Lt-4 engine mods?
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: St Charles Mo
Lt-4 engine mods?
Need some help deciding what engine mods to go with. I plan on adding some horsepower this summer and im confused which way to go. I'm only looking for around 400ish hp to the wheels. I have been leaning towards porting the heads and adding a new cam(with tune). I'm curious what other owners with Lt-4's did to their cars to obtain similar hp numbers
thanks
Chad
thanks
Chad
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 10,956
Likes: 682
From: Marlboro country MA
Getting 400 HP to the wheels will take a lot more than porting the heads and adding a cam. Consider opening the exhaust system - LT headers, a good catback exhaust. Also an electric water pump will add HP at high RPM's, and be sure the intake is up to the task. I think maybe with a good cam (quite a bit more radical than a HotCam), ported intake, ported cylinder heads with larger valves, might do the job. Good luck.
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 4,290
Likes: 6
From: St Marys GA
http://grandsportregistry.com/dyno.htmThe only guys making 400rwhp are either 383/396 strokers or supercharged.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 5,589
Likes: 0
From: DrunkDefender
CI 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 Veteran
CI-IV AutoX Champ
CI-IV Burnout Champ
St. Jude Donor '07-'10
That list hasnt been updated much in the last few years. Lots of guys over on the F body boards are getting 400rwhp with heads/cam bolt ons. You wont get close to 400rwhp with the hotcam though. Look into a Lloyd elliot heads/cam setup or an advanced induction setup. That and headers/exhaust/tune will get you there or very very close.
FWIW, mine has the hotcam/headers/tune/ewp. Makes around 350ish to the rear wheels but have no new dyno numbers to verify that claim. It does however trap 115mph in the quarter.
FWIW, mine has the hotcam/headers/tune/ewp. Makes around 350ish to the rear wheels but have no new dyno numbers to verify that claim. It does however trap 115mph in the quarter.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,616
Likes: 111
That list hasnt been updated much in the last few years. Lots of guys over on the F body boards are getting 400rwhp with heads/cam bolt ons. You wont get close to 400rwhp with the hotcam though. Look into a Lloyd elliot heads/cam setup or an advanced induction setup. That and headers/exhaust/tune will get you there or very very close.
FWIW, mine has the hotcam/headers/tune/ewp. Makes around 350ish to the rear wheels but have no new dyno numbers to verify that claim. It does however trap 115mph in the quarter.
FWIW, mine has the hotcam/headers/tune/ewp. Makes around 350ish to the rear wheels but have no new dyno numbers to verify that claim. It does however trap 115mph in the quarter.
but yea, 400 rwhp is a very strong number that may require a bigger stick than the hot cam.......heads have to flow very well too as mentioned above...good luck
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained
Joe Kucinski
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Verdad Gallardo
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Pro
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 515
Likes: 3
From: newark DE
my LT4 has the following mods:
- hotcam
- 5 angle valve job (no port work on the heads, just a valve job)
- portmatched intake manifold
- tune
- 160* stat
- cut filter lid
- muffler elims
the car put down 344rwhp on a dynojet and has trapped 116mph in the 1/4. its still on the stock 98k mile clutch which is slipping a bit. with a stronger clutch id expect better mph out of it
id think with headers and exhaust, some head porting, a bigger TB, maybe 1.7 rockers, and a new tune it be pretty close to 400rwhp. a larger cam would certainly get you your goal with the stock displacement
- hotcam
- 5 angle valve job (no port work on the heads, just a valve job)
- portmatched intake manifold
- tune
- 160* stat
- cut filter lid
- muffler elims
the car put down 344rwhp on a dynojet and has trapped 116mph in the 1/4. its still on the stock 98k mile clutch which is slipping a bit. with a stronger clutch id expect better mph out of it
id think with headers and exhaust, some head porting, a bigger TB, maybe 1.7 rockers, and a new tune it be pretty close to 400rwhp. a larger cam would certainly get you your goal with the stock displacement
Pro
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 512
Likes: 2
From: Denton TX
No substitute for cubic inches...had conversation with my tuner today about this very matter... 400 RWHP ...doable but at the cost of what is streetable. Agree with most...HotCam...not the answer...takes heads, intake, and aftermarket exhaust...and the aforementioned...cuins. Add cubic dollars to the mix too...
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: St Charles Mo
No substitute for cubic inches...had conversation with my tuner today about this very matter... 400 RWHP ...doable but at the cost of what is streetable. Agree with most...HotCam...not the answer...takes heads, intake, and aftermarket exhaust...and the aforementioned...cuins. Add cubic dollars to the mix too...