Questions regarding SAC injectors

JK13

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Jun 10, 2020
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Howdy, I was hoping yall could help me out with a question I haven't been able to find an answer to...

So I've read up on the SAC style injectors for our LB7s, and am sold on them being my replacement injectors whenever the ones currently in my truck bite the dust. My plans for the truck are mainly commuting, light hauling and towing, and general pickup tasks, and would like to shoot for somewhere between 370-390 mostly smoke-free hp with EFI Live eventually. Would I be better served with a set of SAC00's or SAC45's with supporting tuning for that hp goal? Curious as to which would be more efficient and all, if either would be easier on the injection pump or whatever like that.

Also, is there any tuners out there that are more versed in tuning SAC style injectors? or is it a non issue? Ive heard that with the right tuning they can get pretty quiet and there could be gains from messing with pilot timing and such but I dont know much about all that.

Thanks in advance!
 

Bdsankey

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SAC00 or SAC45 would easily meet your goals. In my opinion the SAC45 is a better size in the off chance you do decided "hey, I want some more power later". As for tuners, any of today's reputable tuners can easily get you squared away.


As for injector manufacturer, some are definitely better than others.
 

DAVe3283

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Sep 3, 2009
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I agree, go SAC45. Any competent tuner can get 390 HP with little to no smoke on SAC45 injectors. The SAC45 is cheaper than the SAC00, and leaves your options open for more power down the road.

My brother's truck has SAC45 injectors (tuned by me), and it runs great with no smoke unless you're at WOT. Even then, it is quite reasonable. And I'd wager it is closer to 450 HP.
 
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JK13

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Thanks for the quick replies guys!

Aside from the possibilities of more power down the road, any other benefits to the 45’s over the 00’s? Or is price and ability for more power about it?

As for injector manufacturer, some are definitely better than others.
From everything I’ve read on the different forums, sounds like I cant go wrong picking them up from Lincoln Diesel
 

DAVe3283

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... Or is price and ability for more power about it?
Being cheaper and having the ability for more power isn't enough? :LOL:

IMO the only reason to get the SAC00's is if you live in a state where they are really strict on emissions (California), since they are CARB certified, just drop them in and go. Otherwise, take the savings from going with SAC45s, apply it towards a tune, and have a better setup.
 

Bdsankey

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Being cheaper and having the ability for more power isn't enough? :LOL:

IMO the only reason to get the SAC00's is if you live in a state where they are really strict on emissions (California), since they are CARB certified, just drop them in and go. Otherwise, take the savings from going with SAC45s, apply it towards a tune, and have a better setup.

^ I 100% agree. There is no situation in my mind where a SAC00 warrants an extra price over the SAC45 unless it's a communist state like California or a strict emissions testing zone. The SAC45 (and even larger) can be made to run extremely clean and very efficient where there isn't a downside.



There are tons of quality injector companies out there like F1/Flux Diesel, Exergy, S&S, Dan's, LDS etc that all make quality injectors. The biggest take away is buy from a quality injector company that is well established and will take care of you in the event of a failure. Everyone is human and failures do happen.
 
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JK13

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Being cheaper and having the ability for more power isn't enough? :LOL:

lol it is, I was more curious if there was any technical differences


IMO the only reason to get the SAC00's is if you live in a state where they are really strict on emissions (California), since they are CARB certified, just drop them in and go. Otherwise, take the savings from going with SAC45s, apply it towards a tune, and have a better setup.

^ I 100% agree. There is no situation in my mind where a SAC00 warrants an extra price over the SAC45 unless it's a communist state like California or a strict emissions testing zone. The SAC45 (and even larger) can be made to run extremely clean and very efficient where there isn't a downside.

Now that raises a good point, I do live in California so smog testing is something I have to consider. Would the 45’s be too smokey with a factory tune?

😂😂 my 250’s pass, nobody needs sac 00

Do you have biannual testing in your county?
 

DAVe3283

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Now that raises a good point, I do live in California so smog testing is something I have to consider. Would the 45’s be too smokey with a factory tune?
Hmm, possibly. I haven't lived in CA in years, but you used to be able to sneak a tune through so long as all the monitors worked and the truck passed the snap smoke test. My brother's truck passed CA smog with Industrial Injection +60% VCO (old style) injectors, so with a tune, SAC45s would be a cakewalk. On the stock tune... I'm not so sure.
 
