mstrueby

im geting a monte carlo soon, and i want it to have some power behind it, now this isnt a carborator monte its a 1999 monte carlo 3.8L and i was wondering how i could get some more horse power out of it without spending over 800 dollars, thanks again guys

TechmanBD

CAI, better exhaust. Underdrive pulleys. Tuner.

RLSH700

Try a K&N cold air intake. Here is an example. http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/pe...d=43&year=1999

Now if you look around on eBay and some other sites you can find, non-name brand cold air intakes that still have the K&N air filter on the end, just a much cheaper tubing. A friend of mine bought an off-brand one with a K&N filter at the end for his 1996 Grand Prix for under $100 and he loves it. Look into some lower restriction exhaust but make sure they will pass MO state regulations.

Things NOT to buy. Microchips, they don't work like they claim they do. Tornadoes or anyother of those stupid spinners, they only make things worse.

mstrueby

y wouldnt u put a clip in it i thought they made lots of power

RLSH700

From the people I have talked to, Microchips don't work, neither do things like the "turbonator." Their a scam.

TechmanBD

If you are talking about those supposed microchips as on ebay, yes they are a scam. All it is, is a resistor that you put on a sensor and it fools the computer into thinking something other than it really is and leans out the fuel.

Jet Chip is ok, but the same price as a tuner, say like Hypertech or Diablo Predator. The chip they have piggy backs onto the harness going into the ECU. One of teh biggest problem with these are, they are programmed what you tell them you have. Say an exhaust or CAI. Now if you add other factors that can cause leaning or the opposite, you can't change anything in the Chip. But with the tuners you can. I think you could also send the JetChip to them to get reflashed, but then there is extra cash you need to spend.

mstrueby

ok but i have a though questons what is a tuner (is it the same thing as a programer) and what would a underpulley do

Jeremiah 29:11

Generally, a tuner is a programmer and a under pulley is the same thing as a underdrive systems, increase power, but, the drawbacks depends on what it does to do it. underdrive, as in, smaller pullys, reduce rotating mass, thus, force required, thus, higher power output. BUT, can cause excessive wear on powersteering systems and alternators, which are being spun at faster than normal speed. Lightweight pullys better alternative, still reduce mass, thus increase power, but, dont reduce rotation distance, thus, dont effect anything else. generally more expensive, but the 'proper' way of doing it. underdrive, often the cheap way out.

RLSH700

BTW Mark, when you get this car, keep an eye on the alternator. GM alternators have a short life normally. From what I have heard, the location and lay out of the engine causes the alternator to get too hot and eventually kills the alternator. Normally a good signal that it is going to die is when the turning signal flashes very, very, very slowly when your at a halt.