Performance chip?

[Ehall8702]

Are the plug and play performance chips ( vertex was one I was looking at) worth a crap? Hate to waste $60 or should I be saving for a $200 proper tune? No real mods,except I took vortec box off the back of the intake tube ( used a fernco to block it off) and took the baffle off of the throttle plate, took my front cats off and replaced with an x pipe ( cats were falling off and I did it when I was putting a trans in it) because I will eventually be custom bending duals on my truck. I don't tow often, but when I do it's my camper and it's pretty heavy. I currently have 35s on it, but last time I took a 1000 mile trip I had 33s on it and got 22mpg and had to do calculations a few times cause I couldn't believe it. My gf 98 is bone stock and we take Trips every where and always get 16.8 (ish) mpg with 265/75r17s. If the chips r worth it I'd get one for both of our trucks.

 

[Ehall8702]

Mine is a 97 k1500 pickup, and hers is a 98 k1500 yukon

 

[df2x4]

100% garbage, don't waste your money. Same thing for handheld programmers like HyperTech and JET. Spend $300 and get a real tune from someone like Black Bear Performance.

 

[Ehall8702]

Been reading and can't say I've found a bad review of BB so guess that'll be the way I go. Won't be doin much internal engine mods ( maybe a cam, and better valve springs and port/ polish and a 3 angle while I'm in there) and exhaust will get done eventually. Can't decide if I should do the 0411 swap instead tho. Gotta dig more and figure out what I wanna spend , thanks for the heads up on the bs tuners tho

 

[Supercharged111]

The 97 will require a 411 swap as I don't think BB can tune those. 98-00 GMT400 had a different PCM that EFILive can tune, but not near as many options as the 411.

 

[Ehall8702]

The 98 has the 4 plug ecm ( we r on a trip, so I saw it when I was checking the fluids and filling up), not sure what my 97 has. I have an extra 650cfm Edelbrock and an Intake for vortec heads I've been playing with the idea of putting on my 97. A regulator and return for fuel system is easy enuff to do , just wondering if it's cheaper to make more power with a carb or do a ecm swap and a tune. I know the spider injector is the weak link in making power with these things. Helped a buddy build his, has. 750 Holley on an airgap I take with ported vortec heads, stronger valve springs ( I lapped the valves while we had em but but kept stock valves) and a pretty meaty cam and it plain out is just mean. He doesn't really go anywhere so no clue on mpg tho.

 

[Ehall8702]

Also have a friend about to scrap his 99 k1500 with a 5.3l, does his truck have the 0411 ecm? I won't be able to look at it till tomorrow since I'm out if town but nice to know if I need to bother or not. Was honestly thinking about stopping in his whole engine/trans/transfer case but don't wanna go through all the electrical Gremlins and building a new wire harness and all that fun stuff, done it too ma y times in the past and this is my daily so it HAS to work. I have a th400 and a th350 at my disposal but got another 4l60e( lost reverse 2&4 a couple weeks ago, trans I out in about 7 mo ago **** out) just not to have the headache of making something work

 

[df2x4]

The 97 will require a 411 swap as I don't think BB can tune those. 98-00 GMT400 had a different PCM that EFILive can tune, but not near as many options as the 411.

Not true, Black Bear can tune the earlier '96-'97 PCMs just fine. My red truck is a '97 running the factory PCM and they had no issues tuning it, including setting it up for the 4L80E swap.

 

[Ehall8702]

Not true, Black Bear can tune the earlier '96-'97 PCMs just fine. My red truck is a '97 running the factory PCM and they had no issues tuning it, including setting it up for the 4L80E swap.

Is it worth the 0411 swap worth the effort then? Parts and labor will essentially be free ( if my buddy has correct ecm and if course the beer per hr labor charge lol)

 

[df2x4]

Is it worth the 0411 swap worth the effort then? Parts and labor will essentially be free ( if my buddy has correct ecm and if course the beer per hr labor charge lol)

Depends on what you plan on doing with the truck, IMO. If you plan on heavily modifying the engine/drivetrain and want to learn to tune it yourself then I would think about the 0411 swap. If you're leaving things fairly stock and don't want to buy tuning software like HPTuners then I'd stick with the factory black box PCM.

Personally my trucks will stay on the factory PCMs as long as they have the factory engines. When I finally get around to LS/LT swapping the red truck I'll use the PCM from the donor.