There are lots of things that I would like to upgrade on my 2000 Monte Carlo, but I am not sure if there is a specific sequence to do the installations or if there are any consequences in doing one thing but not the other, or if I do one, I don’t need to do the other. PLEASE HELP!!!

My list includes:
Adding a Cold Air Intake (this is already done)
Change my stuck mufflers to Magna-Flow (I had plan to do this next)
Change the stuck Coil Packs with MSD Coil Packs and cables.
Reprogram the PCM

On the PCM thing... I have read some discusions on this subject and I am not sure what the benefits are. I thought about buying a software to re-program the existing PCM, but after reading, I think it's best to purchase one that is already re-program and make the exchange.

Any help is very much apreciated.

MC2K

 

you can get the reprogamed CPU and still keep yours. I have also thought of doign this. i do plan to find me a spare that i can keep aroudn jsu tin case for mine.

AS far as the rest of your list
CAI. this is done.
Changeing your mufflers, I would do this at the same time i do the Down pipe . this will open things up alot for you. Also if you can affored to do it have them change all the pipe back to the rear of the car to atleast 2" this will open it up nice. (our cars are choked on both ends you open it up you will feel the diffrence in it)
Coil packs if you chose to do this make sure you are only doign it becuse you like the way MSD looks unde rthe hood. the stock coils are actually good up to i belive it is 400 hp. and if you look at the ones tha tare on the track it is the Stock GM coils under the hoods on them

If you want to do the wires then use a stock set of wires also.
Also you can look in to a grounding kit fo rthe car thsi will help the eletrical preform better also.

You can also spend the 90.00 for the thrasher shift kit and it will help to. I have a shfit kit in mine and it makes a world of diffence in the way it shifts. but i also have a thrasher kit that is in our stuff on the way back to the states so i can change my off breed out.

the other thing i would sugest is the brake upgrades for the big brake kits. it will help you stop faster

 

did you do the exhaust up grade???

u-bend delete, high flow cat and downpipe??
cuz since you got the cai on there you should do the exhaust...if you have lots of intake you should have lots of flow for exhaust...only makes sense...that would be the next thing i would do

 

who me or him?
mine is not done yet they wanted 400 euro over ehre to make on and it is cheaper for me to wait till i get back. i gues sno i dont have a choice consdiering the car is on a bost right now LOL

but yes it dose make good sens to hav eti flow on both ends to get the gains out of it

 

ok you have the cold air intake...

next mods should be in this order:
-180* thermostat
-Exhaust upgrade
-PCM or Tuner. i would highly recomend the tuner cause you can get way more power from it, and you have more control over individual setings beyond premade PCM's... you can also save your stock file and go back at any time... lastly you dont have to remove the computer from the car. you just plug into the OBD2 port.

***after the above your next mods should be:
-High Flow throtle body (skip the stage 1 units go for the stage 2)
-New down pipe and high flow cat.
-Higher ratio rockers
-programer if you dont have it already
-depending on mods you may want to switch to a lower heat range spark plug
-premium gas
***beyond these mods, you would have learned quite a great deal about tuning and moding. depending on how the car has responded to the above mods will determine what you will do next.

as for the MSD coils they are pretty much junk. if you want a set, i'll sell you a used set i have out of the GTP i got. the MSD coils have a higher rate of failure then the stock coils. there are GTP's runing in the 9sec 1/4 mile with factory coils. so yeah, they have plenty of power for any aplication. also the MSD wires arent all that good either... the set that was on the GTP o bought used failed... when i pulled one of hte plug wires the connector seperated from the rest of the wire. im not saying all MSD products are bad. just from what i have seen and heard on our cars.

 

MSD used to be a pretty decent brand. btu after seeing and hearing what you have said and also a car just last Sat. im not sure i would put it on my car any more.
Seems they are like the rest. build a good product then after a few years they cut thier cost so far they kill the quaity also. Shame to see it.


have you noticed that big of a gain out of theT-stat?
this is somthign i plan to do when i get back as my car just needs a all around good tune put on it. figure the normal plugs,wires.etc....

 

Well... I did the exhaust system in the car (MagnaFlow 2.5"). It looks great! The sound of it is OK, but it could be a bit louder. I was thinking about doing the down pipe and go 2.5” from the Cat back to the exhaust, but I am afraid it might be too loud! I still have to use the car on a daily basis and don’t want to loose the license (too many tickets) [8D]

As for the MSD stuff... you guys have convinced me that it is not a good idea, so I will keep the stock Coil Pack and wires. The PCM... I am not too techie and would like to go save on this one. I was thinking about getting the Pre-Programmed PCM from 3800 Performance and keep my old PCM, just in case it didn’t work to my liking.

What is the 180* T-Stat?? And what would it do?

I am still struggling with the pictures and try to get them posted. One of these days I’ll get it.

MC2K

 

if ya look in the genreal fourm you will find a post on how to post photos here.
As far as the Dwon pipe it might make your car louder for you also due to it taking out the u bend. and depending on witch one ya do it will have a hig flow cat on it also.

the T-stat will help keep the motor runnign cooler. this will also help in building horse power as a hot motor is harder on fluids,and also heats up under the hood more so it robs you of some potential power.
also it is better to have it runnign cooler as it is not as hard on the motor in genral.

but honestly good question it is jus toen of thoer things i have been told ot do since i a was a kid. so being asked i actually had to think to get what i could out of me LOL (mickey thinking =NOTHING GOOD LOL)

 

yeah the 180* stat isnt a noticable gain... but for a $10 part you cant expect much. lol regaurdless if you can feel the diff or not, it is a must have if your are moding the car. if you plan on an air intake and exhaust, then you need to do the stat just to be safe.

i just recently started helping a friend with another 96Z34. noticed his engine temps were a good 20* hotter then mine... and its not that his car was runing bad, but not performing the same... turns out he is still runing a factory stat. (192* vs 180) so even with the same modified fan turn on times, the engine temp varried 20 degrees and the stat temp diff was only 12*...

when moding, we are pushing outputs of our cars to as far as they can go... once you start to learn to tune the car in the programer, you will start adjusting fuel and spark timing.... your limits here pretty much are pre-ignition and detonation. basicly engine Knock is your enemy. having a lower temp Tstat will help resist knock. other mods that lower knock are colder plugs, higher octain gas or race fuel, intercoolers if your runing boost, even air intakes headers and exhaust contribute to lowering combustions temps.

basicly, if your staying non boosted, you will make your most power just before the point of knock... so you need to tune carefully, if you have boost, you can always turn it up some or add in intercooler.

on my engine i've pretty well tapped out tuning as far as i can take it. timing is as far as it can go, next im leaning out fuel to gain a little more power (unique to NA cars bad idea for boost!) after this if i want to go further, my only options are more mods... Ported heads, decking the heads for even higher compression.

 

you live in the wrong costal state , lol