I'll be done with my LT1 conversion thursday. I still have to finish hooking up the engine harness (tonight/tomorrow night), but i'm missing a MAF. I ordered one yesterday, but I dunno if it'll be here in time for this week (i wanna take it to prom)...I was told that you can bypass the MAF...Is this true? If so, how would I do it?

 

The PCM would have to be reprogrammed to run in Speed Density mode. You could still run your car without a MAF for a little while just to check everything, but I'd still recommend going with a MAF.
Also, you might have some problems with the VATS system if you haven't already taken care of that....

 

Well, I need to drive it for a night (50-75 miles) and then I'm putting it back up for a week for some fine tunning. What problems might I have with my VATS? Also, what do I have to do to not have to have my MAF (I dunno if that made sence)? I just want the car to run nicely, for one night, then I'm going to finish it. Also, my MAF SHOULD be here wednesday, but just in case it isn't, I still want to be able to drive it saturday night.

 

i've driven without my MAF for like 15 miles, didn't run any different than with the MAF except it had an SES light.

i was testing to see if my MAF was bad...

it'll just default to speed density i believe

 

Can anybody give me a FOR SURE answer on this? Can I drive my car without the MAF for 3-4 days (or even just one day)? If I can for 3-4 days it'll be like 250 miles, if its for 1 day, it'll be like 50-75 miles. After that, I'll put the MAF in this weekend, and call it good. I just don't want to be cruising around and have something go wrong becuase I don't have my MAF in and then not have it for saturday...Please let me know.

 

You can drive without it. It won't hurt anything.

 

Sweet! Now, is there anything I have to do if I don't use it? Or will the PCM just automaticly change to speed density?

 

It will go into Speed Density mode if it cannot find the MAF.
As stated above, you will get a Service Engine Light, but you'll be OK.

I'm not sure if you will be able to fire her up right away though. Everyone who I know and who did similar swaps had problems with the VATS system. Hopefully you won't.

 

What are VATS? What problems do they find and how to you fix them?

 

VATS is vehicle anti-theft system. If it doesn't like something, it will not allow the engine to start.

Things it may not like. Swaps to totally different cars, swaps to similar cars but non-matching wiring/modules, bad resistor in the key, bad receiver, etc.
So if it won't start, you may need to wire the fuel pump directly and have the computer side of the VATS programmed out or a VATS bypass box built. I think it may not allow the starter to crank also but I'm not 100% what case that happens in.

 

Well, the engine turns over ,but it doens't start. We didn't connect the fuel lines yet (we needed to get a chrimper from my buddies mechanic shop cause i guess hte fuel lines are flanged or something...i didn't look at them)...Is that a good sign if it turned over? Also, the serpentine belt (lol, i have NO idea how to spell that, but you know what i'mn trying to say) wasn't on yet either...Also, one question. When you're looking at the engine from the front, the belt turns to the right, doesn't it (clockwise)? Cause a guy said its supposed to turn couter-clockwise and I was like, "I thought it was supposed to turn clockwise" but he said I was wrong and I just wanted to make sure.

 

i think VATS cuts power to the starter so if the car cranks then the starter must be gettin some juice. sounds like you have dodged the VATS problem unless it also cuts power to the injectors.

 

There is another way to bypass VATS, not sure if it works the same with the V6 models ignition system or not, but on my 95Z28, I could measure the resistance on the chip on the key, and cut the wire(its been awhile, i forget which on it is, but its in the steering column going towards the ignition) and splice a resister (which varies in ohms depending on what the resistance was on the key chip) and it will bypass it. I had to do this because my VATS started fudging up and I didn't want to replace anything expensive. Hey it worked though! Just make sure you fix it once you get everything corrected, otherwise it makes it much easier for people to steal your car.

Joel

 

Ah yes thats the wire, Its been about 2 years, so I couldn't remember which one it was, just dont cut the Yellow wire( I believe) since this is the airbag wire, that would be bad.

 

I doubt that will work. It may work on a car that has matching engine/harness/modules, but don't think it will on his.
VATS will disable the fuel pump and the computer side of the VATS will not allow injectors to spray. You can wire the pump directly but the programming side will have to be corrected. So probably best thing to do is wait and see what happens once you have everything together.