Are chips worth the $250?

[Mystikal]

Probably, but I guess I'm the poor sap with no free dyno nearby to tune. You guys are lucky.

Highway = free dyno. 40-100mph.

As a guy who has tried 4 chips with very subtle contrast between them, I know how hard it is to feel less than 5hp. I need to hit a dyno SOON.

[Rob]

Probably, but I guess I'm the poor sap with no free dyno nearby to tune. You guys are lucky.

Highway = free dyno. 40-100mph.

yeah thats great if you have a real AF gauge. emphasis on real

[Bryson]

[quote="Kenyon"]Robert,

I have never gone for a ride in an M20, let alone in a chipped one so I don’t have much say on whether or not it’s worth it for an M20. But in my opinion $250 would be better put towards an M50 rather than my M42.[/quote

m20s blow ass ;) I'd buy a chip for an m42 before I bought one for an m20 :P

[e30gumball]

I have to add here:

We have tested the Jim Conforti chip Against both the Viper and the Venom (difference is between rpm limit) and they both bettered the JC chip on rolling road.

my own 2.7 e30 managed 196hp@wheels on standard AFM ! that is around 230hp although i do have extensive engine mods done to my car.

I have JC chips here (coppies only for review purposes to sample power curves) and i dont think they are any better in any way over the viper or venom although we do use a higher octane fuel over here.

[tonytony]

jim c chips are popular, but what about the AA chips for e30s? has anyone used these or know someone. 275 bucks for these.

[e30gumball]

I have the active autowerk chip here as well and when i fitted this to my own car it felt as though it had a major flat spot but this was most liekly down to the lower rates of fuel this is programmed for.

[nando]

my own 2.7 e30 managed 196hp@wheels on standard AFM ! that is around 230hp although i do have extensive engine mods done to my car.

that's pretty hard to swallow. 230 crank hp on a stock motor with just a chip? Even Dave's built stroker didn't make that much power!

[e30gumball]

I wouldnt say my engine is anything like "stock"

It outruns M3`s quite easy (although the chasis is not in the same league as the M3)

Here is a vid clip of the car pulling away at signal lights.

http://e30gumball.users.btopenworld.com/gas50.WMV

[nando]

I wouldnt say my engine is anything like "stock"

It outruns M3`s quite easy (although the chasis is not in the same league as the M3)

Here is a vid clip of the car pulling away at signal lights.

http://e30gumball.users.btopenworld.com/gas50.WMV

what other mods do you have? at the very least, there's no way you can claim 196 whp on an otherwise stock motor. you have a stroker/maf conversion or something? even 220hp is tough to reach without forced induction. :(

[e30gumball]

here is the rolling road result.



the RR run was verified by 30 people from the e30zone forum in the uk.

the car has a race spec engine with a tarmac race spec head with bigger valves, alloy head gear, kent cam and completely modded inlet manifold.
there is no maf unit on at the moment and no turbo or forced induction.
the engine revs too 7600rpm due to corrillo rods and forged karl schmidt pistons with lightened and ballenced knife edged crank.

the splash pan in the sump is modded to stop oil surge.

the ports in the head are big but the main power increase was due to the increased squish area and the porting to allow air build round the back of the plug spark where the standard setup lets it down badly.

[EVOIIIM3]

Jim C = $200 + 30min install
SMT = $400 + 2-4hrs on the Dyno. + 2-3hrs install?
Oh, so you are good enough to "street tune" it? Ok, Wide band Lambda =$350

Yes, you will get better results, but it's over 3X the cost.

I run a MAXX fuel computer and stock ECU with, yup a jim C chip. I managed to get 245whp on the Dyno.

Yes, there are better things out there, but most people are not going to cut into the ECU wiring harness, then spend the money to tune. It's much easier to just swap chips, and even then there seams to be a LOT of problems with people doing that properly!

Face it. most engines will remain mostly stock internally, with just some bolt on mods. A chip is great for these cars!

HP PER $$ you can't beat a chip!

[nando]

here is the rolling road result.



the RR run was verified by 30 people from the e30zone forum in the uk.

the car has a race spec engine with a tarmac race spec head with bigger valves, alloy head gear, kent cam and completely modded inlet manifold.
there is no maf unit on at the moment and no turbo or forced induction.
the engine revs too 7600rpm due to corrillo rods and forged karl schmidt pistons with lightened and ballenced knife edged crank.

the splash pan in the sump is modded to stop oil surge.

the ports in the head are big but the main power increase was due to the increased squish area and the porting to allow air build round the back of the plug spark where the standard setup lets it down badly.

that's a lot of mods! I can see where a custom chip helps there, but there just isn't much of a gain to be had on a stock engine, just a fatter curve and more grunt.

[e30gumball]

I agree 100%.
This is the reason why i have set the prices low as i think $300 for a chip is ridiculous.

[Rob]

SMT6 is $280 shipped ( http://www.r3vlimited.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=5867 )
+1 hour on the dyno which is ~$75


I'll never win this argument, but thats fine *shrug*

[Tangent]

Anybody have real numbers or even better a dyno graph of an m20b25 before and after a JC chip? Preferrably on an otherwise stock engine.