Phantom Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 I recently read on article in this magazine on modding the LS1 engine and it prompted me to write them an email. I've copied it in here for comments. You'll have to start at the bottom to follow the timeline. From: "editors@streetmachineclub" Save Address ReminderTo: Subject: RE: LS1 Article CommentsDate: Wed, 8 Feb 2006 15:41:08 +0000 [View Source] Bill, Considering the effectiveness of the stock coil packs and DIS as a whole, the MSD coil packs won’t be worth much RWHP. If you were running a blower or some other power adder, they could offer improved spark capability under higher cylinder pressures than the stock units. But, in your case, I couldn’t justify them. They do look great, though… The purpose of the article has been served. You learned what you need, and what you don’t. The factory intakes are well designed and make good use of modern technology from the way they flow air to the material they’re made of. All they need is a cam and maybe a throttle body to really shine. We knew this going in, but the dyno numbers prove it without question. TPIS has been researching camshafts for many applications and I’m sure they’ll have one that’d be perfect for you- maybe a step down from the one we tested. They’ll also know how to dial in your ECM to work seamlessly with the cam they sell, as they’ve done much research on this. We chose to work with them for this purpose. They make great use of the really good factory parts until a client really wants to make some crazy power, and they’ve got a handle on that, too. But coordinating the “hard†parts (like cams) with software (especially the factory software, which is quite good) is something few others have even tried. TPIS has perfected it, and this drew us to work with them on the story as we presented it. It doesn’t take much to really let the LS1 shine, and you don’t have to go through the entire engine or purchase an expensive aftermarket harness and computer to see these benefits. We thought it would make for a great story, and it seems you agree. There’s at least another 50-75 RWHP waiting for you in that engine…now you know how to get it, and it won’t require a second mortgage or a complete teardown to find. Good Luck with it Bill. Thanks for the note, and I’m glad we could be of some assistance. It’s what we’re striving to do as a Club, and as a Club magazine. Scott Parkhurst Editor Street Thunder Magazine From: zedshed@att.net [mailto:zedshed@att.net] Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2006 8:58 AM To: editors@streetmachineclub Subject: RE: LS1 Article Comments Scott, Thank you for your reply. My specific reason for the questions is that I'm running a '98 LS1 out of a Z28 Camaro in my 1977 Datsun 280Z. It is bone stock except for an edited ECU, K&N intake and headers - all of which were requied to do the install. It dyno'd at 311 RWHP & 326 LB-ft of torque flowing through a single 2 1/2" exhaust & headers with 1 1/2" primaries. Assumining a 15% drivetrain loss that puts it right there with the stock numbers you obtained. It only has 24,000 miles on it at this time. What I really walked away from the article was the realization that the bang-for-the-buck is in the cam. The LSA on the one you used is a bit more aggressive than what I've been considering, 113 vs 114, but otherwise very similar. I'm also not considering spinning mine over 6,500 rpm so I probably won't be doing any bottom end work. Intake wise I can't see spending money on anything other than the Z06 intake & throttle body. If I shop them carefully used I just can't justify the extra for the other options. Have you had an opportunity to evaluate the MSD coil packs since the article? I looked inot them. They are very pretty and talk performance but, without some good numbers, I'm not about to invest $600. Back to the bang-for-your-buck cam investment. My considerations are all tempered by the fact that my car is a 'daily driver', not a track car. It has been on the Texas Motorplex at Ennis, Texas and also the Texas Motor Speedway outside Fort Worth and acquitted itself very well in each case - but - it's real duty is taking me to and from work each day - and enabling me to really enjoy the commute! Sincerely, Bill Davis Arlington, TX -------------- Original message from "editors@streetmachineclub" : -------------- Bill- I’ve answered your questions in the order they were received… 1) How were the HP and torque numbers obtained? We dyno tested the engine on a SuperFlow dynamometer at TPI Specialties. 2) I assume these are 'flywheel' numbers (SAE net) rather than wheel HP numbers? That is correct- the Dyno measures power at the engine’s flywheel. 