02 ls1 cam/headers questions
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 164
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From: Rochester, NY
Hey guys I am looking to upgrade a few parts on my 02 camaro 35th anniversary. It has the functional scoop already that came with the car. since its a 2002 i believe it has ws6 intake so i believe i really dont need to upgrade that. I just want to gain a little more power and have an aggressive sounding car.
Cam:
I love the sound of the cam bouncing up and down but don't need it to be extremely huge, just a nice cam to give it that extra power thats hidden and good bouncy sound.
Also what else do you replace when you change cams? Trying to budget here so if i dont need lifters let me know, but I heard i should change rods and springs correct?
Headers/Exhaust:
I am looking at doing pace setter with emissions because of the price and i feel best bang for the buck. I will be putting on fake cats or high flow, and also planning on getting the PCM o2 codes deleted to pass inspection.
But... headers back i hear pace setter doesn't have the best so who should i go with that will give me a bolt on experience? i am a noob and just want something easy i can do at home. thinking on making true 2.5 duals with cutouts.
Understand my language anyone? haha Please help
Welcome me to ls1tech btw! just purchased this car with 27k miles on it a month ago. (6 spd)
Possibly BBK headers? Don't know which would be easier/better.
Your intake is the LS6 intake, no need to change it until you get further into your upgrades. If you're looking to stick with the stock heads, a TSP 228r would be a good cam for you. Springs and rods are a must when swapping cams, nothing else is "needed" however, a double roller timing chain kit would be smart (more durable than stock ls1 chain). As far as headers go, just try and go stainless, regardless of brand (stay away from ebay). Make sure to leave some room for a dyno tune when this is all done, you will see some decent gains!
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 164
Likes: 0
From: Rochester, NY
Your intake is the LS6 intake, no need to change it until you get further into your upgrades. If you're looking to stick with the stock heads, a TSP 228r would be a good cam for you. Springs and rods are a must when swapping cams, nothing else is "needed" however, a double roller timing chain kit would be smart (more durable than stock ls1 chain). As far as headers go, just try and go stainless, regardless of brand (stay away from ebay). Make sure to leave some room for a dyno tune when this is all done, you will see some decent gains!
For the cam too, I want lower power band around 2-3. Is that where that type of cam sits?
Anywhere from 200-300 for a good dyno tune (up to 500 if you tune the tranny as well). Make sure you do some research on the local shops around you for a reputable tuner. A good tune dictates the effectiveness of your mods.
just a heads up ive found nothing is never a budget build haha it always adds up i would say change as many internals in your car as you can (lifters,chain,oil pump, etc) but since you have such low miles you should be fine. go with comp 7.4 rods, and comp springs as far as the cam goes..also im just wondering when your saying about your headers about emissions do you mean the EGR? because if you delete your rear 02s you wont have cats, therefore it wont be emissions legal, but i have hooker longtubes and i love them(pretty fair price too) but btw congrats on your car!!
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 164
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From: Rochester, NY
I still want to have cats to pass visual if they end up looking. Valvoline passes anything around here because people don't care haha. If that fails ill try every place in rochester until it does pass. But i may just end up welding a fake cat top and bottom over the 2.5 tubes to make it look like it. We don't have sniffer tests here in rochester ny so yeah really would be wasting my money on high flow cats haha.
Yeah i was considering adding an oil pump, they just improve the flow correct? Better for internals I believe. Which, even if it has low miles on it im sure that would be good for the long run.
BTW I paid 19100 for this car just in case anyone wants to know. It may have been a bit high, but i did a lot of looking around and for that many miles with no accidents or anything wrong with it, i feel it was a good buy to me. I saw plenty for around 15-18 but with higher miles or non 35th anniversary w/ leather and the whole 9 yards.
I will be adding pictures soon !!!! Who lives in upstate new york??
One more question, the headers have a 3 inch collector, from where do i start the 2.5 inch tubing right after headers or after the x / y pipe i use? my friend said if i do 2.5 at the headers it would have bottlenecking?
