Which should I go for, PCMforless tuning and some 8.5mm wires or SLP CAI? What will I gain from the most? Currently have a drop in K&N.

TIA
Craig

 

CAI, you dont need tuning and unless your wires are bad know you wont gain anything with new ones.

 

I dont know why u would get a tune on a basically stock car...Id get the cai...your stock tune is fine until you start to go into the engine

 

The tuning on the LT1 cars is actually quite aggressive already which is why you'll get little to no gain with tuning. You really do not need tuning until you do head and cam work. The wires can wait until the stock ones start to go or you do headers and want to route them over the valve covers. A cold air intake is your best guess as it's a guaranteed 10 to 15 RWHP increase.

 

I disagree about the stock tuning thing. I got tuning because of a gear change and was pleasantly surprised by the fact that the car ran better. I don't have a before dyno, but you don't see many cars putting down 277 rear wheel with a TB bypass, PCMforLeSS tuning, 160 stat, cai, 1LE DS and a borla 2.5" muffler (NOT catback). No real power makers there cept CAI and the tuning.


Still, get the CAI first. Don't bother with the 8.5" wires unless yours need to be replaced. I did mine and stuck with the stock wires anyways to reuse the routing clips and because i didn't think i'd see any gain at all. Check out the LT1 myths thread.

 

I think the stock tuning is pretty dead-on, at least it is on my 96.
My car put down 279rwhp and 312rwtq with just the addition of a GM WS6 Ram Air setup w/K&N and a 3" cut-out. Nothing more. At that time, everything else was 100% stock right down to the wires, plugs, iron manifolds, 3.42s, and factory PCM tuning (OBD2). So, I have to disagree with you and say that stock tuning is fine for a MOSTLY stock motor. M6s always dyno higher because they are less parasitic on the motor. Add a set of long tubes, a cam, and or head/valve adjustments and tuning will be required for optimal performance.

Like the others, I'd say to go with CAI and skip PCM tuning until you've added some significant mods to your car. If it were me, I'd do CAI and a set of long tubes (Jet-Hot LTs are awesome!).

My $.02....

 

Just in case you need the figures, here they are:

Tuning/Wires: 0

CAI: 5

Go with CAI.

 

Thanks for everyones input, CAI it is. MMMMM Headers... "Why yes hunny they sent headers with the cold air kit, what a deal! Whats that, no I said the CAI was $700 not $200"

 

"Why yes hunny they sent headers with the cold air kit, what a deal! Whats that, no I said the CAI was $700 not $200"



lol, i know exactly what you are talking about there

 

Get a used CAI for around $100 or build your own and save the money. When it comes to the CAI systems, there is no point in getting a new one. JMO.

 

Ok, so you put down 2 more HP with a cutout. A cutout is 10 rwhp AND your car was rated 10 HP higher than mine to begin with. 20 - 7 (ws6.com) for the tb bypass and we are at 13 for the tuning. Thats almost three times what basterdcat says the CAI is, 5 HP and i agree with him. You probably paid over 100 for the CAI and i paid 75 total for the tuning. granted most people will end up paying a lil more with the shipping or purchasing a cable ect. Still 13 hp vs 5.

The 7 for the TB bypass is debateable because that saves HP as the car gets hot, not really when at low-normal temps. My other mods, 160 stat = 0 and the driveshaft maybe 2.

Notice i didn't recomend the tuning but rather the CAI first. I was just pointing out that the tuning DOES help and is not the 0 HP some claim.

 

I put down 287 with CAI, catback and hypertech on a 68,000 mile motor. But now I have my LT headers...

 

An aluminum driveshaft does not add horsepower. It simply reduces rotational weight which makes your car react faster to acceleration. Power is created within the engine. Some would say that only blowers and strokers add power while other mods like headers, electric water pumps, etc. release existing power.

 

Well i would have to disagree with the 5 hp for the cai. I don't have dyno #'s or anything. All i got is sotp. But i could tell a difference. Maybe its only 5 hp gain all around but more on the top end. Because that is where i feel it more. Also much better throttle response. If it was only 5 hp i don't think i would feel it. So imo it adds around 7-10.

 

How come they advertise a 20 hp increase then? I figure they would rate it high just for sales purposes but I figured it would give me about 15hp, no?