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C6 Corvette ZR1 & Z06General info about GM’s Corvette Supercar, LS9 Corvette Technical Info, Performance Upgrades, Suspension Setup for Street or Track
So here are the results of my build; I've been working on all this for over a year now and am relieved to have it all done now. Car was otherwise bone stock - OE air filter, exhaust manifolds, intake manifold, and throttle body. I only began down this path to be sure the valve guides were good. 2012 with 6,500 miles. Going to have the old guides measured when they get my heads back.
Heads were only minimally resurfaced, conservative tune for 91, and DynaPack pull at SAE J1349. I wasn't intending to go down every rabbit hole for small gains here and there, and I don't want long-tube headers or aftermarket CAI for this car.
The theme I had for this build was to kind of make the car the way GM should have from the beginning. Parts were selected with an emphasis on durability. Was expecting for a little more gain on the HP side but my tuner said something to the effect that every time he would try and advance the timing it would ping.
I'm thinking I probably need to get that Corsa x-pipe (14331) that removes the two extra cats (2012 and 2013) and help get rid of some of that back-pressure. We readily have 93 available in Texas but I'm hesitant to tune it for 93 only because as I understand it, then it won't default back to 91 if you were stuck and that was all that was available. Not sure the gains would be worth it.
Idle at the rear of the car is nice and especially if you open all the baffles, it's great for the car shows! When I got in and drove it home it definitely had a little more lope in the cabin than what I was expecting, though. My tuner said he could take almost all of the lope out of the idle but I forgot to ask them how does that and what if any tradeoffs are associated with that. Car is super easy to drive and I can stick it into 6th at 60 even and absolutely no problems at those RPM's, (I never would put it into 6th under 60 when stock, anyways.) Revs smooth and quick, and under the hood is a lot quieter, too. More power than my still fairly new ZR1 sized Michelin PSS ZP 335/25-20's can handle in first or second gear. Effortless acceleration going from 1-3-5.
AHP Package 4 LS7 heads: PSI 1511ML springs, Moldstar 90 guides, Ferrea F2042p exhaust valves, high velocity street porting | CHE trunnion kit | TSP custom cam: 8620 core, 220°/244°, .635"/.635", 116 LSA, 113 ICL | Johnson 2110 lifters | Katech C5-R timing chain | PowerBond PB1503SS
I was there when you were picking up the car. Glad to see you are happy with the results. Love the color of your car and the machined face of the cup wheels looks really good in person.
We readily have 93 available in Texas but I'm hesitant to tune it for 93 only because as I understand it, then it won't default back to 91 if you were stuck and that was all that was available. Not sure the gains would be worth it.
Nice results, particularly since it sounds like most people might mistake it for factory stock.
The Z06 was tuned by GM to 93 octane, and would use the Low table if you accidentally put something else in, or 93 wasn't available. Many (most?) tuners, for reasons unknown to me, will copy the High table to the Low table, and when they do that, the ECU doesn't have a "bad gas" table to go to.
If your tuner would set your Low spark table at some percentage less than your High table, you should be able to switch back and forth between 91 and 93 octane - this is similar to that people with E85 tunes do.
Great results! Thanks for the details and photos. Was 93 octane in the car when it was tuned? If not, I would have the car tuned with 93 for sure. You have access to it readily and the tune can accommodate with the low-octane spark table. No reason to tune on 91 gas when you have 93 at most gas stations where you live.
Nice results, particularly since it sounds like most people might mistake it for factory stock.
The Z06 was tuned by GM to 93 octane, and would use the Low table if you accidentally put something else in, or 93 wasn't available. Many (most?) tuners, for reasons unknown to me, will copy the High table to the Low table, and when they do that, the ECU doesn't have a "bad gas" table to go to.
If your tuner would set your Low spark table at some percentage less than your High table, you should be able to switch back and forth between 91 and 93 octane - this is similar to that people with E85 tunes do.
This should really only be done during the tuning phase of the build, to determine the max timing parameters under the intended conditions.
Fixing the timing for a race car is fine, but should not be done for a street car, no need to sacrifice safety for a few HP. Just because it says 93, doesn't always guarantee it's 93..
Sometimes it seems like tooners are getting paid by how many tables and parameters they adjust..
Last edited by Dan_the_C5_Man; 10-13-2017 at 02:46 PM.
I was there when you were picking up the car. Glad to see you are happy with the results. Love the color of your car and the machined face of the cup wheels looks really good in person.
Absolutely! The more I drove the car over the weekend the more I realized how much I love it just the way it is. Between the Johnson SLR lifters, Moldstar 90 valve guides, TSP cam lobes, and the CHE trunnion kit, dare I say this is the quietest LS engine that I've ever heard. Really happy with the increased torque. Easy and fun to drive.
Originally Posted by Mordeth
Great results! Thanks for the details and photos. Was 93 octane in the car when it was tuned? If not, I would have the car tuned with 93 for sure. You have access to it readily and the tune can accommodate with the low-octane spark table. No reason to tune on 91 gas when you have 93 at most gas stations where you live.
