Rats! I wrote this huge dissertation and lost it. ok short version... Time for me to bite the bullet and just fix my injectors. I've been thru everything else. Gonna probably do the DIY stage 1's
with the 160 cc machining (I can do myself) cuz I've got no chip to support the stage-2's split shots. no pyrometer either. I think They both go for about $700 ouch. or is it more like $250 plus intensifier pistons. help me decide please.
Stage 1's you get new pushrods and smoke
stage 2's you get new nozzles and 50 hp
help!
I'm about to go eenie meenie flip a quarter


Do I need a EGT gage so I don't melt something?
Plus I want to thank you guys--I wouldn't have been brave enough to do this without all your help:-)

 

let us know how hard those DIY's are, and fuel mileage after.

 

yeah im interested in your mileage aswell.. as for the pyro, for a 150-200 bucks it never can hurt. if you go with the stage II.. well you'll probably wind up getting a chip or tuner or something somewhere down the road.

 

I did the stage ones about a year ago. They are a lot easier to do than one would think. Just takes time. If I were to do it again I would go with the 2s. Even though the 1s are powerful, they leave you wanting more. A pyro is a must for big injectors like already mentioned. I can get mine very hot unloaded up hill pretty easily. Another thing to think of is your tranny, the weakest link. I did a bts valve body when I did my injectors to help make it last. About 6 months after the injector install I lost a torque converter. For what its worth I didnt exactly baby it. I installed a new one from a 4r100 and its been doing fine.

 

Yep. Pyro is a must with bigger injectors. They are fairly cheap too. Most people that have had stage 1's for a length of time do end up switching to 2's.

Install and removal is fairly simple as well. Just time consuming.

The bottom line is that with ones you can stay pretty much stock on everything else. With 2's, you gonna need some supporting mods to allow max performance of those sticks.

 

What are you wanting to do w/truck...pull,hotrod,daily driver w/alittle more fun.
For pulling loads I would stick to Is if you go IIs and pull loads you better consider guages and intercooler.

 

Like Fuelman said, what do you want to do with it? I have 1's, and they are plenty for me with my TW chip. Flat out rips, and that's not even in the highest setting, my HPOP can't keep up when the chip is turned up high. I have to turn down the chip further and can't use the power when towing up long mountain passes though. The power is there, lots of pedal left, but EGT is too high. I am hoping an intercooler helps bring EGT down to where I can use more of the power. Point here is, there's no need for the extra fuel 2's will deliver if you can't use it. Now if you hotrod empty around on flat ground, maybe it's no problem.

 

Ok I dropped the $ hammer on the 160cc stage 1's from Jim at Rosewood---seems like a real good guy. So I'm giving myself a little Christmas present. ;-) They should get to me next wednesday. For the guys that went with stage 1's and want stage 2-s, you can do the nozzle upgrade and get there from where you are. for about 4 bills. I'll let you know how it worked out in the new year. Hopefully it'll be a good one. If all things work out I'll be going for gauges and a chip next. Happy Holidays to FTE!

 

with stage ones the fuel mileage should stay the same, the injectors will only fire the amount of fuel desired. on stock programming they make the exact same power, with a chip, the power is only on demand so if you drive or tow normal then the fuel use is the same.

 

Building the DIY's isn't hard it just rquires a little discipline, time and a good bench vise. The hard part is correcting for wear. If you've got 200,000 or so miles many of them will need a surface grinder (NOT A BENCH GRINDER)to get them back to spec. This is a precision machining and metrology effort. Don't know yet about mileage but it's probably gonna be a little worse ;-) I'm looking at swapping out the PCM with one that will run these single shots instead of a chip for now. I can get one for a better price than the chip. I don't need huge power-just want to get my truck back in good shape. I'm well on my way thanks to this forum!

 

How well will the stage 1's do with just an intake, downpipe, cat deleat and 10k mod instead of a chip?

 

I'd be it runs like stock injectors with a 10k mod. The injectors won't deliver any more fuel than stock unless they are told to. I don't have a 10k mod, so I don't know how much power it will get you. I do have a TW chip, and I can tell you it makes a ton of power. I have a stock setting on my chip, it's a dog, but I need it for emissions testing.

 

I just put the 1's in Tuesday. Haven't had a chance to run it yet. Tomorrow, I hope. As far as doing the work, it was not bad at all. The first one took a bit, but the rest were all under 1/2 hour apiece. Yes, a good vice is a must!!!

 

do you have split shots now? mine did and it woke up some. I'll tell you more later