Baddog

Okay 5.0 brothers, help me out will ya. I keep reading posts (mostly to do with S197 GT's) about "Get a CAI and a tune and it will make aworld of difference!" I know about dyno tunes but don't see them listed in any 5.0 guy's mod list. Are our motors too prehistoric to benefit from the tunes these guys are talking about or does it not make a difference? I know I'm showing a bit of my noob ***, but on our motors is it not just getting a chip made to best support our motors set up? Mine is a '93 notch with almost every bolt-on imagineable but is stock internally save the 1.73RR's. I just don't hear tune around our motors and my friends 475hp 306 doesn't have one, he has a computer chip designed to fit his mills specs but wasn't dyno tuned. A little light on the subject would be appreciated...thanks.

mighty90

OMG, no sheat! You got the three dot tune? ****** of christ thats awesome.

Baddog

My comp has "cookie" issues apparently and only posts occasionally when it wants and it has to be short or I get some BS message. Sorry...see above, the ****er finally let something post up. Any input?

mighty90

hahah, sorry bro. A CAI and tune won't get you much. Things I hear getting our cars up and running fast is a cam change and 3.73's.
But I am no expert.

Baddog

Yeah I have a March Snorkeltube ram air and gears and every every bolt on so I'm not that green, I just never hear tunewith regards to a 5.0 power upgrade. Only seems like the S197 guys talk "tune".

dman302

I'd like to hear FAR more about a 475HP 306...cause if he's all motor...he's just a bad bad liar. Breaking low 300's is the absolute best you're ever going to see on a streetable set up...high compression/high rev/nasty aggresive cam use and mid/higher 300's are possible, but ugly on the street and really quite expensive.

No you don't tune for CAI's.. Unfortunately our cars do not find any gains with the basic CAI/RAM air setups over the stock box/K$N filter. Air volume is plenty from the stock components, the real restrictions start at the TB/intake/heads/exhaust.Usually a chip is custom burnt for boosted setups and safe NO2 tuning, there is some advantage to N/A tunes after relatively decent H/C/I combos are in place. I had an SCT tune done after my HCI combo install to assist witha common idle search/stall issue related to ECU/CAM battle. My gains were pretty common for a modded N/A car...around 10HP/10TP total but GORGEOUS idle/driveability.

Majority of people will not dyno tune a bolt on car or mild HCI simply because it's expensive, and the gains arer minimal. The mail order chips like Hypertec JET etc are simply fairly dust products...they only work to advance the timing which you can do simply with a wrench. The mail order chips do not affect air/fuel/maf curve or any other beneficial aspect that would increase performance...smoke and mirrors.

Baddog

Thanks for the info. I will get full specs on the 306 for you. It is not very streetable like you say but we take down C5 Z06's and 03-04 Cobra's without much problem in it. I agree, his estimate (what the chip guy's figure his crank HP to be) seems high, I should say it's an absloute monster. It's one of the twitchiest, hariest smallblocks I've been in and I've been in plenty. On slicks some very sound automotive minds here figure it a high 11 car, maybe betterwith more gear...I'm very sure, even if the HP's estimate being high it makes more than the 300+ you mentioned. I saw your dyno #'s and he's got a more agressive set up than you have. Everything is forged and shot peened with a bunch of **** I don't really understand. All I know is he could probably buck it out in 3rd and still reel me in...

mighty90

Speakin of "tune", I heard a phrase from someone that i have heard since the 90's. "My friend has a souped up ride back at home." Its the next fad. "Yo foo, I got a 197 totally tuned out to the max hard core. Lets go play some Guitar Hero and rock out."

OnyxCobra

Yeah, cold air intakes aren't going to get you any gains but a tune makes a pretty big diff, especially with the SN95 cars because Ford bastardized them so badly from the factory.