Yes, I had a fresh tank of 93 before it went on the dyno. What you say makes sense and I probably misunderstood who the original tune was applied, I don't believe he changed either of the octane tables and theoretically, it should still be utilizing the 93.
Originally Posted by Dan_the_C5_Man
This should really only be done during the tuning phase of the build, to determine the max timing parameters under the intended conditions.
Fixing the timing for a race car is fine, but should not be done for a street car, no need to sacrifice safety for a few HP. Just because it says 93, doesn't always guarantee it's 93..
Sometimes it seems like tooners are getting paid by how many tables and parameters they adjust..
Definately wanted a safe tune and I believe that was how it was done. I think there was some power still to be had but the pros didn't really outweigh the cons. Cars drives very smooth and quick and I couldn't be happier.
Last edited by BigVette427; 10-16-2017 at 10:10 AM.
Nice build, quality components, and very decent results. If it were my car, the corsa x-pipe would be a must. That and a Callaway CAI, which would definitely net you some more HP.
Great results and Great pics of some Great looking Heads!!!
Moldstar90 valve guides are the "bees knees" so to speak... We have seen amazing results from them. So amazing in fact that we are having a very hard time making enough of them to keep up with demand (we have them made locally/right across the street from us).
Great results and Great pics of some Great looking Heads!!!
Moldstar90 valve guides are the "bees knees" so to speak... We have seen amazing results from them. So amazing in fact that we are having a very hard time making enough of them to keep up with demand (we have them made locally/right across the street from us).
Still working on them... We finished a few sets but were not real happy wih them so we made some revisions and are back in line for production time. The Moldstar90 stuff is awesome but it is a pain in the neck to work with. Lots of trial and error involved with getting M90 ready for production runs.
Once we get our Moldstar90 seats perfected we will start offering them for sale to the general public and other shops.
Update on my build. I decided to add the Corsa x-pipe (14331) for the 2012/13 3" exhaust on the Z06 and ZR1's. Big difference right off the bat, the stock cats are so restrictive and much heavier than the Corsa x-pipe. If you have a 12 or 13 3" exhaust, this is a must.
Then I decided to get more air in the street ported AHP heads and take advantage of the custom TSP cam. I really didn't want to lose the OE appearance under the hood but I decided the Airaid would serve my purposes, not require any permanent cutting or drilling, and the stock box could always go back on if someone wanted. Big, big difference on the butt dyno, right away.
I then met Pat G. down at LSX Performance Dyno just outside of Victoria, Texas for a full custom hybrid tune. I can't say enough good things about Pat or LSX Performance and their Mustang MD250 chassis dyno. Pat first pulled my current tune with EFI Live, but said he often will go back and forth with HP Tuners because he likes certain tables from both. First he did a full speed density tune and we took it for a brief drive to populate some actual STFT data. When he loaded his first tune, (ended up doing six in total) right off the bat the engine idled smoother and soon after driving it before we even got onto the dyno and worked on the MAF, I could tell THIS was what Kohle was talking about on the 116 cams. To say it drove and behaved like stock was an understatement; better than stock with way more power. And to be fair, it drove pretty well before!
Once we got the SD working again, we put it on LSX's Mustang dyno and did some low rpm work. Adjusted the AFR just a little (tad rich) and did some full pulls. This is where the Mustang dyno's really shine and as I've learned, are preferable when tuning because the engine is under load, just like if you were driving on the road.
Weather was nearly 100°F in the late South Texas afternoon. Dyno was measuring SAE. 520 rwhp, 470 torque. Very happy with that. Some say a Mustang dyno is 10-12% less than a DynoPack, Pat said maybe only 4-7%. Either way, this is what I was thinking when I first did everything and I should have done these two mods all up front with the rest. Car runs so well it's amazing, (because it really did run well before), but taking the time to do a full SD tune first and then tune the MAF is just the best way to go. The drive home was a breeze and I've never enjoyed the car more. I couldn't recommend Pat G. or LSX Performance Dyno Tuning enough!
Last edited by BigVette427; 07-01-2018 at 11:48 PM.
Nice gains, I also went with the Airaid on mine due to the Haltech fitment issue with the Z07 (and discussions with Halltech). The Airaid does give the underhood a “stock looking” appearance IMO. Glad it worked out the way you wanted.
Update on my build. I decided to add the Corsa x-pipe (14331) for the 2012/13 3" exhaust on the Z06 and ZR1's. Big difference right off the bat, the stock cats are so restrictive and much heavier than the Corsa x-pipe. If you have a 12 or 13 3" exhaust, this is a must.
Then I decided to get more air in the street ported AHP heads and take advantage of the custom TSP cam. I really didn't want to lose the OE appearance under the hood but I decided the Airaid would serve my purposes, not require any permanent cutting or drilling, and the stock box could always go back on if someone wanted. Big, big difference on the butt dyno, right away.
