Ok, so I'm pretty new to cars in general. However, I have sparked an interest and its starting to spread once I got my Vette. I have a 92 with the LT1. I'm considering a few very minor upgrades while I have the cash. Have already upgraded to K&N intake. What would you suggest for cheep upgrades to start me out. I'm kinda wanting to just work my way into this. Im thinking of starting with a high performance oil (no clue what is best), Performance plugs and wires, and have considered a cool running thermostat, as well as chip tuning. What do you think? Thanks for any help.

 

Good good place to start your journey is a good tune up on your car. This will also let you get familiar and your feet wet with your new car.

As you get braver and more comfortable you can give in deeper and deeper for more performance.

Some helpful suggestions are to follow proven setups and don't go out on limbs - they tend to break and expectations tend to fall short.

You can check out where I started in my website in my signiture and where I am today. Its a LOT of hard work and determination that leads to success. A lot of GOOD people helped me along the way and hopefully you can learn from some of my mistakes through reading my experience.

I have been fortune enough to have achieved all the goals I have set out to achieve with my car set each year, and hope you can do the same.

 

The OEM plugs and wires are of pretty high quality, and if they're in good condition, I'd leave them alone. Changing them on an LT1 is not so easy. The wires, in particular, are a Queen Royal Beeyotch to change on the driver's side of the engine. If your existing plugs and wires are functioning as well as they should, you'll gain nothing in the way of performance by changing them. If you do switch to a different plug, make sure it's of the proper heat range, electrode length, etc.

There's a lot of disagreement about thermostat temps, and you'll likely hear a lot of responses offering varying points of view on this. Others have posted data on this Forum that suggests the ideal running temperature, from the perspective of cylinder wall wear, is somewhere in the range of 175* to 180* F. I have installed a 160*F thermostat in my LT1, and have reprogrammed the ECM to kick the cooling fans on at lower temps (190*F/primary, 195*F/secondary, if I recall correctly). This keeps my LT1 running much cooler in hot weather under most conditions, and the lowest it ever runs (on the open road at ambient temps of around freezing) is 170*F, so I'm very pleased with this arrangement. Don't expect to notice any performance gains by lowering the operating temps, as you likely won't realize much, but it will give your cooling system quite a bit more headroom under most conditions before Really Bad Things happen (overheating).

If you decide to install a lower temp thermostat, be aware that the LT1 uses a specific thermostat, and it is NOT interchangeable with the far more common thermostat that was used on first-generation small-block Chevy engines. Many auto parts counter personnel are not aware of this. Make sure you get the correct part.

Also be aware that, in order for the lower-temp thermostat to have much effect, the ECM will need to be reprogrammed to kick the fans on at a lower temp. Reprogramming the ECM, on a '92 LTI, if I'm not mistaken, requires programming an EPROM, and installing it in the ECM. My '94 has flash ROM in the ECM, but I believe '94 was the first year for this.

Use Mobil 1 engine oil, as specified in your owner's manual.

If you're serious about spending any time under the hood of your new Vette, I strongly recommend you order a set of the Factory Service Manuals. You can get them from the publisher, Helm, Inc (www.helminc.com), or surf E-Bay for a good set of used manuals. Just make sure you get the ones with the red covers (the others are preliminary manuals, and will not be as complete or accurate as the final-release edition).

Welcome to the obsession.

Be well,

SJW

 

First thing I recommend as would others is the Helms books. Money well spent. Unless you already have them then ignore my post..

Have fun

 

Ok, looking on your site ski_it_down. What is the frisbee elimination you refer to as one of your first steps. Also, any specific suggestions for the first bang for the buck upgrades? I should mention it is a 6-speed. Thanks.

 

Improving the driver is the best bang for the buck to begin with. Head to the local dragstrip, autocross, and run it stock till you can get most of the potential out of it. After this, it'll make you appreciate mods that much more.

And yeah, also make sure it's performing as good as day 1 before you confuse the issue with aftermarket stuff.

 

I have a 93, so it is basically the same as your 92. The problem with improving the LT1 engine, exspecially with minor mods is, GM really did a good job designing this motor performance wise, and left little to bolt ons.
However, here is a list of what worked for me and what did not.
1. Higher lift roller rockers and matching springs.
2. A custom chip designed specifically for your car along with a 160 t-stat. Now this one brings up a lot of controversy on this forum but let me just say. It did make a small difference for me at the track. (.10) Also, keep in mind that the factory T-stat is 180 and this is due to reverse flow of the engine. So a drop to 160 will still keep engine tempatures in the 170-180 range. The chip I used, I purchased used and it was made by fastchips. However, if I was to do it again I would go with www.pcmforless.com They are considerably cheaper, and in the future if you do other upgrades they will upgrade your chip for a miminal charge. And they are a supporting vendor of this forum.