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JK13

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Yeah thats how it was last time I had to smog a diesel too, but thats been about 5 years now. Thats thing I’m still trying to figure out, hoping @gmduramax might have some insight on this
 

silvrmax04

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Talk to Brent at LDS. He talked me into the sac45. They have been out a lot longer and almost no failures or complaints. Also cheaper. I got the install kit also. He is very knowledgeable on them. Worth the call. I do need tuning though. Very peppy throttle but more smoke than I want.
 
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gmduramax

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lol it is, I was more curious if there was any technical differences






Now that raises a good point, I do live in California so smog testing is something I have to consider. Would the 45’s be too smokey with a factory tune?



Do you have biannual testing in your county?

Every two years yea. It won’t pass on the stock tune
 
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fl0w3n

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Jan 8, 2015
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I hadn’t considered that...

In California when they hook up to OBD2 it won’t let test complete if it’s tuned, it just hangs up like the test machine is malfunctioning. doesn’t matter “who” is running the test.
Had issues selling my LBZ back in 2017 or so. Had to get it flashed to stock at the dealer.

so 45s on a factory tune will smoke heavily? Anyway to make a tune not “crash” the smog machine?

edit: to clarify, I had a DSP5 and even on the stock tune it wouldn’t let the computer finish. Had to fully flash to stock from dealer.
 
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DAVe3283

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I hadn’t considered that...

In California when they hook up to OBD2 it won’t let test complete if it’s tuned, it just hangs up like the test machine is malfunctioning. doesn’t matter “who” is running the test.
Had issues selling my LBZ back in 2017 or so. Had to get it flashed to stock at the dealer.

so 45s on a factory tune will smoke heavily? Anyway to make a tune not “crash” the smog machine?

edit: to clarify, I had a DSP5 and even on the stock tune it wouldn’t let the computer finish. Had to fully flash to stock from dealer.
The LBZ speaks proper CAN, and so does the smog machine, so it can easily read checksums from the ECU. They weren't able to do that for the LB7 because it uses the older GM VPW 1 wire bus, but I know they were looking to try and support it. Maybe they succeeded by now?

Man I'm glad I don't live in that crappy state anymore. I've got better things to do than fight the ever changing emissions rules there. And that was just the tip of the iceberg, really. But I digress...

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk
 

rfletes79

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With the right person writing your tune you can pass smog/inspection/testing in CA. With an LB7 LLY LBZ LMM, no issues whatsoever, just need to keep all your factory emission stuff on, intact and hooked up properly. Even with sac45’s. Or bigger for that matter.


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1FastBrick

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With the right person writing your tune you can pass smog/inspection/testing in CA. With an LB7 LLY LBZ LMM, no issues whatsoever, just need to keep all your factory emission stuff on, intact and hooked up properly. Even with sac45’s. Or bigger for that matter.


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Agreed. Both my Gasser and my Diesel Pass a normal Emissions test
 

THEFERMANATOR

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The problem in Cali was dsp tunes. They use a custom OS number, and LBZ+ could not have the tune read via the data port so the reader would fail it. A single tune file went through fine according to some that I helped. A stock tune with sac45's will not pass. I tried it on mine and it was pretty smokey in several spots. But a good tune with sac45's should pass no problem.
 
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fl0w3n

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Jan 8, 2015
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The LBZ speaks proper CAN, and so does the smog machine, so it can easily read checksums from the ECU. They weren't able to do that for the LB7 because it uses the older GM VPW 1 wire bus, but I know they were looking to try and support it. Maybe they succeeded by now?

Man I'm glad I don't live in that crappy state anymore. I've got better things to do than fight the ever changing emissions rules there. And that was just the tip of the iceberg, really. But I digress...

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk
The problem in Cali was dsp tunes. They use a custom OS number, and LBZ+ could not have the tune read via the data port so the reader would fail it. A single tune file went through fine according to some that I helped. A stock tune with sac45's will not pass. I tried it on mine and it was pretty smokey in several spots. But a good tune with sac45's should pass no problem.

got it, that’s what I thought I remember the smog tech at the time saying about the Information it was looking for being in a different location or something.

That’s good news.
 

KyleC4

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But what if you dropped in, say a stock appearing upgraded turbo. Could a tuner then clean up SAC45’s on a stock tune setting being that now it has a charger that can move a little more air? I live in that state too that everyone is beating down lol