Blackwing?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 298
Likes: 0
From: More Boost, Egor
Blackwing?
Hi, folks!
I've read loads about installing a "blackwing" on this forum, but nowhere anything that actually tells me whether the claims of 18+bhp on an LS1 are actually true.... so....
Is it true?
And (to those of you with Blackwings installed) can you feel a noticable power increase once it's installed?
Thanks! ;)
I've read loads about installing a "blackwing" on this forum, but nowhere anything that actually tells me whether the claims of 18+bhp on an LS1 are actually true.... so....
Is it true?
And (to those of you with Blackwings installed) can you feel a noticable power increase once it's installed?
Thanks! ;)
Pro
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 726
Likes: 2
From: Denver CO
Re: Blackwing? (C5EVIL)
I've read up on this subject a lot. Can't speak to the HP claims, but I do think it's the best value for the money and Donaldson is a reknowned maker of air filters and their filtration material seems to be the best out there. I was going to modify my stock box until I read about the "air separation" caused by the oval opening from the airbox to the air bridge. IMHO, the Blackwing is the best way to go b/c you don't have to worry about water like you do with the bottom breathers and you don't have the expense that comes with systems like the Vararam, which increase the dirt loading of the filter.
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
From: Wheeling IL
Re: Blackwing? (C5EVIL)
I installed a Blackwing on my 2002 coupe, and I could instantly feel the difference. Pulls much stronger! Don't know how much hp gain, but certainly a SOTP increase. Go for it! You won't be sorry.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 120,798
Likes: 11
From: Charlotte NC
Cruise-In IV Veteran
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Re: Blackwing? (Cat Eye Blu02)
I installed a Blackwing on my 2002 coupe, and I could instantly feel the difference. Pulls much stronger! Don't know how much hp gain, but certainly a SOTP increase. Go for it! You won't be sorry.
Pro
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 726
Likes: 45
From: Marquette MI
Re: Blackwing? (C5EVIL)
The whole business of claimed horsepower gains needs to be taken with many grains of salt. Manufacturer's claims are always on the optimistic side and frequently reference increases in bhp - which we cannot measure. We can measure rear wheel horse power [rwhp] on dynos - so its comparing apples and oranges. I installed a Blackwing on my 2002 and frankly couldn't feel any difference although my mpg increased by about 1.5. I added long tube headers and an LS1 edit tune and got a rwhp dyno read of 330 - up from a stock of 290 rwhp. So the two mods and the tune gave me 40 more rwhp. You could roughly translate that to bhp by just figuring % increases- I got a 12% increase of rwhp which would translate to about 42 bhp or a total of 392 bhp.
So figure it any way you want. When you actually buy a mod and install it you want it to give you as much increase as possible - sounds just like the guys who make and market the procuct doesn't it?
Have fun.
So figure it any way you want. When you actually buy a mod and install it you want it to give you as much increase as possible - sounds just like the guys who make and market the procuct doesn't it?
Have fun.
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 4,295
Likes: 2
From: Indianapolis Indiana
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Cruise-In IV Veteran
Re: Blackwing? (Bob Chapman)
There certainly is a lot of BS about intake horsepower claims, but the Blackwing's 18hp gains seems to be one of the more realistic ones. I've seen guys get nearly 30rwhp out of blackwing/exhaust, so i'd say 18 is doable, maybe just a little optimistic. Either way, it's the best bang for the buck mod you can get on a C5. :yesnod:
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Drifting
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 1,380
Likes: 0
From: Life is all about power and control
Re: Blackwing? (C5EVIL)
18 bhp, possibly. 18rwhp, I don't think so. However after fitting my Blackwing and running on stock EMTs I increased my speed at the end of the quarter mile by a couple of mph and was also able to get under the GM book time of 13.22, which as a fairly unskilled drag racer seems pretty good to me. So, I think the Blackwing is value for money.
...and with the exchange rate the way it is at the moment now is a good time to buy seeing as you are on this side of the Pond! :seeya
[Modified by te51cle, 4:35 PM 6/29/2003]
...and with the exchange rate the way it is at the moment now is a good time to buy seeing as you are on this side of the Pond! :seeya
[Modified by te51cle, 4:35 PM 6/29/2003]