So my car's at VDP right now having the timing chain tensioner fixed, and a C5R chain put on. While I'm in there, I'm doing a heads / cam setup, and ARH headers.

I've been doing a lot of reading, and I can count on the insight of the experts working on the car, but for good measure I wanted to start a thread and get some firsthand opinions.

My car is a 2007 LS2 Z51, stick. Here's what it already has:

SLP Blackwing CAI
Corsa Touring Exhaust
SLP Underdrive Pulley

I want to achieve somewhere around or above the 450 RWHP and 410 RWTQ range, but the car is a daily driver and I'd really like for it to be as 'factory' as possible. I'm really shooting for the following criteria:

- Minimal noise, and smoothest idle.

- Perfect streetability.

- Reliability.

- Linear power band.

- Minimal decrease in MPG. Though some may not believe me right now I get 36 on the highway in 6th.


I'd like opinions from people who are running setups like this and drive their cars on a normal basis.

Also I know a lot of you will suggest FI but I don't want to go that route. Seems to bring too many negatives into play.

 

I am interested in this as well, your car goals are identical to mine. I drive my 07 30k miles a year and get 32mpg highway. what heads did you go with?

 

Most tell me that heads are unnecessary because we already have good heads. VDP suggests working with my existing heads and porting them.

Not sure if you have seen it yet, but this thread has valuable information that I'll certainly be taking into consideration. But I still want to hear from others.

 

If you are only looking for 450whp I wouldn't bother with the heads, you can get there with headers/cam/intake and good tune.

 

Spins 230/234 114+2 is a good choice for power and driveability. I made 485/440 with it and all supporting bolt-ons and stock ported heads.

 

G5x3 .040 head gaskets and a FAST intake and you're 450+ at the wheels all day long. Cheap horsepower.

G5x3 is an old design and small by today's standards. But I have gotten 54000 daily driving miles so far with the cam and I get 21 mpg on the highway with 4:10 gears. I've never seen any of these new monster cams go that long (seems like nobody keeps their cars a long time anymore, I've had mine 7 years), they have a more aggressive lobe design that I suspect is harder on springs and valves and seats. But a good vendor like you are at or LG should have some good suggestions too.

Make sure your cam designer knows you want long life vs max HP, if that is the case. You might also pay Patrick G to spec a custom cam for you, he has done great work for several folks I know.

I have tracked every gallon of fuel put in the car since new, and I can tell you the gears took away 1.0 mpg overall (but I would never have a manual without 4:10's...they are great) and the cam took away 2.0 mpg overall. The gears took away more on the highway, not much city, and the cam dropped more than 2.0 city, but less on the highway.

I do question your 36 mpg I have to say. I'd be curious how you are calculating that.

Good luck with your choice. Think hard about those thin head gaskets, increasing compression is a great thing with a bigger cam, any cam. Head gasket swaps are easy too. .040's put you at 11.4 which is a nice number.

 

OP to answer your PM's here is an idle vid of my car. Be sure and wait to hear the cutouts open:



Here is my helmet cam video of my 185 mph run. With 4:10 gears, 345/30/19 rear tires and a 6800 redline 185 is all you can do in 5th. 6th is a dead gear for all top speed runs except in a zr1, they have a much shorter 6th gear. GM geared the c6 much better than the c5 for top speed runs..5th gear is a good gear. That's how they got to advertise 186 and 199 top speeds for the c6 and c6Z06. A c5z06 has much worse gearing top speed, 5th is way too short.

Notice how fast I get up to 130, the top of 4th, then how long it takes to get up to 185. This was at the Miami Mile on a 10k ft runway.

 

Thanks Joe. I've already looked at all of your videos.

I think I'm going with a G5X3.

 

Thanks for the link, very informative.

 

Well, before you make a final decision, I suggest you call Anthony or one of the others at LG and ask them their opinion. Remember the G5 was designed back in 2001 I believe, times have changed and our engines are larger than the ls1 it was designed for.

If you tell Anthony your goals, he might recommend something different for you. Perhaps there is something with more power now that is easier on the valve train.

It's been a faithful servant for me, for sure, but I'd hate for you to follow suit without at least a conversation with the designers to see if they recommend something different. I've always been very happy with LG's support, they have always picked up the phone to answer my questions.

 

 

Is 11.4 ok to run on 91 oct? Thats all I have available... Whats the highest compression to run thats safe at 91 oct? Thanks!

 

I think you will be safe at 11.4. Your tuner will set timing accordingly. I'm running 11.9 now on 93 with 24 degrees at WOT and no knock.

 

OP: I would look at installing an ATI damper to replace the SLP one and also look at adding a FAST intake manifold. Check out this thread that I made about the FAST. http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-t...st-intake.html

Here are some other good threads to look at: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-t...in-on-ls2.html http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...ey-issues.html http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-t...ould-i-do.html

Good luck with your mods!

 

My '07 6-speed gets dropped off Monday for a 229/236(.623/.617)-112 and Powerbond pulley (stock size).

It is also a daily driver that sees a lot of hwy miles. Other mods:
-Vararam
-Corsa Sport axle back

As of now I do not have LT headers, I wish I could do them to compliment the cam but I didn't anticipate a new cam right now but since the stock pulley is about as round as an egg I have to get the Powerbond installed...might as well do the cam!

In the future it will get L92 heads and a Fast intake /TB...

 

The FAST intake manifold is a good mod for the LS2 as well - http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-t...st-intake.html

 

Congratulations, and good luck! I hope it's everything you want it to be.

I'm still undecided on which cam I'm doing... right now it's a toss-up between a G5X3 like Joe's, or a TSP 228R.

After speaking with many experts I'm told that the G5X3 is a big cam, and that it'll have the rough, choppy idle I'm trying to avoid.

By looking at Joe's idle videos, I'm inclined to disagree, but I worry that the videos aren't telling the whole story, and I'd really hate to find that out the hard way.

I spoke with TSP and they suggested their 228R. It'll make less power than the G5X3 for certain, but nearly every car on YouTube that has it has an almost stock sounding idle. I like that, and I'm willing to throw away the 25 or so horsepower to get it. So I'll probably end up going with that.

I'm also considering doing the cam only, since heads are an expensive option and everywhere I look I'm only seeing minor improvements...

 

I was going to do the 228r but since I want to go to L92 heads I think the cam I was recommended is a better fit.

 

Aren't the L92 heads only like 400 bucks?

 

GS-Zero: Have your thought about installing a FAST intake manifold on your LS2?