake, ported tbi, w/new injectors, MSD probillet Distributer/ coil, 1 inch tbi spacer, air foil, 14x4 k&n flat base air cleaner, Rebuilt 700r4 w/ B&M shift kit, B&M Megashifter, 3.23 posi, 2 12 RF's with mtx amp, top of line alpine cd player,autometer phantom gauges, soon to have 91-92 gfx, z-28 wing, new paintjob, rims, all new suspension, and new inteior

 

I agree, MSD = waste of money unless you have a high compression engine that requires race gas.
Prom burning requires time that is the only down side. It isn't instant gratification BUT I will say, it was the best money I've ever spent on my car. I looked at my computer, thought about investing money into it or some other power adder...then I looked at my engine and understood that I was only going to be happy with a custom eprom OR a carb. Everybody told me to keep EFI and I'm glad I did.

------------------
, Jon (350 TBI!)
91 Red My website

 

btt

 

Well, you don't need a Pentium 4 laptop to tune your car or program the eprom. I think any Pentium/Celeron/K6 class laptop would even be overkill for what you will be doing, and they can be had now for a few hundred bucks.

Sounds like the programmer and laptop is the wisest longterm way to invest your performance money

 

Yes, probably the biggest investment involved with prom burning is your time. But, it really let's you know what is REALLY happening inside your engine. You will find things that you never expected, and realize why some modifications are absolutely useless.

The principals of "tuning" your engine is the same as with a carb/mechanical dist. The only difference is you do inside the eprom instead of with a screw driver. Plus, you can control things that are completely impossible with a carb/mechanical dist.

As for the laptop, I found getting a cheap Notebook (older Pentium 1 with Windows 95) is more than adequate. You can even use a DOS based Notebook, but if you use TunerCat, you'll need another computer with Windows to modify the BIN. But you can use any desktop for that.

 

If you havent already, read the tech article on proms
https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/tech/promintro.shtml

that is the best place to start. Be careful what you ask about in the prom forum, they don't like newbies. I have seen laptops that are more than capable of running scan software for $100. Find a used computer store around you.

 

Ebay's another spot for an old, cheap laptop...

------------------
-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l)

 

basically im building a new engine in the spring and am going to make it carborated, so i will have no computers. so i dont think eprom burning is the way to go for me, im thinking i am going to go with the pullies, as long as my alternator can handle it my system.

------------------
90 RS 305 tbi, 4 3/4" cowl Hood, Edelbrock TES headers, Flowmaster exhaust, Crane roller cam, comp roller rockers, vortec heads/intake, ported tbi, w/new injectors, MSD probillet Distributer/ coil, 1 inch tbi spacer, air foil, 14x4 k&n flat base air cleaner, Rebuilt 700r4 w/ B&M shift kit, B&M Megashifter, 3.23 posi, 2 12 RF's with mtx amp, top of line alpine cd player,autometer phantom gauges, soon to have 91-92 gfx, z-28 wing, new paintjob, rims, all new suspension, and new inteior

 

And you will realize that the aftermarket chips are a big ripoff!!!!!!!