what makes one of these better than the other. What are the major differences. I plan on doing a swap soon and wanted to know thanks guys.

 

Try the search. First button at the top 1 over.

make sure you spell it

"Speed density vs. Maf" or without the .


Try the abriv. SD vs. MA too. Lots of reading there for you but thats what it takes to learn this stuff. Learn what you can and when you get stuck, ask questions. Will always be someone here to answer them.

 

Both work great when properly tuned.

 

one is not more buildable than the other or anything like that? I only ask because i plan to in the future make it a 383 stroker.

 

If you should decide to go with MAF then check out the posts made by "ski_dwn_it".

He built a nice engine and was able to tune his car to hit low 11s in the 1/4 mile NORMALLY ASPIRATED.

He did this with a Corvette and still hangs out on www.corvetteforum.com

 

thanks ragtop i will check them out maybe see if i can find him thanks again

 

Nope, neither is more buildable than the other. I have worked on both. With proper tuning BOTH will perform virtually identical. To properly tune WOT, BOTH need to be tuned with a WB. Anyone who tells you differently, doesn't know how to tune an eprom - or hasn't worked on both.

SD needs to be tuned through out the VE Tables which has a direct correlation to the TQ curve of the engine (when you plot it against a dyno run). When I "draft" a bin for a SD setup, I actually start with the TQ curve from DeskTop Dyno as my guide - and then tweak from there.

MAF needs to be tuned via the MAF Scalar tables. Once you get the MAF Scalar tables properly adjusted, MAF can handle subsequent modificatons without any re-tuning - provided you are NOT maxing the MAF. Btw, I have found ANY changes to the MAF sensor, including switching to a non-OEM MAFs, you really should rescale the MAF Scalar Tables again. Also, if you are maxing the MAF, then you must retune the PE Tables in WOT with each future modification just like SD. Any half decent 383 will max the MAF btw.

SD setups are cheaper to do because the ECMs are more plentiful and generally cheaper. I can pick up a SD ECM for half the price of a MAF ECM at the wrecking yards in my area just because the SD ECMs are plentiful.

Plus, the MAP sensor is much cheaper (and durable) than the MAF sensor. Depending where you are, MAF ECMs can be harder to find in a wrecking yard.

As for Jesse Azzaro aka ski_dwn_it; I heard there were a number of people who were not pleased with the eproms he tuned for them. When they complained that when his chip did little or nothing for them, he refused to refund their money. So be forewarned.

You would be best to save your money, get the equipment and learn eprom burning yourself. It's not that hard. In fact, all the tools will work on your existing 3.1 (which is SD btw). You can learn your eprom skills on your 3.1 while planning/buiilding your 383. When you are ready to install your 383, you will have the knowledge on how to tune it yourself - THE BEST SOLUTION OF ALL.

 

Oh, I almost forgot, there is a two other alternatives. 1) Aftermarket DFI and 2) Carb.

The one thing you HAVEN'T mentioned, is whether you are going to install the 383 in your existing 3.1 F-body or a different vehicle all together. If it's in your existing 3.1, you probably would find going to an SD setup simpler as the wiring is much closer and you have virtually all the other parts.

Some how, I think the ECM is different on the 3.1 but the wiring is very close to the SD TPI. Just a few pins need to be swapped on the connectors but not much more.

There would be a bit more work to re-wire your 3.1 to a MAF setup (go to the 1989 setup with the 165 ECM btw). But not impossible.

 

Thanks that was a lot of valuable info. I really never though about doing any prom work on my 3.1 but that does make sense. I guess I can find most all of the info I need on here?? And to answer you ? yes I plan to replace my 3.1 f-body with the 383. I guess Ill start searching for a sd car. I would like to just buy the whole car just in case. I will probably get the 5.7 in with no mods and get everything wired and work out all the bugs then pull it and stroke it sometime in the future. Again thanks for all the info.

 

By "replace your car", do you mean sell the 3.1 and buy a V8 car? If so, don't get hung up on an SD car or a 5.7. You would be best to start with a TPI car, but you could also start with a TBI car (though the wiring will be a bit more work).

With these cars, finding the car in the BEST PHYSICAL CONDITION would be my primary concern. SBC 350s are a dime a dozen and easily built into a 383. So, if it has a great body and interior but the engine is worn; then you can get a better deal.

Also, if you want a stick, then you can find a 5-speed with a 305.

And yes, you can learn all you want about burning eproms on the DIY Prom Board. Check out the "stickies" which have all the info you need to start eprom burning on your own.

Initially, the information MIGHT look overwhelming but it is not. When I first got into it, there was a lot less info and I was one of the first guys in Canada to burn eproms. Today, it's common place.

Also, check out the Regional Board in the area you live and try to find someone in you area that has all the equipment who can show you what's involved in eprom burning. I have shown many people how it's done "hands-on" and almost everyone has said "Is that all there is to it"?

Once you get the "mechanics" of burning eproms down, then you can start working on the "tuning aspect" and there are LOTS of guys on the DIY Prom Board that will be happy to teach you that too.

Good luck.

 

BTW, I notice you are in Ohio. Track down Grumpy - he lives in Arcanum IIRC. But Grumpy does have some health issues, so take it easy on him and don't make him too grumpy.

Bruce usually has a "EFI POW WOW" once or twice a year where he lives. I highly recommend you attend that. And don't be afraid of being a "newbie" - we all were at one time and remember what it was like.

 

thanks ill try to get a hold of him