BillWS6Formula

Getting ready to plunk down some bucks and get real serious about modding my '98 Formula and so I've been reading...and searching...and reading...and searching all over again until my poor head is just spinning trying to figure out the route to take with a heads/cam setup for a NA buildup.

I'm looking at modding this car with daily driveability/reliability first in mind, with occassional trips to the local track where I'll be running it on ET streets. Therefore, I'm not looking at an overall package designed to eke out every last hp, and will be keeping all accessories and A/C functional. But I would like to end up with a car that dynos at 400+rwhp and is capable of trapping at 120mph and running 11's on ET streets.

So to help narrow down the tons of info from all over the map that I've been reading, I would appreciate input from those with similar goals from their cars and who have ended up with the kind of results I've mentioned above. What was your "recipe"? I'll also be adding a 12 bolt/w 4.10's to the car and using whatever mods I already have that will complement the overall package. The car in it's current state with mods listed below has run a best of 12.9 @ 115.2 mph. However, I have a '98 with the (common for '98's) ongoing <4* on again/off again KR (yes I've tried everything to cure this except swapping out the knock sensors). So the car's current performance is often hit and miss with as much as 5mph difference in trap speeds from run to run at the track. I don't see 4* KR as being solely responsible for such a large descrepancy in performance, so I'll also be looking to have the car professionally tuned on the dyno using LS1Edit to hopefully address that issue of tuning/inconsistency.

List of curret mods:

FLP long tube headers with cats
LS1 Hotcam
HPP3 with 180* thermostat
Borla cat-back
Ripper shifter
Nitto DR's
Spohn LCA's,
MAFT
MTI Clear Lid,
SPEC III ceramic clutch (with drill mod &amp; new hydraulics)
3.73's with T/A cover (stock 10 bolt)
ASP U/D pulley
Bauer ported stockTB
MSD wires + NGK TR-55 plugs


Any and all input much appreciated!

Ebbsnflows

iTrader: (15)

You want 400 rwhp and 11's @ 120? The recipe is simple. Just Add:

-Remove LS1 hotcam and add G5X-2 Cam
-Install 12-bolt w/ 4.11 or 4.30 gears

Stir that up with all of your current mods, bake at 425* and you're done.

There are a thousand other ways to go about it...but that's the easiest to type.

BillWS6Formula

Thanks...I'm looking at any and all input! Just trying to cut to the chase a little more from those with a proven package already running - the 400hp/120mph/11'sET is sort of the bottom line, if I end up with more with my goals of keeping my A/C'd power-everything hedonistic daily driver intact, I won't complain .

Malicious

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, tuning, g5x2 cam, nice clutch, 12 bolt rear with some 4.11's or so, launch that bad boy hard and you'll get 11's no prob, plus the g5x2 sounds friggin AWESOME Hope you dont want emissions

BillWS6Formula

Emissions...yea, well that's where the daily driver thing rears it's ugly head especially with emissions testing looming on the horizon here. So I'm willing to trade off for a less radical cam that will work with a good set of Stage II (yea I know a generic term) heads...5.3? 5.7?...looking for thoughts on compression ratio change (if any)/cam balance that has a good chance passing emissions (I'm keeping the EGR and air pump as well).

NataSS Inc

iTrader: (9)

MTI Stage 2 LS6 heads and X1 cam got me over the 400 mark.

Emmissions, well........hmmmm. I dont have to take the sniffer test up here in WA. We get emmissions version 2.0 here. the plug into your computer test.

robertbartsch

LS6 ported heads milled .055 (SDPC)
Mild cam 220/220, 560/560, 112LSA, REV springs

Do u have a catch can or LS6 valley cover....your CR knock may be due to carbon build-up ...i had the same problem after I installed LT headers...all of the sudden my engine was sucking in oil from the PVC valve....

