I have an LT1 with some bolt ons and about to add a bunch more... gonna need to tune my car in the future for a big cam and need to learn how so I was wondering if there is anything I can do to my relatively stock engine as far as tuning goes so I can play with it and make the engine run or perform better in the mean time? Or is it not even worth getting yet adn should I wait till I get the cam?

 

Definitely learn on a stock-ish motor. I think that would be easier.
And there are things that you can do to you're programming now to make more horsepower/torque. Try to get timing in it quicker to make more torque...without knock. But remember, more timing doesn't necessarily mean more power. Set-up the pe tables to optimize your a/f ratio.
Learn now, it'll be easier on a heads/cam car later.

 

Dan,

From your sig, you have some things you may want to change. Your car will need probably some MAF table changes from your porting. You can get rid of CAGS. adjust your rev limiter. There are so many things I started doing once I got into it. Overall, the my car performs as I want it to...NOT the factory. That is initially what you want to accomplish.

When the cam is installed, you will definitely need to adjust your computer. Best to learn on a stockish car.

GL

Ben

 

Thanks a ton guys... I hear you should set up the air fuel ratio closer to 13:1 in the pe tables (pe tables are what the computer resorts to under higher throttle positions???) from the stock high 11:1's. Also how should I re-adjust for the ported maf sensor.

Can you give me some sites to help me learn... I know a little bit but not enough to start tuning. Thanks.

 

Do a search on this forum and you will find multiple people who have posted sites to go to including me.

The standard PE tables really do not get down to 11:1 until high RPM. I think GM wanted us to run rich in order to keep issues from happening with a lean motor.

I started by zeroing all my AFR vs RPM tables and looked to see how the motor performed. You may want to try another route.

Ben

 

Remember, setting a number in the pe table may not necessarily result in that AFR happening- plug the numbers in, but datalog to see the result, and don't make huge changes at first, til you get the feel of it. On a NA car, you want to see roughly in the .850-.940 mv range under pe, or wot, through the range. Forced induction will need to higher (richer). I suggest datamaster software for datalogging, if you intend on tuning at all, to see the changes in operation, and learn more, effectively as you go.