3) Could you have included the retail cost of the individual items? That is always an important consideration in any upgrade. Since many of the parts were factory units, we did not include retail prices. The market for used factory parts always offers a significant discount over dealer prices, and we expected the factory parts would be obtained by readers as “used.†The aftermarket parts prices tend to vary from retailer to retailer, and year to year. We hoped that by sharing results, readers could decide if the parts combinations were right for them. 4) Was the engine a 'crate' engine or was it pulled from an F-body or C5? If a crate engine, was it from GM? It was pulled from a 2001 Camaro SS. It is a heavily “used†engine and has not been fully rebuilt. The upgrades we discussed in the sidebar were the only alterations from “stock.†5) In your recommended upgrades for durability you never mentioned heads. Stock LS1 valve trains aren't up to 7,000 rpm redlines, are they? Otherwise, why the 6,000 rpm rev limiter on F-bodies? The factory 6,000 rpm redline is due to camshaft design and computer programming. Since we’d upgraded the camshaft and we had control of the programming, we increased the rpm redline. The stock valvetrain was in place. 6) Your photo shows MSD coil packs on the engine - were they used or the stock GM coil packs? The tests were done with stock coil packs. We did not receive the MSD coil packs in time for our testing, and barely got them in time for our photo shoot. They are very new! If we’d have used them in testing, we would have said so. 7) I've heard that the '97 & 98 LS1's had stronger connecting rod bolts than the later models which would eliminate the need for that upgrade on those engines? No. To safely live in the 500-plus horsepower range, the upgrade to ARP rod bolts is still strongly recommended. Thanks Bill! I hope this help ya! ~SP~ Scott Parkhurst Editor Street Thunder Magazine From: zedshed@att.net [mailto:zedshed@att.net] Sent: Wednesday, January 04, 2006 9:21 AM To: editors@streetmachineclub Subject: Article Comments I really enjoyed the techanical articles in the January/February issue of Street Thunder that I received yesterday. I was especially interested in the LS1 intake comparison since that's what I'm running in my Datsun 280Z. I'm sure the content of the article was limited by the space available so there are several questions that I have. 1) How were the HP & torque numbers obtained? 2) I assume these are 'flywheel' numbers (SAE net) rather than wheel HP numbers? 3) Could you have included the retail cost of the individual items? That is always an important considerationin any upgrade. 4) Was the engine a 'crate' engine or was it pulled from an Fbody or C5? If a crate engine was it from GM? 5) In your recommended upgrades for durability you never mentioned heads. Stock LS1 valve trains aren't up to 7,000 RPM redlines, are they? Otherwise, why the 6,000 RPM rev limiter on Fbodies? 6) Your photo shows MSD coil packs on the engine - were they used or the stock GM coil packs? 7) I've heard that the '97 & 98 LS1's had stronger connecting rod bolts than the later models which would eliminate the need for that upgrade on those engines? Sincerely, Bill Davis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest zeeman1972 Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 Hi Bill, Sounds like a great article, unfortunately being over in the UK prevents me from subscribing to the club, do you know if the article is available on the internet somewhere for me to read? Shame they can't extend their subscription footprint a bit wider, anyone would think there was only one LS1 powered Z in the UK.............. ah that might be it! lol! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted February 8, 2006 Author Share Posted February 8, 2006 Their website is www.streetmachineclub.com. I'm not certain that you can access anything on the website without a membership which will, of course, serve to frustrate you even further. It's a decent magazine primarily aimed at muscle & classic car guys. Most of them haven't gotten past carb's yet but some are feebly attempting. My little Z has really freaked a few of them out forcing a revamping of their opinions a bit. If anyone is interested in the intake and throttle body comparison I can go into a bit more detail. It ws nice to get the feedback on the MSD coil packs before running out and dropping a wad of cash for what would be just a cosmetic improvement for my car. I can get the plastic head covers for justa wee bit less than that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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