How easy is it to install/uninstall the stage 3 pcm? in a month or 2 the plan is to get meth, hptuners, and a 2.9, with maybe a 2.8 and 60's later; but maybe I should just buy stage 3 pcm and a either just get the 3.0" pulley and consider nitrous later? I want to keep my car on warranty, but if its easy to take out the pcm, my dealer might not care about the puller beacuse its a gm part (I know the owner of the local dealer in Pet and I allways stop by just to chat with the service manager back home when I'm in NB).

For n2o, if I had stage 3 w/ its nitrous algorithm, would that mean I can just order the bottle, lines and nozzle and not need the plug-n-play controller?(I'm thinking a zex kit) Zex has an intake filter with a nitrous nozzle in it so turning that back to stock would be as easy as swapping back in a cone filter.

Also is their some kind of mod to get back a/c with stage 3? And about rev limit, I know you need neutral balance shafts and valvesprings to rev to 8k, but would it be save to set a 7500rpm limit without those? (I have stage 2 now and shift at 7k, so w/ a 7500rpm limit I'd shift at 7200 or 7300)

 

AC can be done with stage 3, just requires a switch and a little wiring. There is a post on here somewhere - Good luck searching for it. I never seem to find it when I want to.

I don't think setting the limit above 7250 would be a good idea. Even then, I'd be careful. I would set it to 7250 and shift at 7 still.

 

Yeah, I didnt figure the limiter would be a good idea, but I had to ask. I just want to know how easy it is to go back to stock.

Right now I'm deciding between 2 options for a mod route:

Option 1- HPT and devil's own progressive meth injection and maybe a 2.9 ($850 shipped to Canada approx.) ---> 2.8 or 2.7 and 60's later on ($350)

Option 2- GM stage 3 pcm w/ a 2.9 and devil's own base meth injection to run w/ race gas mode at times($650) ---> possibly zex dry kit later on(probably set to 40 or 50 shot) ($ 200-400 depending on if stage 3 pcm still requires a controller for the n2o)

I want to be somewhat safe (understanding that more power takes more risk). Also need to be able to put back to stock (doesnt need to be super easy to go back to stock, but within a full day's work) if I need to go in for warranty work.

 

HPtuners >>>>>>>>>>>>>>gms3

 

I know, but its just I like the idea of being able to switch to race gas mode and be able to switch it off if I run out of meth, but yeah, hpt is better, its just I've never used it and I dont know how hard it is to get going with it. I think I'll most likely go with option 1, but I'll allways be wondering if I never asked about gm stage 3 and how the nitrous algorithm works ect. If I just have stage 2 and exaust and go with a 2.9, meth and a tune, how much whp do you think I should gain? I dont really care what I'm at or where I'll be beacuse different dynos read different numbers, I just want to know how it'll feel vs what I'm used to now. I'm especially interested in HPT beacuse its as easy as plugging the computer to the obd2 port to flash back to stage 2 tunefile, and also to program in 2-step launch control without having to buy a wot box.

 

https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/show...ht=a%2Fc+stage

 

The s3 pcm has advantages such as race fuel option, adjustable shift limiter, and a progressive nitrous mode.

You can tune for the fuel in hptuners and change the shift limiter...but none of it is out of the box with hpt...and you can't change the limiter on the fly (relatively).

 

yeah thats bascially what I'm trying to figure out, if I baught stage 3, what would I need to run nitrous? I wouldnt need a full kit due to the controls that pcm has imbeded would I? Basically I'd just buy a bottle, lines, wot switch, main on/off circut,and a nozzle right? I never considered nitrous for a daily driver, but for track duty or for the ocassional street hit if its needed maybe once a month tops, it'd be the best bang for buck. Thing is I'd probably get all I need from a 2.9,meth and a tune. I know stage 3 is supposed to be good for a 50 shot on stock pistons, but if i just go option 1, what would be the max safe limit shot for a 2.9,meth and a tune?

 

all that is well and good but S3 is a dead end for modding...it is better to go with HPTuners so you can do pretty much whatever you want. There is no cracking GM S3...and the dyno run the guy did with High Octane mode and 50 dry shot got like 286whp and 306tq. Ive seen guys get better numbers with 60's and a 2.7...

 

I wouldn't run more than a 50 shot with the stock internals...the thing you want to avoid with nitrous is running excessively lean, I wouldn't think that nitrous with meth is going to be a huge issue even if you run the nitrous dry (intake). You probably wouldn't need a progressive controller for the nitrous but I could be wrong. Still, you have to actively monitor the AFR or your just going to be asking for trouble.

 

If I'd get nitrous down the road I'd probably just get something like this http://store.summitracing.com/egnsea...4&autoview=sku and just run the 25 shot. 25whp for $250+ shipping sounds great to me, even if its only a 1.4lb bottle,lol. How much nitrous in lb/min or lb/sec per 10hp of jettting does nitrous consume?

I think I'm just gonna go HPT, 2.9 and meth unless I see someone trying to sell a stage 3 pcm for cheap...

 

Hmmm...ive been looking for a sneaky system like that...cheaper than the Sneeky Pete NOS system

 

really, if you calculated everything out right you could maybe even run just a 25 shot with meth and just use 75/25 meth/water to give the extra fuel maybe? just thinkin out-loud, someone will probably explain to me why thats not a good idea,lol. But if you have a wideband I couldnt see why not.

 

theres a bunch of guys running S2, smaller pulleys, and nitrous, so as long as you havent messed with the S2 tune and leaned it out, you should be fine to run up to a 50 shot. But just to be safe, I wouldnt drop pulley size...my buddy is running stage 3 with a 2.8 and the 50 dry, and it starts to break up after 5500RPMs...

 

Nope...don't rev above 7k without the springs and balance shafts...bad idea. Max you probably want to do is 7200 but don't always shift there or you're asking for trouble.

2.9 runs nice with the stage 2 tune on a daily driver (meaning you aren't often going to redline...max out around 6700 give or take).

 

I shift at 7 when I hit it hard and its my daily driver, and I hit it atleatst 2 or 3 days a week for atleast 1 pull. I'm not getting my 2.9 till september or october, I'm buying hptuners and meth at the same time. I'm gonna lean out my tune(stage 2 is what 10.8 or so?) to 11.7 or 11.8 with meth, so I'm probably gonna have it set to command a 12.x afr and then the meth will richen it down to my target afr. I cant see idc's being that bad with a 2.9 commanding a 12.x afr at 7k rpm compared to a stage 2 tune commanding a 10.x afr on the stage 2's 3.1 pulley. I decided this is probably gonna be my best mod route for now, and then later on I can get a 2.8 or a 2.7 and 60's and a h/e, but I think meth should do a good job cooling for a 2.9 on its own. Nitrous is probably out of the picture for me atleast till I get everything else done, just not worth it for a daily driven car imo. If I want to run better times I'll just buy a set of dr's next spring.