1nastyMonteSS

Just took my car out of storage and have been going back and forth about putting my daily driver to the test. i have a 2006 monte carlo ss with 48k miles. car is under coverage until 148k. or 5 years. my question is where do i start. i was looking into heads/cam i dont know where to start. i want to put some strut braces on just to secure that front end to stop the nasty steering under high speeds. I know at some point im going to need a tune. I dont want to put my daily driver in jeopardy but i want to know where to start. Like for example which upgrades can i start with that dont require a tune. Then eventually move up to the tuning process. So any suggestions from fellow ls4's. and what worked for you. Thanks. And if you have part suggestions if you could attach the link or just name of the part.

Vectus

iTrader: (1)

Youre going to have a hard time finding any mods that are worth the money if youre trying to avoid any tuning. You can do axle or cat backs and a cai but the gains you see are going to be minimal. If youre looking for reliability mods i'd look into a tranny cooler.

91parkave

iTrader: (4)

The rder of things

Transmission service-fluid /filter change

Install shift kit...don't worry there very very very simple to do.

Install a standalone transmission cooler (bar plate design)

Get NGK TR6 ix plugs autolite XP 103s worked pretty good too.

Grab a msd wireset while you're at it.


Save some cash get a tune either at a local Dyno and have dod disabled at the bare minimum

1nastyMonteSS

Oo no I do plan on tuning Probably diablew custom tune. I just want to to know where a good starting basis would be

1nastyMonteSS

I've been doing my research and have been noticing beefing up the transmission is the best start for this car. What do you suggest for a good shift kit? I plan to do the diablew tune since the people who are going to be doing my warranty work. Work under me at the dealership I can have certain things over looked to still be coverded. Any suggestions instead of doing a full exhaust should I get Doug throlley headers with hogan downpipe followed by some high flow cats instead of dropping some serious money on name brand Shiney metal. Exhaust pipe is exhaust pipe to me. Also is the best approach for a custom Lewis Eaton tune to just put everything on i want to at once and then begin the tune logging process? I'm aware the car will run like garbage until it's fine tuned. I just want to make sure I'm taking the right steps

blkchevyz

kind of off topic, but why is a tune the best mod for these cars? are they inherently rich or something like that from the factory?
i've got hp tuners just havent had time to hook up my wideband and start tuning...

1nastyMonteSS

These cars have the same ls4 as the GMC sierra which makes about 35 more whp with the exact same engine setup. They down tune these cars because of the FWD. A tune wakes these cars right up. Even bone stock with a tune you'll notice a large increase

CrimsonGXP

I have been thinking about a tune too. My gxp seems to be running really rich. I cleaned the exhaust tips one day and by the end of the next day they were black.

blkchevyz

i figured our intake and throttle body was what down tuned it.

need4z

iTrader: (5)

Hogan no longer makes dp's for our cars. Have to find a used one like me if you want one. ZZP's doesn't mate up to the factory cat back. You get the performance in tune or the fancier one. I will be getting just the in tune. You install the performance canned tune. Lew apparently does quite a bit with the 93 octane performance tune... Turns off TM and DoD... adjusts trans line pressure, shift down, points raises shift points and shift firmness.This replaces a physical shift kit. You can't install both. If you are gonna go with a physical kit. Go to TEP and get a trans go with their TEP hand made in house $225 cooler with braided steel lines and An fittings. Trust me its worth every penny.
Then as you mod.. rockers intake manifold TB headers etc... you data log send Lewis the files and he will send you back a modified custom tune specific to your car and mods. Hers the link. The trinity is pictured below the in tune handheld.. the trinity has more gizmos and is more $$$..

http://www.diablewtune.com/package_deals.html

91parkave

iTrader: (4)

Couple of things about the latest comments:

ZZP downpipes do fit, They do make LS4 specific ones.

LS4 is specific to GM FWD models and nothing else, The trucks have diffrent heads and cam profiles as well as having many other physically diffrent parts.

Tuning does not take the place of a shift kit, Using stiffer springs in the accumalator makes the transmission shift a little harder due to increased line pressure. That is something the TCM can not command. Tuning your trans alters diffrent solenoids in the transmission to increase line pressure causing a similar effect......I would recomend a combination of both methods.

