CorvetteC5Norway

So my ECS NOVI 1500 kit is finally installed, and I'm just waiting for the Dyno to happen. I'm gonna enjoy the hell out of it the rest of the year, I'm been waiting for 6 months now for different reasons...


But, of course, I've already started to look ahead; what now?
What small tweaks could be done to get those extra ponies and what safetymeasures should be done to secure many years of carefree driving?


For the first one I'm thinks at least headers/x-pipe (got axleback). I will probably have to remove most tuning parts every other year to get the car through the bi-annual MOT test, so that will limit what to do. Headers I think will pass, with a little E85 in the tank to limit emmissions and maybe put on the original axleback again to limit noice. Other small things that releases the SC potential?


As for security measures, I know that a new clutch should come soon. Other things to consider, staying below 550 whp?


Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

SmoothFRC

Cam, springs and headers- should get you around 6-650 rwhp with right pulley setup.

neverstop

if you don't have it yet the next step should be methanol system imo by a long shot. easy to remove and lots of guys making >600whp with nothing more than supercharger kit and meth.

stock clutch can last a long time on the street at that power level so I'd just run the stock one until you have issues unless you're drag racing it on sticky tires all the time.

DOUG @ ECS

They have pretty strict emission testing in Norway, a cam wouldn't make it threw the tests.

romandian

so how much boost does it make @ 6000 rpm? i would look at the fuel system next. do you have a fuel pressure gage?

SmoothFRC

Couldn't get away with a baby cam?

I think as others have said, meth should help for sure and is removable if needed. Could go the intake route, but your spending a good deal for little gain with stock cam.

Pekka_Perkeles

If the tuner is good with LS tuning, emissions aren't problem with small blower cams.

But again, it's all about the tuner. Not the cam (experts).

Mike04

looks like you have a big pulley on the blower, smaller pulley for more boost would be a good mod and they are relatively cheap. That of course depends on what you have now for boost. Methanol injection is what a lot of guys do so your tuner can be a little more aggressive on the tune.

Smog restriction really make having fun difficult.

CorvetteC5Norway

So, after a looong installation, a test periode on raw start up tune, blown waterpump etc, the car is finally tuned and ready for the streets. My installer does not have extensive Ls tuning experience, not many have here in Norway, but they (ESS tuning) do develop supercharger kits for all different cars so I'm confident in their general abilities. We are now at 481 rwhp and 450 rwtq on a bone stock 98 vert, and it's pushing 10 psi with the restrictor. The timing from the startup tune i kept as is (conservative).Since they had problems with their Dyno when we started up (and I didn't want to wait for installation), we have no baseline for the car. A healthy approx +200 crank hp is something I can live with, allthough ECS says that 500 rwhp is possible.


What they explain to me is that either the maf or the map (don't rember which) is maxed out on top and is not able to regulate A/F any more, it's leaning out a little bit on top. Not in anyway dangerous, but they have set the rev limiter down to 6000 rpm on 3-6 gear just to be sure. Maybe next year we will do some more finetuning...

romandian

take off the maf and run a healthy mixture.

DOUG @ ECS

If you are going to keep the MAF you can keep the mixture in check by dropping the PE (power enrichment) settings substantially. It's not technically the best way to do it, otherwise known as "raping the PE table", but it does work. The only down side really is that fueling will be the same at 2 lbs of boost to 10 lbs of boost, so it will be rich at 2 lbs. However that's only over the RPM where the MAF runs out so it's only for a short distance of the RPM band and at red line.

The better option would be to add a 2 bar MAP sensor and tune it closed loop speed density, but on a cars making 500 rwhp +- it really is OK to leave the MAF there and bring in the fueling with the PE table.

Hope that helps.

romandian

the more i read this the less i understand it. what is "dropping pe settings"? (where in efilive?) does op not use a 2 bar map? and what operating System are we talking about anyway?

nullpointer

To help with reliability I would:

• weld waterpump
• replace plastic power steering pulley with ls2 or turn one unit
• replace stock damper with a high quality unit that wont come apart (Summit / ATI / IW).

CorvetteC5Norway

Thanks for the input. When you say weld the waterpump, do you weld where the pulley and shaft go together on the "outside"?


Is it possible to just replace the pulley on the PS? If so, how do you loosen the old one and fasten the new one?


New damper was installed with the kit IW :-)


Thanks!

CorvetteC5Norway

It's almost 11 psi @ 6000 rpm with the restrictor....
I run the stock map sensor

Turpid porpoise

You need a PS puller to pull the old pulley off and press the new pulley on. It's a quick and easy job that makes removing the PS pump much easier in the future.

nullpointer

Yes

Yep, you use a PS pulley puller to remove, and a PS pulley installer to put back on. You will need to align the pulley to make sure you don't have any belt issues.

Excellent

DOUG @ ECS

When tuning with a MAF you do not need a two bar MAP sensor because when you get higher in the RPM band the car goes into "high speed mode" which only uses the MAF sensor for fueling at that point instead of the VE table, so the two bar MAP is not going to help.

In EFI live it is table # B318 "PE based on RPM". Normally you would set that to your desired A/F ratio and dial in the MAF to achieve that, but once you run the MAF out then you have to keep dropping the PE setting to achieve your desired A/F. So lets say you're looking for an A/F of 11.5:1, the tail end of the table may have to go down to 9.5:1, or 10:1, or whatever it takes to make the A/F ratio correct.

romandian

thanks, i understand now. i was confused by "dropping".

so what os is op running and whos tuning the car?

CorvetteC5Norway

Tuned by a Norwegian company called ESS Tuning. I think they use HP tuner...
Not the most crazy numbers from a bone stock C5 on Novi 1500, but still a nice curve 😊: