Going to rant a little here about some of the tuning info given out here lately...

[FJM568]

Why is it that if you ask the same question here and in the general tech section, the answer's given here will be different than on the general tech section??? It just irks me that some info given out here will steer a person away from what is actually going on with the problem...These hotair setups aren't that different in respect to tuning than the IC'd cars..."rich" knock is "rich" knock no matter if it's hotair or IC...I've been around these hotair cars for 5 yrs now and the tuning principles are the same...Some things are a little different, yes, but still the same...

The general concensus here lately has been to bolt-on parts...Some of you here have more mods on your cars that your sig is longer than your posts most of the time and your cars aren't any faster than mine was when it was still a completely stock hotair motor with a KB cam, Walbro fp, and an adj fpr., PERIOD!!! I mean, it's no wonder a lot of you are pissed off after spending $5k on your hotair motor and useless upgrades and still can't break into the 13s!!!

Come on people...Spend the time, read EVERYTHING on the www.gnttype.org website...download some of the gnttype archives from the early yrs(like 97 and earlier) and read everything...There is a lot of amazing tips in there that aren't on the web pages on the site and answers to every question that you would ever need answers to about these motors...Granted, most of the stuff references the 86/7s, but the principles are the same for the hotair motors...

As I've said, read the gnttype website...Ask questions here and in the general tech section...Way more of the longtime tuning guru's are there and don't get over here too much...I'm just really tired of seeing a lot of guy's on this hotair section getting frustrated over their cars running bad and throwing alot of money away on stuff they don't even need...

Main things to upgrade on a stock hotair...Fuel pump, adj fp reg., get a decent boost gauge, convert to 86/7 ecm, get a scantool, and learn to tune that in...Once you get the car tuned in, THEN start adding the bolt-ons(Injs, turbo's, DPs, etc.) and re-tune each time you change something, because the car will run different...If you start adding stuff before you know how to tune the car, you will be lost and spend way more money on stuff you THINK is the problem but really isn't...

I have a lot more crap to b*tch about, but I'll just stop now...

Flame suit on...

 

[Two Lane]

Very sound advice!

It seems sometimes that it must be easier to spend $$ rather than read...evidently.

Also, as former Chevy/Ford owners, old habits are hard to break.

"Tuning? I don't need no steenkin' tuning!!"

LOL

 

[TType84]

good one

dont mention having a hotair in the general forum if you have a question though, it will be ignored...

if youve ever been a regular in the chatroom youd realize hotairs arent really respected anyhow. .. so i do realize why people dont ask the 86/87 guys for help usually.

but yea.. i find it funny when i see all of yall stuck in the 13s, when my car hit 13.6 with a home made cold air kit a chip, and a cracked open stock downpipe. i really dont know why all of you have such a hard time.

i put the downpipe on my car, it got stolen, and i run 13.80s now with 3psi less than before and worse 60fts..

 

[turbowrenchhead]

Besides an IAC reset and the correct tps voltage and fuel pressure, how much is there to really tune? When you get the iac and tps set all there is left is fuel pressure. If you have a scantool and can see the O2's that is the only adjustment to be made. So when you say tune the car, what do you have in mind?

 

[turbowrenchhead]

Oh yeah and boost level. But depends on how much octane your using or if you have alky injection of not.

 

[HOTSIX]

Great post. My situation is right on point.

I would love to know how to tune my ride...I got into this car about 2 yrs ago and I have learned MOSTLY everything from all the guys on here and from gnttype.

I too have a hotair and have not really much info or experience on how to tune it. I have all the adj FP reg., adj wastegate, new headers, DP, X-Over, and the other stuff - which is great - but the car doesn't seem that fast (refer to my other post "unexpected results").

Those guys out there that have some tuning experience and knowhow should post a sticky on tuning in the hotair section right below the other sticky....

Then guys could learn what numbers (o2 milivolts, pounds of FP, pounds of boost, TPS values etc) they need to tune their cars to....obviously each car would be a bit different depending on its mods - but a least guys could have a target value or ballpark to work from ....

That would help guys like me......

So come on - somebody (FJM568?) start a sticky or add to the existing one.

