First of all, I understand that 97 LT1s are OBD2 and that Tunercat's RT Tuner is OBD1.
I also know that OBD2 tuning costs a lot more than OBD1.
I read that to convert an OBD2 LT1 to OBD1, all you need to do is switch the knock sensor and the ECU.
I've been eyeballing the Ostrich 2.0, an ECU emulator: http://www.moates.net/product_info.p...roducts_id=169

Since I want real time adjustment, what I'm looking into doing is getting the Ostrich 2.0 and using RT Tuner to tune it as if it were an OBD1 LT1. With an OBD1 knock sensor, the Ostrich 2.0, RT Tuner, and a cheap laptop, that will put me at $400.

Would this work, or is there something better/additional to do?

Further questions:
1. Does the OBD2 chip just pop right out?
2. How could I get ahold of the baseline OBD1 LT1 ECU file to use with RT Tuner?

 

I don' think any of that will work for OBD1 or OBD2 LTX. The chips in our PCMs aren't dips, they are a square package, not through hole mounted, and they are soldered on so you would need a special PCM prepared with sockets for a special emulator pod, or maybe two (there are two chips). Also they are flash updated. The TC site also says "The Romulator and AutoProm emulators do not support the FLASH based PCM’s supported by the $EE ECM Definition File." THE $EE file is for F-bodys. The OBD2 RT Tuner will work on LSX series, but not OBD2 95-97 LTX. I think Ed Wright built an emulator for the LT1 but I'm not sure how he flashed the customer's program - he probably used the emulator on the dyno with his special pcm to test the changes and then flashed the program with the changes to the customer's PCM, but I'm just making a SWAG about it.