Trans coolers are trans coolers You can order your own AN line and fittings and do it for cheaper if you desire to do so, for me 225 on a cooler is money i could save for something else.

Its on the user to figure out long term goals of tuning. For me i went diablo at first but that lasted 4-5 weeks, until i wanted to do more with the car and dove into hptuners. I can make changes more indepth, and know 10x the information i once did about my vehicle. The decision is yours, lew makes a great product, no doubt about that, but i prefer to do it myself and done really good by my own hand.

The factory tunes in these cars, are garbage there alot of trans tables that need to be changed, fueling is always off, power enrichment needs to be altered spark timing etc...

If it were me getting this call over again save up for a full intake swap (including TB) and get a good set of headers and take care of your engine mounts.

08 pimpala ss

Well 91 Park said pretty much all of what i was gonna say but if u want a tep shift kit i have one that i never put in due to breaking my trans prior to getting a chance to install it and when they guy that built mine said he didnt need it that it was gonna be included in the rebuild so if u want it pm me

steves ls6

The tune is the first thing I would do. Disable the DOD and pull all the torque management out adjust the shift points and firmness and your all good. It will be a totally different car. CAI's, and exhausts are a waste of money IMO. Unless you want to make noise. If your mufflers rust out like they did on my GXP just buy some magnaflow mufflers eliminate the u-bend after the cat and your all good. The whole magnaflow exhaust drones you'll need two short resonators or a longer one than what comes in their kit to get rid of most of it.

Change the plugs too. If you have a problem with the DOD like I did they will for sure be fouled out. Mine and my friends car were caked with grease. Never use synthetic either the motors were designed for dyno oil. Using synthetic actually ruins the motor.

91parkave

iTrader: (4)

CAI's and Exhausts are not a waste, the factory airboxes are severley chocked down same with the factory downpipe, im not saying youll gain 50WHP but there are gains to be had, do the tune afterwards, not before. I pull all the tourqe managments out the engine manament but never the transmission side.

08 pimpala ss

Never use synthetic???? That is all i have ever ran in all of my cars my daily beaters race cars ect ect and they run and run and when i have had to go inside of them they are mint inside so i dont know where u get that info from??????

The_Madcat

They do make em, but they do not fit the stock cat back. I am proof of this. At least the 3" catted version does not. They did bolt right up to the magnaflow cat back I was installing as well though. But not the stock cat back, the bolts are off by about 3/4". You would have to mod the flange to fit the stock parts.

steves ls6

Just my opinion. I have seen hp numbers and have had several different CAI's and exhausts on many of my cars. Out of all the exhausts I had the non OBD2 cars showed me an improvement with no other mods. Now were talking cars that are over 20 years old. Unless you have headers, high flow cat, down pipe, then you won't see a gain that's worth the $800-1500 an exhaust costs. As for the CAI unless its a sealed box that gets cold air from the outside of the car (removing a head light, hood scoop, ect) you might see a little bit of a gain. Between my friend and I we had 2 GXP's, 3 GTP's, and Impala SS. The both of us have modified just about every part of a w-body. The cars that had the whole exhaust replaced showed a gain and were talking 30hp max after a dyno tune. Buy yourself an intake tube kit and replace the factory one. You'll probably see a close result of what an CAI will give you and spend $40.00. The point im trying to make is all the power in an LS4 car is in the tune. Unless that tune is perfect don't waste money and time.

steves ls6

I spent 3 months corresponding with GM about the oil consumption issue on my GXP. It's designed to use regular oil not synthetic. The DOD cars have problems if they don't use the exact oil that's specified. Talk to me when you need the rings replaced.

need4z

iTrader: (5)

Lew told me its either a physical shift kit or his trans tuning. He says his tuning is way better than any shift kit. Cant run both. Just repeating what he told me. Lew told me he can increase line pressure in his in tune and do a whole bunch of tricks.. so I dunno. I have a trans go kit sitting here... wouldn't know which spring to use.. Want something in the middle.

91parkave

iTrader: (4)

Ive been running both for a while now, tuning the trans is a lot more then just line pressures. Tuning is no replacement for physical improvements. For the trans go Shift kit use the medium you'll be happy with that..I can shoot you a really good link on the shift kit in a minute