Anyone in North Jersey area able to tune V6 Bird?

[Mark42]

I'm still looking for someone local to update the PCM to correct the speedo for the gear change. Need someone with a HPTuners license for 98 V6 or some other application that will update the V6 software.

I would rather deal with someone/speed shop local before doing the mail order tune.

Any suggestions or references are greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Mark.

[NJ Torque]

Check out Devin @ Intense whiplash, I know for a fact he can do 98's.

http://www.intensewhiplash.com/tuning.htm

[Whiplash Performance]

Yeah, we do 98 and up tuning.

[Mark42]

Yeah, we do 98 and up tuning.

Devin, I sent you an E-mail.

Mark

[Mark42]

Anyone else? Any other options?

[3.4 grape of wrath]

I use Bob Ida in Morganville he's an old time drag racer knows his stuff. He's right off of Rt 9. Not sure how far from you though but worth the drive.
http://www.idaautomotive.com/default1.asp

[Mark42]

I use Bob Ida in Morganville he's an old time drag racer knows his stuff. He's right off of Rt 9. Not sure how far from you though but worth the drive.
http://www.idaautomotive.com/default1.asp

Thanks for that reference.

The problem I'm having is everyone that has HP Tuners only has license for the V8 models, not the V6 models. So they need to buy the V6 license, and that makes it expensive.

I need someone who already has a V6 license. Otherwise, its a mail order tune, which I would like to avoid.

[Whiplash Performance]

Thanks for that reference.

The problem I'm having is everyone that has HP Tuners only has license for the V8 models, not the V6 models. So they need to buy the V6 license, and that makes it expensive.

I need someone who already has a V6 license. Otherwise, its a mail order tune, which I would like to avoid.

It's going to be really hard to find somebody with unlimited V6 license.
How the license works
pay $500.00 for unlimited model/engine licenses.
or
$100.00 per car.

I'll contact my friend that's down near Philly if he has unlimited credits for v6 camaros if he does I'll let you know.

Good luck

[Slow-V6]

Check out www.firebirdv6.com. Its a site just like this one for V6's. There is a NJ section on there and you can ask those people.

[Tru2Chevy]

Check out www.firebirdv6.com. Its a site just like this one for V6's. There is a NJ section on there and you can ask those people.

You can also ask around on http://www.fullthrottlev6.com

- Justin

[Mark42]

No luck finding some one local, so I ordered from pcmforless. They are quick, ordered on Monday, got the PCM on Thursday. Have to mail back a core for refund. But they give no documentation on the changes they made, such as what the fan on/off temps are, if they actually removed the high speed limit, etc. Would be nice to have an overview of what the "off the shelf" tune is. The important part is that the PCM plugged in and started with no issues, and the speedo seems to be correct. Have to verify the odometer with the mile markers on the highway going home today. If the odometer is correct, I'll assume the speedo is correct.

Final step is to do the Case Relearn. I'm calling around to Chevy/Pontiac dealers in the area and see who can do it while I wait, maybe during lunch.

[Mark42]

Update: Found a Chevy dealer who did what is referred to as a "case relearn" on these and other fourms. Turns out the procedure is actually called "Crankshaft Position System Variation Learning Procedure ". I looked it up on GM's Service Information system, and printed the document and brought it with me to the dealer. Handed it to the service manager, so he knew exactly what I wanted. He called a tech over handed him the paper and my keys and told him to go to it. Took about 15 minutes, and they charged me for 15 minutes labor. In and out in less than half an hour.

The best part is the PCM has been updated with the learn, and it was done properly.

I also checked the odometer against mile markers on the highway. After 7 miles, the odometer was still clicking over 1/10 mile increments exactly matching the markers on the side of the road. Cool.

BTW, while I was there a 3rd gen was rolled out of the paint shop. Beautiful orange car. Perfect body panels and gaps were even. Nice.

[Slow-V6]

Just remember if you decide to run a power adder that PCM for less probably Advanced your timing and leaned out the A/F mixter to get you the most power out of a stock car.

[Mark42]

Just remember if you decide to run a power adder that PCM for less probably Advanced your timing and leaned out the A/F mixter to get you the most power out of a stock car.

Thanks for the warning. I think you are right about them changing the A/F mix, especially because they claim 1-3 mpg improvement depending on mods. I doubt this car will ever see any more mods other than oil coolers, wheels/tires and maybe an exhaust. If the exhaust replaced with a Magnaflow, the PCM will go back for more tune. Things like NOS or bolt on blowers are not likely.