Yeah i was considering adding an oil pump, they just improve the flow correct? Better for internals I believe. Which, even if it has low miles on it im sure that would be good for the long run.
BTW I paid 19100 for this car just in case anyone wants to know. It may have been a bit high, but i did a lot of looking around and for that many miles with no accidents or anything wrong with it, i feel it was a good buy to me. I saw plenty for around 15-18 but with higher miles or non 35th anniversary w/ leather and the whole 9 yards.
I will be adding pictures soon !!!! Who lives in upstate new york??
One more question, the headers have a 3 inch collector, from where do i start the 2.5 inch tubing right after headers or after the x / y pipe i use? my friend said if i do 2.5 at the headers it would have bottlenecking?
Last edited by djrowe007; Dec 27, 2011 at 01:05 PM.
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i think that is a fair price, espically with that low of miles, could you find it cheaper probably but that is def. fair
and yeah if you have a sniffer test that sucks ha cause i got rid of my cats but we just have the PCM scan..also get a 3 inch y or x pipe, and have them overlap your headers..i had my y pipe custom made at a shop for a good price, and i have them over lap and torque a clamp down on it..its good incase you have to take of your headers(in case you do heads one day) and not have to take off the whole exhaust
and btw yeah you might as well do the oil pump because yes it will make your oil flow better, plus ive heard alot of stock ls1 pumps going out sooner or later, plus if your doin a cam its just smart
and yeah if you have a sniffer test that sucks ha cause i got rid of my cats but we just have the PCM scan..also get a 3 inch y or x pipe, and have them overlap your headers..i had my y pipe custom made at a shop for a good price, and i have them over lap and torque a clamp down on it..its good incase you have to take of your headers(in case you do heads one day) and not have to take off the whole exhaust
and btw yeah you might as well do the oil pump because yes it will make your oil flow better, plus ive heard alot of stock ls1 pumps going out sooner or later, plus if your doin a cam its just smart
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On The Tree
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 164
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From: Rochester, NY
That was the email I just got back from New Era Performance, (about the $ figure he said which meaning it may be more or less). But still that includes taking out o2 codes so that seems pretty decent and they are a sponsor so they stand by their work i'm sure.
Yeah, looks like an easy job too I probably will just do that.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 164
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From: Rochester, NY
I have another question, i found plenty of bbk headers but they all come with y pipes. Is there a website that sells them with the x instead because im just going to throw those out. They are like 380 bucks. Or maybe have you found bbk headers without pipes?
http://www.ls1howto.com/index.php?article=23
for cam and valve springs
http://www.ws6project.com/user_stor/...pping_cart.php
im tellin you this is your best bet, plus the bbks i think you are lookin at are not coated, they will rust on your VERY fast..plus ive only seen bbk sell bbk headers, imo that shows they are not as good as others spend a little extra go hooker or kooks
plus remember before you even go headers get an aftermarket exhaust first
for cam and valve springs
http://www.ws6project.com/user_stor/...pping_cart.php
im tellin you this is your best bet, plus the bbks i think you are lookin at are not coated, they will rust on your VERY fast..plus ive only seen bbk sell bbk headers, imo that shows they are not as good as others spend a little extra go hooker or kooks
plus remember before you even go headers get an aftermarket exhaust first
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,313
Likes: 10
From: Maryland
The hood scoop on these cars are not truly functional just to let you know and you have the LS6 intake as previously mentioned, which is a great piece.
I'll throw in my $.02 on the exhaust, I've heard nothing but good things about Pacesetter, just running a quick search on here would be more than enough evidence of this. Also, almost all aftermarket catback's and mufflers are an improvement over the stock junk. You can basically pick almost any muffler out that's available through the aftermarket and run it with a catted Y + LT's and it will sound a lot better than stock, however, how exactly loud you want the car will be something that you have to decide.
