Best Street Setup

[89TTA1415]

I just purchased a TTA with these mods and I'm curious as to the best street setup as I want to drive the car most of the time and it be reliable and fast. The current mods are as follows:

TE-51 Turbo
Terry Houston Downpipe with Dump
009 42.5# Injectors
K&N Filter with Hardpipe kit
Buick Chips Modified Chip - Not sure what was modified?
Buick Coil Pack
AFPR and Pressure Guage
Scanmaster 2
9.5 Lockup Converter
Boost Controller

The car is very fast but it runs very rich at the low end and crusing. What would be the best changes to reduce some of the emissions without costing a lot and not hurting the performance? Thanks for any help from the experienced crowd.

 

[trading t/a]

Two suggestions: I would get in touch with bob bailey! He burns the extender chips and grab a translator and 3in. LT1 maf. I like the adjustability. You can trim fuel plus or minus 10%. And the LT1 maf should help airflow a lot.

Another option is what i'm gonna look into.

http://www.tunercat.com/tnr_desc/rttnr_desc.html

I may try this out instead of getting an eraser burner reader etc. Real time changes. Also the 009's are notorious for running rich down low and lean up top. I would get a set of 50's or 57's.


Good luck

 

[RobR]

Congrats on the new ride.

You should probably get a new chip. Reds supposedly makes a good 009 chip. So does Eric at TuboTweak from what I hear. Those injectors are harder to tune.

Or just swap out the injectors to 50# with a new chip. They are just like the stockers and perform great.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[TTA850]

I'd agree and scrap the 009's in favor of 50's and get a good set of chips from the likes of Jim Testa or Eric at turbotweak.

I think thats where you will see the biggest improvement in performance and driveability with the smallest investment.

Steve

 

[1badTTA]

Might want to look into the "Commander" chips that Mike Licht is selling, same features as the translator chips without the need for a different MAF etc. Look very promising as you will have the tunability without having to spend a bunch on other things you don't really need.

 

[Lee_Burough]

Skip our Mistakes if you want to

You can skip some of the mistakes boardmembers have made if you want to....Like buying bolt-ons we didn't need....Or, Buying injectors or turbos twice....Meaning, buy 50's and a good matching chip (Translator plus and extender is the way to go in my view)

A lot can be said for learning and tuning the combination already in your car. Then, after some experience, making a decision about how fast you want to go, and then, creating a roadmap to get there

You can get an idea of what you may need to do to get into the 12's and 11's, running almost stock, by studying the recipies on our FAQ page TTATony was into the 11's with a pretty stock car, and, within 44 days of TTA ownership

 

[89TTA1415]

Thanks for all of the information. I will contact them both and find out what I need with the mods I have. Where is the best place to buy 50'S? You guys rock.

 

[turbot2496]

This crap cracks me up

Seems like the consensus is to swap injectors and add a high dollar maf setup that you don't need?????

Your car currently has everything you need to run mid elevens on race gas, which is plenty fast for a street car. The 009's are awesome injectors and no, they are not hard to tune. Its all in the chip. What you need is to get with somebody competent and get a decent street chip for your application and call it a day. If you want to go to the track and be all you can be then you will need a race chip to use the high octane race fuel. Unless you can let a chip programmer hook your car up to direct scan and burn you a custom chip, you will probably have to get with somebody competent and try several programs(and no, I doubt they will charge you 75 a pop... they should work with you to get you a program that will work if not call someone else). Its hard for chip programmers to burn a certain octane chip for every application and Mod. You can take fuel out or put it in, in the chip, its not a problem with the injectors. The injectors just do what the computer tells them too. If a chip programmer tells you he can't burn you a good chip for 009's then find another chip programmer. Also most chip programmers burn their generic chips a little rich for safty reasons. Call a good chip programmer like the ones mentioned above and they should be able to fix you up unless you have a ton a cash in your pocket burning a hole. Then by all means start throwing cash at the car like recomended above. Good Luck.

 

[turbot2496]

OOOOOPssss

My dumba@# just remembered the actual title of this thread. 'best street setup'

After reading his post, it sounded like he was just trying to fix a rich running condition, which I didn't believe all the parts recommended were called for.

