I have a 97 Trans am WS6. I have a 58mm TB (not installed) Granatelli MAF. MSD opti, coil and 6a box. Borla Cat back with hollowed cats. Im getting ready to buy the LE2 package and need to know what other parts and what kind of tunning needs to be done. Ive never done this kinda of work before. Ive changed heads before but nothing this serious. Will it run fine if I just throw all these parts together and go? The tunning part scares me, I don't know anyone who can do this for me. Im sure someone will tell me to use the search bar but I have been doing a pretty good amount of research. Any help would be appriciated.

 

You'll also need about 30lb injectors and LT or midlength headers such as AS&M. It would be best to get a Dyno tune, but a mail order tune would get ya by OK.

Do you live in CA? If so, how are you gonna get the car through emissions? NO WAY a LE2 package will ever pass emissions.

 

If you are afraid to get it tuned stop modifying right now there is NOTHING more central to heavy modification of a computer controlled car than getting the pcm right.

Get rid of the Granatelli too, best case is drivability problems with that POS and I know at least one guy that lost a stroker to one. They try to trick the pcm by misreporting airflow once the tuning is right rather than the factory pig rich that missreporting causes a lean condition. Dyno tuning can get around it but then it doesn't gain you anything either.

 

When I got my LE2 stuff, Lloyd had a list of things he recommends.
7/16 screw in studs
gm guideplates
hardened pushrods
1.6 comp pro mags
30# injectors would be fine, but 36s would probably be better.

After talking with a few people, degreeing the cam is a good idea. A dyno tune would be the best, but the mail order guys have done enough le2 cars im sure they can get it close.

 

Yes degree the cam. If it's off it's either the timing chain OR the cam. I've had a few cams that were off and more timing chains that were. Just ran into that with Lloyd last week, timing chain was off 5-6degs on 2 cams so we knew it wasn't the cams.

Bret

 

Had a problem my self last Friday. With the cam installed straight up the cam came up on a 106 intake centerline. No problem, I wanted a 110 ICL so I just installed the sprocket on the 4 degree retard mark. Checked it and it came out to 114 intake centerline. After a couple of tests to make sure I was not crazy it did indeed turn out that the sprocket marked 4 degree retard was actually 8 degrees retard. This is with a Cloyes 3145 set.

Installed another Cloyes set and this time every thing came out right. I got the 110 ICL I was after with the 4 degree retard mark. One more thing this was on a Vortec block and the timing chain at the top of the large sprocket will rub on the top middle boss of the block. Had to grind down the boss so the timing chain will clear without rubbing. You need to check everything.

 

WOW! I live in Florida so emision testing isn't a prob. Degreeing the cam was another thing I wasn't expecting. Also, when changing the injectors don't I have to either get a FMU or some sort of fuel managment system to accomadate for injector size? What about the 58mm TB? isn't the factory plenum designed for a max 52mm? Im pretty new to this strait motor HP thing. I owned 2 RX7 turbo's before this car. I never had to deal with different cams, degreeing and all that other crap you guys are scaring me with. Everything was pretty much scienceless. Bolt in on and run with it! Another thing is, who are these mail order tune people you guys talk about? This is getting way more difficult than I though and getting very discouraged. It looks like my 4 grand is going to go away really fast!

 

Its really not that much what they are saying. There are two major pcm tuners people on these boards like, that is pcmforless and madz28. It is a easy tune, just send them the pcm with all of your specs and they send it back. That simple.

As for the throttle body, you should have someone open up the intake ports to support the 58mm throttle body. Its not very expensive, you can probably do it yourself. Otherwise Lloyd Elliot (do a search for his site) does a full intake port job which is a good idea and hes very reasonable in price.

 

The cam degreeing thing is the thing that worries me most. What if I don't do it? I don't what to spend all that money and get a measly 45-50 HP. For that I will just go back to my roots and boost this thing. I just wish I could get this LE2 thing right. I would proove alot *** lovers I know wrong.

 

LE2 cars are easily in the 400+ range to the wheels. Ive seen some in the 450whp range. Thats a little more than 45-50 increase.

 

The instructions for degreeing the cam are included with the cam, so if you can borrow or rent the tools to do it, it's not that bad.

Bret

 

Degreeing the cam is a must IMO.

It's not that bad. Search my username for a post about cam degreeing for more information.

I didn't buy a kit, just bought what I needed for a "heads off" degreeing kit. Worked out fine for me.

It's a little extra work but you get the assurance that's it's not the problem when tracking any other bugs down (if there are any)

 

No worries. When your PCM is tunned the injector sizing will be adjusted in the PCM.

 

You guys have been really helpfull. One more thing I need to ask. My car has 130K miles on it so changing the timming chain would probably be a good idea. Any suggestions on which one to buy? GM or aftermarket?

 

I went with an electric water pump and cloyes timing chain(clo-9-3145a). For a little less than a stock replacement, you get a roller set and a few more hp from the ewp.