proposed mods
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,690
Likes: 1
From: Northern Calif
proposed mods
What do you guys think of these mods to my 06 A6.
Lets keep cost out of the equation. Instead, I would like to know if I am on the right track for creating a bit more torque through out the rpm range with little to no drivability/durability problems. I have decided to not go FI and do not want to go into a cam replacement. I am trying to have my cake and eat it too. I am not looking to go from 100 to 185 faster. Instead I want to go from idle to 100 faster, reliably, with stock like drivability. The car will not see the track just street.
Fast intake
AFR 205 heads
1.85:1 rocker arms
long tube headers with cats
tune
Questions:
What kind of HP/torque #s do you think I will achieve?
will I lose any power in certain rpm ranges?
will idle remain stock?
Will valve train noise be that much louder than stock?
will headers generate that much more cabin heat than I already have now.
Will headers with stock mufflers be very much louder than the stock set up? I like the stock sound.
Will I PASS Ca smog either via PCM or sniffer?(I'll take my chances on a visual)
Any ideas or potential problems that I have over looked?
Thanks for your input.
Lets keep cost out of the equation. Instead, I would like to know if I am on the right track for creating a bit more torque through out the rpm range with little to no drivability/durability problems. I have decided to not go FI and do not want to go into a cam replacement. I am trying to have my cake and eat it too. I am not looking to go from 100 to 185 faster. Instead I want to go from idle to 100 faster, reliably, with stock like drivability. The car will not see the track just street.
Fast intake
AFR 205 heads
1.85:1 rocker arms
long tube headers with cats
tune
Questions:
What kind of HP/torque #s do you think I will achieve?
will I lose any power in certain rpm ranges?
will idle remain stock?
Will valve train noise be that much louder than stock?
will headers generate that much more cabin heat than I already have now.
Will headers with stock mufflers be very much louder than the stock set up? I like the stock sound.
Will I PASS Ca smog either via PCM or sniffer?(I'll take my chances on a visual)
Any ideas or potential problems that I have over looked?
Thanks for your input.
Last edited by knkali; Nov 23, 2006 at 04:47 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 3,990
Likes: 1
From: Corpus Christi Texas
I'm not an expert on this matter since I don't have aftermarket head or cam but I do have the 1.85 rockers. Why not just go with a nice mild to med aftermarket cam? I really think the gains would outweigh the rockers. My rockers gave me good gains on paper but nothing at the track......thus far.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,891
Likes: 1
From: NJ..."the way I saw it, everyone takes a beating sometimes."
I would vote cam over rockers. In every car that I've seen(non Corvettes as well) overall power increase was better with a cam than rockers. Rockers also have more moving parts prone to failure. I've seen too many rockers, of various sizes and applications fail and cause motor damage, to ever put a set on any of my cars. A properly matched H/C package will really impress you. If you size them correctly, they can be very streetable and reliable. As well as not drasticly effect fuel economy. Good luck.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,891
Likes: 1
From: NJ..."the way I saw it, everyone takes a beating sometimes."
Originally Posted by knkali
just when I said to myself no cam you make me doubt myself.
I didn't mean to make you doubt yourself. Just sharing my experience and opinion. On a previous vehicle I was literally hours away from ordering a set of rockers when my builder/tuner advised against it based on some sets that he had seen on customer's cars. So I decided not to go with them. A few weeks later several reports started coming out about faulty rockers causing head and motor damage. This was with a set from a very refutable company. Now that application was way different than the C6 but enough to waver my opinion of rockers. But by all means get several opinions. If I were you I'd ask some members who have done rockers and see how they feel. Wasn't there a thread about bad rockers a few weeks back? Well whatever you decide, just make sure you research it thuroughly and go with someone you trust. These motors are expensive to replace. Good luck.
