[Z06] Best Choices?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 406
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio TX
Best Choices for Headers and Clutch
Looking to add a couple of mods and wanted some feedback. Getting headers and clutch to go with tric and tsp ms4 on car already. was going to go with lg pro's and spec3. Is there anything better header or clutch wise? I have seen alot of good things on the AR headers, I just wanting some feedback from those that have already gone through my dilema....thanks in advance!
Joe
Joe
Last edited by SABLKZ06; Sep 22, 2006 at 11:36 PM.
Pro
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 640
Likes: 0
From: Orange County CA
Headers???
When I had a cam and headers installed I spoke to three different well respected tuners. One said LG, one said Kooks and one said American Racing Headers. From what I can tell they are all very very close as far as performance goes.
I went with the 1 3/4" American Racing Headers with the matrix cats and X-pipe and had them ceramic coated. They work great, sound great (they are a little louder inside the car then the stock manifolds) and look great. I got a little more HP/torque than I thought I would get with the size of cam I went with, I attribute this to the ARHs. But who knows if I would had better or worse results with LGs or Kooks?
A little trick A&A suggested was to use OE gaskets, Andy said they work better and last longer.
How's that MS4 working for you? Did you tune it without the headers? If so, it would be interesting to see the difference between your results before and after the headers being installed.
I went with the 1 3/4" American Racing Headers with the matrix cats and X-pipe and had them ceramic coated. They work great, sound great (they are a little louder inside the car then the stock manifolds) and look great. I got a little more HP/torque than I thought I would get with the size of cam I went with, I attribute this to the ARHs. But who knows if I would had better or worse results with LGs or Kooks?
A little trick A&A suggested was to use OE gaskets, Andy said they work better and last longer.
How's that MS4 working for you? Did you tune it without the headers? If so, it would be interesting to see the difference between your results before and after the headers being installed.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 406
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio TX
MarkT 2002, I really like the MS4. the car tuned dynoed 407rwhp and 385rwtq with the MS4, ziptie, and off-road x pipe. Now it is time for a new clutch and I figured I would start letting the car breath better and get some headers and put on my TRIC. I will definately post up numbers with just the headers....hoping for 430rwhp...anything more would be a blessing. What numbers does your car put down?
Pro
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 640
Likes: 0
From: Orange County CA
409.5 rwhp
388.75 rwtq
My cam is smaller than yours, Comp Cam custom grind 220/224, .581, 114LSA. Here in California the EPA sniffer test can be problematic with anything bigger than 220 and my car is old enough now where it will have to be tested every two years.
When talking with the "tuners" most said 400rwhp would be good with the size of cam I was going with, I was hoping for 405/380. It's not only the peak numbers it's the "under the curve" area that I was also pleasently surprised about.
430 with your setup seems like a realistic goal.
388.75 rwtq
My cam is smaller than yours, Comp Cam custom grind 220/224, .581, 114LSA. Here in California the EPA sniffer test can be problematic with anything bigger than 220 and my car is old enough now where it will have to be tested every two years.
When talking with the "tuners" most said 400rwhp would be good with the size of cam I was going with, I was hoping for 405/380. It's not only the peak numbers it's the "under the curve" area that I was also pleasently surprised about.
430 with your setup seems like a realistic goal.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 406
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio TX
those are some good numbers 
I think I will be going with the SPEC stage 3, billet flyweel and LG pro's.... a buddy of mine is letting go of his LGs and giving me a killer deal. I have heard some bad things about spec, but I dont want to spend $1200+ on a clutch.....
I think I will be going with the SPEC stage 3, billet flyweel and LG pro's.... a buddy of mine is letting go of his LGs and giving me a killer deal. I have heard some bad things about spec, but I dont want to spend $1200+ on a clutch.....
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 10,649
Likes: 32
From: Central Florida
Four small suggestions to those facing a clutch replacement.
(1) Seach the archives (C5 Z06 and C5 Tech) for the words "clutch" AND "vibration" because there is a history of post-clutch-swap woes you need to be aware of.
(2) Choose your installer carefully. If you don't, the odds are good that you will not be happy with the results. You want a technician with a lot of (favorable) experience in swapping C5/C6 clutches.
(3) Insist that the new clutch assembly be sent to a reputable machine shop for balancing before the installation. Do this even if the installer insists it is unnecessary, "because it comes balanced by the manufacturer."
(4) Before you drop your car off for the installation, be very careful to memorize how much your shifter vibrates under various conditions.
Anyone that shrugs and ignores this advice has heighten the odds they will end up with notable drive train vibrations, originating from the clutch assembly, and they will have a bad time getting them resolved by their installer or anyone else.
Ranger
(1) Seach the archives (C5 Z06 and C5 Tech) for the words "clutch" AND "vibration" because there is a history of post-clutch-swap woes you need to be aware of.
(2) Choose your installer carefully. If you don't, the odds are good that you will not be happy with the results. You want a technician with a lot of (favorable) experience in swapping C5/C6 clutches.
(3) Insist that the new clutch assembly be sent to a reputable machine shop for balancing before the installation. Do this even if the installer insists it is unnecessary, "because it comes balanced by the manufacturer."
(4) Before you drop your car off for the installation, be very careful to memorize how much your shifter vibrates under various conditions.
Anyone that shrugs and ignores this advice has heighten the odds they will end up with notable drive train vibrations, originating from the clutch assembly, and they will have a bad time getting them resolved by their installer or anyone else.
Ranger
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 5,941
Likes: 281
From: Was New Orleans but swam to Baton Rouge LA
Cruise-In IX Veteran
I definitely suggest the LG headers. If you doing any racing I would reconsider the Spec clutch. It was rought to drive my stage 3 on the street and at the track it launched well, but would not hold up to 5k launches. I had my Spec 3 last just under a year and 18,000 miles. I went with a ram twin disk now and it drives like stock and handles 6k launches.