I then met Pat G. down at LSX Performance Dyno just outside of Victoria, Texas for a full custom hybrid tune. I can't say enough good things about Pat or LSX Performance and their Mustang MD250 chassis dyno. Pat first pulled my current tune with EFI Live, but said he often will go back and forth with HP Tuners because he likes certain tables from both. First he did a full speed density tune and we took it for a brief drive to populate some actual STFT data. When he loaded his first tune, (ended up doing six in total) right off the bat the engine idled smoother and soon after driving it before we even got onto the dyno and worked on the MAF, I could tell THIS was what Kohle was talking about on the 116 cams. To say it drove and behaved like stock was an understatement; better than stock with way more power. And to be fair, it drove pretty well before!
Once we got the SD working again, we put it on LSX's Mustang dyno and did some low rpm work. Adjusted the AFR just a little (tad rich) and did some full pulls. This is where the Mustang dyno's really shine and as I've learned, are preferable when tuning because the engine is under load, just like if you were driving on the road.
Weather was nearly 100°F in the late South Texas afternoon. Dyno was measuring SAE. 520 rwhp, 470 torque. Very happy with that. Some say a Mustang dyno is 10-12% less than a DynoPack, Pat said maybe only 4-7%. Either way, this is what I was thinking when I first did everything and I should have done these two mods all up front with the rest. Car runs so well it's amazing, (because it really did run well before), but taking the time to do a full SD tune first and then tune the MAF is just the best way to go. The drive home was a breeze and I've never enjoyed the car more. I couldn't recommend Pat G. or LSX Performance Dyno Tuning enough!
noticed you switched tuners. You were not happy with the first one?
noticed you switched tuners. You were not happy with the first one?
Well, let's just say I'm happier with this one. (SD/MAF vs. MAF only) I was on the fence to spend the money for a second tune but I'm happy with the route I took. Very happy with the work the first shop did and couldn't be happier with Pat G.'s tune.
Look at it this way: When I got there Patrick was tuning a 1,200 hp C7 Z06 with a one-off hybrid-esque rear mounted turbocharger for a shop a couple of hours away that had brought the car in on an enclosed trailer. They were working over the internet with a shop in California to tune the turbo while Pat dialed in the motor. They could have taken that car anywhere for the tune. How many folks have the pedigree to say they can do that? Even if you can't get your car down to Victoria, Patrick will work with you remotely on your choice of tuning tools, (EFI Live or HP Tuners.) I highly recommend Pat G. for your tuning needs.
Last edited by BigVette427; 07-02-2018 at 10:50 AM.
Well, let's just say I'm happier with this one. (SD/MAF vs. MAF only) I was on the fence to spend the money for a second tune but I'm happy with the route I took. Very happy with the work the first shop did and couldn't be happier with Pat G.'s tune.
Look at it this way, when I got there Patrick was tuning a 1,200 hp C7 Z06 with a one-off hybrid-esque rear mounted turbocharger for a shop a couple of hours away that had brought the car in on an enclosed trailer. They were working over the internet with a shop in California to tune the turbo while Pat dialed in the motor. They could have taken that car anywhere for the tune. How many folks have the pedigree to say they can do that? Even if you can't get your car down to Victoria, Patrick will work with you remotely on your choice of tuning tools, (EFI Live or HP Tuners.) I highly recommend Pat G. for your tuning needs.
Glad he is only 1.5hrs away and the Pat is very professional to talk with over the phone. Just hung up with him this morning great guy.
you made great power and glad you’re happy with the results bud. I know who il be taking my ride to next. Thank you for posting enjoy the new power
Once we got the SD working again, we put it on LSX's Mustang dyno and did some low rpm work. Adjusted the AFR just a little (tad rich) and did some full pulls. This is where the Mustang dyno's really shine and as I've learned, are preferable when tuning because the engine is under load, just like if you were driving on the road.
Weather was nearly 100°F in the late South Texas afternoon. Dyno was measuring SAE. 520 rwhp, 470 torque. Very happy with that. Some say a Mustang dyno is 10-12% less than a DynoPack, Pat said maybe only 4-7%. Either way, this is what I was thinking when I first did everything and I should have done these two mods all up front with the rest. Car runs so well it's amazing, (because it really did run well before), but taking the time to do a full SD tune first and then tune the MAF is just the best way to go. The drive home was a breeze and I've never enjoyed the car more. I couldn't recommend Pat G. or LSX Performance Dyno Tuning enough!
Absolutely, Michael_D! You opened my eyes on tuning and shared a lot of valuable knowledge with me, thank you. I reasoned I could never get my tune to where someone with Pat G.'s experience could, but I still have a MPVI2 on the horizon to data log and continue to further expand my horizons.
Amazing how much differance a proper tune can make both from a driveablity standpoint as well as a power standpoint.
Great to hear Pat G got your tune squared away. Pat is one of the best tuners around!
Also glad Michael_D was able to "enlighten" you on some of the tune knowledgeable that's out there... Mike D is a great corvette forum member and a huge assets to the forum.
Enjoy your new found power and driveablity!!!!
If you ever need anything dont hesitate to let us know.
10-12-2017, 12:12 PM
AHP heads & TSP cam with dyno results...
That and a Callaway CAI, which would definitely net you some more HP. 