Sorry if I ruffled any feathers.

As far as a 'best' street setup with the parts you already have, I would get with a chip programmer who has experience with burning chips for alky injection. An alky injection kit to help you run more boost on the street and a good chip and it should be a pretty bad 'street' car. You can put a homemade kit together for about 150 bucks and get a chip for about 75. So for about 225 I think you would get more bang for the buck out of this than investing in new injectors($350) and a maf translator extender chip settup.($500). Your 009's should be good on the street. They should get you down to around the mid elevens at the track.

 

[trading t/a]

There is absilutely no reason to run alky on a street car of any kind. If you're looking for mid to low 12's all you need is the injector and chip to get you there.

Why spend the money on an alky setup when those dollars could be used elsewhere. I ran a 12.7 at 18psi witha horrible 60' and not even a hint of knock. It just takes time. I like the translator and maf so you can adjust the fuel +- 10%. You wanna run more boost make the car richer up top, got bad gas take some timing out. For the money(and considering the flow characteristics of both maf's) i like the extender chip and bigger better flowing maf's.

JMO

Good luck

 

[turbot2496]

There is absilutely no reason to run alky on a street car of any kind.





Well, I guess it depends on the posters definition of street performance. I'm sure everyones is different. It is fact that you can run more boost with alky inj on street gas ie 91 to 93 octane. Another fact is more boost equals more power if all other factors are equal. I do believe there is a reason to run alky on the street if you wanna run all the boost you can on low octane fuel without knock. I also believe its just one more thing to mess with too, so do not run it unless you want to tune for it and maintain it. His car is easily a 12 sec car with nothing but a good street chip now, I agree. Its a eleven sec car with the right tuning and race gas. Perhaps even with street gas and alky and the right tune. If you reread his post he mentioned that cost is a factor. The cheapest solution to his rich running condition is a properly burned $75 custom chip for his combination. Not a $800 maf- chip-injector settup that will also need to be custom burned for his combo. The alky injection would just be icing on the cake allowing him to crank up the boost that much more on the street. Totally up to him, the car will be fast either way. I guess even on the street, it just depends on how fast you want to go. I would think with cost being an issue my recomendation would be the way to go although the maf translator extender combo is an excellent product. Now if cost is not a factor give Cal Hartline a call and ask him about his definition of street performance and his 8.5 sec street buick I'm sitting here reading about. Another thing to remember is that the stock maf has been run down into the tens so until you get real fast the stocker flows plenty good. Nice to know theres a place you can ask these questions and hear about all your options. Now the hard part is deciding which one to go with. LOL

 

[trading t/a]

$800 sheesh Can I sell you my set up? I'll give it to you for $795 and save a whole lot and buy another. JK!

I paid $10 for my maf and around $400 for 50's and trans+

it's great! jmo though to each their own.

 

[Razor]

Originally posted by trading t/a
There is absilutely no reason to run alky on a street car of any kind. If you're looking for mid to low 12's all you need is the injector and chip to get you there.

Why spend the money on an alky setup when those dollars could be used elsewhere.

This is the biggest farce statement I have read yet.

Dont believe me, look at TTA1387 Rob R. car, went 11.61 on alky. My sig was on alky totally stock motor cept 50's and and a PT51.

What can I say, two years of running my car, I've even hit 30 PSI due to a waste gate hose failing, never has the motor been apart.. tranny yes, rear end yes.. motor never. Period. This is why alky..to save your azzz from popping a hole in a piston or crunching the bearings.

Lets see you tickle an 11 second pass on a stock longblock with 93 octane..aint gonna happen. 12.8..why bother.. a new Z06 will tear you a new one at that level..I ve been at 12.8 a long time ago..saw enough tail lights to want more. Now they see mine.

If you dont have direct scan, and dont want to use your motor as a guinea pig for chip testing, go to .. 50's.. and get a simple chip from Eric at turbo tweak, an alky kit, call it a day.

Racetronix has the 50's for like 325 shipped.

Lastly, I didnt see a fuel pump in your list. The stock one is pegged around the lower 12's. Get a walbro 340 and a TTA hot wire kit(optional).

