How to identify a Jeff M chip?

[Bossman429]

After my previous huge embarasing excuse for a post :oops:

I'll try better this time.

How do I identify a Jeff M chip to tell if I have one?

Are there any marks on it to destinguish his from a plain old chip?

 

I want to check to see if the previous owner of my car put one in or not, but I don't want to tear the plastic off under the hood if I don't know what I'm looking for.

Thanks.

[dbtk2]

It will be marked "TopGun 160" or something to that extent in one of the little holes in the top of the chip. At least, both of mine were. But, if it had a chip in it, you would probably know the difference. They run a little better with chips in them.

 

Shawn

[Bossman429]

It seems to run really strong, I suspected it might have a chip in it. I'll have to pull the ECM out tommorow, and check now that I know what to look for, thanks

[dbtk2]

How high does the boost gauge on the dash go? What RPM does it have full boost?

 

Shawn

[Bossman429]

I pulled it out today and the verdict is in:

Top Gun 160.

The chip hasTG160 written on the blue part of the chip, and

J251

J252

TG160

inside the window

Good thing I bought a 160 stat for it!

Now I need a K&N, since it's stock now, the previous owner wasn't too with it.

[LukeZ34]

I bet that was a surprise to find! 8)

[dbtk2]

I wish I would've found that in one of my TGP's...Would've saved me a bit of coin...

 

Shawn

[Bossman429]

I bet that was a surprise to find! 8)

 

Ha! I was very conflicted in what to think before I found out.

On one hand, if it didn't have one, then I would know that I could easily make it a lot faster.

On the other hand, if it had one, it would mean that I saved $275 to put towards a crossover soon.

All in all, I'm happy with what I found

Also glad I opted for the 160 stat in anticipating buying a chip, If I'd a bought a higher one I'd have to go re-buy a 160.

[Rick5638]

You haven't felt the cars potential if its still got the stock airbox. As a matter of fact its not good at all to use the 160 Jeff M chip with a stock air box. That car wants to breath. Put a K&N on it and then take it for a test drive. Huge difference.

[TGPilot]

The stock airbox is not really the flow issue...it is the shitty filters we have to use in them. The corrigation of the inlet tube does cause some turbulence in the inlet..but not really a performance hit that you feel with the seat of your pants (at least not at this altitude). 8)

[Rick5638]

well yea the filter is the issue but the stock airbox is in a bad place and is still more restrictive with a good quality drop in filter than a cone filter set up. No question.

[dbtk2]

well yea the filter is the issue but the stock airbox is in a bad place and is still more restrictive with a good quality drop in filter than a cone filter set up. No question.

 

Not only that, but with the stock airbox it takes longer for the turbo to spool, because its having to suck teh air in through that huge airbox instead of having the air right there at the inlet. A K&N filter does wonders.

 

Shawn

[TGPilot]

I do not question the lack of performance that the stock air-box (with FRAM or other filter inside) has compared to a strap-on K&N. But if someone was to build a mandrel bend pipe that was insulated running through the stock airbox location with a K&N on the end behind the panel that houses the current inlet bend...it would be by far a more appealing performance gain than a K&N on the turbo inlet sucking in the underhood heat. I had something similar on the 5-speed TGP I sold Luke...but used the stock air-box (with no filter in the box) and stock plumming to draw cold air from the right side headlight inlet (where the K&N was mounted). I ran a digital thermal probe at both the inlet (behind the panel) and at the turbo inlet. There was 10*F temp difference in ambiant temps at either end even with the car sitting idleing for 20 minutes. Now with a K&N sitting on the turbo inlet the temps were between 60 and 70*F higher than ambient and with the same outside temps and idleing for the same amount of time. If you eliminate the corrugated hose to the turbo you will see a much better flow into the inlet of the turbo. Cooler inlet temps = better performance...plain and simple. 8)

[Rick5638]

Actually its not that plain and simple. While you may be drawing cooler air

at idle with your old setup. Did you take into account the volume you must be losing through that passage vs a cone on the turbo? I think at normal driving the temperature difference is negligable if the condensor fins are removed to provide fresh air to the cone. IMO, the only true cold air intake would require battery removal, and a mandrel bent 90 degree to the driver side inner fender. I guess dyno numbers and the ability to measure air volume /cfm would tell the truth about the cone vs your old setup. I don't have either so I cant argue the difference anymore. I do know Jeff M still uses the old K&N cone setup as the filter of choice and he's been messing with the performance of these cars longer than you and I combined.

[LukeZ34]

Better performance or not, this car felt like a completely different beast when I removed the stock K&N intake setup Kenny had, and put the K&N on the turbo. Maybe it was just a placebo, but it felt like it pulled harder in every gear than it had before.

Plus, I wanted to hear the turbo. What's the joy in owning a turbocharged car if you (and everyone else) can't hear the turbo screaming? 8)

[TGPilot]

Better performance or not, this car felt like a completely different beast when I removed the stock K&N intake setup Kenny had, and put the K&N on the turbo.

 

Well shit then I guess getting cool air into the inlet was only one issue then...flow being the other. :oops: I am not saying it was/is the et all answer to the cone filter. Because of the corrugated intake hose that goes onto the turbo inlet causing turbulance you will lose the turbo sound (WHICH I LOVE!) and lose airflow. I would guess if there was a smooth bend instead of the stock intake hose it would be a different (smooth path) for the inlet air.

 

TWalt knows what I am talking about...I am actually in the process of building an intake as Rick stated. It requires the battery to be relocated, the washer bottle to be relocated, and a hood scoop to be in place where the hood loovers are now. It will not replace the hood loovers completely...but 1/2 of the loovers will be in place facing to the rear and a scoop (low profile/wide mouth) in the front which at high speed will hopefully pressurize the box (Ram Air = triple digits). The concern I have and need to address along the way is foul weather breathing. Possibly a flapper door to close the hood scoop inlet and another door on the box to allow behind the drivers headlight air flow into the box. 8)

[Rick5638]

Sounds interesting. I may be a customer.

[TGPilot]

Sounds interesting. I may be a customer.

 

Don't hold your breath just yet...will be mid to late spring before it is put into "production". Too many things happening and planning for my Talon at this point.