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I just got an 85 vette.
5.7L tpi, auto trans
It is stock, I am thinking of using a hypertech street runner chip. I want to stay with the stock thermostat
I live in chicago and will drive in cold weather
any ever use one?
likes...dislikes?
better Ideas??
I for one like my hypertech chip - though I have the thermomaster one (comes w/a 160 degree stat.) I still have my old prom and swapped it in/drove on the old one for about a week and there is definetly a noticeable difference. I'm sure a tuner could do much better but I happen to like mine.
take your money and throw it in the garbage that's what you will be doing if you buy the hypertech chip, if you insist on getting a chip call alvin at pcmforless. for the mods you have, I would skip the chip and put the money somewhere else in the car like an exhaust
I had Alvin Anderson at www.pcmforless.com, supporting CF tuner, recalibrate mine which required extensive changes in timing curve and fueling throughout the powerband. He did a superb job, amazing mailorder work. I could go on & on about how good his service was for me. This is what's called a real custom chip.
Hypertech isn't a customized chip. Its a commercially mass-produced, generic, one size fits all. You will get much more out of a custom chip. pcmforless charges less too, $150 for OBD-1 based setups.
There are many folks here who see upwards of 20rwhp gains from custom tunes to their entirely STOCK vettes. Not bad for $150.
I finally stuck my Thermomaster chip in Ive had sitting around for a year. Figured I already spent the money....Converter locks up arlier which I like and my fan kicks on earlier. ....As far as performance, not one bit of difference.
Had I known about the tuners here when I bought my chip (dont think I was a member here yet) I would have found you can get much more for much less.
Go with HotRod90's advice and use a good tuner here if you want your money's worth.
I finally stuck my Thermomaster chip in Ive had sitting around for a year. Figured I already spent the money....Converter locks up arlier which I like and my fan kicks on earlier. ....As far as performance, not one bit of difference.
Except for the "As far as performance, not one bit of difference" part. I bought the HyperTech TheroMaster chip for my 1984. With the 160° thermostat and chip installed, my car slowed down by about .05 seconds in the 1/4 mile. $150.00 is a lot to spend for a .05 improvement, I sure wasn't going to stand still for spending $150.00 to go that amount slower. The fan for the '84 isn't ECM controlled, so the only advantage was in the TCC management, for my car. After allowing HyperTech to instruct me on making a fair comparison, with slightly worse results than my own test, I sent it back. Hopefully from this, and what I've read above, we should have saved to some, time, freight, and aggravation.
call up SuperChips or somewhere and have them custom program you one. I still have the hypertech in mine from when I first bought it (first mod!) 6+ years ago. Since then its basically a hindrance to all the mods, engine build up, etc i've done. Ive just not had the opportunity to get a custom chip done yet
I had Alvin Anderson at www.pcmforless.com, supporting CF tuner, recalibrate mine which required extensive changes in timing curve and fueling throughout the powerband. He did a superb job, amazing mailorder work. I could go on & on about how good his service was for me. This is what's called a real custom chip.
Hypertech isn't a customized chip. Its a commercially mass-produced, generic, one size fits all. You will get much more out of a custom chip. pcmforless charges less too, $150 for OBD-1 based setups.
There are many folks here who see upwards of 20rwhp gains from custom tunes to their entirely STOCK vettes. Not bad for $150.
wow... im going to have to give them a call!! i need a new chip BAADDDD
Hello all I just got my first vette, its an '86. The guy who owned it before me put in a hypertech chip. When I took out the plugs they looked pretty fouled. I am considering putting the stock chip back in. What do all of you think about that? Thanks!
Hello all I just got my first vette, its an '86. The guy who owned it before me put in a hypertech chip. When I took out the plugs they looked pretty fouled. I am considering putting the stock chip back in. What do all of you think about that? Thanks!
May want to check for leaky injectors that are hanging open.
Hello all I just got my first vette, its an '86. The guy who owned it before me put in a hypertech chip. When I took out the plugs they looked pretty fouled. I am considering putting the stock chip back in. What do all of you think about that? Thanks!
If that hypertech is like mine, the chip is attached to a "bridge" the bridge piece is the hyper tech part w/the original GM chip attached to it.
What I saw beside the early on fan, was an increase in timing.
If that hypertech is like mine, the chip is attached to a "bridge" the bridge piece is the hyper tech part w/the original GM chip attached to it.
I think you are describing the "piggy back" chip -- that is common.
Both Alvin and Ion use them, also. Although, you can send your original chip to them and they will program it. That way, you don't need the "piggy back" adapter.
Forget the Hypertech, I suggest http://www.madtuner.com/ or as stated above Alvin at PCMForless -- can't go wrong with either.
But, a custom chip does more for a modified vehicle than a stock one.
Tom Piper
Last edited by Tom Piper; Mar 1, 2006 at 08:09 PM.
I think you are describing the "piggy back" chip -- that is common.
Both Alvin and Ion use them, also. Although, you can send your original chip to them and they will program it. That way, you don't need the "piggy back" adapter.
Forget the Hypertech, I suggest http://www.madtuner.com/ or as stated above Alvin at PCMForless -- can't go wrong with either.
But, a custom chip does more for a modified vehicle than a stock one.
Tom Piper
Yes, I just wasn't sure of the terminology used to descibe that piece, and had never seen it done that way before.
I had one burned for my combination before I took out what the original owner had installed. The good thing is now I have 2 which allows for no down time when tweaking the tune.
I'm pretty sure mine is not a piggyback, I have the stock chip and its in a blue plastic case. I changed the plugs and cap + rotor last night and it made a huge difference. It doesent hesitate off-idle anymore! Maybe the hypertech makes it run richer to foul out the plugs, the 160 T-stat probably dosent help keeping things clean either