I'm giving you a solid 11 second combo on pump gas, with your mods, less than a 1000 bucks. Guaranteed

 

[19TTA89]

Originally posted by trading t/a
There is absilutely no reason to run alky on a street car of any kind.

Dont Mind Pete.....Any Alcohol That he Doesnt Consume,Is considered A huge Waste.....

If I cant Drink It ....I dont like it!!!!!!

 

[RobR]

I agree with Razor. Julio has a great setup for alky. Perfectly streetable as well as the SMC kit I'm running. But I'll probably make the switch to Julio's setup. I like the idea of progressive alky with boost rather than the all at once shot I get. But it has worked for 2 years with no problems for me.

Also agree on the Walbro. If you go the injector route, Racetronix has the fuel pump kit also. Mine is hot wired but that kit is supposed to pretty good.

And I'm a firm believer in Direct Scan. Nothing is better for tuning the car. And just tune for 0.0 knock and you'll be a happy camper.

 

[89TTA1415]

Just so everyone understands, I do want it fast but not sure I want to maintain the alky setup. The car will be used at the track occasionally but mostly on the street. I just want the best combination for that usage. Since most of you have owned these cars for a while and know what works and what doesn't I just thought I could eliminate the trial and error for getting the best combination for how I will drive the car. It probably is in the high 12's now but the exhaust at idle and cruise is awful and I do want to drive it with the tops out without choking. I do understand it will always smell, just trying to minimize that smell and it still be fast.

 

[Razor]

Originally posted by 89TTA1415
Just so everyone understands, I do want it fast but not sure I want to maintain the alky setup. The car will be used at the track occasionally but mostly on the street. I just want the best combination for that usage. Since most of you have owned these cars for a while and know what works and what doesn't I just thought I could eliminate the trial and error for getting the best combination for how I will drive the car. It probably is in the high 12's now but the exhaust at idle and cruise is awful and I do want to drive it with the tops out without choking. I do understand it will always smell, just trying to minimize that smell and it still be fast.

If you want to be fast and not maintain the alky setup, easy. Only use 110 unleaded in your tank. But this requires buying and storing a 55 gallon drum of the stuff, and pumping it into the car. You need octane to make power. Find a way not to need octane..especially on a stocker.. please let us all know.

The reason your car smells is becuase of a chip issue. 009's are notorious for being fat on the bottom and lean on the top. Hence why the big chip debacle. But not having a direct scan where you can record the events, a "CHIP GUY" cant help but send you a generic chip with fingers crossed hopes it will resolve your issue. Not the same ith 50's.

Last tid bit.. the TTA overflow tank used with my alky setup, is 1.5 gallons. It will last weeks before needing to be refilled. Hey its the price to be paid to go fast on the cheaps. Methanol alcohol is 2.50 a gallon. You consume 6 ounces on a hard quarter mile pass. The tank holds 192/6= 32 hard passes

Last alternative is go bigger heads, cam, turbo, innercooler, stall converter, throttle body, intake, etc..open the airflow up and make more power on 93.. but this has its limits as well.

Lastly, we're all assumming your car being rich on the bottom..is not a tuning issue. Like a vacuum leak for instance. make sure the readings on your scanmaster are all normal.. bet they're not.

 

[89TTA1415]

So if I buy 50's and get one of the guys to burn me a new chip for my setup then it should be better? Since the scanmaster was installed before I bought the car then I don't know the baselines or have a manual. Any help in this area would also be appreciated.

 

[Razor]

MAF 4-6
IAC 20-30
BLM 118-138, preferably 124-132
CLT=Coolant..aprox 165-170 hot
MPH= miles per hour preferably 140+
LV8= load..no worry
INT= Integrator= short term fueling adjustment.
TPS= Throttle position sensor= .40-.46 at idle, 4.5+ at WOT
MAL= malfunction code = 0 if everything is ok.

I'd would say check your TPS, IAC, and BLM numbers while the car is idling in park. Report back.

Julio

 

[89TTA1415]

Thanks...I'll give it a shot when I get home and see what it is reading. Anyplace I can get a manual on the scanmaster?