Hi all, brand new to this whole LS scene, I just got a 2000 TA with the ls1 in it, it is 100% stock except a magnaflow muffler and it also has a ram air hood even though it isn't a true WS6. I have a list of upgrades that I want to do, this is a incomplete list and I'm wondering what I'm missing that I should definitely do to support the power it will have with the listed upgrades, or please let me know if anything I have listed is not needed at this point or will not fit with other items. Also, this is my first time ever building an engine so please excuse my ignorance about certain things. List below, thanks!

Fast Toys Ram Air Kit FTRA 1998-2002 Camaro & Firebird

LSX 92mm Black Intake Manifold

GM LS Big Mouth LT 92mm Throttle Body w/ IAC & TPS

00-02 LS1 Flowtech Longtube Headers (Ceramic Coated)

MagnaFlow Street Series Cat-Back Performance Exhaust System

98-02 LS1 ASP Racing 25% Underdrive Crank/Alternator Pulleys

LS Series Lingenfelter GT1-1 Camshaft 229/242 - .631/.631 Duration 114 LSA

Lingenfelter LSx Dual Valve Spring Titanium Retainer & Seals Kit

Lingenfelter Gen III/IV LS1/LS6/LS2/LS3 Pushrods 5/16 7.350 Length

LS1/LS2/LS3/LS6/LS7 Morel Hydraulic Roller Drop-In Lifters (7717)

98-02 LS1 Harland Sharp Roller Rockers - 1.7 Adj

98-02 LS1 Cloyes Double Roller Timing Set

 

Here are some things to consider.

You will need a tune.
Replace the oil pump while you’re in there.
I’d replace anything that’s hard to get to such as the sensors behind the intake.
plugs and wires and gaskets.
Headers I would go for 1 7/8” primary vs 1 3/4”
I’d research on exhaust systems before settling on a particular brand.
Head bolts.
Get an ARP bolt for the balancer so you can reuse it vs the stocker.
Pushrod length checker. Don’t just order pushrods. Measure first then order.
Head gaskets.
Verify PTV clearance and choose proper head gasket size.
Single roller timing chain is all you need.
Not sure if that cam is the best for your application. Generally cathedral port cam only engines don’t have that big of a split unless a power adder is planned.

 

^^^^^^^^Do ALL this. Don't just buy parts that LOOK like they MIGHT work.....

 

Also for the cam keep in mind that lingenfelter cam is an old grind. Not that there’s anything wrong with old stuff but there’s a lot more data and info that has led to better cams over the years. Cam Motion and Summit have newer grinds that will perform better and probably a lot easier to tune and drive.

 

That cam is pretty old. I would consider calling up someone like TSP or cam motion and getting something updated. I would run tsp 17/8 headers and save the money there. Skip the catback and get speed engineering true duals. i would skip the Harland rockers and use stockers with a trunnion upgrade. Skip the timing set and get just an ls2 timing chain. Take the money you saved get a fast 102 and an ls2 fuel rail with fuel rail spacers and TB bracket. Get a Nick Williams 102 and a tsp 100mm maf.

 

Thanks man! Would the T-Rex cam from Thunder racing be a good option? Or should I go with a kit from cam motion or texas speed or other major companies to gurantee everything works together?

 

Thanks brother! That helps out a lot to not break the bank totally lol. By "fast 102" Im assuming you mean the intake manifold right? What part specifically do you mean by nick williams 102?

 

May or may not have been doing that... haha

 

I would go with a kit and get the springs, lifters, cam, etc. from one company vs piecing it together. Usually saves a couple bucks plus places like Texas Speed or Cam Motion can get you the right cam and springs for your application.

As far as a cam, I would call the above places and tell them exactly what your goals are and let them help you with the right cam. Hint: bigger isn’t always better… trust me I know lol

 

yes the fast 102mm intake and nick Williams is a brand for throttle bodies that works really well with minimal tuning issues.

 

Awesome, thanks for all the help! Do you think ill need to be doing any suspension work to be able to handle this? Like anti roll bars or something

 

Alright thanks brother!

 

Absolutely. Is it a manual or auto. I would bare minimum put weld in subframe connectors and lower control arms in the rear. What are your goals for this build? Street? Strip? Daily driver?

 

OP,

Welcome to LS1Tech! We like that you just got your hands on a 4th Gen and are already making your plan of attack to make it your own! You've received some great advice from the community.

We agree with the community about the cam. The Lingenfelter GT1-1 probably isn't the best choice here. We sell the GT1-1 as LPE-L210075297 if that is indeed what you're after. Off the top, we'd look into something like our Pro LS stage 2 Automotive cam. That's part number SUM-8707R1. Specs on it are .600/.600, 226/238, 113+3 with 6* of overlap. That'll get you a nice steady lope that is also easy to tune and live with. This has a wide powerband that will sing to 7,000+ with .660" lift Trickflow by PAC TFS-2500286P dual springs.

More info on the combo and goals would be helpful to fine-tune the recommendation.
- What rear gears?
- Auto or manual trans? If auto, what stall converter, and are you willing to change it?
- What are your goals and intentions for the build?
- Is this going to be something that's a daily-driver, hot-street, weekend-warrior, street-strip, Auto-X, etc?

