Need recommendations!
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 277
Likes: 0
From: Chicago Illinois
Need recommendations!
I am looking to start doing some heavy performance mods to my engine, and dont' know quite the combo that will get me what I want. I have a 98 m6 coupe. My only performance mod is blackwing airfilter and magnaflow exhaust + x-pipe. I'm looking for a heads and cam combo, as well as recommendations for headers, and maybe a super charger in the future. I want to know which H/C combo as well as heads you would put to make the car extremely quick, but still be very streetable. I would prefer not to make any other changes but please let me know that if I do have X amount of horsepower, what else I will need to upgrade (transmission, injectors, etc...) I'm a car guy, and plan on doing in my garage (I have lifts etc...) with friends, but when it comes to picking them out, I"m a bit green 
My budget w/o the supercharger is ~3000. Let me know if this is too much/too little (I suppose it could never be too much) Also let me know if I should be doing the S/C first, etc...
Thanks in advance!
College_guy
My budget w/o the supercharger is ~3000. Let me know if this is too much/too little (I suppose it could never be too much) Also let me know if I should be doing the S/C first, etc...Thanks in advance!
College_guy
Drifting
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,715
Likes: 1
From: cAshburn VA
You should probably make a decision now whether you are going to go wiith a s/c setup. Or at least between getting lt headers and doing anything else. Pondered this for over a year and looked at several possibilities. But before you do heads and cam, you need to know whether you are staying N/A or going FI. Your target compression ratio after h/c is going to have alot to do with how much boost you can run, if you keep it around stock, then 5-7psi. You'll want to tailor your cam intake/exhaust duration to FI if you are going that way, if not then there are alot of possibilities.
So if going s/c:
Do not spend any money on fancy air intakes or gears yet. You will likely end up with an intercooler of some type, and whatever intake you have goes byebye. If you are going to do the s/c yourself, I think you need a budget of more like $5000, just for the s/c kit. Go over to the FI/Nitrous forum for more details on what best h/c setup to do for this. I would also talk to Andy at A&A or Chris at ECS.
If staying N/A then:
First get the LT headers, need to decide whether to go with high-flow cats too. Might as well do the vararam air intake also.
A set of AFR 205s with Comp921s, milled for as high a compression ratio as you are willing to take a chance on (detonation). Match that with one of the well known cam choices G5X3 maybe. Depending on how high you go, you may have to fly cut the pistons. LG has a aft/cam combo special on now I think.
Add the usuals to the h/c install, ported oil pump, upgrade the timing set or at least the chain, and underdrive pulley.
If you got the money go with a 90mm TB/intake manifold, if not get an LS6 intake manifold, and send your TB out to Shaner for porting/polishing.
In both cases a professional tune is all important.
Wait until after you are done with either before making a decision on a possible new rear end gear ratio.
No doubt you'll get lots of advise, but thats just my $.02.
Good Luck!
So if going s/c:
Do not spend any money on fancy air intakes or gears yet. You will likely end up with an intercooler of some type, and whatever intake you have goes byebye. If you are going to do the s/c yourself, I think you need a budget of more like $5000, just for the s/c kit. Go over to the FI/Nitrous forum for more details on what best h/c setup to do for this. I would also talk to Andy at A&A or Chris at ECS.
If staying N/A then:
First get the LT headers, need to decide whether to go with high-flow cats too. Might as well do the vararam air intake also.
A set of AFR 205s with Comp921s, milled for as high a compression ratio as you are willing to take a chance on (detonation). Match that with one of the well known cam choices G5X3 maybe. Depending on how high you go, you may have to fly cut the pistons. LG has a aft/cam combo special on now I think.
Add the usuals to the h/c install, ported oil pump, upgrade the timing set or at least the chain, and underdrive pulley.
If you got the money go with a 90mm TB/intake manifold, if not get an LS6 intake manifold, and send your TB out to Shaner for porting/polishing.
In both cases a professional tune is all important.
Wait until after you are done with either before making a decision on a possible new rear end gear ratio.
No doubt you'll get lots of advise, but thats just my $.02.
Good Luck!
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 277
Likes: 0
From: Chicago Illinois
Sounds like you thought about this a lot! As much as I would like a S/C setup, I don't really see it in the realistic future of this car. Maybe another time. This puts me at just H/C and headers! I don't want a cam that is too hot and radical. I also would like something that keeps my gas mileage relatively high. (please no flames: I know that people dont' buy corvettes for gas mileage, but it is a nice extra) Basically I still want it driveable when I get done with it. What kind of heads LS6 heads as well, IFLUBYU?
Drifting
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,715
Likes: 1
From: cAshburn VA
aight, with $3000, doing the work yourself...