BillWS6Formula

NataSS Inc. they've now started sniffer tests on a "voluntary" basis here, with mandatory tests to come .

robertbartsch, I've had that damn KR since the car was new! I've done all the usual stuff like top engine cleaner, race gas, etc. etc. all to no avail. It just comes and goes from run to run with no ryhme or reason...but yes I'll be adding a catch can too when all this is said and done, along with new knock sensors as per the GM TSB.

gomer

iTrader: (13)

Check out the minimal mods in my sig. Most people can't even tell I have a cam in my car it idles so well. You could get a monster cam.. but you'd have to live with its manners.

BillWS6Formula

Have you had your car to track with that setup yet? I've been leaning towards 5.3 heads myself from all the good reports I've read people have been getting from them. This is the first result from Patriot versions I've seen though - those I'm also very interested in...who wouldn't be for that price! Matching a cam to these heads and my needs is probably the biggest question mark right now...

Thanks for the input!

kp

iTrader: (34)

No problem, 400 rwhp through cats/exh with a 3.90 12 bolt. 216/220, 525/535 cam, stock pusrods/918 springs/stock retainers, 6500rpm limiter and no fear of broken valve srings. Just looking for 11.999 in decent weather also

BillWS6Formula

kp, how do you like those 3.90 gears? Are they as loud as I've been reading about? I'm pretty well decided on 4.11's, especially since I've now 99% sure I'm staying NA...but anything and everthing is still yet to be completely nailed down.

VINCE

iTrader: (1)

Check the sig..

kp

iTrader: (34)

You know they are there but it doesnt bother me, it makes most noise between 60-70mph. It hasnt changed any after about 40 passes but I still havent been able to get the car to dead hook leaving above 4000 - even with ET streets. we have some pretty crappy tracks around here.. I just like them because they make it through in 3rd in the 1/8 nicely. I may try 4.10s in the future but I have to wait until I get the car to a real track to see how it runs.

CHRISPY

My ARE combo has done VERY well for me so far

I think if you put a 230/230 112LSA XE-R cam (0 advance) good emissions tune and street tune you will easily pass emissions and make close to or over 400RWHP with the STOCK heads. That is if you want to do it on the cheap.

If you want to throw money for heads remember they are on average worth between 30-50 RWHP depending on what you go with. Is that worth the 3500 plus Canadian? Its up to you!

I think an interesting experiment would be your stock heads milled to 11.3:1 compression a 230/230 112LSA cam, hardened springs/pushrods, LS6 intake, ported throttle body and a great tune.

BTW Definitely do the LS6 intake. You wont need EGR with the added overlap of the cam and it is easy HP.

I think a combo like that would hit 120mph no problem in your car

cheers,
Chris

niphilli

Bill, be very careful of some of the reccomendations thrown around on this board. There are some hard core racers here whose definition of "streetable" may be a little different from yours . Just be sure and define what streetable is for you. To me it means a cam that is not killer on the valvetrain ( <.550 lift so that you can run LS-6 valvesprings). The toughest thing to do in having a 400 RWHP "streetable" car is find a clutch that works. Do a lot of research on that. As far as power goes it will be easy, just dont get greedy. Your setup with a Z-06 cam and valvetrain, some mild ported heads, and a good tune will make it to 400 RWHP no problem!

Cole

My car is very streetable and just over the 400hp mark - and with the SLP dual/dual exhaust it is quieter than most stock cars..lol.

Check sig for mods.

DONAIMIAN

iTrader: (18)

Either way, to get the most power with streetability and emissions in mind, you gona have to run LS6 heads, it would allow you to run a smaller cam because of the head flow. Then for the cam I would go with a TR220. That with all the bolt ons should have you right at 400 if not more

bodhi

I did it (406rwhp) cam+bolt-ons and the car drives fine- just give it a count to five after starting to allow the computer to find it's idle.

Nine Ball

iTrader: (38)

400 rwhp is easy.

LS6 intake
Stage 2 ported heads
224 duration cam

I personally wouldn't go over 224 duration on a cam for 346ci if I wanted to keep ultimate drivability. I'm not crazy about high idle speeds and surging at low rpm. Sure, some of these monster cams guys are using are "streetable", but I prefer a much less hassle free setup. 224/224 should also pass emissions no problem.

Its about TIME you modified that Formula some more

Tony