Best cheap hp/trq gains

[618 Syndicate]

Slightly academic question but....
Say the exhaust was changed - headers and/or better flowing system downstream. Reading the posts that would demand a re-tune to make the most of it. Is that for fuelling more than ignition timing? Would such a change require tweaking of the ignition timing? And, if it were a carbed motor, would the carb cope with the exhaust changes without recalibration?

Most fuel injected vehicles will see gains with a tune because factory settings are not performance oriented. Tuning of a fuel injected vehicle is achieved through the PCM as timing, fuel and air parameters are processed there. How much is dependent on what the hardware can support and how much the factory left on the table. Adding performance parts like headers will increase the potential for gain. Changing the jetting, timing, and air input on a carbd motor will have the same effect.

 

[Supercharged111]

Frank would need 3 or 4 tunes!

He's currently carbureted and he's a 1992-ish model year mish-mash of parts!

I forget what a bastardized thing he is. Go crack open that Holley book and get to work!

 

[Frank Enstein]

I forget what a bastardized thing he is. Go crack open that Holley book and get to work!

I memorized that book 35 years ago. I can make a carb sing and dance but I can't tune one 200 times a second! EFI wins that one everytime. The plan is TPI with an 89 Mustang computer.

 

[Erik the Awful]

The plan is TPI with an 89 Mustang computer.

If you were a real man you'd swap in an EEC-III and pull codes with a vacuum gauge. I had to help a buddy pull codes on his '84 Thunderbird once. Step 1 - fix all other vacuum leaks.

 

[Supercharged111]

I memorized that book 35 years ago. I can make a carb sing and dance but I can't tune one 200 times a second! EFI wins that one everytime. The plan is TPI with an 89 Mustang computer.

Does a stock GM distributor play with an external Ferd TFI module? Any reason to do that over ebl flash?

 

[Schurkey]

If you were a real man you'd swap in an EEC-III and pull codes with a vacuum gauge. I had to help a buddy pull codes on his '84 Thunderbird once. Step 1 - fix all other vacuum leaks.

I still get queasy thinking about my sister-in-law's AMC Spirit (Ghost of a Gremlin) running the Ford-based MCU system.

Piece of crap would set a code when driven on the highway in cold weather.

I never did figure it out. "Everything" tested good; and the shop didn't have a scan tool that would talk to it.

 

[Frank Enstein]

Does a stock GM distributor play with an external Ferd TFI module? Any reason to do that over ebl flash?

Nope! I'll have to smash 2 distributors into 1.
I own the Furd computer and all the wiring and I have none of that for the TPI. Also the Furd computer doesn't panic when you add a turbo.

 

[Frank Enstein]

If you were a real man you'd swap in an EEC-III and pull codes with a vacuum gauge. I had to help a buddy pull codes on his '84 Thunderbird once. Step 1 - fix all other vacuum leaks.

Mass air for me! The Commodore 64 powered speed density stuff I wouldn't use to prop open a door to a sewage treatment plant!

 

[1BAD94Z71]

Thank you all for your help and I’ll be looking into those 2options. OP? If that’s me somehow yes the caddy in my profile pic is mine and sitting in my garage with a fresh coat of best of show spray wax on it and I’ll be waiting for the weather to be good perhaps the weekend to pull her back out lol. So on that note should answer last guy’s question about my ride but to be clear 5.7L vortec 350 V8 as put in most 96-00 gmt400’s. Like I said and some have answered not looking for anything extensive but an exhaust is probably the most I’d be upgrading dollars wise to gain more power. But tuning I’m not sure what pricing would be but they seem pretty within reason of extracting a few more horses out. That would satisfy my needs/wants as long as they seemed a good buy. I’m not looking to “hotrod Lincoln” her! Lol but just add another layer of extra something to make her one more thing to help her stand out of the crowd.

If you already have the vortec heads you're halfway there. My exhaust guy did a cat back stainless dual exhaust for $350. I have a buddy who specializes in 88-98 and he uses a cam upgrade and marine vortec high rise intake to make hp and huge torque gains. The vortec heads are some of the best heads you can get. Upgrade to a 4bbl tbi or carb would be best. EFI is the best but I understand the $ restrictions.

 

[bentwrenches]

0411 PCM swap & tune, cheap and easy upgrade. Then add all the fun stuff like exhaust and cam later.