jloshotz

Just picked one of these up brand new for a song, and was wondering if anyone has experience with the unit, pros/cons, even worth the bother to install? My MAF and PCM tuning are stock....are these units worthwhile in any capacity/scenario?

Thanks!

96capricemgr

They are useful for vehicles where the pcm is hard to get into.

Your 95 on the otherhand is probably the cheapest and easiest pcm there is to get into.

The good tuning program is like $90 as is the good datalogging program so with a cable you can be fully equipped to change any engine or tranny parameter for under $250. Actually there are FREE programs for each of those things available even.

So ebay the translator.

jloshotz

Thanks for the advice, I actually do have a laptop, and a tuning cable with a few paid programs, just haven't yet really become educated enough to feel comfortable....getting there though I got a really good package deal on it bundled with a brand new Scanmaster (which I love), and it just looked like it MIGHT come in handy supposing I wanted to replace a MAF with one that wasn't specifically designed for the LT1....so I grabbed it. Once again, appreciate the response!

96capricemgr

The translator works by "lying" to the pcm about airflow. Since with tuning software you can easily adjust how the pcm interprets the MAF and what it does with that info it serves no purpose for you. The stock MAF has been shown to only be a minor restriction like single digit HP on an over 500rwhp naturally aspirated car(Ed Wright). I have tried others and it was all a waste, the stocker is THE right choice of 99% of us.

bobdec

Seems to me if it tricks the PCM (false air flow readings) to change AFR the O2's will see an incorrect AFR and try to correct fueling back to stoich. Does it have to be used in 'open loop' to do it's job. W/O a wideband looks like you could mess things up rather than improve them

jloshotz

That's what I was figuring as well Bob, without the wideband, pretty hard to tune AFR

Injuneer

The intentional miscalibration is at high air flow values, where you are more likely to be in PE mode. That's what Granatelli did as well. Normal calibration where you would be running in closed loop, miscalibration for high flows where you are in PE and the feedback from the O2 sensors is ignored.

bobdec

Fred, Thanks for the clarification...makes more sense now.