C4 Tech/Performance L98 Corvette and LT1 Corvette Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine

Mods advise

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Mar 15, 2009 | 09:22 AM
  #1  
joe3906's Avatar
joe3906
Thread Starter
Drifting
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,976
Likes: 0
From: Patchogue NY
Default Mods advise

1996 LT4, re-thinking my mods; how does the following sound: hot cam, hooker 2151, 3:73 gears, "air foil", and a custom tune? Any suggestions on what I left out. I did not go with a cat-back, as the car has 2.75 pipes from the factory. Also, can any members in the Long Island area recommend a good shop to do this work. I am a one arm bandit (L arm is back in a brace..long story). Appreciate any advise regarding my proposed mods.

Thanks,
Joe B.
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2009 | 09:37 AM
  #2  
blue94's Avatar
blue94
Pro
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 549
Likes: 13
From: Richmond VA
Default

A lot would have to depend on your budget, if the money is there get your heads ported by AI or LE. Getting someone to do the job will not be cheap as it is a lot of labor. Everything except unbolting the heads will be done to do the cam and headers.

The stock exhaust on long tubes is fine, I would drop the the res. Currently running LTs with stock mufflers myself.
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2009 | 11:08 AM
  #3  
joe3906's Avatar
joe3906
Thread Starter
Drifting
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,976
Likes: 0
From: Patchogue NY
Default

Budget is a couple, three grand, tops. AI or LE, not familiar with the acronyms, I probably will recognize them when you tell me and feel like an ***. You wrote, drop the res. Does that mean drop the rest of the mods I mentioned? No hot cam, or up-graded rear axle?

Joe B.
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2009 | 11:34 AM
  #4  
M.J.L.'s Avatar
M.J.L.
Safety Car
 
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 3,966
Likes: 4
From: Made In America
St. Jude Donor '10-'11
Default

Sounds great except for the "air foil". Don't waste 20+ dollars on that hunk of junk. It does nothing for you. There have been cases were the bolt worked loose and was sucked up in the TB causing engine damage.
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2009 | 11:40 AM
  #5  
BADDUCK's Avatar
BADDUCK
Le Mans Master
 
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,642
Likes: 5
From: One day you're a Comet...the next day you're dust... Arkansas
Default

I would go a bit bigger than the Hot Cam and get some good springs. Headers are good, gears are good, tune is good.
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2009 | 11:43 AM
  #6  
Iroc57's Avatar
Iroc57
Melting Slicks
 
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,171
Likes: 1
From: Warwick RI
Default

Originally Posted by Harley Davidson
Sounds great except for the "air foil". Don't waste 20+ dollars on that hunk of junk. It does nothing for you. There have been cases were the bolt worked loose and was sucked up in the TB causing engine damage.


Also, if you can wait until your arm is 100% you will save lots by doing the cam and headers yourself. you can pull the rear and bring it to a shop to get set up and save there too.
Your budget won't allow for labor on these mods
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2009 | 12:22 PM
  #7  
joe3906's Avatar
joe3906
Thread Starter
Drifting
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,976
Likes: 0
From: Patchogue NY
Default

Thanks for the great advise; I wish I didn't have to rely on someone to do the work, but unfortunately, I have no choice. Every time I try to do something with my L arm I wind up in the hospital. It happened yesterday, boo-hoo, boo-hoo. As for the air-foil, I threw that in there just for a tease, I know that the thing isn't worth the metal they use to make it (if there's somebody out there that disagrees, and feels differently, I'm glad it's working for you.). So, what cam is better than the hot cam? I thought the hot cam was the best thing out there, enlighten me, please. Also, I know that I will have to have a tune to at least, compensate for the change in gear ratio, but I have heard that the 4:10 gears are awesome, just thinking that 4:10's might be a bit over the top?

Thanks,
Joe B.
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2009 | 12:59 PM
  #8  
STL94LT1's Avatar
STL94LT1
Race Director
20 Year Member
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
Liked
 
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 12,264
Likes: 88
From: O'Fallon Missouri
Default

Originally Posted by joe3906
Also, I know that I will have to have a tune to at least, compensate for the change in gear ratio, but I have heard that the 4:10 gears are awesome, just thinking that 4:10's might be a bit over the top?

Thanks,
Joe B.
Joe, do the 4.10's!! With the 4.10 gearset you'll still only be turning ~1800 rpms at 70 mph in sixth gear. In a traditional street car 4.10's are too much. But, with our ZF6 with two overdrives they are even a good highway gear.

If you aren't going to port the heads, the Hot Cam is a good choice. AI and LE are head porters, Advanced Induction and Lloyd Elliot.

