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Old Oct 15, 2019 | 09:03 PM
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its not just the heat latency from the phase change, meth also alters the flame front speed.

water + meth IMO just saves you from having the hassle of a second flammable fuel system


i did m100 and then 50-50, and eventually 70/30 and they all worked good

but recently I think I am more a fan of a properly set up flex fuel system and a drum of e85 in the shed for track days
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Old Oct 15, 2019 | 09:32 PM
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Originally Posted by truckdoug
its not just the heat latency from the phase change, meth also alters the flame front speed.

water + meth IMO just saves you from having the hassle of a second flammable fuel system


i did m100 and then 50-50, and eventually 70/30 and they all worked good

but recently I think I am more a fan of a properly set up flex fuel system and a drum of e85 in the shed for track days
You most definitely will alter the burn in the cylinder, but I personally believe this is nearly a direct correlation to octane increases. And the amount of methanol added in your typical system is fairly small compared to what your injectors are putting into the engine.

which leads to the next point that you mentioned. Going to a straight e85 ran car will produce much better results (imho) and simplify your fuelling greatly... and reduce failure points.

e85 is the ultimate street rod fuel. It’s cost effective and not as fuel system demanding as m1... But if your building a purpose built track car, just skip e85... put a mechanical waterman pump on it with huge injectors and run straight methanol.

I would like to run e85 on my current build.. but I am a guy on a budget who can’t afford the fuel pump(s) and injectors needed at the moment. So it will be ran on race fuel (subsidizing cost of parts for cost of fuel. Doesn’t make sense long term but saves me money up front. Kinda like the turbo vs nitrous debate)
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Old Oct 15, 2019 | 09:49 PM
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I think we all know e85 is king lol. Just don’t have the option. So running meth as a high boost alternative, hopefully, should work to achieve the results.

i will drive it everyday, I don’t wanna waste drums of e85 mixing it with my 93 to then not use it for tanks of gas. It’ll be a waste. So I’ll stop mixing it and then that night I’ll drive home and wanna do a pull with random car and won’t be able to.

as long as I have meth in the tank, it’ll be there when I need it. Considering it’ll only get used when I need it, there’s no waste.
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Old Oct 15, 2019 | 11:34 PM
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thats where a good flex fuel set up comes in. i just splash in gasoline when im not at the track.

the holley makes it super tidy and you can make a table to offset your boost curve down with you're on more gasoline.

honestly i'm really finding that e50 - e60 is a sweet spot for me. easy to start cold and seems pretty safe on "e85" boost levels
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Old Oct 15, 2019 | 11:37 PM
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although i will say it's increasing in price here which kinda sucks. i think my last tank was $3.40 a gallon? yeah its hard to daily something that gets like 8mpg these days
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Old Oct 15, 2019 | 11:51 PM
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Originally Posted by truckdoug
although i will say it's increasing in price here which kinda sucks. i think my last tank was $3.40 a gallon? yeah its hard to daily something that gets like 8mpg these days
holy moly that’s 30-60 cents more a gallon than premium gas here. They really giving it to you guys for the e85 at the pump.

Probably better to buy ethanol by the barrel and mix your own in that case
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Old Oct 17, 2019 | 08:12 PM
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Who’s tuning it?
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Old Oct 17, 2019 | 09:37 PM
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Originally Posted by Dave926
Who’s tuning it?
Slow hawk, name is Don. He local guy.

However, I’m torn now. Spoke with next best recommended guy today, he said if he tuned it, he would stop at 550whp because bottom end isn’t forged and wouldn’t waste time on cutouts or meth. He could make that power at 10-12psi on pump gas. While I drive on that he thinks I should build a forged bottom end and then, whenever I’m ready, install that to my heads with my cam and get 650 or so on pump gas.

Not really torn on tuner, it’s more the thought of what will be ok. Both have been confident on 5xx to wheels on pump gas. One is saying add meth and make more power on this motor, the second says screw meth, it’ll break and when motor goes l, so won’t my cam and heads, oil pan etc. he doesn’t trust the resized rods and not forged pistons at more than 550whp.

both guys cry about reading other builds online and how others make power on stock blocks and extended time etc. so it’s up to me I guess on keeping the 5xx hp and keep it safe or run meth and risk losing engine over , $1500 maybe for a bottom end build.
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Old Oct 20, 2019 | 10:38 PM
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Was the other guy buddy or Scott?

im friends (just fb) with someone who was posting pics, hence why I asked.
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Old Oct 20, 2019 | 11:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Dave926
Was the other guy buddy or Scott?