 

[WFO]

Originally posted by turbowrenchhead
When you get the iac and tps set all there is left is fuel pressure. If you have a scantool and can see the O2's that is the only adjustment to be made.

you hit the nail right on the head here.the truth is,there isn't that much to it,but if you don't have a scantool(or at least a knock gauge)you're flying blind.

later,sean

 

[FJM568]

One of the reasons why the IC crowd don't really give answers out anymore, is people don't listen to them and take their advice...It's like they tell you what to try, and people say, "what do you know about hotair cars...It won't work on my hotair, so I'm gonna throw more bolt-on parts on my car to fix it instead of listening to your advice." and then proceed to complain what a POS hotairs are...It's no wonder hotairs get no respect...

When I bought mine and was racing it when it was stock, some of the IC'd guys around here were amazed at how fast my car was for being stock and how little mods I had done to the car...It can be done...

Stuff like fuel pressure requirements when running a hotair motor with 86/7 ecm and IC'd chips are different...You need to lower the fuel pressure because the air charge on a hotair motor isn't as dense because the air is hotter, and the stock 84/5 turbo is smaller and flows less air at full boogie than the IC motor's...Otherwise, they are basically tuned the same way with the same principles...

BUT YOU NEED TO HAVE A SCANTOOL FIRST AFTER YOU ADD THE UPDATED FUEL PUMP, ADJ FPR, AND BOOST GAUGE...Then you can buy an aftermarket chip...

 

[BlackBuick84]

Thats some good stuff you said dude. After going to a couple car shows at the beginning of the summer an seeing other TR's, i was like "Gotta mod!!!! Gotta mod!!", coz mine's still stock. I got a DP and was already lookin at turbos and junk I knew about the fuel upgrades but figured the DP would be easier than all the fuel stuff. But I started doing searches on this board and gnttype and was blown away by the all the tidbits of info that I had at my disposal. So now after looking at older stuff thats been posted I'm gonna focus on getting a scan tool and some more gauges(digital dash isnt very helpful). So in conclusion for anyone who's starting out like me, do searches for specific things. And check the older posts from forever ago, if i'm bored, I'll just start looking through everything I can and save the good info for when i'll need it.

 

[WFO]

Originally posted by BlackBuick84
I knew about the fuel upgrades but figured the DP would be easier than all the fuel stuff.

shheeeeeiiitttt...i'd put in 10 hotwired walbro's/accufab reg's before i'd put a dp on one of these cars.

Originally posted by BlackBuick84 But I started doing searches on this board and gnttype and was blown away by the all the tidbits of info that I had at my disposal. So now after looking at older stuff thats been posted I'm gonna focus on getting a scan tool and some more gauges

thank god.all i can hope for is that you will listen and get your car running right,and others will follow.lead the way,young man.


later,sean

 

[WFO]

Originally posted by TType84
but yea.. i find it funny when i see all of yall stuck in the 13s, when my car hit 13.6 with a home made cold air kit a chip, and a cracked open stock downpipe. i really dont know why all of you have such a hard time.

i put the downpipe on my car, it got stolen, and i run 13.80s now with 3psi less than before and worse 60fts..

not real sure what you're poppin off about.looks to me like you're barely out of the 14's.thought you were gonna be in the 11's this year?

 

[HOTSIX]

What is it about the stock fuel pump that sucks so much ?

I mean I agree it sucks...I just don't know why....

Is it that it wont keep the pressure up when there is a large demand....or is it that it varies the pressure from time to time ?

 

[FJM568]

It won't pump enough volume at higher pressures so that when running high boost, it isn't pumping enough fuel...It was barely a big enough pump when stock and even a hotwire doesn't help it much...Plus they're at least 15 yrs old now or better and they do get weaker over time...

If you're going to replace it, don't even bother with the stock pump from GM, or the Sy/Ty pump, etc...Just get the Walbro 307 or the 340 and a hotwire kit and you'll have all the fuel you would ever need...


Hope this explains it...

 

[turbowrenchhead]

I agree with jim. For some reason I never upgraded my fuel pump. When I ran higher boost and the car started to get faster with the mods I would always get knock at the end of the track. I tried turning up the fuel pressure but it didn't help any. My O2's would always get to lean in the higher rpm's with higher boost levels. I tried a hotwire and that still did nothing. I broke down and bought a walbro over the last winter when racetronix ran there special. I figured with all the major changes I am making there is no way in hell that the stock fuel pump is going to keep up.

 

[BlackBuick84]

While we're on the subject of fuel pumps, is there a way to tell if I have a non-stocker w/o dropping the tank. Before i got the GN, it was raced, so it must have a better pump. Also, I can hear it when the car is idling. I hope its an aftermarket one, coz i'm too lazy to install it myself. heh heh