I am planning on installing headers this winter on my '98Z. After the instal I am considering a tune. The only mods I have installed have been a SLP lid, and a GMMG cat-back. After the header instal, what would be the best recomended way to tune? Is it the kind of tune I could use with a HPP3? or would I have to spend alot of $$$ to get it tuned? Thank you.

 

try PCMforless.com...they make great tunes for Fbodys and they r 250 for LS1 and 150 for LT1...they send u new comp and u send your old one back or send urs off to get done....

 

You'll see a little bit of a gain...id wait til you installed a cam

 

it'll depend on how far off the stock tune is. i use the VHP handheld tuner myself. i picked up .2 and 1.4 mph using the hiperf/stock cam tune. only mod at that time was the SLP airlid.

 

too rich/too lean fuel mixture can damage catalytic converters... but if you're running an off-road pipe, you don't have to worry about that and I'd wait until you mod more heavily, but you will see an increase with a simple tune after a header installation.

 

I had a baseline dyno pull done, and I did back-to-back runs with, then without my Hypertech program, and I can see that a true "dyno-tune" would be very beneficial. The Hypertech does add power, but at the cost of causing excessive pinging/detonation. I think that a bone-stock car could benefit from a tune, so I'm sure that with intake/headers/etc., it would be worth while.

 

Personially i wouldnt tune it unless you dont plan to modify the car any further. You will deffiently pick up a little bit off of a tune though.

 

That's who I'll be going with. A few Impala/9C1 Caprice guys I know use this guy since he's local to us. They've had VERY good results, noticable difference in their LT1's.

Hope that helps.

 

You don't need a tune for headers. I would hold off on getting an expensive tune until heads and or a cam goes in. If you are sure you will never do internal engine upgrades then I'd get a tune done after headers. But if your gonna upgrade your cam at some point then I would hold off so your not paying for a tune twice. People run LT headers on stock tune all the time and most have no issues.

 

Yeah, and people run around "stock" with the "stock" tune, and have no issues either, but even with a stock car, you can benefit from a tune.

 

I for one would rather pay for a professional tune "once" rather then pay for it "twice"

 

any decent tuner will give discounts on a second tune.

 

True but it's still less expensive to pay for one tune at full price then two even if the second one is discounted. All I'm saying is a lot of people don't do a tune right after headers. If he knows a cam is in his near future then it will save him some $ to wait on the tune. If not then yeah I would get the tune done to get the most out of the car.

 

PCMforless.com I believe gives free updates if you change your setup.

 

Now that would be sweet! I may have to check that place out.