[mutabi]

Hi guys, recently bought a 2002 gt auto. Only mods were a bassani xpipe with flowmaster cat back.

I have been looking at my upgrade options. I want the car louder so I will prob go with slp lm1 or lm2.

I will be getting a K&N CAI, and prob a 70mm TB. Here is my first question. I emailed K&N and they said that their CAIs were designed to run with the stock TB and cant guarantee it will fit anything else. Since I am upgrading to a slightly bigger TB, how do i know the CAI will fit correctly to the bigger TB?

I was looking at different tuners, and people seem to recommend the xcal2 highly. However can someone explain the difference between these two SCT tuners?
SCT SF STRATEGY MUSTANG TUNING CHIP PROGRAMMER
SCT XCALIBRATOR XCAL2 MUSTANG COMPUTER TUNER

At first glance it would appear that the SF strategy tuner has more tuning options. And they are both the same price. I am confused haha. I tried posting links to the tuners but I am not allowed since this is my first post.


Lastly, my car has trouble starting after it has run for a while. I believe this is a common problem. Sometimes takes 2 or 3 key turns to get her going. Starts up cold every time. I have seen people recommending turning the key to on, to get the fuel pump going for a few seconds. Tried that, and it doesnt seem to help. Any other suggestions?

Thanks for the great forum. I have learnt an awful lot since I found the place!

Oh yes, and I will eventually be getting 4.10s haha

[HMUSN]

welcome to the forums.


loose the K&N and get a JLT.. it's the best cai for street use made and it will
fit any TB you use.

as for the SCT.. one is a chip and one is a hand held tuner.
the tuner I prefer.

when was your last tune up?

you may need a fuel filter or a fuel treatment.

[mutabi]

Originally Posted by HMUSN welcome to the forums. loose the K&N and get a JLT.. it's the best cai for street use made and it will fit any TB you use.

Ok, perfect, thanks.

Originally Posted by HMUSN as for the SCT.. one is a chip and one is a hand held tuner. the tuner I prefer.

From the pictures, they look identical. I guess you mean one is a programmer that programs custom chips, while the xcal2 will work with your factory chip?

Originally Posted by HMUSN when was your last tune up? you may need a fuel filter or a fuel treatment.

Got a tuneup as soon as I got the car a few months ago. That included a fuel filter change. Used some fuel injector cleaner myself. The only thing I didnt have done was new plugs and wires. Think that would make a difference? Car has 65k on it.

Thanks for your super quick response

[SWEET2KSTANG]

nothing wrong with the k&n, it is a good cai. jlt is highly recommended, i personally prefer c&l. diablo and sct are the 2 tuners that everyone prefers, i have a diablo and like it. as for the starting issue, start with basic maintenence problems then go from there.

[weems]

plugs will make a diff.

when you got your fuel filter changed did it still have the problem?

My buddy has a lightning and he changed his fuel filter and then 10k later it went out again..

[weems]

Originally Posted by SWEET2KSTANG nothing wrong with the k&n, it is a good cai. jlt is highly recommended, i personally prefer c&l. diablo and sct are the 2 tuners that everyone prefers, i have a diablo and like it. as for the starting issue, start with basic maintenence problems then go from there.

I also prefer C&L and + 1 on maintenence problems...

and I run an XCal2 and love it...


btw - welcome to mm

[mutabi]

Just an update on my problem with my car having trouble starting when the motor was hot.

Took it to a shop to get my oil changed and asked them to take a look at it. Left the car with them for a day, to see if they could find anything wrong. Well naturally enough the car started up every single time for them. They did however recommend a fuel/air induction service. This is the one they do:
http://www.bgfindashop.com/bgservices/fuelair.htm

He said he couldnt guarantee it would work as he never did see the problem, but I asked him to do it anyway. The way he explained it (and he may have been full of s$%t), was that when the carbon builds up on the valves and cylinders, it "soaks" up fuel. When you shut the engine off, it will go into the cylinders causing a flooding condition if you try to start the car when hot. After it has cooled down this excess fuel has had a chance to exit the cylinders (dont ask me how), which is why it starts up first time when cold.

Anyway, the result is my car has had no trouble starting now, hot or cold and I couldnt be happier. Just thought i would post again in case anyone else was having the same trouble.

[WAR-PARTY]

Originally Posted by mutabi Just an update on my problem with my car having trouble starting when the motor was hot. Took it to a shop to get my oil changed and asked them to take a look at it. Left the car with them for a day, to see if they could find anything wrong. Well naturally enough the car started up every single time for them. They did however recommend a fuel/air induction service. This is the one they do: http://www.bgfindashop.com/bgservices/fuelair.htm He said he couldnt guarantee it would work as he never did see the problem, but I asked him to do it anyway. The way he explained it (and he may have been full of s$%t), was that when the carbon builds up on the valves and cylinders, it "soaks" up fuel. When you shut the engine off, it will go into the cylinders causing a flooding condition if you try to start the car when hot. After it has cooled down this excess fuel has had a chance to exit the cylinders (dont ask me how), which is why it starts up first time when cold. Anyway, the result is my car has had no trouble starting now, hot or cold and I couldnt be happier. Just thought i would post again in case anyone else was having the same trouble.

