2 schools
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Joined: Jun 2006
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From: Regina Saskatchewan
2 schools
I have a stock 96 and would like to get it up to around 400hp. the car has about 75,000 miles on it now but runs very well.
1. Should I pull the motor and put in a cam(LT4) do roller rockers and valves etc. Have it balance and put back in.
2. Leave the motor in and do Heads and Ram air intake and redo the exhaust with headers and such. Also power tune the car with a scanner set up for GM cars.
I worry if I follow the first idea my tranny will have to be done. However if I do not change the cam will my power band be to high with the stock one.
1. Should I pull the motor and put in a cam(LT4) do roller rockers and valves etc. Have it balance and put back in.
2. Leave the motor in and do Heads and Ram air intake and redo the exhaust with headers and such. Also power tune the car with a scanner set up for GM cars.
I worry if I follow the first idea my tranny will have to be done. However if I do not change the cam will my power band be to high with the stock one.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 7,705
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From: Everett WA
C4 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
I'd do # 1 but add to it a pair of LT headers & leave your stock exhaust alone. I don't know enough to know if any beef-up would have to be done to your trans.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 487
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From: Huntsville AL
Is your car auto or manual? With a manual, I don't think you'll have anything really to worry about.
Do you want 400rwhp or crank hp? #2 won't do either. I say do both #1 and #2, just don't worry about the balance thing and I'm not sure but I don't think the motor has to come out. If it does, it's only barely. That should get you very close to 400rwhp if done correctly.
If you want it to feel like you have 400hp, just get 4.10 gears.
Do you want 400rwhp or crank hp? #2 won't do either. I say do both #1 and #2, just don't worry about the balance thing and I'm not sure but I don't think the motor has to come out. If it does, it's only barely. That should get you very close to 400rwhp if done correctly.
If you want it to feel like you have 400hp, just get 4.10 gears.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 12,261
Likes: 85
From: O'Fallon Missouri
Originally Posted by 96lastc4
1. Should I pull the motor and put in a cam(LT4) do roller rockers and valves etc. Have it balance and put back in.
I say, do heads/camshaft with the engine still in the car.
-Mike
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,137
Likes: 5
From: Howard PA
The biggest question is how much do you want to spend? If your budget is unlimited, do the heads, cam change, headers, send the heads and intake away for porting and port matching. Or get a new set of heads (AFR, Trick Flow, whatever) and port match the intake to those.
The cam is what's going to be your biggest concern here if you want to keep things stock behind the motor. Go too big and you're hatin' every stop light, go too small and you leave power on the table. It's fine line if you want the stock tranny, converter and gears to work correctly and not drive you nutz.
Personally looking back, I should have just bought new CNC heads when I ported my LT4 heads. By the time I spent the money needed to have all the machine work done I wasn't that far away from a new better flowing set. Then again you really don't need to go as far as I did, some simple porting does wonders.
The cam is what's going to be your biggest concern here if you want to keep things stock behind the motor. Go too big and you're hatin' every stop light, go too small and you leave power on the table. It's fine line if you want the stock tranny, converter and gears to work correctly and not drive you nutz.
Personally looking back, I should have just bought new CNC heads when I ported my LT4 heads. By the time I spent the money needed to have all the machine work done I wasn't that far away from a new better flowing set. Then again you really don't need to go as far as I did, some simple porting does wonders.
Last edited by ALLT4; Aug 11, 2006 at 05:55 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 12,517
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Either way, you should not kill the trans. Unless it is hurt. If you plan to spin the motor high, 4l60's tend to have centrifical clutch apply, especially the cars wil 100k + miles. Transgo makes a kit that solves this and guarantees no unwanted apply till 7800 rpm. "If" the trans gets hurt, add this part to the trans upgrade list.
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