yes, much more fun off the line and especially when at speed and romping on it at highway speeds. that 2:73 is just a big ol' highway cruising gear. not bad if that's what ya want, but for me i wanted some more oomph and the 2:73's came with the car at the time.

i replaced torque converter too, everything that tuner recommended (a&a up in oxnard; they are fantastic). rpm products for the most part, they're top notch (in fact i just bought rpm stuff for my c5z06, ironically, many years later...). sure wasn't cheap at the time (it was a long time ago). side note: car was in california so everything was completely stock, i.e., no tune. if you're out of state or wherever it's allowed, that opens up some other possibilities.

i'm not a fan of busting into the engine and doing power adders unless, like other posters said, you have a good idea of what your long term goals with the car are and are doing things step by step as budget allows.

 

ok, that's the kind of feedback I am looking for, hoping to push me one way or the other, maybe the 3.42s are the way to go for my needs and wants.
I want to thank everyone for their comments.
Glad to be part of this forum.

 

My 2004 convertible has the A4 transmission and I upgraded from 3.15 to 3.42 and added an A&A SC, Kooks headers, and a Stage 1 CAM. Then, thanks to Hurricane Debbie street flooding, I then replaced my hydro-locked LS1 with a rebuilt LS3.

The car sounds great at idle and as promised by A&A, it really jumps when I put my foot into it. However, going in, I knew that by adding so much power, the stock 4L60E transmission is probably on borrowed time. It's been running fine since the upgrades and engine swap, however I already have a planned RPM Level VII trans, stall, and auxiliary trans cooler planned for the future. Both the shop and RPM confirmed that if I keep dead stop drag racing to a minimum, the stock 44 should last "awhile" although I need to monitor the temps. Target temps are between 175 and 220 and I've seen mine inch up to 225-ish on recent hot, Florida drives so I watch it closely. Expected since the HP jumped from 350 at the engine to 650 at the wheels.

Once you go down the path of adding more HP and power, you are adding more airflow and more heat so many of the stock components, including the 4L60E, are not built for the added power. If you choose to stay NA, an upgrade to 3.73 gears, a new stall, and a tune will yield some nice results that you feel in the driver's seat.

Good luck!

 

great response much appreciated, yea I have been torn on which direction for quite a while, that's why I decided to just start a new tread on the topic, I do realize there is a compromise with everything, I really do want the supercharger but I am concerned about other components needing to be upgraded as well, but I guess that's true with everything...
I will make my decision soon and just stick with it until I get the big to go further....
Thanks

 

What are your emmision laws like where you live?

 

Alternate suggestion:

Would trading your car, plus that $10K, buy you the car you really want?

If you make those mods, the value of your current car won't really change, but that $10K will go "poof".

 

This is a good point.

 

I can pass emissions out here, no big deal, not like California and places that have issues.

 

no i really love the c5 platform, just want a bit more get up and go....not worried about the value vs what i invest, it will be in my family forever..

 

With headers or a cam?

 

Sure! Mine too. But that specific one? You can find a C5 that came stock with a 3.42 rear for $20K. And the 4L60e won't be the fun limiter anymore.

But if you want that specific one, absolutely start with headers, exhaust, and a tune. You'll benefit once you start adding more power adders.

 

Not everywhere has emissions requirements. There are quite a few counties in MD that don't require emissions. Historic and Street Rod tags (25yrs or older) don't require emissions anywhere in MD.

 

We don't have any emission laws where I live either. That's why I was asking if he had any

 

with either, no emissions check where I live

 

I did a 3.73 gear, stage 2 RPM diff and YankSS3200 stall about 3 years ago. I love the combo, the converter doesn’t whine at all with this combo. I do have a trans cooler, LG headers, air intake, and it’s custom tuned. It will be quite different then the 2.73, but it’s definitely faster then before, I run on the autobahn country club a few times a year, and I’m 3-5 mph faster on the straights now. Cruising at 76mph it’s about 2600 RPM, with a 26.1 inch tire.
1st gear 0-36-37mph
2nd gear tops out at about 75mph
3rd gear tops out at 126.

i had the 3.15 gears before. My car is pretty much ready for a top end rebuild now. Hopefully I can do that in the future. Good luck with your decision. Hopefully this write up helps.

 

yes, these type of replies definitely help me choose which way to go, I really appreciate all the responses i have been getting...

 

I have a supercharged 408 with 3.15 and 6 speed. It's perfect.

 

I swapped my 02 A4 from a 2.73 to a 3.42SP I picked up for 1000 bucks. I then added the ECS SC set up along with re-building my torque tube. My stock trans had no issues, but I don't hammer it real hard alot. Currently my car is in for updates to the cam, heads, belt system LT's and some other smaller upgrades to go with.
If you do cams, heads and the rear gear, it will make it feel like a new car after you get it tuned. IMO, the rear gear is needed regardless how you go, from a performance perspective anyway. I'd do it either way-

And I wouldn't worry about the belt, a stock belt can go bad if mis aligned and break. As long as the drive is correctly installed and properly aligned, no more of an issue than any other belt. But knowing what I know now, if you go SC, go 8 rib! 6 rib works fine but if you up the power eventually, you'll need it. One less thing to upgrade in the future.

 

Great response, great information, so your saying i really can't go wrong starting with the gears and I can always build from there if I crave more....
Appreciate your response thanks

 

If you do gears, change the converter at the same time. especially if you have a shop do it.