[Slow-V6]

Thanks for the warning. I think you are right about them changing the A/F mix, especially because they claim 1-3 mpg improvement depending on mods. I doubt this car will ever see any more mods other than oil coolers, wheels/tires and maybe an exhaust. If the exhaust replaced with a Magnaflow, the PCM will go back for more tune. Things like NOS or bolt on blowers are not likely.

I hear you. Thats the way I first felt when I got my 98 V6. Basic bolt ons to start then I was introduced to a little thing called N20.. It was nice having 370rwhp out of a V6 and still getting 30mpg..

[Blacdout96]

I do have a V6 question. My computer can't be tuned by HP and what not (97 computer) but can it still be adjusted for the A/F and timing? as in on a dyno or can that only be obtained by mail order computer? Ive already had my computer tuned before by pcmforless.com.

[Slow-V6]

Mail order or try to find a Maft translator Plus. You can tune the A/F and timing with a turn of a nob. Thats what I used on my 98 firebird and I still have on my 02 WS6.

[Tru2Chevy]

I do have a V6 question. My computer can't be tuned by HP and what not (97 computer) but can it still be adjusted for the A/F and timing? as in on a dyno or can that only be obtained by mail order computer? Ive already had my computer tuned before by pcmforless.com.

97 should be fine for HP Tuners.

From their supported product list:97-02 Firebird/Camaro 3.8

- Justin

[foff667]

It's going to be really hard to find somebody with unlimited V6 license.
How the license works
pay $500.00 for unlimited model/engine licenses.
or
$100.00 per car.

I'll contact my friend that's down near Philly if he has unlimited credits for v6 camaros if he does I'll let you know.

Good luck

Year/model licenses are only $199.xx for most V6's, single vcm licenses are $99.xx however.

No offense but V6 guys(for the most part) really want something for nothing, V8 fbody guys regularly pay $500+ for a dyno tune, whereas V6 guys have been used to the $125 mail order tuning market for quite some time now.

If you want someone to change for gears or something for $25 your only recourse would be to find someone with that specific hpt license or consider purchasing your own suite.

-Bill

[Blacdout96]

I dont mind what the cost would be, I just would want my car tuned personally and in person rather then swapping it back and forth in the mail, god knows what they really did to my computer. you get what you pay for.

[Whiplash Performance]

I dont mind what the cost would be, I just would want my car tuned personally and in person rather then swapping it back and forth in the mail, god knows what they really did to my computer. you get what you pay for.

We could personally tune your car for you and make updates as you mod your car without having to swap your PCM back and forth.

[Blacdout96]

SEE thats the answer I've been waiting to hear, and you sure you can do a 1997 V6? our computers are tricky as ****.

[Whiplash Performance]

SEE thats the answer I've been waiting to hear, and you sure you can do a 1997 V6? our computers are tricky as ****.

HP tuner's website has it listed that it can tune your computer.
So looks like we would be good to go to tune your car.

[Blacdout96]

hm. well you'll be hearing from me in the near future, I got a cammed/ little higher compressioned/ worked heads engine that will need tuning.

[Slow-V6]

hm. well you'll be hearing from me in the near future, I got a cammed/ little higher compressioned/ worked heads engine that will need tuning.

What are the specs on the cam and heads you have? What pistons did you use? My old V6 was bored over with stage 1 SSMS heads and a big cam at the time. It dynoed in at 225rwhp and 225rwtq with a tune off of my old Maft translater. HP tuners wasnt working on V6's yet so I wasnt able to adjust my RPM rev limiter to compansate for the cam. My cam made its max power @ 6800 rpms but the stock rev limiter is set at 5800 rpms. I wasnt able to see what my car would have made with a good tune.

[Blacdout96]

Im going with the Abbott's N/A cam, and the engine's been bored .030 over, I know right on the edge, but there's no F.I, or NOS being used, so I don't worry too much. I have powdered forged rods waiting to go in, and the heads I believe I'll go stage 1 or 2 with abbott. Also I went with Speed Pro pistons

[Slow-V6]

Im going with the Abbott's N/A cam, and the engine's been bored .030 over, I know right on the edge, but there's no F.I, or NOS being used, so I don't worry too much. I have powdered forged rods waiting to go in, and the heads I believe I'll go stage 1 or 2 with abbott. Also I went with Speed Pro pistons

I was sprayin a 125 shot on my bored out 3.8 and it loved every lb of N20!! Untuned on the gas my car made 370rwhp. Abbott wasnt around when I built up my car. The only heads and cam company was Super Six motorsports and there wasnt even a stage 2 or 3 either. If you dont mind me asking why use forged internals if you plan on staying N/A? I am just asking because I know how pricey they are!! My Car had High compression Diamond forged and coated pistons with Forged L32 rods and a custom Crank. Cost about 2000.00 for the rotating assembley. I did all that because I was running N20.

