nighthand

Took WAY too long I know. I hate the holidays. Too much to do.

BADDLS1SS

iTrader: (22)

Heh nice work! Someone beating me to the punch! Ill be doing something similar only w/o the lift.

eddiemoney

iTrader: (2)

I would like to see what happens when it gets back together. It is going to sound sick I imagine.

Nacho SS

iTrader: (4)

Looks great, get your tuner ready!

nighthand

It's all done (actually been done for a few months).

Tuning is ugly, since I am learning as I go. I am running incredibly rich (I installed a wideband sensor too), so I know I am losing a lot. Anyone wanna help me figure out what the hell I am doing, let me know .

Right now the car is in the dealer for a pinhole leak in the power steering return line (covered under warranty, so it's all good). Should get it back tomorrow.

Car sounds good, nice loping sound when I get on it, not really noticable when I am at idle. Really the only thing I don't like too much and I cannot really hear it from inside the car, is a slight "ticking" sound from I assume the rockers. When checked and I am not touching anything. It's not valve tapping (too uniform a sound).

I will say one thing though....

My Magnaflow pipe seperated one day (the part after the resonator). The car pulled like an absolute beast and sounded awesome (really deep and throaty). So I bought (have not installed it yet) an electric cutout for it.

Nacho SS

iTrader: (4)

Sounds great....if you need some tuning help, shoot me a PM.

TiredGXP

iTrader: (2)

Bump for an update.

Did you retain DOD/AFM?

Any plans for a dyno run?

How was the Piston to Valve clearance - any notching of the pistons required?

Nacho SS

iTrader: (4)

x2

BADDLS1SS

iTrader: (22)

Winter has been a real ********** this year by me... have not been able to start my project either on this. Kinda intrested in more details of how this went.

nighthand

gaaa, sorry guys. Work owns me

Anyway, I am having a hard time finding time to actually tune the thing.

I am bringing it in to the shop to have the magnaflow exhaust welded. When I added the downpipe, it was just a tad too short, so I am having some issues with it seperating. It is not real bad, it is just the clamp rings don't have quite enough grunt to make sure it gets held. I also am adding an electric cut out, so I figured why do the couple of pieces as well? I am not welding the tips.

I am running hugely rich. My tips are black on the inside after just a few days. I finally got a chance to log some with HPT yesterday, so I need to make my adjustments today. Just to give you an idea, my LTFTs are all between -48 to -50.

I am running so rich, I think I burned out my stock o2 sensor. Kept getting a p0420 (I am going from memory on that) error. I bought a new one and will install that when I weld in the cutout.

I did disable the DoD since I swapped out the cam.

I have to get this thing tuned and finished fairly soon. My registration is due at the end of April and I need to get my emissions done to get it renewed. I think I would probably fail emissions right now with how rich I am running.

I did not have to do any notching of the rockers. Really the only thing that I noticed thus far is that slightly annoying tick at idle (at least when I am in park).

I will try to post an update as soon as I can.

Virginia kinda sucks for places that tune cars. I think the only place anywhere close to me that has a dyno is a place that deals with Fords (specifically Mustangs).

Taz34SS

iTrader: (2)

That sucks about you having to weld the catback onto the hogan pipe. When I got my downpipe from Curt, It bolted up just like stock with no welding needed.


Good luck with the project and let us know how its going.

GXPJAY

He doesn't have to weld the exhaust to the downpipe, he has to weld the exhaust instead of clamping it together because the downpipe is a tad short and is pulling the exhaust apart at the clamps.

nighthand

So, I added my cut-out. It helped with the exhaust issue, so I did not have to weld the pipes (it actually pushed the tips out just a bit).

Had to add the cutout after the resonator and before the mufflers. It does seem to make a difference, but that is more SOTP and sound thus far.

I am taking it to be dyno-tuned on Saturday, kinda excited about that.

So, to recap:

Shift kit
CAI
Oil cooler
trans cooler
1.8 rockers
springs
pushrods
LS2 cam
Ported heads
flipped motor mount
Hogan DP with hi-flow cat
MF cat back
IAT sensor relocate

Hope to see some good numbers.

EmersonHart13

iTrader: (3)

Excellent!

Nacho SS

iTrader: (4)

Great work....should put down some good numbers. How about some spray now ?

CardinalsRed

what electric cut out did you get?

nighthand

I had gotten QTP (straight from their site, not through PFYC).

I know a couple of 'vette owners locally with them, and they were not having any issues with them, so I went it.

Impressions so far of the cutout:
Most definitely louder. Sounds like the muscle cars of yore. Every guy in any kind of sporty vehicle, whether American or foreign, looks to see what is coming up/by them. I was never quiet before with the MF, but when I switch it from open to closed, it is like going into stealth mode.

Pulling from 20+ mph definitely seems stronger, but I don't really have an official guage of that.

I hope to have some better information this weekend.

Since I have never gotten dyno-tuned before, anyone have any suggestions on what to look for/ask for/expect? I know I have to make sure I have 3rd gear runs. Anything else? We will be using my HPTuner software, so hopefully I will have a couple of formats (maybe one for gas mileage).

CardinalsRed

i would probably dyno tune it. i know that yourself tune it but if you aren't very experienced, you might miss a few adjustments. dyno technicians know what their doing. i've watch them do it.

CardinalsRed

did you use the stock ls2 cam out of a gto or corvette or did you go with a performance aftermarket cam. if you went with an aftermarket one, what did you use?

nighthand

Ok, back from the tuner. According to the tuner, the dyno dynamics (if I remember the name correctly) shows about 10-15% less than a normal dyno. I will base it on the more conservative 10% number. So, my results:

258 whp (adjusted would be 283 whp). A bit disappointed in those numbers, but he did suggest going to bigger injectors since I am breathing better with the cam and everything else.

The good news was my torque (at least to me). That was 360 (adjusted would be 396).

The tune itself added about 15 hp and 20 torque. He also adjusted my shift points, etc. The car pulls much better than it did before.

As far as other questions: I did go with a stock LS2 cam. If I had it to do over, I would have gone with an LS6, but live and learn I guess. I did have to disable DOD since I did not change the lifters.

Any suggestions from anyone on the injectors? By the way, what kind of a pain are the injectors to install.