I bought a 89 camaro with a 383 stroker TPI motor. The whole car seems to be heavily modified but the chip is stock.
I want to have TPIS make a custom one for me but i dont have the information about my camshaft or heads. I have emailed TPIS asking what to do and they have not responded. Is there a way to find out my cam and head specs short of pulling them out of the motor?

I have also tried to contact the cars previous owner but he has been less than helpful.

Anyone have a suggestion?

 

I don't think that there's anyway to know what Cam you have without measuring the lift @ the rocker/lifter and doing a degree wheel measurement to find out the opening and closing degees of intake and exhaust. It can be complicated if you've never done it before....

Take the valve covers off the heads and see if they're stock or aftermarket.....Cast steel or Aluminum? what #'s do they have cast by the rocker studs...?

Maybe this thing isn't even a 383......

 

Thanks for the response. Far as i can tell they are aluminum heads. I will definitely pull the valve covers and look for some kind of ID #.

Any chance you want to explain to me how to do a degree wheel measurement?

 

http://www.cranecams.com/pdf/803.pdf

That should do it.......
It will let you know how much lift you have, (check intake and exhaust lobes) and will tell you the duration and opening and closing times of your valves.....

You still won't know what displacement you have unless you open it up and check bore X stroke

 

How well does the car run with such a wild combo and a stock chip? I'm guessing not that well. My 350 with an LT4 HOT cam would run so rich at idle it would burn my eyes. It was at that point I was forced to learn how to do my own custom chip.

Not to knock TPIS, but they are really proud of their work and charge accordingly. Unless they're in your backyard and are willing to spend the time with your car to tune it in properly, I wouldnt get one of their expensive chips. There are several other places around the country that can do a similar job for less money. Ed Wright at http://www.fastchip.com/ comes to mind.

 

It idles pretty rough and it also runs extremely rich. Still hits 12.5 in the quarter though. Hope a chip can help me improve on that

 

Maybe it is a 383......... 12.5 is a good time in the 1/4 mile.
Have you found out what kind of heads are on it yet??? Brand, Size....

Mine was running super lean with 24lbs injectors and a "ADS superchip"

 

 

see if its an externally balanced harmonic on the front. if it is then its a 383...

 

"Eagle" makes internally balanced rotating assemblies for 383's so I don't think that you could go by the harmonic balancer.

http://store.summitracing.com/partde...0&autoview=sku

http://store.summitracing.com/partde...0&autoview=sku

etc............

either way, it makes no difference. Looks like you'll have to start datalogging that camaro and tuning your own chip. www.moates.net has equipment that lets you see and tune in realtime and download it into a peice of hardware that stays in your car.

http://www.moates.net/product_info.p...products_id=54

That's what I'm gonna do.....

 

Thanks for the info GTA!

THE APU1 looks great. I just ordered it.

 

Great mang!
Tell me what it's like when you start using it.......... it's cold up here (3 weeks till snow) and the car is put away already.... rather than start something that I can't finish.
I'm gonna get mine in the spring along with bigger injectors...

 

Just got my stuff from Moates and i am admittedly out of my depth. It could take a while before i am able to use this thing.

 

Obviously check out the prom page here and moates has stuff on his website, but I'm like you and don't even know where to start (that's why I haven't yet........... but really need too )

I'll send a couple of sites when I get home that I thought were good references. Whether it helps you out or not.........

 

These are a couple that I had found that give you a starting point or just something to read before you get started.
The second article is a nice to know page, but the first page gives you definitions to all (maybe not quite) the abbreviations used when it comes to programing. And the writer gives you an idea about where to start and what values to change and why..... From idle to cruise to WOT

http://www.diy-efi.org/gmecm/papers/tunetip.html

http://www.grapeaperacing.com/GrapeA...uelsystems.pdf

There is a ton of info on the DYI PROM & DFI / ECM pages as well..... and I've found that there are alot of people willing to help on ThirdGen.org.

Good luck!!!!

 

Really appreciate the help. Those sites were very helpful.
Thanks

 

is the chip the same as a tune?