im wondering what kind of intake mods are pretty much useless without heads, cam, or rockers. I'm thinking about getting a FAST intake and 85mm maf. i'm wondering what size fast intake i should get. without heads, cams, or rockers will i really see any difference in the 78mm FAST intake for the stock TB vs the 92mm with the LS2 TB? I know the 85mm maf really doesnt do anything for those who switch from an ls6 intake from the ls1. However, will it make a difference with a FAST manifold? when i decide to do this my current mods will be the following: k&n air bridge and cone filter, b&b shorty headers, 02+z06 h-pipe and cats, z06 ti exhaust with muffler bypass. of course after i install the new manifold and maf (if its not pointless) i will also get a tune. thanks!

 

For the set you are using or thinking about using the FAST system and associated MAF will not do much (I am comparing the money sent on the set up vs. HP gains).

 

You have to start somewhere right? If your budget is tight, do it one piece at a time just like Johnny Cash!

 

the thing is that im wondering if this will even do me any good. the engine can only suck in so much air with the stock heads and cam. at some point intake mods are going to stop adding hp. so im wondering what the best setup is for stock heads/cam without wasting my money.

 

Your thought process is bang on. I would incorporate a vararam into the mod list and loose the cone and filter. I would also do long tube headers instaed of shorty's. It looks like the goal at this stage is get the good air in and the exhaust out. Vararam for air in...LG long tube headers with high flow cats and Borla cat back would be my selection. Doing a FAST intake without a cam / head swap is money not well spent.

 

vararam is out of the question because my car is a daily driver. so i will have to deal with torrential rain and giant puddles. I am thinking that probably an LS6 intake manifold is the way to go. From what i have read, with just the ls6 manifold and an aftermarket intake, the 85mm maf does practically nothing. as far as the headers go, im getting them for free so thats why im using them. also b&b shortys are the best shortys u can get. if i decide to go long tubes eventually, then i will sell my shorty headers to help pay fot the LT's. Bolt-on stuff is just so much easier. i just want a little bit more power and a great sounding engine. the car is plenty fast for me stock (for now ).

 

Looks like we have the same color car and incoming mods. I just installed a filter from WCC also with the smooth coupler, I am installing BBK shorties and an LS6 manifold here in the next 2 weeks. I am same as you. Not scrounging up HP but improving the car while saving some coin right now.

 

Saber, I've got a similar car - 2000 with some mods.
I think the FAST would be total overkill with the mild setup you plan.
But a Z06 intake with your stock MAF will definitely give you about 10 honest HP, and amazingly, a good low-end torque boost. I have the dyno numbers to prove that.
Somewhere in here I saw an article comparing the intake manifolds, and the Z06 was surprisingly good, even on a highly modified engine.
Do a search and you may come across it - good reading.
The shorties are obviously not as good as LT's, but on your car with the old-style stainless manifolds, you should get a good increase, maybe 10 HP. The later cast manifolds are almost as good as tube shorties, and those cars don't see as much gain as you will.
Oh, actually the stock '99 cats will flow as well as the Z06 cats. The big problem with the early Z06 cats was the little pre-cats on the '01's.
The '99's don't have these, and their cat volume is the same as the later Z06's. (but you got'em, so moving on...)
Cold air really helps these engines, so as much as you can do there is a benefit. I run a Blackwing with Z06 style fog-light shrouds, and you shouldn't have any water issues with a setup like that. You gotta pretty well drown the front end and then hit the gas to hydrolock one of these cars. The Varraram definitely works, if you don't mind using a lot of silicon glue to hold everything together - very crude construction.
After that, a tune will really perk up the mid-range, and be sure to turn the fans on sooner to keep the water temp below 200.

Beyond that, you really need a cam (with a smaller pulley also) to get a noticeable increase. 1.8 rockers will help a bit, maybe 7 HP, but heck, they cost nearly as much as a cam, if you can do the cam install yourself.

Good luck with your mods. With the mild items above and a tune, you should see a nice 25-30 HP pop. But save the money the FAST and 85mm MAF costs, and put it toward a nice torquey cam, and get another 25-30HP. You know you're gonna do it!

DG

 

If sound is what you are after just get a kick *** catback system and wait until you got the funds for the mods you want (ie if you want long term headers wait. Dont put on shorty's, then remove them, then have to sell them to get lt's.... that's time and money wasted. Get Borla Stingers!!!