RB30E Performance chip

[Flak]

Hi guys, i've just come across a reasonable deal on a performance chip for the VL straight six and am just wondering whether there are any particular things i should take into account before purchasing this item.

The company claims that the chip significantly improves fuel economy and power especially if used in conjuction with a CAI and performance exhaust system (extractors etc.)

Would really appreciate some advice and your thoughts on the issue.

Many thanks,

joel

p.s. I've just picked up some new HM Header extractors for my calais and am wondering what exhaust setup I should get in order to maximise my power output. I will be getting my local exhaust shop to fit the extractors, however i am unsure as to what I need to look for in relation to a decent exhaust??

[VL Berlina 5speed]

now this chip you talk about is it of ebay or a shop?
it mostly comes down to the saying 'one size fits all' this is not a case for cars, every car is diffrent and if you were really looking for the extra out of the ecu a dyno tunning would be advised.
also the other saying is 'the increase of power means increase of fuel' there is no real way around it if you want more power you are pritty much going to suck more fuel up if it be a lot or little.

now exhaust, i have extracors with a high flow cat and 2 1/4" straght though with no rear muffler
this is quite nice and has a deep sound to it
2 1/2" is to big for a NA vl and is to restrictive a turbo. 3" for a turbo seams the avrage size and the 2 1/4" is fine for the NA

[Flak]

hey champ,

Thanks for getting back to me...I've just found the old posts on performance chips and had a good read. I was comparing both.

However, after reading it i'm not so sure on the chips anymore. Seems it may be better to stick with the current setup

[1991_Vn2nV]

Seeing as its 'Performance' Chip I would be guessing Ebay.

If its an ebay chip, steer clear. Its 99% of the time a piece of shit, or someone copying chips off people like greenfoam.

[Flak]

I don't have a turbo, so 2-1/4" sounds perfect. thanks heaps VL Berlina 5 spd....really helps.

[Flak]

yer you've confirmed my fear. Will definately be steering clear for now. Thanks for the advice bud. I shouldn't let my curiosity get the better of me. Either way, even once i've have finished making all the mods to my N/A, it will be no match for my brothers VP wagon! That thing goes like a zirtek (all stock except for wheels and k'n panel filter)

I've done the CAI, and k'N panel filter, just waiting for the new year to get my extractors done. It seems that airflow is the key tho...so i need to explore more options in that area (throttle body etc.).

I've gotta say though, my calais has almost 400,000kms on the clock and is still running like a dream. As long as it survives my next 2 years at uni i'll be stoked. Its been stolen, in a hi-speed pursuit, banged about and i've spent a fair whack putting it back togethor - but its all worth it. There's alot to be said for the RB30...takes a pounding All it needs is a bit of TLC

Thanks again fellas.

[1991_Vn2nV]

A chip can definitely improve things though mate, the RB30e gets heaps from some advanced timing... But just get it done by a professional mob.

[Flak]

fair enough....appreciate the advice mate. If i decide to go through with it, I will ensure its done properly.

No half measures.

[Doctor Bob]

its all well and good to say all cars are different but in my experience a decent "off the shelf" tune will be about 90 to 95% of a full custom tune, when you take into account the cost difference its pretty easy to see whats the best value for money.

Rob

[greenfoam]

There are guys selling VL tunes that I fully expect would be very good, they have been doing it for a along time and the RB30 responds excellently to a retune, chances are they are almost the same as the powerchip and those can knock half a second or more off your 0-100 in a VL, if I had a VL I'd buy one just to see what the timing is like

[greenfoam]

now this chip you talk about is it of ebay or a shop?
it mostly comes down to the saying 'one size fits all' this is not a case for cars, every car is diffrent and if you were really looking for the extra out of the ecu a dyno tunning would be advised.
also the other saying is 'the increase of power means increase of fuel' there is no real way around it if you want more power you are pritty much going to suck more fuel up if it be a lot or little.

now exhaust, i have extracors with a high flow cat and 2 1/4" straght though with no rear muffler
this is quite nice and has a deep sound to it
2 1/2" is to big for a NA vl and is to restrictive a turbo. 3" for a turbo seams the avrage size and the 2 1/4" is fine for the NA

And just to clear this up, 99% of the time you dont need to add more fuel in any part of the map that has anything to do with normal day to day fuel ecconomy, the only thing likely to change is spark advance and that will give you more power so you need less throttle to cruise and will use less fuel. If the engine is modified in a good way you will need a bit more fuel at wide open throttle but that's got nothing to do with normal putting around. Now for my statement of the day, 99% of people selling VL chips will be better at retuning a VL than 99% of Dyno shops this is something you can be sure of. Most dyno shops are lucky to be able to spin a distributor around

[VL Berlina 5speed]

ok greenfoam thanks for enlighting me, ive been abit skeptical as ive herd of a mate buying one but it was basiclly the same no diffrence,

last week i emailed a seller about the chip as i was intrested and think i will personally i will end up buying one, as its not that much of money and it must be better then stock if not its a learning step for all of us


my email question

hey
i was wondering about the classifaction of stages. like diffrence between stage 1 and 2 or 2 and 3 if you do stage three,
i am intressted in knowing more details about your most tuned one and what you reckomend for a manual vl, this is the last mods avalible to me before turbo and opening the motor up so im intressted in the most optum tune

looking forward to a reply and if possibly are you able to show any dyno results to back up your tunes

cheers sean

response email

yeh thats fair enough, the stage 2 chip available from many sellers is a upgrade from factory which allows better fuel and ignition maps, and will generate 8kw to a vehicle with no mods, now that number will increase on a vehicle with exh/inlet mods, and is still usable on a fully worked rb30 that still has a factory camshaft.

a Stage 3 chip is a custom chip which is normally specificly made for a aftermarket camshaft or extremely modified engines. Its a taylor made chip that changes the computers fuel and ignition maps to suit the changes made.