I'll throw in my $.02 on the exhaust, I've heard nothing but good things about Pacesetter, just running a quick search on here would be more than enough evidence of this. Also, almost all aftermarket catback's and mufflers are an improvement over the stock junk. You can basically pick almost any muffler out that's available through the aftermarket and run it with a catted Y + LT's and it will sound a lot better than stock, however, how exactly loud you want the car will be something that you have to decide.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 164
Likes: 0
From: Rochester, NY
The hood scoop on these cars are not truly functional just to let you know and you have the LS6 intake as previously mentioned, which is a great piece.
I'll throw in my $.02 on the exhaust, I've heard nothing but good things about Pacesetter, just running a quick search on here would be more than enough evidence of this. Also, almost all aftermarket catback's and mufflers are an improvement over the stock junk. You can basically pick almost any muffler out that's available through the aftermarket and run it with a catted Y + LT's and it will sound a lot better than stock, however, how exactly loud you want the car will be something that you have to decide.
I'll throw in my $.02 on the exhaust, I've heard nothing but good things about Pacesetter, just running a quick search on here would be more than enough evidence of this. Also, almost all aftermarket catback's and mufflers are an improvement over the stock junk. You can basically pick almost any muffler out that's available through the aftermarket and run it with a catted Y + LT's and it will sound a lot better than stock, however, how exactly loud you want the car will be something that you have to decide.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,313
Likes: 10
From: Maryland
Pace Setter, BBK, all have good reviews so far on here that ive seen. What if i get a coated pair instead of stainless. Will those be garbage in 5 years or does coated stand up pretty fair? I wouldn't mind spending a little more to get quality but i can't afford over 500 a pair that is just to high right now.
Dual/Dual was the catback that you could order from SLP. They have the two exhaust tips on each side, you may have it on yours.
Mods on your car I own the very same car with the painted to match stripes SLP grille on it too as you have. Is it an automatic or stick?? Do you want it fast or sound good or both?? I bought my car almost 4 yrs ago bone stock with 40k on her and have added several mods. Hooker ceramic coated LTs that still look brand new up top and a little road color on the collectors, 3" TSP catted y-pipe with 3 inch I-pipe to Hooker aerochamber with dual 2.5" outlets to CME. SLP Lid, Blackwing, MSD wires , Ported and Polished factory TB, smooth bellows, HSW nitrous wet plate system, Circle 3200 convertor, SFI flexplate, BR7EF plugs, dynotuned PCM and a Frost Mail Ordered tuned PCM, 04' LS6 Z06 camshaft and yellow springs.
Bone stock with the LID it made 316.hp on a dyno, after Hooker LTs and exhaust install and tune she made 341.6 on the same dyno. Dont know what she makes now with the other mods. Any questions I will try and answer as i have done what you plan on doing except my cam is small and you do not know its there. Before cam she would hit a wall @ 57-5800 rpm and now she pulls hard to 6500. Without the convertor the GM LS6 cam did kill some low end torque but it revved up alot higher. The convertor install fixxxxed all of that and she moves out pretty good for what it is on street tires and is alot quicker on the MT et streets. Hope that helps or ask away.Your budget has alot to do with it.
Bone stock with the LID it made 316.hp on a dyno, after Hooker LTs and exhaust install and tune she made 341.6 on the same dyno. Dont know what she makes now with the other mods. Any questions I will try and answer as i have done what you plan on doing except my cam is small and you do not know its there. Before cam she would hit a wall @ 57-5800 rpm and now she pulls hard to 6500. Without the convertor the GM LS6 cam did kill some low end torque but it revved up alot higher. The convertor install fixxxxed all of that and she moves out pretty good for what it is on street tires and is alot quicker on the MT et streets. Hope that helps or ask away.Your budget has alot to do with it.
stainless steel are the best, but i would say ceramic coated are a good bang for your buck..they hold up fairly well and are not as expensive..just do not get painted headers or you will just waste your time all togehter, ive heard of those going out in a couple of months not joking