C6 Tech/Performance LS2, LS3, LS7, LS9 Corvette Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine, Tech Topics, Basic Tech, Maintenance, How to Remove & Replace
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

HP LS3 question.

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Mar 22, 2021 | 09:34 PM
  #1  
ls1121's Avatar
ls1121
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Supporting Gold
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 8,049
Likes: 330
From: Charlotte NC
St. Jude Donor '14-'15
Default HP LS3 question.

2008 LS3 Z51 automatic, I have a BTR Stage 1 cam kit, springs, locks all that stuff. 2009 ZR1 full 3" dual mode exhaust, real CAI. I'm getting 423 to the wheels with a tune. Will replacing the TB give me some more HP and then will I have to pay for another Dyno tune? Are there any other things to do (cheaply) that I can do for more power? Not interested Interested in long tube headers.
Reply
Old Mar 22, 2021 | 09:49 PM
  #2  
old motorhead's Avatar
old motorhead
Le Mans Master
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 6,999
Likes: 1,685
From: Southeast TX
Default

A bigger throttle body will only make your bank account smaller. Not much else to do (cheaply).
Reply
Old Mar 22, 2021 | 09:57 PM
  #3  
2008 Corvette's Avatar
2008 Corvette
Melting Slicks
Veteran: Navy
 
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 3,299
Likes: 769
From: Mead Wash
2020 C6 of the Year Finalist - Modified
C6 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
Default Hp

LT’s will get you another 35 to 40. As far as another tune depends if your original tuner tuned out the rear O2 sensors.
Reply
Old Mar 22, 2021 | 10:10 PM
  #4  
ls1121's Avatar
ls1121
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Supporting Gold
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 8,049
Likes: 330
From: Charlotte NC
St. Jude Donor '14-'15
Default

so to port and polish my existing TB is a fruitless endeavor?
Reply
Old Mar 22, 2021 | 11:40 PM
  #5  
madmatt9471's Avatar
madmatt9471
Team Owner
Supporting Lifetime Gold
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 21,473
Likes: 356
From: Palmdale, Ca----- 2009 Cyber Gray 4LT A6 F55 452 RWHP 422 RWTQ- RIP 1998 C5 734 RWHP & 585 RWTQ-----
Default

What DYNO was your Vette tuned on? remember it's not really about numbers - it's about peak performance

You could also do a Rod Mod and ported LS3 manifold and a Meziere EWP and a Under Drive Pulley set (10% or 25% UD) - some examples below

https://gwatneyperformance.com/produ...-manifold-mod/
https://www.c6performance.net/catalo...-p-497956.html
https://www.c6performance.net/catalo...-p-503187.html
https://rpmspeed.com/pulleys-balance...98vkr6qfb8rjq4
https://www.texas-speed.com/c-3357-p...ette-2008.aspx

My 2009 A6 Dyno'd at 452 RWHP and 422 RWTQ with the following mods:

VARARAM
VMAX Ported TB
Rod Mod and Ported LS3 Manifold
Meziere EWP
PatG Cam .600" 222/230 116LSA (Stock LS3 Heads with Dual Springs)
NGK TR5IX Plugs
Taylor 8.5mm wires (Blue)
2012/2013 - ZR1/Z06 exhaust manifolds, 2012/2013 - ZR1/Z06 3" Downpipe Cats, and 2012/2013 3" ZR1/Z06 Catted X-Pipe (4 Cats total)
Factory NPP exhaust (2.5")
3.42 Z06 Rear
YANK SS3200 Stall
Dyno Tuned - results listed above


Thanks,Matt
Reply
Old Mar 23, 2021 | 10:07 AM
  #6  
ls1121's Avatar
ls1121
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Supporting Gold
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 8,049
Likes: 330
From: Charlotte NC
St. Jude Donor '14-'15
Default

OK I'll start looking into a throttle body. Thank you all for your input.
Reply
Old Mar 23, 2021 | 09:05 PM
  #7  
ls1121's Avatar
ls1121
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Supporting Gold
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 8,049
Likes: 330
From: Charlotte NC
St. Jude Donor '14-'15
Default

My car is an 08 so I will need to see if the blade is gold or silver, early or late model 2008, correct? I just want to port and polish I understand that there is no HP gain from this just throttle response will improve.
Reply
Old Mar 23, 2021 | 09:37 PM
  #8  
Turbo6TA's Avatar
Turbo6TA
Race Director
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 13,262
Likes: 3,151
From: SW Florida
2021 C6 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Default

If you don't increase the size of the actual throttle plate in a throttle body, I can't see how you are going to get any increase in HP or torque on a non-boosted engine.

You can port, shine and polish all you want, but you are still going to pull air through the same size orifice (throttle plate) ... you can only pull so much air through a certain size hole.