Kinda sounds like BS but it could be the problem, check your fuel pressure before you do that you pump may be on the way out.

[B0B]

i think a hand held tuner will be a much better choice than a built in chip.. not only can you custom tune, but you can also read trouble codes and change preferences like disabling traction contro and changing rear end gear ratio/speedo calibrations.. i've heard nothing but good about JLT for a cold air intake..

[Blk01ponyGT]

i have a chip...same shit except you have to take it somewhere to get it tuned i mean its not going to fuck up the car or anything...mines good and it gave me like 10hp with a basic tune but i had to get it because of my 3.73's

[neckbonekat]

Originally Posted by mutabi Just an update on my problem with my car having trouble starting when the motor was hot. Took it to a shop to get my oil changed and asked them to take a look at it. Left the car with them for a day, to see if they could find anything wrong. Well naturally enough the car started up every single time for them. They did however recommend a fuel/air induction service. This is the one they do: http://www.bgfindashop.com/bgservices/fuelair.htm He said he couldnt guarantee it would work as he never did see the problem, but I asked him to do it anyway. The way he explained it (and he may have been full of s$%t), was that when the carbon builds up on the valves and cylinders, it "soaks" up fuel. When you shut the engine off, it will go into the cylinders causing a flooding condition if you try to start the car when hot. After it has cooled down this excess fuel has had a chance to exit the cylinders (dont ask me how), which is why it starts up first time when cold. Anyway, the result is my car has had no trouble starting now, hot or cold and I couldnt be happier. Just thought i would post again in case anyone else was having the same trouble.

Dude you could have bought a $6 bottle of seafoam and did the same thing with the same results at home. Both the DiabloSport Predator and the SCT do the same things. I got my DiabloSport on ebay for $210 shipped. Just be sure the tuner is no longer vin locked to the orginal vehicle. Your K&N CAI is fine. If you do decide to change the JLT is a great choice.

PS - Learn how to chnge your own oil. It's not hard. There is a reason it only takes them 5 minutes. You should switch up to full synthetic oil before your mileage gets too high. If the previous owner ran synthetic you wouldn't have gone through any of this.

[SWEET2KSTANG]

it is a possibility, but you know how much carbon it would take to do that! glad you are fixed, let us know how the modding goes.

[mutabi]

it is a possibility, but you know how much carbon it would take to do that!

a crap load? lol

I am not really a car person. All I know is the explanation I was given sounded suspect, HOWEVER after that service the car has started up perfectly every time, and it used to be very predictable as to when it wouldnt start.

As for learning how to change my oil lol well like I said, I am not really a car person. Changing ones oil may not be difficult however its something I dont mind paying someone else to do. It gives me peace of mind. It sure isnt something I would want to practice on my mustang haha.

I have considered changing over to synthetic before and have read an awful lot about it, and decided there wasnt much point. Regular oil changes with regular oil should be just fine. However I am always open to other opinions. Its why I am here after all :-)

As for the seafoam suggestion. I have heard seafoam being mentioned in here before but have no idea what it does and sure wouldnt know where to put it. The most complicated thing I have done up till now is take off my IAC valveand clean it with TB cleaner. And that was with step by step instructions and I believe my blood pressure rose considerably while doing that haha. However if someone were to post some instructions(where to put the darn stuff), hints, things NOT to do then yes I would prob try that in the future if I started having problems again.

Thanks for all the replies guys :-D

[MustangMatt96GT]

Can u change a tire?


If so you can do your oil.

[neckbonekat]

Originally Posted by mutabi it is a possibility, but you know how much carbon it would take to do that! a crap load? lol I am not really a car person. All I know is the explanation I was given sounded suspect, HOWEVER after that service the car has started up perfectly every time, and it used to be very predictable as to when it wouldnt start. As for learning how to change my oil lol well like I said, I am not really a car person. Changing ones oil may not be difficult however its something I dont mind paying someone else to do. It gives me peace of mind. It sure isnt something I would want to practice on my mustang haha. I have considered changing over to synthetic before and have read an awful lot about it, and decided there wasnt much point. Regular oil changes with regular oil should be just fine. However I am always open to other opinions. Its why I am here after all :-) As for the seafoam suggestion. I have heard seafoam being mentioned in here before but have no idea what it does and sure wouldnt know where to put it. The most complicated thing I have done up till now is take off my IAC valveand clean it with TB cleaner. And that was with step by step instructions and I believe my blood pressure rose considerably while doing that haha. However if someone were to post some instructions(where to put the darn stuff), hints, things NOT to do then yes I would prob try that in the future if I started having problems again. Thanks for all the replies guys :-D

