TOPIC: intro

hello fellow gadget men I am new here but excited to get rolling. I am a tens years licenced journeyman tech and have made a great living working on vehicles. I have a 2002 Chevy Avalanche 5.3L with a drive by cable system, I'm going to be using it for my first mod, if anyone has any tips for me on this application I would love to hear them. I'm also curious if anyone has info on how this stuff works with high performance mods like camshaft upgrades, headers, I live in Alberta Canada mileage and emissions aren't of huge concern here, well mileage somewhat everybody likes to spend less on fuel but the market is bigger for performance than emission and economy. I personally like to ride the line of maximum efficiency making the best all around performance I can with least amount of fuel possible. I had a 2004 Silverado SS 6.0L that got 12.5L/100km highway mileage while making over 400 crank horse power and ran mid to high 14's on the 1/4 at Castrol raceway in Edmonton Alberta.

Hi Jman, welcome to the Gadgetman forum!

For more info re: your Chevy look in Index tab top left corner, under GM vehicles. A number of posts have been made re: Grooving GM V-8 vortec TB's.

Sometimes once done the TB will make a whistle sound, to be taken as a sign the Groove is working.

Ron has taught that the first step is NOT to clean the TB before Grooving it. This applies more to Computer drive by wire version, computer sets idle throttle position, which is different from engine off. The black carbon deposit behind the throttle blade is tell-tale to show the natural idle posit. of throttle blade. Usually the Groove wants to be just a tad downstream of idle closed throttle positition. Others here have more expperience w/ the vortec's than I.

Dig into Ron's training DVD hard. Read all you can find in the back sections of this site. Also check Service bulletins section more good info there. And there's Ron's Youtube vid's I know there's several on there of Vortec's

The V-8 Vortec will be large bit. Expect to cut thru the casting near either end close to throttle axle, and AVOID the axle shaft with the bit. Examine the casting thickness at the shaft ends-you can pre-build up some JB Quick epoxy in those areas let set up before you cut Groove, then if ya do blow thru it will merely cut into epoxy a bit, yet still be sealed. After cutting your Groove check your work w/ flashlight to see if there are any cut-thru's, this applies to ALL Grooves you do in anything. Any holes you find in the casting--patch w/ JB or other metal epoxy then gently touch up Groove to remove epoxy that oozed into Groove.

And if your Chevy has more than 50K miles(I don't know how that is in KM) then likely the O2's are headed out, all of 'em. O'2's are fuel controllers. Worn old ones will reduce gains from Grooving.

Also look at what is to be found here re: PCV re-routing, to increase manifold vac. Manifold vac. and attendant increase in fuel vaporization is what the Groove is all about!

Welcome aboard, and dig In!

Tracy G