im friends (just fb) with someone who was posting pics, hence why I asked.
So I spoke with slowhawk and then smg (Jeff). They both have super good reviews and any fast cars out will stand by both guys. Like I said the dilemma really sits with me. I may just throw 14lb springs inside the wastegates and run no boost controller. Stay on pump gas and whatever happens, leave it alone and build a block on side. Really sucks to limit myself when the build and car can handle more the way it is however, the risk of losing the head work and all the custom stuff needed for the car. The $1500 to build a block most likely isn’t worth it.
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Old Oct 21, 2019 | 06:21 PM
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Originally Posted by Z32_5.3
So I spoke with slowhawk and then smg (Jeff). They both have super good reviews and any fast cars out will stand by both guys. Like I said the dilemma really sits with me. I may just throw 14lb springs inside the wastegates and run no boost controller. Stay on pump gas and whatever happens, leave it alone and build a block on side. Really sucks to limit myself when the build and car can handle more the way it is however, the risk of losing the head work and all the custom stuff needed for the car. The $1500 to build a block most likely isn’t worth it.
so when I was 19... back in like 2008... I put a SBE 5.3 in my 96 Trans Am. I ran 10psi all the time and 16.5psi when I was racing something fast. The thing would start to float the valves at 4800 with the factory valve springs.. and I was basically out of fuel at that point. I beat and beat on it.. all on pump gas... then sold it... now it’s been through 5 owners over a decade at 10psi. Still the same motor I put in it and the same tune I did on the computer (and I was 19 years old with barely a clue what I was doing when I put it together). Now I am 5000ft above sea level... keep that in mind

so SBE can apparently be pretty reliable. But I wouldn’t put some high dollar heads on one.

I’d personally do valve springs and a off the shelf turbo cam..... have the tuner tune up to 15psi+++ on straight pump so you can set the boost anywhere up to 15psi++ or whatever...

Then you can decide when you wanna beat on it. Say you just got it done or things are tight so you want it to live... kept it at 8-10 lbs... then maybe down the road your position changes and you have some spare money... so you crank it up and see how long it lasts.

I haven’t managed to break one yet 🤷dum♂️. But I’ve never put more than 16.5psi to one (yet lol), and 16.5 psi here is like 14psi at sea level.. at 700whp+ you are on borrowed time with a SBE gen 3
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Old Oct 21, 2019 | 10:36 PM
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you can make 1000 wheel on the shitty rods. Just gotta have Gen 3 Jesus tune it.
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Old Oct 22, 2019 | 06:47 AM
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Originally Posted by Dragframe
so when I was 19... back in like 2008... I put a SBE 5.3 in my 96 Trans Am. I ran 10psi all the time and 16.5psi when I was racing something fast. The thing would start to float the valves at 4800 with the factory valve springs.. and I was basically out of fuel at that point. I beat and beat on it.. all on pump gas... then sold it... now it’s been through 5 owners over a decade at 10psi. Still the same motor I put in it and the same tune I did on the computer (and I was 19 years old with barely a clue what I was doing when I put it together). Now I am 5000ft above sea level... keep that in mind

so SBE can apparently be pretty reliable. But I wouldn’t put some high dollar heads on one.

I’d personally do valve springs and a off the shelf turbo cam..... have the tuner tune up to 15psi+++ on straight pump so you can set the boost anywhere up to 15psi++ or whatever...

Then you can decide when you wanna beat on it. Say you just got it done or things are tight so you want it to live... kept it at 8-10 lbs... then maybe down the road your position changes and you have some spare money... so you crank it up and see how long it lasts.

I haven’t managed to break one yet 🤷dum♂️. But I’ve never put more than 16.5psi to one (yet lol), and 16.5 psi here is like 14psi at sea level.. at 700whp+ you are on borrowed time with a SBE gen 3
I’m going to put 14lb springs in the wastegates. Let them tune it with those in on pump gas. I have BTR stuff in heads and the btr stage 2 turbo cam. The 706 heads are not ported. I’ll make a post when it’s tuned and see what this thing can make on the 14psi.
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Old Oct 22, 2019 | 02:21 PM
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Originally Posted by Z32_5.3
Slow hawk, name is Don. He local guy.

However, I’m torn now. Spoke with next best recommended guy today, he said if he tuned it, he would stop at 550whp because bottom end isn’t forged and wouldn’t waste time on cutouts or meth. He could make that power at 10-12psi on pump gas. While I drive on that he thinks I should build a forged bottom end and then, whenever I’m ready, install that to my heads with my cam and get 650 or so on pump gas.

Not really torn on tuner, it’s more the thought of what will be ok. Both have been confident on 5xx to wheels on pump gas. One is saying add meth and make more power on this motor, the second says screw meth, it’ll break and when motor goes l, so won’t my cam and heads, oil pan etc. he doesn’t trust the resized rods and not forged pistons at more than 550whp.

both guys cry about reading other builds online and how others make power on stock blocks and extended time etc. so it’s up to me I guess on keeping the 5xx hp and keep it safe or run meth and risk losing engine over , $1500 maybe for a bottom end build.
Why did you mess with the rods? and why is it .030 over? Why do you care about 706 heads when they are like 862's which you can barely give away.

Sorry just seems like a lot of unnecessary steps and parts. Should have left it all stock, just cam and valvesprings and sent it! Stock LM7 can certainly make more then 550, especially an 05-06. Can save the money from a tune and those unneeded parts to buy a spare engine or two!

