Putting a Caprice engine (L05-7) into a 92 g30 van (has L80e trans)

[Danboquist]

I just wanted to make sure you understood this before you decide what route you wanna go. Yes, I love reading them but, the real fun is tuning them and realizing the improvements in performance and/or MPGs after modifying the .bin

Gotcha. So the thing is.. To get maximum performance from a non stock engine.. probably need to re-chip.. May not need to re-chip to get going with acceptable performance and can make adjustments to improve performance up to a point.
The first hurdle for non stock is to get the engine running “ok”.

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

They do not all use an external balanced balancer. Mine has a neutral balanced balancer.

OK, then with a 350 balancer AND a balanced flex plate, we're running an internal balanced engine. I didn't think they existed in a 350 block but, I may be wrong - that's happened a time or 2

 

[Danboquist]

They do not all use an external balanced balancer. Mine has a neutral balanced balancer.

So for the 383 strokes, I let the builder tell me what flex plate that I need for the warranty issues.

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

So the thing is.. To get maximum performance from a non stock engine.. probably need to re-chip.. May not need to re-chip to get going with acceptable performance and can make adjustments to improve performance up to a point.
The first hurdle for non stock is to get the engine running “ok”.

GM even left a lot on the table with their OE stock systems. Rather than risk any damage to pistons etc, they simply reduced timing across the board. Depending on your fuel pressure, you want to adjust your VE tables too. Maybe reduce the time delay before it goes into PE, etc. Every engine from the factory performs differently, even "identical" ones.

 

[Danboquist]

So using my programming background and some good software and a chip burner I could start a side business?

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

So using my programming background and some good software and a chip burner I could start a side business?

Sure, how are you with hexadecimal? They're all written in it but, there are "masks" (.xdf or .adx depending) developed by folks that allow the tables and the operation system to make sense. As an example, you'll need the corresponding .adx file in TunerPro RT to data log and understand what it's saying - no biggie. Some members on these forums have decoded the system and formulated their own files.

Edit: I misspelled "Hexadecimal"

 

[Danboquist]

Sure, how are you with hexadecimal? They're all written in it but, there are "masks" (.xdf or .adx depending) developed by folks that allow the tables and the operation system to make sense. As an example, you'll need the corresponding .adx file in TunerPro RT to data log and understand what it's saying - no biggie. Some members on these forums have decoded the system and formulated their own files.

Edit: I misspelled "Hexadecimal"

Sounds cool.Heck, just reading the logs would be very interesting, I think.

 

[Danboquist]

o far, I haven’t read anything negative about the stroker engine.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

So for the 383 strokes, I let the builder tell me what flex plate that I need for the warranty issues.

They are all built different, but personal preference if it can be built without external counter balance on the front it is the prefered method. I like the counterweight on the flexplate because it makes future flexplate changes if needed easier to deal with.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

OK, then with a 350 balancer AND a balanced flex plate, we're running an internal balanced engine. I didn't think they existed in a 350 block but, I may be wrong - that's happened a time or 2

All 1-piece rear seal SBCs and even 4.3Ls have a counterweighted flexplate or equivalently balanced flywheel to my knowledge. My 383 is just like any 86+ SBC, neutral balance front, counterweighted rear. That would be internal balanced front and external balanced rear.