I have seen people say that it isnt good for some cars what about it in the lt1?

 

A custom tune is a much better option in regards to HP and cost, IMO. It all depends on what changes you need to do. You can probably find more threads with a search in the computer/diagnostics forum.

 

It's good if you don't plan on doing any REAL mods to the car(heads/cam), depending on how cheap you buy the hypertech for of course. If you don't mind the downtime while sending out your PCM, a custom tune is definitely the best option.

 

www.pcmforless.com.

these are probably the best guys to go with, and i think that it actually ends up being cheaper than the hypertech. plus after you have the initial tune done you can have it upgraded for 50 beans. i think that if you have an obd 1 car you can buy the adaptor cable for a computer and have upgrades sent to you through e-mail. im not positive about the e-mail tunes but check out their web sight, or give the guys a call.

 

i had the hypertech with the cam chip for my car when i had the hot cam. took out the power tune and gained like 5 hp

 

Well of course. You usually need to pull timing after installing a larger cam. The hypertech adds timing with its "power tune"

 

huh?

 

Hypertech is a waste of money (I had one); go the custom tune route.

 

who?

 

It's alright for what it does. Not quite worth the price of admission. My car was virtually bone stock when I put it in and I did gain 4 tenths and 3 mph at the track. But that was only because I raised my rev limiter to 6200 rpm's which let me stay in third gear through the traps. With that said I do think there are cheaper routes to go through.

 

Saved me from having to get my already tuned pcm sent back for a re-tune, because I installed 3.73's and my speedo was screwed. I diddnt even pay 1/3 the asking price for mine so it was no biggy.

 

A mail order tune would be half the price and provide twice the results.

 

I already have it im just wondering how much hp am i really making off this thing and will it wear the engine more?

P.S. how much does it cost to get the computer programed

 

custom tune...for $125-96->97LTx-(madtuner.com) or a hypertech for..400???(i think or is it 300) and the custom tune will be ALOT better..more for your specific needs..so..if wasting your money is what you wanna do..imho...go with the hypertech..but if you want something alot better where youll prolly gain more power..for not even HALF the price..a tune is DEF. worth it.

 

If running 93 octane, a 160° thermostat, everything is working right and you don't have radical modifications to your power train then you can expect 14 hp and 24 lb ft of torque with the hpp II. I have one and have used it. I will have real dyno figures for my car soon with and without the hypertech tune. I will post the figures one way or the other.

Here is a quote from Hypertech:

You can see a lot more details about our Power Tuning and how we tune in our FAQ section at www.hypertech.com. We gained 14hp and 24tq additional at the rear wheels on the 1994-1995 LT1.

Hope this helps and we do appreciate your interest in Hypertech.

Jimmy Harsson
Technical Supervisor

end quote

I've had some difficult conversations over this and I won't get into an argument without real numbers but I can tell you this; when I met all the conditions above, my 95's performance changed in a very SOTP way. I took the car out, found a good clean flat place on an open road and spun tires for 100 feet in 1st. When the A4 went into 2nd it laid down another 50 feet of rubber. The car did NOT do this before the hypertech tune. I would get 25 feet of rubber in first gear under the same road condtions without the tune.

Pro tuners can make your car do better and they are more flexible but if you want to tweak shift points, change tire sizes or gear ratios move the rev and top speed limit 10 times in a day a hypertech hand held makes for a great tool. If you have any issues like exhaust leaks or dtcs then the hpp2 won't benefit you with the power.

As for engine wear, LT1s are tanks, if the knock module is working and the engine serviced properly, the fuel and timing that the hpp2 adds should not significantly wear your engine. The added torq and more lively driving will take its toll on the driveline the same as with anything you would work hard.

I haven't bought a new hypertech so someone else took the big hit. I would have used one of the through the mail tuners if I had to spend $330 on the hand held. My extremely good deal $80 hpp II gave my 95 a real boost that I can change at will and I am very happy with it. Others have bought them and feel just the opposite. I have one for my LS1 and it is doing me no good at all because my air/fuel ratio is too lean at open throttle. The hppIII tune is of no effect until I get the lean condition fixed. So you can win and you can lose with these tuners. Just keep in mind that your tune is in a box with no flexibility at all.

I hope this helps you make a decision.