What are they charging for these tunes? A goddamn blind man can hit 550whp on a 5.3L twin turbo.
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Old Oct 22, 2019 | 02:46 PM
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Originally Posted by SLOW SEDAN
Why did you mess with the rods? and why is it .030 over? Why do you care about 706 heads when they are like 862's which you can barely give away.

Sorry just seems like a lot of unnecessary steps and parts. Should have left it all stock, just cam and valvesprings and sent it! Stock LM7 can certainly make more then 550, especially an 05-06. Can save the money from a tune and those unneeded parts to buy a spare engine or two!

What are they charging for these tunes? A goddamn blind man can hit 550whp on a 5.3L twin turbo.
Very reasonable questions lol. I ask myself same thing...

i bought a car that had this swap in it. Kid couldn’t get it started so I purchased it really cheap. Ended up getting it running 2 days later with hptuners. Once I actually had motor running and oil pressure coming out, I decided to keep the swap and install into a new car. He had it single turbo and the hot side was a mess with holes after I unwrapped it. He also cut up car a lot for no reason. I’ll attach pic. Swap is now in a stock shell (not cut up and not screwed wiring).

The tunes from both guys are 700-1k.

One tuner (slowhawk) wants to push motor to 20psi but only with meth injection.(only want Alkycontrol which is $900). He will do 15psi tops on 93.

smg tuning won’t go past 550whp on the stock rods. He says 10-12psi will get to that power very easy. If I were to build a forged bottom end, he will do retune for $300 later. Making more power on 93.


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Old Oct 22, 2019 | 02:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Z32_5.3
Very reasonable questions lol. I ask myself same thing...

i bought a car that had this swap in it. Kid couldn’t get it started so I purchased it really cheap. Ended up getting it running 2 days later with hptuners. Once I actually had motor running and oil pressure coming out, I decided to keep the swap and install into a new car. He had it single turbo and the hot side was a mess with holes after I unwrapped it. He also cut up car a lot for no reason. I’ll attach pic. Swap is now in a stock shell (not cut up and not screwed wiring).

The tunes from both guys are 700-1k.

One tuner (slowhawk) wants to push motor to 20psi but only with meth injection.(only want Alkycontrol which is $900). He will do 15psi tops on 93.

smg tuning won’t go past 550whp on the stock rods. He says 10-12psi will get to that power very easy. If I were to build a forged bottom end, he will do retune for $300 later. Making more power on 93.
Jimminy $700-1k to tune a 5.3! I don't think I could tell someone that with a straight face. If you got it running and have Hptuners why not just adjust the A/F and put a safe timing map in it and drive it? Hell for $1000 you can damn near do Holley, actually these days you can!

BTW Alkycontrol kits look like the guy went down the Home Depot plumbing isle with both arms out, things are terrible! I've taken them out of more cars then installed them lol Personally I'm leery of any tuner that will only deal with one brand, whether that be injectors, meth, etc..
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Old Oct 22, 2019 | 03:03 PM
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I charge about that much for a tune these days, since most of my "tuning" is unfucking a bunch of stupid little stuff, shitty wiring, boost leaks, bad plumbing, NO PLUMBING and of course my favorite "lets wire the whole car with 1 spool of black 14g wire"
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Old Oct 22, 2019 | 03:08 PM
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Originally Posted by Z32_5.3

The tunes from both guys are 700-1k.

One tuner (slowhawk) wants to push motor to 20psi but only with meth injection.(only want Alkycontrol which is $900). He will do 15psi tops on 93.

smg tuning won’t go past 550whp on the stock rods. He says 10-12psi will get to that power very easy. If I were to build a forged bottom end, he will do retune for $300 later. Making more power on 93.
Are they any other reputable tuners in your area? That's nuts. I'd reach out to Pat G for a remote tune if you have HP Tuners. Cesar (something) out of Houston is the Gen 3 masta.
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Old Oct 22, 2019 | 05:43 PM
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Originally Posted by jayyyw
Are they any other reputable tuners in your area? That's nuts. I'd reach out to Pat G for a remote tune if you have HP Tuners. Cesar (something) out of Houston is the Gen 3 masta.
Really remote tune? That would have me nervous. I guess not huge difference as long as I’m on a dyno.

im in Rhode Island , so I have MA , CT etc. close by. Plenty of tuners but these 2 are the ones who do all the 700+ hp cars. That guy slowhawk puts out all beast cars. He just likes to do the work himself on those car and can be picky (hence the meth kit)

the 700 doesn’t bother me honestly for all the work and custom stuff to know I have someone like slowhawk behind the computer.
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Old Oct 22, 2019 | 06:31 PM
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Nothing wrong with remote tuning. And it's not about the price but at the same time, just because you pay more doesn't mean you're getting more. Pat G is well known and a great tuner. I would not have any reservation about him remote tuning a vehicle. Personally, I wouldn't use someone that makes you use certain parts. I do understand where they are coming from, though.
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