Last edited by STL94LT1; Mar 15, 2009 at 01:35 PM.
Reply
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 First Look: Everything You NEED to Know!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-1

5 Best & 5 Worst Corvette Daily Drivers

 Joe Kucinski
story-2

The Headlights of Every Corvette Generation Explained

 Joe Kucinski
story-3

5 Best & 5 Most Overrated Corvette Track Packages of All Time!

 Joe Kucinski
story-4

Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-7

Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

 Brett Foote
story-8

10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-9

8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

 Pouria Savadkouei
Old Mar 15, 2009 | 01:02 PM
  #9  
joe3906's Avatar
joe3906
Thread Starter
Drifting
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,976
Likes: 0
From: Patchogue NY
Default

Originally Posted by STL94LT1
Joe, do the 4.10's!! With the 4.10 gearset you'll still only be turning ~1800 rpms at 70 mph in sixth gear. In a traditional street car 4.10's are too much. But, with our ZF6 with two overdrives they are even a good highway gear.

If you aren't goung to port the heads, the Hot Cam is a good choice. AI and LE are head porters, Advanced Induction and Lloyd Elliot.
Danka; appreciate the advise, I was leaning towards 4:10. I'll see how much port heads run for. I'll google AI and LE. Thanks again.
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2009 | 01:06 PM
  #10  
BADDUCK's Avatar
BADDUCK
Le Mans Master
 
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,642
Likes: 5
From: One day you're a Comet...the next day you're dust... Arkansas
Default

Depends on what you want and how you will drive it. I would look at Comp Cams XFI series cams and matching springs.
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2009 | 01:20 PM
  #11  
pologreen1's Avatar
pologreen1
Team Owner
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 20,974
Likes: 261
Default

sounds like a good place to start
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2009 | 03:07 PM
  #12  
Rogue1's Avatar
Rogue1
Advanced
 
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
From: Mission Viejo CA
Default

Originally Posted by joe3906
Thanks for the great advise; I wish I didn't have to rely on someone to do the work, but unfortunately, I have no choice.

You do know that the labor just to stuff that cam inside your awesome LT4 is not going to be cheap? I recently got quoted on that and it is a 15 hour job! I was told that on a C4, it's easier to take the whole engine out to swap the cam rather than keeping the engine inside. The front cross brace gets in the way or something.....but what do I know? I have never put in a new cam on a C4. I think the quote I got was $1,500 for labor! Ouch!
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2009 | 03:54 PM
  #13  
STL94LT1's Avatar
STL94LT1
Race Director
20 Year Member
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
Liked
 
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 12,264
Likes: 88
From: O'Fallon Missouri
Default

The last time I swapped the camshaft in my 94 it took about 10 hours. It's really tough on the back with the engine in car.
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2009 | 05:06 PM
  #14  
blue94's Avatar
blue94
Pro
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 549
Likes: 13
From: Richmond VA
Default

Originally Posted by joe3906
Budget is a couple, three grand, tops. AI or LE, not familiar with the acronyms, I probably will recognize them when you tell me and feel like an ***. You wrote, drop the res. Does that mean drop the rest of the mods I mentioned? No hot cam, or up-graded rear axle?

Joe B.
Joe, sorry for the confusion

AI Advanced Induction
LE Lloyd Elliott
res Resonator (stock mufflers with Long Tubes and an X pipe work well)

Labor for cam, heads, Long Tubes would eat up the majority of the funds, for a cam swap most shops will charge around 1500.

Joe
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2009 | 06:23 PM
  #15  
KoKane's Avatar
KoKane
Advanced
 
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 74
Likes: 0
Default

I just put 4.10s in mine. I absolutely love them. Just drove the car the first time this weekend. No regrets. Go with the 4.10s.
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2009 | 07:59 PM
  #16  
STL94LT1's Avatar
STL94LT1
Race Director
20 Year Member
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
Liked
 
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 12,264
Likes: 88
From: O'Fallon Missouri
Default

Originally Posted by KoKane
I just put 4.10s in mine. I absolutely love them. Just drove the car the first time this weekend. No regrets. Go with the 4.10s.
Isn't sixth gear nice on the highway.
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To Mods advise





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:11 PM.

story-0
2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 First Look: Everything You NEED to Know!

Slideshow: Is the 2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 the best Silverado yet?

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-16 08:01:12


VIEW MORE
story-1
5 Best & 5 Worst Corvette Daily Drivers

Slideshow: 5 best and 5 worst Corvette daily drivers

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-15 10:32:13


VIEW MORE
story-2
The Headlights of Every Corvette Generation Explained

Slideshow: The headlights of every Corvette generation explained

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-15 10:17:14


VIEW MORE
story-3
5 Best & 5 Most Overrated Corvette Track Packages of All Time!

Slideshow: The 5 best and 5 most overrated Corvette track packages ever.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-09 12:46:45


VIEW MORE
story-4
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained

Slideshow: Every 2027 Corvette engine explained

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-09 12:16:31


VIEW MORE
story-5
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette

Slideshow: A Jaguar designer's personal project imagines what a modern front-engined Corvette might look like if Chevrolet revisited the golden age of the Stingray.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-08 19:53:43


VIEW MORE
story-6
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Corvettes that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 10:34:17


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

A lot of money has changed hands at the online auction house over the years.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-03 10:21:50


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: 10 great gifts Corvette enthusiasts actually want for Father's Day!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:40


VIEW MORE
story-9
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

Slideshow: These are the quirks, annoyances, and oddly lovable problems that every Corvette owner eventually learns to live with.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 09:31:39


VIEW MORE