The Official Vortec 454 Info thread

[ThaEdge]

Yes you would need a tune; Black Bear shouldn't have a problem flashing a PCM to your truck. I decided to be more complicated going with the 0411 but I can open up the tune and make changes myself.

So the internet is flooded with 5.7 411 swaps but I can't find much info on 7.4 411 swaps how'd that work out? Any pointers for a guy who's about to start that adventure?

 

[Mangonesailor]

Two the same size is easiest.

Quite.

Or, another thought.

So the internet is flooded with 5.7 411 swaps but I can't find much info on 7.4 411 swaps how'd that work out? Any pointers for a guy who's about to start that adventure?

@BNielsen , @Christian Steffen , @Beeffajitas , Myself, and a few others have done the swap. It's not that bad.

I used lextech for the excel spreadsheet you'll need and the 0411. You'll have to tune DIY to get it to run right (or have someone do it for you like a tune shop). I use HP tuners, I like it, and there's a few things you'll NEED to do to your tune after you get it from Lextech because they're overlooked. Don't know why, but just FYI.

 

[BNielsen]

So the internet is flooded with 5.7 411 swaps but I can't find much info on 7.4 411 swaps how'd that work out? Any pointers for a guy who's about to start that adventure?

Like @Mangonesailor said; there's quite a few on here who have 454s running 0411s; my swap was a little more intrusive due to a few issues with the tune itself, and a few issues with the truck, as well as a couple of mis-placed pins.
As far as pointers go, TAKE YOUR TIME, and unwrap a good amount of the engine harness so you can route wires in a somewhat organized manner.
Mine looks like a rats nest, but I plan to use a good roll of tape and take some time to get it all wrapped up so it looks somewhat factory.

 

[Mangonesailor]

Yes. Unwrap loads of the harness. Do it slowly and methodically. It took me I think 3hrs or so to swap it all... so budget a day for it, just in case you do something wrong. You'll also need to do a CASE relearn with a Snap-on or Matco scan tool set to an '02 express with an 8.1L.

Also, if you have a lot of miles, you'll probably get a P0300 CEL... which means your distributor drive gear is knife-edged. But you'll only get that after getting the CASE relearn done.

Oh, and disconnect your negative battery cable and verify all of your fuses are good after hooking the battery up and sending power to the ECU for the first time. Some people report blown fuses... it'll get ya good if you're not looking for them.

a good roll of tape

He means this badass stuff.

 

[ThaEdge]

Good information! Thank you!

Probably gonna be a few weeks before I dive into it. I have a few other things to do to her that are more pressing like hard warm start and top end power loss. Then probably tear into the interior that is completely fubar... Guy's dog lived in that truck I think. Smells like piss and I could have made 2 whole dogs out of the fur I vacuumed up. But damn near everthing else is perfect!

 

[Christian Steffen]

@Mangonesailor @BNielsen good work with the answers, I think you covered everything.

 

[Aparke4]

I would like to go remote turbo/ sts style someday so the 411 swap is a preface to boost. I plan on doing it soon! There was a rumor somewhere that a company made an adapter harness: T or F?

 

[Christian Steffen]

I would like to go remote turbo/ sts style someday so the 411 swap is a preface to boost. I plan on doing it soon! There was a rumor somewhere that a company made an adapter harness: T or F?

Adapter harnesses would be awesome, but a lot of work. lol I do not know if they exist or not though. Do you have hp tuners or efi live?

 

[Aparke4]

Here are some benefits of the new 411 PCM, via random threads from interwebs:

"The blackbox PCM is just older and not as powerful plus much more limited in the parameters available. For example, the 1 spark table (there are 2 in the LS1B PCM) is a 19x16 table. The LS1B is 25x29 and there are 2 (high and low). The breakpoints are smaller and allow for different spark values every 200rpm for the LS1B vs 400 for the blackbox."


"the 0411 PCM opens up doors (if you weren't planning it, you now have option...)...

for example, it can run various custom OS's, it can run swapped transmission segment...

for example, COS5/02020005 (based on OS 12212156) can run boost, TP VE, and 4L80E.

Not too mention that some of the OS's that run on the 0411 have the transient pulse injector tables needed for large injectors defined externally (as cax extensions)."

"The 0411 PCM has a much faster processor than the Black Box PCM and has dual timing tables. There is also more support from the tuning software companies for the 0411. EFILive and HPTuners both offer "Custom Operating Systems" for the 0411 to support boost and or nitrous. The swap can be completed in about 2 1/2 hrs and is fairly easy to do."

 

[Aparke4]

Adapter harnesses would be awesome, but a lot of work. lol I do not know if they exist or not though. Do you have hp tuners or efi live?

EFI Live

I have been wanting to do the 411 swap for a while as I am planning a remote turbo build later this year. I have just been happy with my black bear tune on the older PCM/ Blackbox but it does not have the control once you start looking for fuel trims and boost control parameters. Planning on a mild boost turbo system, max 7-8 psi boost.