Seafoam does everything they just charged you what $60-$80 to do. Like most thing there are instructions on the can where to put it. If you can pay someone like $65 per oil change that is cool. I'm not sure where you did you research but if the person before you had used synthetic and done thier maintenance on time you wouldn't have gone through all this. Synthetic wouldn't have allowed al that build up. Best to do it before you get too many miles. Especially if you just had it flushed out.

http://searchwarp.com/swa7388.htm
"One of the major differences between conventional and synthetic oils is that synthetics are treated with more additives that protect your engine for a longer amount of time before you have to change it. And, while we don’t want to get into all the molecular chemistry involved in the making of these oils, we should mention that they also last longer in hotter conditions and won’t “gel" in colder ones, like conventional oil. In other words, synthetics have more additives, which greatly protect the car from viscosity breakdown. They are designed to withstand temperature extremes. It may be safe to say that extreme driving conditions call for the use of synthetics."

"On the financial side of the matter, synthetics cost a whole lot more up to three or four times as much as regular conventional oil. But, the wonderful thing is that you don’t have to change your oil every 3,000 miles recommended with conventional oil use. In fact, you may not have to change it until well after 25,000 and up to 50,000 miles as long as the oil filter is changed every 10,000 miles. So, the cost at first might scare consumers away, but the long-term benefits of synthetic oil use are substantial."

"With normal everyday driving, perhaps conventional oils work best for you. You aren’t driving in extreme conditions and you swear allegiance to regular oil. That may be fine. Synthetic oil cannot really offer you anything that conventional oil cannot under normal operating conditions. However, the definition of extreme driving states that if you do a lot of short driving (two to twenty miles) daily, it’s hard on your car. And, specialists agree that this constitutes extreme driving due to the faster breakdown of the structure of conventional oil."

"Another major reason that many are choosing the synthetic route is that it contains fewer impurities impurities that can cause your engine harm, perhaps to the point of premature engine wear. With conventional oil, there’s no way to totally rid, filter or clean the impurities from the natural elements. That’s another reason why synthetic oils do not have to be changed as much even in extreme driving conditions."

"You’ll want to be careful however, if you do decide that you want to give synthetic oils a try. If you’ve been driving your 1983 Ford Thunderbird for years using 10W30, you may not want to switch using your conventional oil brand."

"Conventional oils have solvents that stick to gaskets and seals and often cause them to swell a certain way. These gaskets and seals have been used to the same oil for years and the switch to any other type of oil (whether it is to a different conventional oil brand, or an upgrade to a synthetic) may be harmful. The oil you change (or upgrade to) will also have solvents and additives, different from the original. So in other terms, the changing of oils could result in oil leaks and/or a once small oil leak becoming bigger due to the reaction the seals and gaskets will have to the change (not because of the oil itself). If you think that this might be the case for you (i.e. if you have an older car using conventional oil), it’s recommended that you not try synthetic oil until you have an engine (or new car) with relatively virgin gaskets and seals that will be able to acclimate much more easily to the chemical changes of the newer type of oil."

[weems]

nice read...

[Fryrice]

Get cams or gears.You will be much happier.

[00SlvrStang]

If you decide to go with a synthetic make sure it's a true Group IV synthetic. Royal Purple and Amsoil are a couple. Mobil 1 and Castrol are not true synthetics.

[mutabi]

Ok I like your arguments FOR synthetic oil. Anyone here believe there is no real advantage to it?

Also 00SlvrStang can you explain more about what you mean by true Group IV synthetic? Wasnt aware there was a difference.

Heck I only today found out about http://www.toptiergas.com. I plan on filling up elsewhere now haha.

As for gears and cams. I think I plan on doing gears. I am just worried about how much extra strain it will put on the engine as it will be running at a higher RPM. That has got to decrease its life, and put extra wear on the transmission.

As for cams, I have no idea of the cost/benefit to changing those so if anyone wants to fill me in, I will gladly listen :-)

[Fryrice]

Originally Posted by mutabi As for gears and cams. I think I plan on doing gears. I am just worried about how much extra strain it will put on the engine as it will be running at a higher RPM. That has got to decrease its life, and put extra wear on the transmission. As for cams, I have no idea of the cost/benefit to changing those so if anyone wants to fill me in, I will gladly listen :-)

Your engine will be fine. Routine maintenance on your engine can make it last well into the high 100k mark .Even 200k on these motors.

You can get a good set of after market cams for eh $300 used if you shop right and ask a lot of questions. And there is NOTHING wrong with used cams that are in good shape. They are not like worn out tires etc. Depending on your set-up these can net you anywhere from 30rwhp +. You already have PI heads and intake so the hard part is done.

With enough studying you can learn to install the cams yourself.