Catfish94

So I recently picked up a 2000 z28 and love it!!, I bought planning on doing a all motor build a mild one to start off, I have 2500 to start off with, looking for suggestions on heads and cam, looking for good power all motor with good compression, and reliability of course looking for about mid 400s rwhp

CamaroWhoopAss

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elliottsportworks That's what I plan to put on my car, best bang for the buck. K&N/SLP cold air, larger throttle body, ported intake manifold, LE heads and cam, long tube headers and offroad Y pipe, no cats, good catback exhaust/free flowing mufflers. Easy 400+ at the wheels.

kingtal0n

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When I first get a vehicle that I intend to squeeze for performance, before I do any "upgrades" I first decide what my final plans are. Then I determine which OEM parts on the vehicle will be going along for the ride, and update/perform maintenance on those parts, like wheel bearings/universals/axles, strut/trans/motor/suspension bushings. Also you want to perform a general tune up for all filters and fluids that you intend to run, visually check the condition of the engine/trans/diff for obvious issues which would put the hold on any performance upgrades until they are sorted.

Once the car is tuned up, and all necessary turning parts are properly lubricated and all the bushings are updated I would then get into the computer and become familiar with the tuning software. This way you can initiate your learning curve with an already running OEM engine, it will eliminate any startup guesswork as would happen if you did a ton of upgrades AND started trying to tune all the new things at once. This way you already know how the computer thinks and acts before you start to mod the engine or replace it with something else.

Catfish94

Yeah that seems logical, I'm going to be tearing down the motor in a little while to check everything out, I'm not concerned the Ecu, simply because i will not tune it, il have an actual tuner do a custom dyno tune, I wa more just looking into good head and cam combos, I've heard 5.3 heads are good because they will up the compression, and there cheap, also would you guys think it's a good idea to re ring the Pistons when I have the heads off

CamaroWhoopAss

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How many miles are on the car? If you want to raise the compression then it makes more sense to put different pistons in it, than run a 5.3 head. Btw I forgot you have an ls1 lol. I'd still go with LE heas and cam, but you will want to run an slp lid, smooth bellow, maybe a ported maf, and definately a ls6 intake manifold. And most guys get the ls6 heads and have them ported, instead of the ls1 heads.

Catfish94

Well I would go that route but only have so many funds and heads are cheaper than Pistons just a little bump in compression, I actually found a website were il send the heads and get them ported with new valves and could even have them out on dual valve springs all for under a grand, and il go ahead and order a cam from them spec to my build

CamaroWhoopAss

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Care to share that web site with us? I'm sure plenty of us would like to check that out, myself included. All that work for under a grand sounds like a pretty good deal. I'm not too familiar with the 5.3 heads, but if you want to make 450 at the wheels you gotta make sure you go with the right heads. There are a ton of ls1's out there with full bolt on's, ported heads, and cammed that barely surpass the 400 mark at the wheels because of poor heads/cam combo. You seem to be stuck on raising the compression, and maybe you're on to something there, because I think it will be difficult to get 450 at the wheels with a stock bottom end without deep pockets. I mean that's over 500hp at the crank, from a 346ci engine. I'm not accustomed to seeing those kinds of numbers from an ls1 unless it's pretty much a full race motor, or a 383 stroker. You might be better off, especially with a budget in mind, with settling for 420 or so at the wheels and just getting the stock heads worked with full supporting mods and a good cam. Is another 30 hp going to be worth all the extra money and work?

HappySalesman

iTrader: (3)

450 at the wheels is easy on a stock bottom end. Well, stock displacement anyway. On a budget like that? It would be pretty difficult. 450 you'll see with H/C/I after bolt-ons.

I'd stick with basic stuff first, headers, lid, stall if you're an auto, etc. 2500 is a little lean for mid-400s at the wheel.

kingtal0n

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I vote stall, trans and gears as the most fun sudden change you can make besides adding a blower and it prepares the drivetrain. If everything else is already tuned up in good shape, don't chase some number. I would put a 85 shot of nitrous on it before I opened it up for a cam/head/intake/header.

Catfish94

Well I ended up picking up some 241 heads for about 175, little high but oh well, there in good shape, and right near my house, il be sending them to Texas speed to get ported dual valve springs, stainless steel valve guides, porting whole bit, along with getting a cam speced by them, with harden pushrods, meiling oil pump, double roller timing chain trunion roller rocker upgrades, ls6 manifold, ls7 lifters, so far that's what I got get some fresh gaskets, it already has headers and exhaust so I will also give it a tune, and really hoping to just break the 400s for now il put nitrous or something later down the road after an upgraded clutch, and some other supporting mods

CamaroWhoopAss

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Sounds like 400 to me