Minor things that did not seem to show any improvement for me.
1. MSD6al box. I see no difference plugged in or not. But it does have a good rev limiter
2. Air Foil.
3. Aftermarket exhaust. I have tried Magnaflow and have seen no performance increase. Buy exhaust for the sound and looks but not for performance
4. 52mm Throttle Body. I have made back to back runs, and again, I see no improvement.

Things not so minor but really help.
1. Rear end gears. Exspecially if you have a automatic with 2.59 gears. My first change was to a set of 3.54 gears and in my opion this is one of the best bang for the buck changes to make. It makes the car much more responsive and more fun to drive.
2. A higher stall converter. This comes in very close to the rear gears as far as improving the car. IMO
3. Ported heads, a bigger cam, and long tube headers. I put these in one group since I did mine all in one step. Check out Nathans web page for a accurate, detailed, story as to the changes these make to a LT1. He does it step by step and at the very least provides some very interesting reading.
4. For drag racing, changing over to light wheels and tires. This saved 74 lbs of rotational weight on my car and seems to have helped by 1 to 2 tenths. These normally would run around 1400 to purchase new, but I got a steal on mine from forum member John Mackey.


There are a lot of other things, and I feel sure that others will wade in with them. Keep in mind that things that help the older version (84-91) dont always show the same results on the LT1 (92-96)
Good luck, enjoy, and keep in mind, the above is only my opinion!!

 

Ok, so at this venture I am thinking the current steps listed in order-

160 therm
oil change & tune up (it could use it anyway)
Custom chip
Upgraded differential (not sure exactly to what however)
Tires (need them anyway)
Hydraulic Clutch (could use it anyway)
Header Upgrade

I am really debating on modifying my heads. Part of me is just wanting to go for full on ***** to the wall max. power. However, part of me is in love with the idea of a stock engine, especially on a 92. Damn, descisions descisions. I am fine with my exhaust if it won't change the performance. Another thing I've thought after talking with a mechanic friend of mine is to have it straight piped. Opinions on that descision? Oh, and BTW, at this time I don't intend on racing this vehicle, just for my fun and pleasure. As if I need another hobby...

Once again I am VERY new to this and am having to keyword search half the things you are all listing , thanks for bearing with me. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a stall conterter only with automatic trans.? Thanks again for your help everyone.

 

Yes, the converter is the torque converter in an automatic transmission. Installing a converter with a higher stall speed can make a significant difference in dragstrip performance, but can come at a price for a street driven car. Don't go too high with this unless it's a strip-only car. In fact, if you're not going to hit the drag strip, ask for advice here about whether it's even a good idea. I'm a stick-shift guy, so I'm no expert on automatics...

Take your time, absorb as much info as possible before you tear into the car with a bunch of mods. Remember to always regard the car in its entirety as a complete system, rather than the sum of a pile of parts. Develop a sensible strategy that will combine modifications that complement each other, rather than just bolting on a bunch of assorted, unrelated items.

Be well,

SJW

 

i have straight pipes w/ cats on my 96 and let me say i want to puke some times with the resonance!!!!!!
i dont reccomend, its hard to have a conversation and youll go deaf trying to listen to music b/c youll have to turn it up so much to cover the exhaust.

another thing is keep some sort of offset mufflers on the car as this will keep your back pressure and torque. i gained a few ponies but lost performance with no torque. you can get around this with a good tune just know its gonna cost a pretty penny, about $300-600 for a dyno tune and remap

your best bang for buck for manual is HD 4.10s for your dana44 from www.ringpinion.com

 

what are your goals for your car ?


lt1 with all the bolts ons you can expect about 300rwhp


the most important thing is you don't want to do things twice..

ie: if you run nitrous you will have to change your spark plug and if you ran 4.10 gears it may be too much (wheell spin)...you get the idea



good luck

 

I just want a car that is fun to drive, fun to work on, and I can take pride in. I think you misunderstood me birdman. I am not a fan of loud exhausts, and if performance isn't gained would rather keep stock. So, let me clear something up. You do want backpressure? I was under the impression as little pressure as possible is optimum. Like I said, I'm VERY new, still trying to learn and get a feel for things before I rip into the vehicle. Thanks again everyone for all your input.