[Firebird92]

i need someone that can tune my ECM to read boost for bigger injectors a bar 2 MAF and a wideband O2 but can't find anyone that will touch a 92 firebird computer

[Blacdout96]

I was sprayin a 125 shot on my bored out 3.8 and it loved every lb of N20!! Untuned on the gas my car made 370rwhp. Abbott wasnt around when I built up my car. The only heads and cam company was Super Six motorsports and there wasnt even a stage 2 or 3 either. If you dont mind me asking why use forged internals if you plan on staying N/A? I am just asking because I know how pricey they are!! My Car had High compression Diamond forged and coated pistons with Forged L32 rods and a custom Crank. Cost about 2000.00 for the rotating assembley. I did all that because I was running N20.

no forged pistons, just teh powdered forged rods. the deck was milled to be flat, the heads are goign to be milled, and Im goign to run thin head gaskets from cometic, so I'll be around 9.6,9.7 C/R. I was aiming for 10.0, but too much stuff would haveto be modified, and the heads would be weakened to do that, and 10.4 pistons are out of my budget. It's nto so much the C/R that I was worried about, but I'm settign it up to be a road race applicable car, so to make up for the missing torque, like most small litre motor's im tryign to apply more RPM to it, and our motor's are a little skimmish past 6000-6500 because our oil ways are a tad too small. I'm havign the oil passages opened slighty, and I'm using intense's oil pressure kit to boost it up from 55lbs. to 85lbs to ensure there is oil there in the higher RPM's, I believe that was one of the flaws that scrapped my last block.

[Slow-V6]

I had that intense oil pressure kit on my built motor. It didnt do a damn thing. Still had stock oil pressure. My Cam specs were 210in 220ex 534inlift 547exlift with a 112 L/S.. I had 10.1 compression ratio. You will want some light weight top end componants also. I used comp springs with titainium retainers. also I had Manley light weight valves and intense racing pushrods.

[Blacdout96]

The heads from Abbott are usually pre-assembled with #130 springs and retainers. I was looking to go 10.0 on the C?R, what did you do to achieve that? I also purchased the light weight pushrods and comp cam racing lifters for that setup. and before I'm asked, yes I got the double roller set, and I have to send out the crank sprocket to match the original crank sprocket sine they are built for the Aussie cranks.

Did oyu have your oil bypass sealed? that's something that's a must for our engines.

[12secondv6]

My v6 had a mail order tune.
Tuned specifically for nitrous (timing wasn't advanced as much as an n/a car)
It was dead on A/F for N/A
With a bit of jet changing, it was dead on on the bottle.

My v6 was far from stock.

[Slow-V6]

My v6 had a mail order tune.
Tuned specifically for nitrous (timing wasn't advanced as much as an n/a car)
It was dead on A/F for N/A
With a bit of jet changing, it was dead on on the bottle.

My v6 was far from stock.


Didnt you only have ported heads and bolt ons on yours? I remember watching your car run at those V6 meets every year in Maryland. I went the one year with Stefan ( The Virus) and Jenn ( Pathogen ) when she still had her Camaro!

[Slow-V6]

The heads from Abbott are usually pre-assembled with #130 springs and retainers. I was looking to go 10.0 on the C?R, what did you do to achieve that? I also purchased the light weight pushrods and comp cam racing lifters for that setup. and before I'm asked, yes I got the double roller set, and I have to send out the crank sprocket to match the original crank sprocket sine they are built for the Aussie cranks.

Did oyu have your oil bypass sealed? that's something that's a must for our engines.

The heads I had milled down by my machine shop and I got The High compression Diamond pistons. The CR was around 10.2:1.. My pistons alone were around 1000.00 dollars..

I tried a mail order tune but my car wouldnt even run on the PCM for less tune. I sent it back and they sent another and still my car wouldnt run with it! I kept my stock PCM and used Maft translator Plus to tune the A/F and timing.

As far as the oil bypass thing I dont remember. It was a spring kit for the Oil pump. I didnt have a double roller timing set.

[Blacdout96]

Yeah, I'm using stock compression pistons, so it's only going up a few for the C/R, nothing too major. When you mean it wouldn't run on your tune, was it just cranking, or was it running, but so crappy you didn't wantto move it an inch, cause thats what I'm talking about, I don't want to do a mial ordr tun, cause you have to wait to get it back and you don't know what they did, and if it'll work.