Wanna get more airflow through the throttle body? .. simple; . get a throttle body with a larger diameter throttle plate.
____________________________

Any particular throttle body will only flow as much air as the narrowest section of the throttle body ... and the narrowest area is where the throttle plate is located.

.

Last edited by Turbo6TA; Mar 23, 2021 at 09:58 PM.
Reply
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

 Brett Foote
story-2

10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-3

8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

 Joe Kucinski
story-6

Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-7

Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Mar 23, 2021 | 10:08 PM
  #9  
GS_DAN's Avatar
GS_DAN
Pro
10 Year Member
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
 
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 706
Likes: 56
From: Houston TX
Default

Look up LS3 intake manifold "Rod Mod". If you are doing the TB, you might as well get the intake ported and the rod-mod performed. You would definitely feel the HP gains over just a TB

With the BTR stage 3 cam, ported heads, and intake/tb mods, i put dow 512rwhp on a mustang dyno. M6 LS3

Last edited by GS_DAN; Mar 23, 2021 at 10:09 PM.
Reply
Old Mar 24, 2021 | 10:57 AM
  #10  
ls1121's Avatar
ls1121
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Supporting Gold
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 8,049
Likes: 330
From: Charlotte NC
St. Jude Donor '14-'15
Default

It has always been my understanding that you port (remove obstacles) and polish (smooth out) the inside of a throttle body to have a smoother less turbulent air flow. This having the effect of a better acceleration, not necessarily more horsepower.
Reply
Old Mar 24, 2021 | 11:12 AM
  #11  
ls1121's Avatar
ls1121
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Supporting Gold
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 8,049
Likes: 330
From: Charlotte NC
St. Jude Donor '14-'15
Default

The Internal Combustion Engine can be looked at as a large (6.2 liter) air pump. The ideal situation is that you have the hole where the air is being sucked in be equal to the hole where the air is being pushed out. This is the simplest way I can come up with to describe it. Though it is much more complicated than my description. My porting and polishing idea is just to smooth out that air flow, making it less restrictive. The ZR1 exhaust system I have installed on my car is big enough to handle almost anything I can put on the "air in" side of the engine. Making the hole bigger on the air in side would probably just increase my fuel costs and not do much for my power gains. Unless I installed a devise that would Force the air into the motor.
Reply
Old Mar 24, 2021 | 03:33 PM
  #12  
madmatt9471's Avatar
madmatt9471
Team Owner
Supporting Lifetime Gold
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 21,473
Likes: 356
From: Palmdale, Ca----- 2009 Cyber Gray 4LT A6 F55 452 RWHP 422 RWTQ- RIP 1998 C5 734 RWHP & 585 RWTQ-----
Default

Originally Posted by ls1121
My car is an 08 so I will need to see if the blade is gold or silver, early or late model 2008, correct? I just want to port and polish I understand that there is no HP gain from this just throttle response will improve.
You can either send yours or buy new (see drop down box) works great with the Rod Mod Ported LS3 manifold too, like I mentioned in my earlier post above
https://gwatneyperformance.com/produ...-body-porting/

Thanks,Matt
Reply
Old Mar 26, 2021 | 01:22 AM
  #13  
HOXXOH's Avatar
HOXXOH
Race Director
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 16,557
Likes: 2,108
From: Peoria/Phoenix AZ
C6 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
Default

Ported TB made 0 difference on my '08 A6. Back to back 1/4 mi passes. Two with stock TB, swapped to the ported TB and made two more passes. Lotsa luck expecting more power or quicker response.
Reply
Old Mar 26, 2021 | 06:40 AM
  #14  
Turbo6TA's Avatar
Turbo6TA
Race Director
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 13,262
Likes: 3,151
From: SW Florida
2021 C6 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Default

Originally Posted by HOXXOH

Ported TB made 0 difference on my '08 A6. Back to back 1/4 mi passes. Two with stock TB, swapped to the ported TB and made two more passes. Lotsa luck expecting more power or quicker response.
Exactly what I was attempting to say in my post above, except everyone else seems to have a different idea ... oh well
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To HP LS3 question.





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 11:51 PM.

story-0
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Corvettes that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 10:34:17


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

A lot of money has changed hands at the online auction house over the years.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-03 10:21:50


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: 10 great gifts Corvette enthusiasts actually want for Father's Day!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:40


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

Slideshow: These are the quirks, annoyances, and oddly lovable problems that every Corvette owner eventually learns to live with.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 09:31:39


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

Slideshow: 10 reasons why the C6 Z06 is still a performance benchmark after 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 17:20:09


VIEW MORE
story-5
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

Slideshow: How much horsepower every Corvette engine lost in 1972.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:54:53


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

Slideshow: The 10 most explosive Corvettes ever built based on power-to-weight ratio.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-20 07:23:03


VIEW MORE
story-8
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-9
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE