Weakest link in the quest for more HP
Thread Starter
Former Vendor
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 8,995
Likes: 2
From: Spring Texas
St. Jude Donor '08
Weakest link in the quest for more HP
I've heard over and over that the a car's performance is only as good as it's weakest component. This being said, many performance novices will try to get as much power out of the engine as they can (usually obsession over intakes, exhaust and programmers while neglecting the fuel system and REAL power adders like head/cam jobs) Even if they get power out of the engine, i can't count how many times the transmission and the rest of the drivetrain has broken because of too much power.
What would be the best (in your opinion) route (sequence) to getting the most HP from a stock block to the rear wheels. (we'll say an LS1 for this instance)
What would be the best (in your opinion) route (sequence) to getting the most HP from a stock block to the rear wheels. (we'll say an LS1 for this instance)
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 7,157
Likes: 154
From: The Arid Sunny Desert
Bolt on a supercharger and tune!! I did all the bolt-ons, heads/cam, gears, LT's, torque converter, pulleys, etc, etc, etc. If I had to do it all over again I would have gone straight for the blower. You can expect to have a reliable 450 RWHP car with a supercharger and good tune. For all of the money that I spent just to get to the 400 RWHP mark I could have had 3 or 4 superchargers!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,041
Likes: 4
From: Rockford Illinois
I've heard over and over that the a car's performance is only as good as it's weakest component. This being said, many performance novices will try to get as much power out of the engine as they can (usually obsession over intakes, exhaust and programmers while neglecting the fuel system and REAL power adders like head/cam jobs) Even if they get power out of the engine, i can't count how many times the transmission and the rest of the drivetrain has broken because of too much power.
What would be the best (in your opinion) route (sequence) to getting the most HP from a stock block to the rear wheels. (we'll say an LS1 for this instance)
What would be the best (in your opinion) route (sequence) to getting the most HP from a stock block to the rear wheels. (we'll say an LS1 for this instance)
The car is on the stock block/internals.
I installed the following.
LT's
Catback
LS6 Intake manifold
Comp cams camshaft
springs
pushrods
lifters
P1SC ProCharger (10PSI) Custom Hard piping, with Blow off
Dual intercoolers
High flow fule rails
42 LB injectors
340 Intake fuel pump
255 In line pump
Removed EGR
Removed air pump
A/C
Installed ARP rod Bolts
Pinned the crank
The car dynoed 556 RWHP and 535 Torque
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 10,026
Likes: 17
You can't get any power out of a stock vette engine by adding fuel system capacity first. But you can by adding headers or intake.
I wouldn't call it neglect, I would use the expression "picking the lowest hanging fruit first".
Thread Starter
Former Vendor
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 8,995
Likes: 2
From: Spring Texas
St. Jude Donor '08
true, i guess the question there would be if the intake/exhaust is the weakest component of a stock setup. I'm inclined to think so since the computer can adjust fuel and spark curves (slighty) to get the best balance for fuel/air
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 2,480
Likes: 62
From: Middletown DE
My car was completly stock when i added my procharger... 520-ish rwhp with stock intake, manifolds, etc.. nothing was changed on the engine at all. I did have a few issues with my fuel pump - but changed to the 97/8 fuel system and all has been well.
i have 40k on this setup and no problems (knock on wood).
I recently put on a very cheap set of headers (from the auction site) and had a retune - really woke the car up.. havent had it dyno'd, but i picked up 3 mph in the 1/4.
I am amazed that the motor has lasted this long - especially since it is a daily driver that is driven pretty hard.
There is NO WAY that i could make the same power with a H/C setup and get the reliability that i have.
i have 40k on this setup and no problems (knock on wood).
I recently put on a very cheap set of headers (from the auction site) and had a retune - really woke the car up.. havent had it dyno'd, but i picked up 3 mph in the 1/4.
I am amazed that the motor has lasted this long - especially since it is a daily driver that is driven pretty hard.
There is NO WAY that i could make the same power with a H/C setup and get the reliability that i have.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,448
Likes: 4
From: Sarasota Florida
St. Jude Donor '06
The C5 doesn't have any particular "weak links". Well, maybe the clutch. 
The engine makes a lot of power, lasts 150k+ miles, gets 25-30 mpg, tops out near 175, and runs 12s stock. In LS6 form it runs 11s stock or very near stock. There's nothing weak about any of that.
The question isn't what "weak link" you're going to correct, but rather what do you want to give up to get more power? Reliability? Smoothness? Mileage? Longevity? Money (count on that)? How much of each? How much is "the most" HP and what is a stock block?
Your question is unanswerable as stated imo. If you want to re-engineer your car (which is what "mods" are), you need to set specific goals first just like the GM engineers did. At that point it's possible to discuss which approaches might be better or worse for achieving those goals.
The engine makes a lot of power, lasts 150k+ miles, gets 25-30 mpg, tops out near 175, and runs 12s stock. In LS6 form it runs 11s stock or very near stock. There's nothing weak about any of that.
The question isn't what "weak link" you're going to correct, but rather what do you want to give up to get more power? Reliability? Smoothness? Mileage? Longevity? Money (count on that)? How much of each? How much is "the most" HP and what is a stock block?
Your question is unanswerable as stated imo. If you want to re-engineer your car (which is what "mods" are), you need to set specific goals first just like the GM engineers did. At that point it's possible to discuss which approaches might be better or worse for achieving those goals.
Last edited by Gannet; Jan 30, 2007 at 10:06 PM.
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Drifting
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,715
Likes: 1
From: cAshburn VA
Add all the power you want, leave the stock tires on it, and they should give before anything else, saving your drivetrain from much "shock and awe"
But where's the fun in that eh? Just to sit and spin?
Oh yeah, and leave the rev limiter alone!
That and proper valve springs should save your valvetrain from the same.
But my car wouldn't be half as fun if I didn't break the weak link, then take that opportunity to upgrade when I fixed it. But I will admit the car is fun, fast and stable as it is, I"m working on a beater TA for anything more radical, tired of paying the vette tax to fix stuff.
The reality is, you want safety and surety, buy a Bently or somethin...
But where's the fun in that eh? Just to sit and spin?
Oh yeah, and leave the rev limiter alone!
That and proper valve springs should save your valvetrain from the same.
But my car wouldn't be half as fun if I didn't break the weak link, then take that opportunity to upgrade when I fixed it. But I will admit the car is fun, fast and stable as it is, I"m working on a beater TA for anything more radical, tired of paying the vette tax to fix stuff.
The reality is, you want safety and surety, buy a Bently or somethin...
