Which option would give me better results for improving the low end on my 94 LT1 auto. So far I've ordered a hotcam kit, replacing the timing chaing with a double roller and am putting in an electric water pump. Some SS Magnaflows and X-pipe are also on the way. Would LT headers or some TPIS/AFR ported heads give me better results in the low end as my car is only street driven? Headers are alot cheaper, I found some 1 3/4 headers at exotic muscle for $425, after theyre coated maybe a few hundred more? New TPIS/AFR heads are around $1800...

 

Especially if your looking for a strong low end, reconsider those headers. Headers with 1 5/8ths" primaries won't limit the top end, one bit, but they will start boosting torque at a much lower point. The larger tubes won't take anything away from the bottom end (according to all reports), but they won't give you what you want, where you want it.

RACE ON!!!

 

Neither is really going to give you a umph in the pants, both will increase total power and will give torque, but youre not going to feel that kick in the pants.

To improve a low-end feel, you'd need rear gears and a torque converter. If you dont have those, get one or the other at least. A new TC wouldnt even cost you any gas mileage.

 

Does anyone even make 1 5/8" headers for the LT1? I don't remember seeing any.

 

I would do it all, but leave the hot cam. I would opt for a cam like a 224/236 on a 114 for your car. While the hot cam is a proven performer, if you were to add the TPIS CNC ported heads you would run out of cam before you ran out of heads. I know its spendy and cash is hard to come by these days.....but she sure would run good. I haven't seen anyone offering 1 5/8 tubed headers in some time. I have the EM coated headers. Depending on where you are, the ones you mentioned for $425 is deal and if you are in or near Atlanta another forum member could coat those for you for around $200 or less! and that would mean a savings of around $100 over the coated EM headers direct from EM.

A convertor and a set of 3.07 gears would give you a real kick in the butt feel. Nothing else will give you that instant gratification such as those two mods. But combine the convertor and the gears and add the headers, head and cam package and now you have a 12 second performer.

 

What convertor would work well with this setup and how much am I looking at spending for gears and a convertor?

 

Im runnin a 2800 stall converter w/ 3.54 gears and it is a huge kick in the pants. The driveablity on the highway is good as well.

 

A 2600 to 2800 stall convertor would work well in your car. For gears I could go to 3.07s. The gears themselves are not that expensive. But the installation is what is going to be the expensive part unless you can do it yourself by removing the third member and taking it in to someone that can install your new gear set.

Gears and an installation kit would probably run you about $300 or less. A TCI Convertor is around $300 as well. I have seen them less while on sale.

 

About how many hours would a shop charge for installing these?

 

Hmm thats a good one, I would be guessing but here is what I would think:

R&R time for tranny: 4 hours

R&R and setup rear end:6 hours

Seeing how the two jobs overlap a little because you have to remove the C beam to get either peice out. And the rest is how much the shop would charge per hour as their rate.

 

Back in the day I had a car with just the hot cam kit and electric water pump. I was at the shop talking to the owner of Total Engine Airflow, Brian Tooley. I asked him what the next step should be heads / or headers. He told me headers, he said that stock manifolds would simply choke a set of his heads.

On his advice my next modification was in fact headers. I went with Hooker's which are 1 3/4" I was met with 23 horsepower and 32 more pounds of torque. Believe me, you fee that kind of difference, it was like a whole different car.

Now we did the same thing on my friend's car with a stock cam and it didn't really gain so much. Turns out the Hot Cam works with the headers to provide a very nice gain. Ideally of course you would do it all, but if you can only afford one, get the headers.

Brian Tooley could have sold me a set of cylinder heads, but instead he decided to tell me the truth. I bought the headers and was very pleased with the results. That let me know that he was an honest man and the type I like to do business with.

FYI you can probably get your stock heads ported AND buy headers for less than a set of AFR heads which have been known to have questionable quality anyway.

For more information on the progression of modifications and the corresponding power gains, take a look at my website. Look at the first 1992 corvette you come to and when you get to the dyno number's you'll notice that they are hyperlinks. They'll take you to my graph's page and you can see how the progression goes.

http://www.wku.edu/~nathan.plemons

 

Yea I can coat those headers for your $188!
this includes 3 yr labor warranty, lifetime limited rust warranty, all preping, coating inside and out, and tax!
WHAT A DEAL.



gears and Tc then engine work is MY honest opinion take it or leave it.
But I also agree with nathan headers then heads def! what I will have done is headers, gears, cam, heads, tc.

TPIS, EM, and Hooker are my top choices for headers and in no order.

good luck your friend
Sean
slimshaby@mindspring.com

 

Dan,
Nathan is giving you good scoop. since you are doing the cam, have your heads ported & a good valve job done. There is around 30hp in the head work and you are laying a good foundation for future mods.
Visit me at www.steadfastperformance.com

 

BEWARE of peak numbers! Unless that is what you really want. Based on your opening post, you are interested in the low end. Peak numbers are impressive, but they don't tell the whole story. Most performance mods, while they DO produce higher numbers, they are often at higher rpms, and at the expense of the numbers at the low end. Especially based on your desires, it pays to look at the WHOLE curve.

RACE ON!!!

 

What exactly do you mean by "improve the low end"? Jump from a standing start, or more torque at the low end?

With every mod discussed here you would improve the "high end" of your motor's torque curve, but diminish the torque from off-idle to the middle 2000 rpms.

Gears and torque converter would improve your romp from a standing stop, your 60 foot times specifically. Without getting into the engine.