wills'-z28

Ok i got the list of free mods and i have sdome questions. The free ram air i know works well and is perfectly safe, so that one i will do. now the rest of them, are they safe? Like the tb bypass. i dont want to lower the life span or cause more probs than its worth. i have a 98 z28 with 80k on in. would you all still recomend doing ALL the free mods. and if not, the witch should i do vs not do??? Thanx.. oh yah. i just ordered my loadmouth. does anyone have some stock tips in good condition and shiny?

Will

Lithium

iTrader: (47)

TB bypass is safe - unless you live on Antartica.
The rest of the free mods are safe as well, dont worry about them shortening the life of your enigne. I have never heard of any problems that have come from doing the free mods.

MeentSS02

iTrader: (11)

Actually, the free ram air isn't all that safe...those baffles are in place to keep water from splashing up and hitting your air filter. If you get stuck in a heavy downpour, and have to wade through 4" of water because you have nowhere else to go, you just might get your air filter wet. Ask me how I know.

hondo

iTrader: (2)

the tb bypass is good it wont hurt anything. i checked the temp of my tb before and after and the outside temp of the TB without the coolant flowing is about 70 deg less.

cut the EGR tube, grind down the bumpstop on the TB, i wouldnt touch the maf at all with the exception of a good cleaning. cut the bottom of the airbox out, but i wouldnt do the !FRA mod, seems like a lot of hot air (haha), save your money and get a SSRA or FTRA and a lid.

Joker

Stay away from the smooth bellows mod; perfectly worthless.

FRA/cutting the bottom of the air box allows water in a heavy rain to come up and into the intake if driving across a not so deep puddle (as little as three inches can be deadly to your motor), rule of thumb: if air can travel there, so can water. As above, ask me how I know and how many thousands of dollars it can cost you.

TB bypass lowers the operating temp of the TB, worth it but debatable on actual power increase if any.

Descreening MAF, no evidence that it actually helps, but does allow debris that gets past a filter to get in. Found a candy wrapper in mine during a road trip. Very easy to damage the wires in the MAF, don't ever touch them.

Ell Ess Won

One time I was poking around my K&N airfilter and when I lifted my lid up I found an ENTIRE plastic shopping bag from walmart caught in the filter. That was something.

Speed Density

iTrader: (38)

What the hell are free mods?

shouldaboughttheZ

iTrader: (8)

here are some
http://www.ls1camaro.net/sections.ph...ticles&secid=1

shouldaboughttheZ

iTrader: (8)

I have done the TB bump stop, TB bypass, descreened MAF (Tuner wanted me to), and !FRA. I don't know if I gained anything from them, but I have not had any problems from them either. I live in Houston and it doesn't rain that bad here.

joblo1978

iTrader: (14)

The FRA mod is not going to hurt your engine dude. For water to get in there you would have to drive in New Orleans right now. I've driven in heavy down pours, no deep puddles though. Normal driving in the rain will not hurt. Now installing a Super Sucker Ram-Air, sealing the system and immersing the duct in water, yeah, your LS1 will suck up water like it was a straw. The stock setup with FRA is not going to hurt your engine. Cutting the EGR is a good mod to do and won't hurt. Just don't cut too much off and be careful screwing it back in. Make sure the o-ring seats properly also. Throttle body bump stop mod is good too if you know how to do it. Most TB port and polishers will do it for you though. TB bypass won't give negative effects either unless it's extemely cold out. Gm decided to heat the TB so it wouldn't freeze. Removal of the MAF screen is hit or miss though and I wouldn't attempt it, nor would I port the stock MAF ends.

MeentSS02

iTrader: (11)

The FRA mod by itself combined with a 4" deep puddle of water was all it took to get my filter wet...it CAN happen. Not that it will. I'll tell you for sure that I'll never drive in that kinda weather again. That damn near cost me my engine.

planemech2

There are advantages to living in northern Wyoming, not much rain, very few puddles. Less than 6" a year. Does get a mite cold in the winter though.

rotwiler

iTrader: (1)

I did the TB bypass, free ram air mod and ported my TB with good results. I live in rain capital USA and never had any problems with the free ram air mod. I now have a K&N FIPK so the free ram air mod is not there, since K&N supplies a new piece.

joblo1978

iTrader: (14)

Ok, it got your filter wet? Maybe you should avoid 4" deep water? That is a little deep to be driving in. Any speed would cause you to hydroplane in water that deep. Go slower and you won't have issues. Minimize splashing.

The point I'm trying to make is that the FRA will not suck water off of the ground and damage your engine.

TAQuickness

iTrader: (28)

How long have you lived in Houston?

MeentSS02

iTrader: (11)

Thanks for that incredible little bit of insight, but there are times when we simply can't avoid mother nature. I know it is a foreign concept to you living there in C-Springs, but please, just realize that there is a big world outside of Colorado where it does rain at an incredible volume over a rather short period of time.

joblo1978

iTrader: (14)

Hmmm, I've lived in Idaho, New York, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Korea, and now Colorado. I've also visited the entire East Coast, California, and every state in between, pal! The LS1 as powerful as it is, is not some giant vortex or black hole that sucks up anything that gets remotely close to it. I've driven in plenty of downpours and inspected the airbox for water and never seen any. I don't know what happened to your car and how you got water in the airbox. I just don't see it happening under normal driving. It would take an extreme amount of pressure to suck water over a foot off of the ground and into an opening of some sort. The front wheels are also aft of the airbox if that means anything to you. Not trying to start **** here but I just don't think it's possible unless you somehow got solid water within a few inches of the intake.