Most bang for the buck mods for an LS1?

[Howard]

Let's say you dropped a plain jane LS1 into your project car. What would you do first? Headers, catback, cams, intake/airbox?

 

[EightySix Four]

There's actually a relatively "normal" order to do those in on C5 Corvette's. Most start with the intake, move on to a catback, then headers, then heads and cam upgrades. The biggest power boost and change comes from the cam, but you need the others to get the most out of it.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Well, you'd probably have to do a custom exhaust just to make it fit in a car that it wasn't designed for. None of the exhaust hangers or bends in any stock LS1 exhaust would work with any other car other than the one it was designed for. And if you're going to do cams, intake, or other engine mods you might as well do it before you put the engine in the car...it's much easier to work on that way.

 

[RockinZ28]

100-150 shot .

But yea what crazy said is accurate for most people. My ws6 has air lid, longtubes, and a cam, with custom exhaust and various other supporting mods and such. Did 415rwhp on a dyno.

z28 just has air lid and catback and a mail order pcm tune, hasn't been dyno'd but I'd estimate around 300-320rwhp.

So yea cam + headers can pretty easily give you 100+rwhp available all the time and without spending big bucks.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

There's actually a relatively "normal" order to do those in on C5 Corvette's. Most start with the intake, move on to a catback, then headers, then heads and cam upgrades. The biggest power boost and change comes from the cam, but you need the others to get the most out of it.

Pretty much spot on. Head & cam is where the big power gains come uness your going nitrous or F/I.

 

[Christobevii3]

A cam with the z06 gold springs if you have a camaro or truck engine yields quite a bit. The springs are roughly $100 and can handle .560 lift relatively well. Those with a cam if you have a stock truck or camaro one with under .500 lift can yield a 10-15% gain pretty quick if you have the newer l92 heads.

 

[Vetterin]

What.....no K&N air filter?????

 

[Vette73]

What.....no K&N air filter?????

Don't forget the Slick50 with that K&N.

That and if you buy the K&N slick50 all in one kit, comes with 2 free VTEC stickers.

 

[Vette73]

Yea easy stuff is the intake manifold (GM updated it on the Corvette in 01) and exhaust. Ignation system is good to go from the factory.

After that then you need to look at heads and updated cam to your running spec.

The LS1 was built very well. Not much GM could do extra with it outside of adding more displacment. LS2 = 6L and LS3 = 6.2L

 

[AdamK47]

Well, you'd probably have to do a custom exhaust just to make it fit in a car that it wasn't designed for. None of the exhaust hangers or bends in any stock LS1 exhaust would work with any other car other than the one it was designed for. And if you're going to do cams, intake, or other engine mods you might as well do it before you put the engine in the car...it's much easier to work on that way.

cam

 

[joutlaw]

A tune does a lot on these motors. I did a data-logged mail-order tune from blackbear performance.

 

[Christobevii3]

Yea easy stuff is the intake manifold (GM updated it on the Corvette in 01) and exhaust. Ignation system is good to go from the factory.

After that then you need to look at heads and updated cam to your running spec.

The LS1 was built very well. Not much GM could do extra with it outside of adding more displacment. LS2 = 6L and LS3 = 6.2L

The intake manifold doesn't do ton unless you spend rpm above 5800rpm. Otherwise the stock truck/car ones are suffecient tbh. Also talking 400hp+ with the above 5800rpm. LS1 heads if non l92 aren't the greatest.

 

[alkemyst]

Let's say you dropped a plain jane LS1 into your project car. What would you do first? Headers, catback, cams, intake/airbox?

Headers and intake are usually required in a swap, along with a catback.

Cams are probably the best bang for buck assuming you are getting it all tuned together.

Most of the time a stock swap is really all that's needed to get most into the dangerous power range.

 

[RockinZ28]

Intake manifold from an 01+ ls1 will have an ls6 intake, which is not worth upgrading unless you're going for big HP. There are quite a few upgrades in 01/02 cars.

 

[bruceb]

Headers, then cam and intake as the intake must come off to change the cam.
And you will need a tune done to the computer. You can also do just cat back or high flow cats if you want. Some people remove the cat altogether or install gutted ones. Computer can be tuned to set a Ready Code by tuners that know their stuff. A lot of states now test emissions by looking for codes set by the OBD II system, which includes the Readiness test. If all is ok, you pass.

You may want to look at: http://ls1tech.com/forums/

Lots of good info there and you can get any answer or help you may need.