Moderator
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 40,893
Likes: 4,345
From: Lakewood Ranch, FL
Here is my .02
Fast intake - Should make good power but you must cut/mod the firewall. I will just use a ported intake
AFR 205 heads - Good rep, good power also check out LPE
1.85:1 rocker arms - I have heard to many tales of failure/damage for me to use them. It changes the valve train geometry which can't be good.
long tube headers with cats Good power and torque, but emissions inspection problems.
tune - yeah buddy
I will add a cam to my mod list. There are some good reports of cam changes that make really good power on the low end/ under the curve and have limited/no effect on drivability.
Fast intake - Should make good power but you must cut/mod the firewall. I will just use a ported intake
AFR 205 heads - Good rep, good power also check out LPE
1.85:1 rocker arms - I have heard to many tales of failure/damage for me to use them. It changes the valve train geometry which can't be good.
long tube headers with cats Good power and torque, but emissions inspection problems.
tune - yeah buddy
I will add a cam to my mod list. There are some good reports of cam changes that make really good power on the low end/ under the curve and have limited/no effect on drivability.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,891
Likes: 1
From: NJ..."the way I saw it, everyone takes a beating sometimes."
Originally Posted by johnodrake
Here is my .02
Fast intake - Should make good power but you must cut/mod the firewall. I will just use a ported intake
AFR 205 heads - Good rep, good power also check out LPE
1.85:1 rocker arms - I have heard to many tales of failure/damage for me to use them. It changes the valve train geometry which can't be good.
long tube headers with cats Good power and torque, but emissions inspection problems.
tune - yeah buddy
I will add a cam to my mod list. There are some good reports of cam changes that make really good power on the low end/ under the curve and have limited/no effect on drivability.
Fast intake - Should make good power but you must cut/mod the firewall. I will just use a ported intake
AFR 205 heads - Good rep, good power also check out LPE
1.85:1 rocker arms - I have heard to many tales of failure/damage for me to use them. It changes the valve train geometry which can't be good.
long tube headers with cats Good power and torque, but emissions inspection problems.
tune - yeah buddy
I will add a cam to my mod list. There are some good reports of cam changes that make really good power on the low end/ under the curve and have limited/no effect on drivability.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,891
Likes: 1
From: NJ..."the way I saw it, everyone takes a beating sometimes."
Originally Posted by knkali
arrrg just when i thought i had it, i start to soften on the cam idea
Where are you located?
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1549090
This will most likely be in my car's future.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 12,094
Likes: 197
From: Colorado Springs, CO
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11
Best advice for anyone:
Stop trying to come up with the killer combo formula and go to a tuner and drive a head/cam car with the mod package you can afford so you dont come up with surprises.
Stop trying to come up with the killer combo formula and go to a tuner and drive a head/cam car with the mod package you can afford so you dont come up with surprises.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,796
Likes: 1
From: Annandale VA
Listen to Spin. You don't need to find the "perfect" combo, just a good one ---- and believe me, there are MANY good ones.
I have run a heads-only combo before with aftermarket rockers, but they were the stock ratio (Yella Terra's). I would not have fooled with them except I got them for a ridiculously low price, and I already had the head install scheduled. My installer gave me a great price for installing the rockers at the same time, so I said OK. Still, I was surprised at how much time and effort he took to get the rocker geometry just right. If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't bother.
In my opinion, if you are going to spend the money for AFR heads and a FAST intake, it's foolish not to also do a cam. Pick a nice middle of the road cam like a 224/228 with .580" lift, and you should be able to get a mail order tune that will be real close to optimal.
I have run a heads-only combo before with aftermarket rockers, but they were the stock ratio (Yella Terra's). I would not have fooled with them except I got them for a ridiculously low price, and I already had the head install scheduled. My installer gave me a great price for installing the rockers at the same time, so I said OK. Still, I was surprised at how much time and effort he took to get the rocker geometry just right. If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't bother.
In my opinion, if you are going to spend the money for AFR heads and a FAST intake, it's foolish not to also do a cam. Pick a nice middle of the road cam like a 224/228 with .580" lift, and you should be able to get a mail order tune that will be real close to optimal.