Let's get some more info and see what we can come up with

 

didn’t expect summit racing to respond! It’s got the automatic trans with the stock stall converter and I would be willing to change it, stock rear gears, goals are to make a daily that I can have a lot of fun with/street car. Thanks!

 

it’s going to be a street/daily that I can have a lot of fun with

 

In that case I would go with something like what Summit has recommended. Many times on this forum we’ve seen where the right cam is much easier to drive, tune, and enjoy in a daily vs the biggest cam you can stuff in there.

I will say I am in no way sponsored by Summit but I have ordered so much from them over the years that the dollar number is well in five figures. I always have great customer service so Summit is a great place to get your package from.

 

We're part of the community and here to help just like anyone else!

Onto the camshaft. We mentioned the Pro LS Automotive stage 2 SUM-8707R1 right off the top. That's still a very viable option given your goals and planned upgrades. It's one we'd recommend if you like something that's got a bit of rowdiness to it but you could still daily it. We would recommend a 2,500+ RPM stall converter with the 8707R1. You can get away with a stock stall but it won't be as well-mannered as it would be with a higher stall. Most folks end up with something in the 3,000+ RPM range.

Example idle video of the 8707R1 in an LS1


Another cam we could see working quite well is our ever-popular Ghost cam. It's the Pro LS Automotive stage 1 SUM-8715R1. Specs on it are .600/.575, 222/234, 115+3 with -2* of overlap. The Ghost cam can be smooth and stealthy with the idle speed turned up. It's easy to tune and has excellent driveability. Don't let the calm easy manners fool you. It packs a punch when you lay into it. You can get away with using a stock converter with the Ghost cam. By doing so you wouldn't be taking full advantage of the cam. We recommend a 2,500+ RPM converter and typically see folks get them in that range on up to 3,000+ RPM.

Example idle video of the Ghost cam in an LS1


As for supporting valvetrain components. You'll need a spring upgrade for either cam. The same two options will work for both cams. The first option is the popular PAC 1218 beehives which we carry through Trickflow as TFS-16918-16. If you like added insurance and want to extend the RPM range a bit we offer a .660" lift dual spring pack. Those are Trickflow by PAC TFS-2500286P. They come with spring seats, valve seals, retainers, and valve locks.

You'll need to upgrade the pushrods. We typically see a 7.400" or 7.425" pushrod work for either of these cams. Things vary so we always recommend measuring for pushrod length before purchasing pushrods. We offer the Trickflow TFS-9501 pushrod length checker to do just that. When it comes time to purchase pushrods we'd recommend a minimum of a 5/16" Chromoly pushrod with a .080" wall thickness. You can usually find a set of 16 for around $100. From there you can get into thicker wall and or larger diameter pushrods. We have our HDR thickwall 11/32" Chromoly pushrods with a .120" wall. These have 25% less stress and 28% less deflection than a typical 5/16" x .080" wall Chromoly pushrod.

Regarding the rocker arms. We favor a trunnion upgraded stock rocker over a roller rocker up to .630” lift. The reason being is the stock rocker is the lightest at the valve. It’s not uncommon to see horsepower nose over 300 RPM sooner with a heavy roller-tipped rocker. We offer both the bushing and needle bearing trunnion upgrades in our own brand. To help with the install/removal of the trunnions check out our SME-906011 install/removal tool.

That's quite a bit to unpack and we apologize if you get sensory overload. We're passionate about these LS engines and especially passionate about our whole Pro LS lineup! We're here to help so let us know if we can be of any further assistance!

 

I do have one question, what do you think I have to upgrade fuel/suspension wise with all of this?

 

OP,

Sorry for the delayed response.

As far as fueling you're going to be past the limit of the stock injectors. You might be able to get away with just doing injectors but you're going to be right near the limit of the stock pump. With the upgrades you've listed and either of the Pro LS cams we've mentioned we estimate that you would be around 430hp at the crank. We find the stock 4th gen F-body pumps to be a limitation right around 450hp at the crank.

For the injectors, we'd go with the 42 lbs./hr. Deatschworks DWK-18U0100428. These will work in the FAST intake, with your stock fuel rails, and your stock harness.

Then for the pump, we'd recommend a minimum of a 255 lph pump. You can go a couple of different routes here. Unfortunately, we don't have a drop-in plug-and-play option. A common pump folks go with is the Walbro VPN-GCA758-2. This will require modifications to the factory fuel pump assembly bucket, a new feed-line, and the wiring. Caspers offers the CEI-102150 hotwire kit so you get the most out of the pump. Aeromotive offers an AEI-11569 340 lph pump. This will require the same modifications as above.

An option that we don't carry but see folks go with on the forum is the Racetronix RFPK-001. That's a 255 lph pump with an install kit and harness. It's about as plug-and-play as you can get for these 4th gens.

Onto your suspension. That's a how far do you want to take the build and how much do you want to spend kind of thing. You could go as simple as upgrading bushings, replacing shocks/struts, to full-on suspension handling packages. Some fresh shocks/struts, springs, and bushings can really make an improvement in the feel and handling of a car.

Let us know if we can be of any further assistance!