New guy in Central MN

[carkhz316]

Hello all, I just finally bought HPT Pro so I can get into tuning. I know my way around cars, but have never done anything in the way of tuning. I have a '98 Chevy Monte Carlo Z34 with a "top-swapped" 3.8SC/ 5-speed manual; and a 2003 Silverado 2500HD 6.0 that will be my guinea pigs, so to speak. The Monte has a canned tune and the Silverado is stock except for dual exhaust and S&B CAI. I don't have a wideband yet as the HPT purchase wiped out my car-fund for the next month or so. I do plan on getting one soon though. Regarding tuning, I have been doing some reading and have a few beginner guides saved to get me started. My main questions are:

Can I do basic tuning w/o the WB for the time being? I know obviously that I can't do any WOT runs or anything until I can monitor O2 readings more accurately, can I do other things besides for the time being?

Second, I already have a few family/ friends that want stuff done, but I know almost none of them have nor will they want to purchase a wideband. Are there tunes/ ways to give them the equivalent of a canned tune? Or is this not a good idea?

Any help will be appreciated while I use the search function and pour over the forums.

[5FDP]

You can still do alot without a wideband, a wideband just help a ton with getting your fueling spot on. Doing WOT runs is still fine without one, but making major changes in how much fuel you want shouldnt be messed with.

You can still change transmission shifting/pressure, fans and tire sizes if needed. You can change idle and even add some cruise timing. Changing the throttle % for PE and the delays can be done on both the 3.8 and 6.0, even working with torque management can be done without a wideband.

I don't have a WB on my 5.3 sierra but I did tons of changes to make it run and drive how I want, though I have one on my grand prix because I need to watch fueling as it's modded.

[carkhz316]

Thanks for the reply. I am kinda on the same page as you, as the Z34 is continually being changed and sometimes being modded, whereas the Silverado will most certainly stay where it's at, besides the tuning. I am glad to find that I can still play around without a WB for now. Thanks again!