I have basically all the intake and exhaust bolt-ons on my 02 C5 MN6. I suspect a cam + an edit would net me 30-50HP since I have never had an edit done before (and it feels like the car runs way rich in the high RPM band). I'm on stock gearing right now... for the fun factor as well as ETs, which would you spend the 1K-2K on? 4.10s or cam + edit?

Can a 4.10 be installed on just rhino ramps and floor jacks or do you need a lift? What about the cam?

 

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I would do the 4:10's first.
Then do a head and cam package down the road.
Just my opinion.

 

DO the 4.10's you will not be sorry... Plug and play...
As far as I am concerned 4.10's should be the 1st mod any MN6 car gets... :party:

I'll be in Ft Meyers on monday for a meeting..Too bad I'll be driving the daily beater... :D

 

diynoob,

I TOTALLY TOTALLY TOTALLY respectfully disagree with the above posters. There are many guys running around in ls1 vettes and f-bodies that are near 380 rwhp with all other bolt ons like headers etc with just a MAJOR cam upgrade and this is serious hp with NO head work.

I have 396 rwhp with head work and the gm hotcam. I can't say enough good things about it (BTW I am still at stock gearing on MN6 and I have large pilot sport tires and STILL get NO traction)

EVERYONE agrees the weak link in the ls1 motor is the cam, the cam, the cam. The car will feel like a completely different animal with the cam. I have the gm hotcam, which passes emissions in IN with tuning and idles well has a nice "potatoe potaoe potatoe" say it quick out loud and you will get my drift. The cam WITH ls6 springs (so you can slightly raise your rev limiter with programing, esp if you get hardened push rods through MTI for 100 bucks) is like only 385 as a kit through gm parts direct or Ken Fitchner on the forum.

Gears are great but DO THE CAM, trust me, you won't be sorry. I just raced at Gingerman Raceway ROAD RACING in Michigan, 4.10's are great for the drags and that is all...

Just my .02

If you do get gears, the max I would recommend is the genuine GETRAG 3.73 unit with the strengthened case, don't just stuff 4.10 gears in, again, just my .02, have seen and heard some horror stories with other units, not to say I don't know guys with 4.10's who are happy

 

Thanks everyone for your feedback...

What about equipment required to install each setup? Can the cam be installed using just rhino ramps and floor jacks? What about the gears?

Also, can anyone describe why you would want to go with gears instead of more HP/TQ? Is it a crisper throttle response? Maybe more "jerk" when downshifting? So it feels like you just did a major HP/TQ upgrade?

Also Avette, what kind of horror stories have you heard about 4.10s? I hear DynoTech Engineering has a nice cryo treated set that is tough to break.

 

Gears Gears Gears....4:10's....just look at the guys with the fastest Heads and Cam cars on this board...and you will see they are using 4.10 gears..I am speaking of 346Cid...not the 422+ crowd..or TT.

Gears on a 346cid make up for the lack of torque the car has down on the bottom to get the car moving.

Although the Cam alone is a very good mod too...the LSx heads flow better than the cams that are used in them from the factory. Replace the Valve Springs and throw a CompXer 224/224 .581 .581 114lsa...idle is good...we had a guy last Feb in a 2003 Z06, who did this cam and a Varram with some CCW MT/ET's turn an 11.4 in the 1/4 mile...if he had 4.10's he would have broke into the 10's without having done heads or using NOS.

Not too shabby.

Do the gears first...you will need them with any other mod unless you are going to do a stroker or TT.

One of the first guys (SW,, with his car and NoMercys) to break into the 9 sec 1/4 mile had an MTI 422 M6 with 3.73's (SW's Car), NoMercy's car is a Z06...same MTI 422 but stock gears....3.42's with an M12 are almost identical to an M6 with 3.73s. But these cars had stroker motors and NOS..they have lots of Torque down low.

My point is...on a 346cid you will need 4.10's to get a similar effect...so go big or stay at home.

 

I have a challenge for you....show me someone who got 4.10's and regretted it. Like I've said before, anyone that has a bad opinion of gearing or thinks it is only for the track doesn't have 4.10's.

My vote is do the gears first then keep boosting power till you can't get it to the ground anymore.

 

:iagree:
Get the gears!!!

 

I regret my 4.10's!!!......
I regret they didn't come from the factory with them.
4.10's have been the best mod I've spent my money on so far.
I will still get a cam, when I can though. But gears will keep me
plenty happy until then :D

 

What are the gears on a stock c5 a4? How much do most shops do this for? :seeya

 

2.73 or 3.15
$$ ??