LT Headers, TPIS or whatever you can get used: $800
Used set of LS6 heads: $800
Comp 918 valve springs: $160
Machine shop, clean, inspect heads, install valve springs, check height, pressure, etc and deck for flat: $200 (someone check me on this, I get a good deal in this area).
TR 224/224 581/581 Cam - good power, well tested, no emissions problems. Even passes CA emissions with right tune. $400
H/C install kit: all gaskets, ARP head bolts, crank bolt, etc $250ish
Ported LS1/6 oil pump $130
Underdrive pulley (TSP has a new one, ASP doesnt appear available anymore) $170
JWIS hardened timing chain, direct replacement: $60
Used set of Centerbolt Valve covers (yours are perimeter bolt, you'll need these for almost any of the newer heads. $50
That puts you at $3020, pretty close. Still need a tune, in shop by a pro preferred, but with this setup, mail order would be ok too.
First over budget item, if you can swing another $1300 for a set of AFR 205s (with the default springs is fine=$2180shipped), absolutely do it.
TSP has a special where you get a $200 gift/credit/whatever, you could use that to pick up one of the other pieces.
Second, if you can't swing that, or if you can and have a little more, get an LS6 intake manifold. Very easily done while you are doing the H/C. $300ish used.
Third: short throw shifter, man I wish I had done this along time ago, best $150 spent.
Fourth: Vararam ($320) and shaner porting/polishing TB (160).
Fifth gears: Once all else is setup and its tuned, broken in, running right, pop a set of 3.90s or 4.10s on it. $1295
You will eventually eat up a clutch, depending on how you use/drive it. If you can do the install yourself, be thinking about 400-1000 down the road for the clutch parts, new hydraulics.
Ditto on the tranny, but hopefully not too soon, eventually the synchros will start going. $1250-$2000 down the road too.
That doesnt take into account, beer, pizza, shop towels, new fluids, etc, Probably a good time to do a new set of plugs and wires if yours are not really fresh.
If you decide to go with a new timing set and you want to degree in your cam instead of doing dot-dot, let me know, I will let you borrow my Comp Cam Degree kit.
That's about all I can think of, Good Luck!
LT Headers, TPIS or whatever you can get used: $800
Used set of LS6 heads: $800
Comp 918 valve springs: $160
Machine shop, clean, inspect heads, install valve springs, check height, pressure, etc and deck for flat: $200 (someone check me on this, I get a good deal in this area).
TR 224/224 581/581 Cam - good power, well tested, no emissions problems. Even passes CA emissions with right tune. $400
H/C install kit: all gaskets, ARP head bolts, crank bolt, etc $250ish
Ported LS1/6 oil pump $130
Underdrive pulley (TSP has a new one, ASP doesnt appear available anymore) $170
JWIS hardened timing chain, direct replacement: $60
Used set of Centerbolt Valve covers (yours are perimeter bolt, you'll need these for almost any of the newer heads. $50
That puts you at $3020, pretty close. Still need a tune, in shop by a pro preferred, but with this setup, mail order would be ok too.
First over budget item, if you can swing another $1300 for a set of AFR 205s (with the default springs is fine=$2180shipped), absolutely do it.
TSP has a special where you get a $200 gift/credit/whatever, you could use that to pick up one of the other pieces.
Second, if you can't swing that, or if you can and have a little more, get an LS6 intake manifold. Very easily done while you are doing the H/C. $300ish used.
Third: short throw shifter, man I wish I had done this along time ago, best $150 spent.
Fourth: Vararam ($320) and shaner porting/polishing TB (160).
Fifth gears: Once all else is setup and its tuned, broken in, running right, pop a set of 3.90s or 4.10s on it. $1295
You will eventually eat up a clutch, depending on how you use/drive it. If you can do the install yourself, be thinking about 400-1000 down the road for the clutch parts, new hydraulics.
Ditto on the tranny, but hopefully not too soon, eventually the synchros will start going. $1250-$2000 down the road too.
That doesnt take into account, beer, pizza, shop towels, new fluids, etc, Probably a good time to do a new set of plugs and wires if yours are not really fresh.
If you decide to go with a new timing set and you want to degree in your cam instead of doing dot-dot, let me know, I will let you borrow my Comp Cam Degree kit.
That's about all I can think of, Good Luck!
Drifting
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,715
Likes: 1
From: cAshburn VA
Ack! forgot new lifters ($250) and new hardened pushrods ($110).
Check out this post:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...77&forum_id=53
Check out this post:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...77&forum_id=53
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 277
Likes: 0
From: Chicago Illinois
Wowza, you thought of everything! Thanks for the tips! I guess now all I have to do is pull out the ole checkbook :-/
I do already have a breathless performance short throw (love it), as well as a new clutch (when they replaced all the syncros from when the previous owner coudn't drive)
I do already have a breathless performance short throw (love it), as well as a new clutch (when they replaced all the syncros from when the previous owner coudn't drive)