If anybody wants a 150kw non turbo vl, come to me with $2500 thats the same amount as power as a vl turbo.

i can also do 200kw, and even tempramental 300kw rb30e engines. but for the money involved its alot easier to bolt on a turbo.

mate i have no dyno results on my chip. Do you live in melboure ? cause book some dyno time and i will prove it for you.

[greenfoam]

Sammy was having a go at retuning for his mates VL I don't know if hes tried it yet but I doubt it will take him like to figure it out.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/VL-Commodore-...QQcmdZViewItem

The dyno graph on that add seems to sugest a massive increase in mid range torque and I wouldn't be suprised given how tame the RB30s stock timing is that you could achive that. Looks like the fuel ratios could the tweaked for a couple more rwkw too

[1991_Vn2nV]

300kw RB30e? As in N/A? errr...

[mag]

I don't have a turbo, so 2-1/4" sounds perfect. thanks heaps VL Berlina 5 spd....really helps.

now exhaust, i have extracors with a high flow cat and 2 1/4" straght though with no rear muffler
this is quite nice and has a deep sound to it.

When VL berlina 5 spd says straight through he means a straight through muffler not straight through exhaust..

[qwertsta]

Sammy was having a go at retuning for his mates VL I don't know if hes tried it yet but I doubt it will take him like to figure it out.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/VL-Commodore-...QQcmdZViewItem

The dyno graph on that add seems to sugest a massive increase in mid range torque and I wouldn't be suprised given how tame the RB30s stock timing is that you could achive that. Looks like the fuel ratios could the tweaked for a couple more rwkw too

I purchased that exact chip a few month's ago but have not got it put it as of yet. Here is a dyno print out what he sent me thru email, i am not sure if it is legit.

"The stage3 chip is $250 inc postage. If you send me your ecu i can install it for you for an extra $20 and you pay for postage both ways or you can pay $300 inc postage and I will send you a ready chipped and tested ecu to suit. If you want the chip only and you are not confident soldering yourself i would recommend taking it to an electronic professional like a tv repair or somebody like that they usually charge a small amount. Instructions are included. With the performance chips it is important to have the timing set to factory setting and to run the car on a min of 95oct fuel but preferably 98oct. The difference between the stock chip and stage2 and stage3 are shown on the dyno sheet which was from a rb30e, completely stock so if you have any other mods you will see more power than shown on the graph as you will see on the dyno sheet the car pulls harder and has lots more torque than stock. There is no other performance chip for the RB30E that can match the power and torque of the stage3 chip that i have seen yet! You cannot get that sort of power with any other bolt on for that price.
Regards,

Matt

[jdl6666]

I know that this is an incredibly old thread, but to those who get those chips installed:

There's a 24 pin IC right next to the 28 pin performance chip that you'd be putting in. This 24 pin IC is a fuel-map over ride chip. This chip needs to be removed but the pins need to be kept in place. there's also an area "JP24" which will need to be connected to over-ride this 24 pin chip fully and thus rely on the new fuel map in the new chip that you're installing. I know on a stage 3 and 4 ECU chip it will have an updated fuel map to compliment the advance in the timing, so doing this is a must for additional performance! A stage 2 chip, I wouldn't bother with as it's just designed to generally advance the spark timing only!

People say that the ebay performance chips are a gimmick, but yeah that's as good as true if they're installed by someone who doesn't know what they're doing. Done right, and there is a big noticeable difference!

Cheers!
Jim.

[detox_nath83]

Meh, they r poo man. i have not heard any success stories with these chips. can b proven wrong though.

The N/A RB30 is gutless till u start with a turbo..

can only flog a dead horse for so long............

[nasty1]

is it a cop chip?

[jdl6666]

Meh, they r poo man. i have not heard any success stories with these chips. can b proven wrong though.

The N/A RB30 is gutless till u start with a turbo..

can only flog a dead horse for so long............

I've done an install near 4 years back and worked fine and made a MILD difference. Mid-range was a definite improvement. Nothing spectacular nonetheless! Yeah, with an engine freshen up, new cam, extractors and all that hype they do move a long a little better but gotta admit myself the absolute best performance mod for your $ has to be a turbo setup without a doubt. I will be travelling this path once I get a few repairs out of the way and start to rebuild my spare calais motor.

Cheers!
Jim.

[jdl6666]

is it a cop chip?

Lol. You tell me????

[jdl6666]

Is the average 'Filth' smart enough to do their own tune??? that'd be my answer!

Cheers!
Jim.

[Jxw]

took a bit to find this old clunker and dust it off, have opened dozens of vl ecu over the years and none had anything populating the 24 pin socket.
flyskine r31 ecu's have a chip there and those that i had chipped didn't need that removed.
the fuel map is stored in the eprom/"performance chip"