When do you have to switch to a aftermarket computer system? I am going with a 383? Do I need to get it done then? Or after the supercharger? or ever? I would prefer never but thats just me

 

I am still using the stock PCM on my blown/nitrous 383. Though I do have LJ's low impedence converter.

Rich Krause

 

I only speak from persoanl experience. I am NOT technically savvy in these regards. I went with a blown 383 and started with LT1 Edit for OBD2. Then went to OBD1.

Finally I made the decision that I KNEW I should have done in the beginning (and tyried to avoid because of the cost) and that is go with a FAST.

If you have the time, talent and patience, then Edit can probably skate you through. I had none of the above and wasted a lot of cash as a result.

 

so is it easier to tune with FAST or what are the main advantages of it?

 

There are numerous features that aftermarket ECU's have over the factory PCM. But it sure isn't easy to tune them. WOT is easy, tuning for part throttle operation can be a real PITA. One reason for this is that the aftermaket units cannot utilize the MAF sensor, they are all speed density systems.

Features of interest found on aftermarket ECU's include the ability to use 2 or 3-bar map sensors, control low impedance injectors and more than eight injectors, use wide band O2 sensors in closed loop, control nitrous and wastegates, run over 7,000rpm, use multiple coils, etc.

So, the aftermaket units simply have many more features. But they aren't easy to tune if you are building a street or street/strip car.

Rich Krause

 

Since my car will be a speed density car, would it still be just as hard to tune and all? or should i just stick with a stock computer?

 

I should confess that I have only JUST installed my FAST and have yet to be able to comment on the ability to tune for driveability.

In addition, i had to go to 72# injectors. There ARE alternatives (LJ's conversion box and Ricks Super fueler come to mind) but I was afraid I was making a complicated situation worse. There are many racers that are able to tune with FAST for help and I have a neighbour running an 8.02 sec Stang so he will help me.

I will say, that being able to tune the car with a working wideband IS very cool.

 

97ta-ws6, if you odnt mind me asking, how much did your FAST system run you for everything needed it install it? this will probably be the deciding factor also if you dont mind, keep me informed on how easy it is to tune and advantages/disadvantages also

 

I have seen a lot of the aftermarket systems (Wolf, FAST, ACCEL, AEM, Electromotive, etc.). I like the Electromotive best. As far as "ease" of tuning, I have seen everything form "ridiculously easy" to "impossible". At the shop I'm associated with there are at least a half dozen customers per year (usually more) who have installed an aftermarket ECU and can't get it to work right. Many of the cars (street cars) come in on trailers because they run so poorly or don't even start! Usually, there turns out to be something wrong with the install as the primary culprit and they've been trying to tune around it. Other times, they have just screwed up the programming so bad it's pathetic.

These "screwed up" installs aren't always, by any means, exlcusively by people who don't know cars. And it doesn't seem to be one system vs. another. So maybe that's not of much help other than to urge you to be sure there is nothing wrong with the car in the first place. We had one we couldn't figure out recently. Install was checked and was perfect. Black box was checked and even swapped for a known good one and was fine. Turned out to be a TPS with an intermittent fault and that the car was not running right prior to the install. Other stuff like that happens all the time.

I am not by any means knocking the idea of an aftermarket ECU. They are often necessary and have numerous features that the stocker does not. Mine has ended up a real cludge, because I refuse to part with the stock PCM. Separate conroller for the nitrous, Superfueler, LJ's box, separate controller for the water injection, etc. The right aftermarket unit could perform all of these functions. But I don't want to lose the mass air or the drivability of the stock program. Yeah, it required tweaking, but nothing like some of what I have seen with the aftermarket units.

OTOH, some aftermarket units go in and are running good in a coule of hours. But I am just not lucky and I think if I did it the process of getting it to work would be Herculean in magnitude. One car I know of with an ACCEL unit took nearly fourty hours of shop time to get right (at $72/h) . Nothing to do with the ACCEL per se, just a combination of things.

Rich Krause