I have a 1995 with a corsa exhaust and a K & N filter.I have seen these cheap upgrades like spacers and in one magazine for 79 bucks they have a divice that says it turns your LT1 performance to an LT4 just by pluging it in(don't really believe that).
What are some low cost options to get a few more horses out of my engine????

Thanks

 

Don't believe everything you read, most of the claims are BS. Your current set up is a decent start, consider a gear change as a next step up the ladder especially if you have an automatic. That modification is considered by many to be the most cost effective, until you are ready to invest in head work and cam.

 

NITROUS
done
will always be the best bang for the buck
$300-$500=75-200HP

 

I have a few performance mods on my 95 and IMO the best was ditching the factory 2.59s and installing a D44 with 3.45s. Probably next best bang for the buck was installing a full poly bushing kit, lowering the car, and getting a good alignment, it feels so much better at high speeds (triple digits). When I got the car it was low mileage (as a reference its about to hit 80K now and its been my DD for about 5 years, so the bushings were not worn. Car it felt light and loose at high speed, after lowering and poly install the car feels planted at high speed)


Head and Cam are excellent mods but IOT get decent gains from them you need the supporting mods....exhaust, converter, gears, tune, fuel system, etc, etc.....


So you might as well start with the gears...nitrous is nice but I don't know if its cheaper than head cams if you want the power 24/7 like I do.

Mike

 

What would that cost ? It seems to be the very best bang for the buck...if I decide to keep the car I want more out of the hole..don't care about top speed.

 

Seems to me I've seen more D 44s for sale lately. A D44 is a great option, since it can be dropped right out and your stock D36 placed back in if you have to sell your car and you can resell the D44. I bought my D44 about 5 years ago and ended up spending about 1500 bucks total. IMO that was a better option than upgrading a d36. Part of my modification price was purchasing tuning software and cables. Since a 95 requires a tune to change the shift points doing it myself saved $$$$. Good news is that it is simple to change the shiftpoints and you change the speedo using same tuning software.


IOT install a D44 you will need the D44 with batwing and manual driveshaft. Some folks cut and modify the automatic C beam but I changed C beams too. Now I don't have to worry about grenading my rear when I quickly leave stoplight. The best news is somefolks have gotten into the 12s with automatic LT1 corvettes with 3.45/3.55 gears, while leaving everything else stock. The 2.59s really hurt the LT1 cars off the line performance.

In summary check out the for sale sections and look for D44, driveshaft and C beam. I recall seeing a low mileage complete rear for sale, and a couple of resonably priced D44s listed recently.


The tuning software and cable is an easy day too, and if you go for further mods you can literally get a mail order tune (tune can email you file and you install it, run a datalog email it back to tuner and get update emailed back).





Mike

 

with all of the above....bottom line is hp/speed costs money.
Skip the magazine and the "as seen on TV" gimmicks if that crap actually worked they wouldn't have to adverstise it. Save your $ for the proven hp enhancers. Free = lighten up the car and get rid of extra weight like the spair tire, jack (like anyone would go through all the hassle getting that thing out and on the car anyway).....don't fill the fuel tank up all the way.

 

My 95 is a base model car with the performance axel option only no other option.So my car has the 3.07 gears already.
I was tinking of the hypertech tunner but didn't know if thet would make a big differance or not.

 

Hypertech is not worth the money,,, you can do more for your 95 with tunercat, your laptop and a cable......still recommend some mid 3 series gears....or go for a higher stall torque converter.

Throttle body is a waste until your moving more air, exhaust is basically same story too. A proven simple inexpensive mod is good valve springs and 1.6 full roller rockers

You don't even have to pull the heads for this one.

 

Sounds like the ticket and won't stress the bottom end too much if it has some milage on it...like mine.

 

The cheapest seat of the pants gain will be lower gearing. All of the bolt on crap is just that.

 

Do you get anything out of just changing the gears in the rear end on an automatic LT1? Does anyone know what the stock gears are in a 92'? and what would be a good gear change so I can get a little chirp when I wanted it? thanks

 

2.59 OR 3.07 is stock depending on your RPO codes. A 3.75 gear is the way to go jmho however it was the first real mod I did to mine and WOW what a difference. The next thing was a 2800 stall converter and it was like a completely different car.

 

No cutting needed; just redrill beam and reuse D36 DS
http://www.joby.se/corvette/mods/2001-0X11_diff/

 

Whats the biggest gears that will fit in the D36, I've read several opinions on this, not going with d44...to expensive and I'm not planning on major power upgrades. I have a 92 vert auto.

 

Anything you like.
One thing to consider is the D36 gearsets are almost twice the price of D44 ones so you are part way towards the price of the better diff considering the cheap prices D44's are going for at present.
New gears $
Cost of R/R $
New bearings and seals?$ adds up.

http://www.corvetterecycling.com/category_s/441.htm

 

But the labor to put in the 44 plus the cost of it wiil surely outweigh the cost of putting in new gears. I figure it can't cost more than a grand for a gear swap...or can it?

 

Bolt up and go version:
http://www.ecklers.com/product.asp?p...6&dept_id=1858

 

Don't Forget about 1:6 Roller Rockers good for about 15 HP.Less than $200.00

 

Installing the d 44 is a relatively simple procedure (remove some pieces and bolt in the new pieces) honestly it is that simple and can be done in a driveway on jackstands..........


Honestly pulling the C beam and driveshift are some of the biggest PITAs in a D44 swap and have to be done in a gear swap too. And it may be quicker to drop the rear IOT change the pumpkin so labor may be the same on the R and R part and then you'd have to pay for the gear swap labor and price of gears.

Here's the old thread by skidownit.....it really is an easy Saturday project.


http://web.archive.org/web/200402160...=218&TopicID=2


I've actually done the swap on more than one C4.

Good news with d44 swap is if you sell your C4 you can put D36 back in and sell your D44.

MIke