Okay, yes we were promised flying cars by now. And just one month in to 2010, the arrival of these computer-controlled flying awesome-mobiles looks grim. But, that doesn't necessarily mean we have to live in the Stone Age. In fact, thanks to GM and the aftermarket, we are able to reasonably upgrade our older cars with some pretty trick technology, some of which really does make our lives easier. Thanks to the LS1 (love it or hate it), many older-generation F-bodies can now enjoy a much smoother idle, much better driveability and even better gas mileage. But, that's not all that the future can do for us. Hardcore racers can benefit in a ton of ways from this new technology, including higher rpm capabilities, an upgraded coil-near-plug ignition for cleaner spark, and even the use of custom operating systems, which allow for 2 and 3 bar speed density-based tuning or built-in nitrous control.
If you have been following along with us, you will remember Byron Jay's '89 GTA, which recently received an EFI Connection LS1 PCM/Ignition upgrade (Feb. '10, "Bridging the Gap"). During our initial install, our goals were simply a smoother-driving 383 with a more calm idle, better street manners, and (of course) a couple of extra horsepower. Unfortunately, after getting everything installed we ran into transmission issues with the old 700-R4 and weren't able to really stretch the LS1 PCM's legs. Enter Century Transmissions and its upgraded 4L60E. A leader in high-performance transmission rebuilds, Century convinced us to ditch the old 700-R4 and upgrade to a much nicer 4L60E unit (identical to the Stage III build we covered in May '09). While this would have been an issue in the past, the EFI Connection harness made it a simple plug-and-play swap, and Century sent us a 27-spline input shaft, which would work perfectly with Byron's existing Yank converter. Transmission en route, we hooked up with EFI Alchemy in Jacksonville, who are well versed in both LSx tuning and this particular wiring harness. Harrison "Doc" Wall, owner of EFI Alchemy, not only ensured us a quality install but also promised to pick up some power, show us some cool custom-OS tricks, and dial in the transmission shift points perfectly. And he didn't disappoint. Follow along as his crew gets us back up and running and he takes it home on the dyno, turning Byron's GTA from an old-school hustler to a new-school machine, capable of impressing even the most futuristic of GMHTP readers.
After installing the EFI Connection...
After installing the EFI Connection LS1 PCM (Feb. '10, "Bridging the Gap"), we ran into some serious transmission issues on the dyno. It turns out Byron Jay's 700-R4 was no longer interested in shifting gears, so it was time to pull it out and have EFI Alchemy install a new Century Transmissions Stage III 4L60E, the perfect complement to our new LS1 PCM.
With the car up in the air,...
With the car up in the air, the crew at EFI Alchemy let everything cool down before removing the exhaust and driveshaft, to gain access to the busted 700-R4.
Chris Woods gets everything...
Chris Woods gets everything started, first removing the factory oxygen sensors and then unbolting the long-tube header-to-exhaust flanges.
With both sides loose, Bret...
With both sides loose, Bret pulls the exhaust down as one piece, being careful not to snag it on any wiring on the way out.
Before removing the driveshaft...
Before removing the driveshaft or lowering the transmission, we pulled the pan to double check the 700-R4's condition. The smell of burnt, overcooked fluid meant we were definitely correct in our initial diagnosis.
With the shifter cable and...
With the shifter cable and wiring loose, Chris began unbolting the converter from the flexplate, making sure to keep the bolts in good shape, as we would be reusing them.