i just installed the Hot Cam kit with 1.6RR in my 1996 SS and im wondering if it is worth programming my pcm now. is it really going to give me that much more power? and what route should i take to program it?

i live in california and after the cam intsall with the 1.6RR it still is passing smog and i want to keep it that way, but at the same time i want to get the maximum benifit from my cam.

i have communicated with the guys at PCMforless via emails and i dont really understand his short responces....maybe im just too dense to understand his computer talk (ill probably eventually just call on the phone).....

any help is appreciated!!!!

 

I went with Ion at madz28.com he answered all my questions with detail through e-mail. There was a noticeable difference before and after my tune and all I had was LTs.

 

Interesting that you have the HOT cam and no tune and still pass CA emissions testing.

 

A bigger cam with tuning is frankly @$$backwards, a stock car can benifit from programming a modified one benifits much more. Right now your timing and fuel curves are in a word WRONG, not reprogramming it is like camming an older Camaro or anything else and not retiming it or rejetting the carb, once I put it that way it is sort of unthinkable isn't it. I honestly can not figure out for the life of me why so many on the f-body boards try this.
A local f-body guy did this and I met him at the track with my Caprice and ran side by side with him(low 14s), I have a ZZ3 cam(tiny) 2800 stall and stock gears with 87 octane pcmforless tuning, he had a 230/236 custom high lift cam 4.10s and a 6 speed and running premium on the stock tune, both were stock manifolds/cats to aftermarket catbacks. That was enough to make him consider tuning the next day I cobbled together a tune for him, the difference even with the rough tune was so great that within an hour he was home and ordering professional tuning from madz28, and with that installed the car felt better yet. After the tuning my car feels slow compared to his.

 

Brian at PCMforless claims a 15-20rwhp gain with his programming for the hotcam kit over the stock program. I used his programming and I don't doubt his claims I assume you had headers before you did the cam? If not your not going to see that big of a gain from the cam with or without programming.

 

thanks a lot guys for your imput. ive already talked to Ion at madz28.com. he was really helpful. im just deciding on whether to go to the OBD1 conversion or have him just program my OBD2.

as far as headers....living in california i can only use the 50 state legal shortys. im not paying twice as much for shortys than LTs. i figure if i cant run LTs im not going to run anything at all. maybe if i start hearing better things about shorty headers....i may think about it....

 

If you need to stay emmissions legal even a set of dual cat headers using your stock y pipe would be a big improvement over the stock manifolds. I've seen used SLP dual cat headers go for around $300 many times here, I sold a pair years ago for that price.

 

I have a question, don't mean to hijack the thread, but I think it is an appropriate thread to ask in.

I have a pcmforless hotcam tune currently - but back during the engine rebuild, I wanted to be sure I could pass smog, so I had the stock cam put back in.

THe shop was @$$ lazy and didn't reprogram my computer like they said they would, so it is still running on the PCMforless hotcam program.

Is this situation adversely affecting my programming? What exactly differs in a hotcam/stock tune?

 

I believe his hotcam program involves advancing the timing, and probably calling for more fuel among other things. It is obviously not the right program for the stock cam, I would just try to pick up another stock PCM to use or have him set yours back to stock. I would just have him change yours back to his stock cam "power program" setting if hes going to redo it. I had that before I got the hotcam tune.

 

Thanks for the quick response, gregg!

Would this be a likely reason why I'm getting 154 miles at the 1/2 tank mark? It seems pretty bad to me.

I plan on putting the hotcam back in very soon, so I'll probably just keep this tune for another month or so. Hope the advanced timing won't make my car detonate or anything..

 

Hey ss#1230, you should get your car tune with Keith at Force Fed in manteca or modesto, i'll find out for you, Those guys are the best overall in cali for LT1 tunes. Im also gettting a hotcam install with heads and headers etc.. at BLACK MAGIC SHOP in hayward and one of the guys is going to download a hotcam tune for my car so you should go over there and talk to Omar or Josh at Black Magic. There are all really cool guys and will help you and answer all questions. Let me know if you need # or help finding these places.

 

I would think having the hotcam tune running on a stock cam could definitely cause bad gas mileage, probably hurting performance too. If you plan on putting the hotcam back in real soon I would just wait and stick with that program, as long as the engine seems to be running ok, not knocking etc. I would probably take it easy with the car until then, I wouldnt do a lot of wot driving on that program in the meantime.

 

ive been taking up a lot of Ion's time at madz28.com and hes been really helpful. he guarantees 20rwhp and ive heard many good things abou him so i think im gonna give him my business.

oh and he said that tuning for the hot cam will not cause any problems with smog.

maybe ill shop around for a pair of used headers.....

 

HEADERS BEFORE TUNE, YOU NEED HEADERS FIRST IT A MUST

 

I agree, tuning and at least some Edelbrock headers will help make the most of that cam. Without them you're leaving a good chunk of power on the table... Get it!