93formulalt1's Projects Thread

[SoulTerror]

Take a can of PB Blaster and soak the shit out of the manifold bolts at night, then go out the next morning and soak them some more, wait a little bit then get to work. This is what I did when me and another member did the headers on my 87 2.8l Firebird, and we had zero issues with the bolts.

[93formulalt1]

Take a can of PB Blaster and soak the shit out of the manifold bolts at night, then go out the next morning and soak them some more, wait a little bit then get to work. This is what I did when me and another member did the headers on my 87 2.8l Firebird, and we had zero issues with the bolts.

I've tried spraying the bolts down, but the problem comes up when I can't even see the bolts, let alone hit them with the PB Blaster. Seems like the only ones I can actually get to are the front and back bolts on the Driver's side and the front bolt on the Passenger side. I'll pull the alternator and unbolt the motor mounts the day before I plan on starting the teardown, I bought new engine and trans mounts too, so they need to be pulled anyway. Thanks for the tip! I already picked up some PB Blaster the other day, planned on doing this. Glad to hear it prevented problems on your car!

TunerCats doesn't data log that's why, Nick. You want DataMaster or FreeScan. DataMaster is the better one to use than FreeScan so if you are willing to devote the time to finding a working, older DataMaster install then it's well worth it. I might even have one that I could upload but I'd have to search my laptop for the install file. TunerCat is strictly for programming the PCM and I'm curious if you can even program using TunerCats on a 1993?

Interesting, it has a "Record Data" option that lets you set up everything, but as soon as I click the "Record" button, an error message pops up. . . I would have thought they wouldn't have included the menu option for it if the software wasn't capable of doing it. . . I think I may have found a link to the Datamaster file I need over on Speeddensity.org, I'll give it a shot when I take the Ram back and pick up my car tomorrow afternoon.

[meissen]

I could be wrong, but everything I've ever read about tuning a 94-97 LT1 says you have to have TunerCats to program the PCM and then DataMaster to do the data logging. That's how Steve did it as well when he tuned my car.

[93formulalt1]

I'll look into it a little more. . . I have the tune from PCM4Less, just waiting to get these headers and t-stat installed so I can plug it in. Can't wait to see what kind of difference that makes. I'm looking at different options as far as PROM chip writers, software, that kind of thing, but for now, I'd be happy to just get some data logged so I can start to figure out what can be improved.

Thanks for the help, B. I'll probably be picking your brain a little more as I go along.

[93formulalt1]

Is there anyone on here that has a garage with a lift that I might be able to use for a couple days? I'm reading some writeups on the header install, and it just sounds like it's going to be a real PITA to do it in the driveway on jackstands. . .

[93formulalt1]

Well, I tried out FreeScan last night, and I can't seem to get it to continuously read the data from the ECM. It will read the instantaneous data when I click the "Force Data" button, but it only reads it once, then stops. There is no continuous exchange of information, whereas with tunercats, it will constantly display the engine data. Maybe it's something wrong with my computer?

[93formulalt1]

Well, a little birdy I know is under the knife, so updates will be coming soon. . . all I know is this "little birdy" is gonna come back with claws. . . haha

[93formulalt1]

The "little red birdy" has me feeling extremely sore right now, so I think it's time to call it quits for the night. . .

Pics will be posted tomorrow, after the surgery is complete. . .

[prorac1]

FWIW, the only way you are going to be able to tune your car is with a chip burner. I have tunercats but am unsure what deffinition file a 93 would use. And I could never get datamaster to work with a 93. I tried to use it on Reds 93 to no avail. If you were closer I would help ya out. But I got a feeling your on the East side. Good luck, Eric L

[93formulalt1]

FWIW, the only way you are going to be able to tune your car is with a chip burner. I have tunercats but am unsure what deffinition file a 93 would use. And I could never get datamaster to work with a 93. I tried to use it on Reds 93 to no avail. If you were closer I would help ya out. But I got a feeling your on the East side. Good luck, Eric L

I ordered a chip from PCM4Less. That's the initial tune I'm going with, I'm just using the datalogs to help figure out if there's more power to be gained, and eventually, I'm going to go ahead and get my hands on the PROM chip burner and maybe even a piggyback adaptor and an emulator so I can mess around with it on my own, but for now, I'm just going to use the datalogs as a learning tool, and I'll be messing around with the other stuff later on.

Should have the chip installed tomorrow, as well as the headers (already on, took me ~5 hours), ORY, e-cutout, 160* t-stat, valve covers, OTVC wires, new plugs, and the poly trans mount. After all that work, my car is probably going to feel like a completely different animal. I did this on purpose, I wanted to make sure I could get decent results on the SOTP dyno. Hopefully, all my hard work will pay off, and my car won't disappoint. Should have her moving under her own power again by tomorrow afternoon. Hoping to pick up my sister from school running open headers or open cutout, depending on how much I get done tomorrow.

[phoenix_rising]

Yep you guys are going to sh*t yourselves when you see what me and Nick did last night.

[93formulalt1]

Yep you guys are going to sh*t yourselves when you see what me and Nick did last night.

You need to watch how you phrase things. . . That just sounds bad.

Anywho, I got everything put back together, and I was about to start the car up for the first time (with open headers lol), and I remembered one little thing that I forgot to re-install. . . The oil dipstick tube. So, before I tried to start the car, I got out, unhooked the battery again, and tried to push the dipstick back into place. . . No dice. It won't even start going into the hole in the block. I have been working on that darned thing for about a half hour already, and I can't get the damned thing in there. Any ideas?

[93formulalt1]

WHHYYYY!!! I got everything put back together, started the car, and OMG, it sounded AMAZING! for a minute. . . Now, for some reason or another, the damn car is backfiring. . . I think I may have simply fouled out a plug wire, but I'm not sure. The car sounded GREAT for the few seconds it was running right. I didn't install the OTVC wires yet, I was just running the old ones, since they still looked to be in good shape, and I didn't want to fuss with the wires yet, since the new valve covers aren't on yet.

SOMEONE HELP ME!!!

[MunsterZ28]

check for cracked plugs, i cracked 3 of mine somehow but i was doing it middle of winter in a garage so things may have been a little tempermental

[93formulalt1]

Nevermind, I realized that two of my plug wires were mixed up. . . Fixed it, car sounds great again! About to take it around the block with open headers to see how it feels!