[Slow-V6]

Yeah, I'm using stock compression pistons, so it's only going up a few for the C/R, nothing too major. When you mean it wouldn't run on your tune, was it just cranking, or was it running, but so crappy you didn't wantto move it an inch, cause thats what I'm talking about, I don't want to do a mial ordr tun, cause you have to wait to get it back and you don't know what they did, and if it'll work.


We did the motor in my car with the stock PCM. I started up and drove fine. Sounded really good with the cam. I then got the PCM from PCM for less and installed it in my car and when I fired it up It ran like crap!! I let it idle or tried to let it idle for some time but it kept on dying. I called up the company and they told me it should work fine. They suggested to send it back to them and they will send out another. They other one did the same thing. I sent it back to them again and just gave up on it. I sent them a list my mods and they built a tune around what I had done. Of course this was 5 years ago so I am sure they have gotton alot better with V6 cars.

[Blacdout96]

Wow, that's messed up. I know when I sent my computer out, I asked for firmer shifts and what not. I got it back, and they did change my rear gear ratio, and lifted the speed limiter, and rev limiter, but as for shifting, felt like normal. I was pissed.

[Mark42]

We did the motor in my car with the stock PCM. I started up and drove fine. Sounded really good with the cam. I then got the PCM from PCM for less and installed it in my car and when I fired it up It ran like crap!! I let it idle or tried to let it idle for some time but it kept on dying. I called up the company and they told me it should work fine. They suggested to send it back to them andhttp://www.njfboa.org/forums/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=677934 they will send out another. They other one did the same thing. I sent it back to them again and just gave up on it. I sent them a list my mods and they built a tune around what I had done. Of course this was 5 years ago so I am sure they have gotton alot better with V6 cars.

Did you have a Crankshaft Position System Variation Learning Procedure done on the PCM that came from PCMforless? If not that might have been the problem. If the PCM is changed, the learn procedure must be done for the PCM to interpret the crank trigger properly. If you sent them the original PCM for a tune, then it was not needed, UNLESS the crank shaft pickup was replaced or removed/reinstalled.

[Mark42]

Wow, that's messed up. I know when I sent my computer out, I asked for firmer shifts and what not. I got it back, and they did change my rear gear ratio, and lifted the speed limiter, and rev limiter, but as for shifting, felt like normal. I was pissed.

I specified "slightly firmer" shifts. It came back firmer on the 1-2 shift and only slightly firmer for the others. I'm not that impressed with modifying PCM parms to get the shifts firmer, although it obviously worked on my tune.

Eventually, a shift kit will be installed and the PCM set back to factory spec.

[Blacdout96]

i got a shift kit for sale for our 4l60e since im going T5, new in box.


And I forgot about the learn crap, good point.

[foff667]

i need someone that can tune my ECM to read boost for bigger injectors a bar 2 MAF and a wideband O2 but can't find anyone that will touch a 92 firebird computer

There are many reasons you'll likely NOT find anyone that will touch it. All of those reasons are good ones as well.

[foff667]

Didnt you only have ported heads and bolt ons on yours? I remember watching your car run at those V6 meets every year in Maryland. I went the one year with Stefan ( The Virus) and Jenn ( Pathogen ) when she still had her Camaro!

Bolt ons, alot of bolts removed, spray, gears, TC more than likely, etc. You make it sound like he had a CAI & catback :lol:

You don't run low 12's in a v6 firebird with a few bolt ons.

[Slow-V6]

Bolt ons, alot of bolts removed, spray, gears, TC more than likely, etc. You make it sound like he had a CAI & catback :lol:

You don't run low 12's in a v6 firebird with a few bolt ons.

Your right!! You runs low 12's in a V6 with bolt ons, weight reduction and N20!

I should have been more specific. I was refering to his motor! I believe his Motor had the stock cam, stock internals with ported heads with headers and the usual bolt ons!! I think James car dynoed @ 180rwhp on motor if I remember correctly!!

[Slow-V6]

Did you have a Crankshaft Position System Variation Learning Procedure done on the PCM that came from PCMforless? If not that might have been the problem. If the PCM is changed, the learn procedure must be done for the PCM to interpret the crank trigger properly. If you sent them the original PCM for a tune, then it was not needed, UNLESS the crank shaft pickup was replaced or removed/reinstalled.

I dont remember. That was 5 years ago! All I remember is that I told them what Mods I had and they sent me a PCM then I was suppose to send in my stock PCM..