Well the VLSD isn't so hot IMO. I fishtailed all over the place with it. My nismo LSD keeps me pointing in the direction my tires are pointing for the most part.

it's more something to look into after you get the vortech installed.

 

I talked to the owner of a reputable shop today and he is trying to steer me away from the fuel system upgrade and bigger injectors and just go with cams and headers with exhaust. He said whp is not about numbers it is about acceleration. I told him I was shooting for 400-450whp. He said I should go talk to him in person instead of the phone. (3 hours away). Go figure.

 

I hate to say it, but as close as you think you are to finalizing your setup, you are still VERY far (just like me at times)
Answer yourself these questions:

1) How much noise am I willing to put up with?
2) Will I ever rebuild the motor?
3) What was the most powerful car I've ever driven? (This one is easy to screw up on. Reading the posts here you may easily assume that anything under 450whp is slow. Thrust me, I know by experience).
4) What is my realistic budget?

Oh, and incidetally, the labor on the headers and cams is a little more then you'd expect. I think its about 6 hrs on headers and 10 hrs on cams, but let a mechanic chyme in...

 

I agree to an extent....labor is not cheap especially on headers. Some places will quote u up to 600 dollars for header install. However, i mentioned you saying you had a free mechanic. I dont know what you do to this guys genitals if he's willing to install headers for free. He's insane. I've talked to 3 people about headers and everyone of them who has had them said they aren't worth it...but i dont know. And seriously 400, even 380 hp is a pretty fast car. I would seriously consider other upgrades if you want to be safe. I'm going to upgrade the tires and brakes especially, i just dont feel safe and i'm not ready to die. Suspension wouldn't be a bad thing either. It gets expensive when you think about everything that works together to make your car a beast u want it to be.

 

Do you think that Boost, wideband, and fuel pressure are the only neccasary Gauges I need? I want to be safe remember.



1. I am willing to put up with bearable noise. I am 24yrs old and have owned loud vehicles before. I also belive that only a few Vortech owners have complained enough that they completley regret owning one.
2. I only have 5000 miles right now so I dont plan on rebuilding the motor anytime soon. Why? I plan to set this up in a safe way as a daily driver.
3. I have drove a Vortech S/C 2004 Zo6 many times. Way too fast. Well over 500whp probably. Never Dynod. I am asking for 400-450whp not a solid 450whp. Many people have made these numbers with what I want to do.
4. Realistic budget is probably 10k all said and done. Fingers crossed. Trying to do it for less though.


I think I will be passing on the cams and headers for now. Someone even mentioned skipping on HFC but I think I need them for FI. I have the HKS Dual on the way.

Buffmanjeff:

My mechanic will not be getting any hand favors from me at any point until this thing is all finished and done. He owes me many big favors so he is at my desposal on the weekends and week days after 5pm his *** is mine. Very skilled. I am going to get new rims and tires soon but just trying to get all of the s/c stuff in line first. But I think some 19x10.5's in the rear is gonna look good. Brakes seem fine as they are and if I upgraded to anything it would be ss lines. Which are in the mail on there way. Also have a JWT pan spacer on the way. I can see that this will be an expensive project but I will be watching every dollar and trying to get the best bang for the buck.

 

Sorry for throwing a wrench into this equation, but I have a question for you. Are you leaning towards the Vortech kit, due to CARB exemption? If not, there might some other options to consider.

If CARB exemption is one of your requirments, then stick with the Vortech.

 

For carb and reason being I dont want to go through a complete motor rebuild to make it safe for turbos.

Bump

 

You can make a turbo system just as safe at 400whp.

But for CARB exemption, Vortech is your only option.

I would do the following basic and safe Vortech setup

Vortech Polished tuner kit
Return fuel system
walbro pump
440cc injectors
UTEC and pressure sensor
Boost and wideband AF gauges.

If you are dead set on 450whp, then cams and headers are a very good idea. But once you add all this up, you are way beyond the price of a comparable TN tuner kit with extras.

 

Most effective list to date.

1) Vortech S/C Full Kit Polished
2) 3.12 pulley
3) Gauges- Defi Boost, Wideband Af, Fuel Pressure. That it?
4) Return Fuel System-CJM or AAm Stage 1.
5) Crawford High Flow Cats
6) HKS Ti High Power Exhaust
7) Upgrade Belt-Gates 93"
8) 550c Injectors-Rc
9) Walbro Fuel Pump 255
10) SS box
11) One Step Clolder Spark Plugs. Gapped to?
12) JWT oil Pan spacer
13) 5/16 Motordyne Spacer
14)Anyone help is great in this thread.
15) What else do I need for the F/I?

Well I narrowed the list down a little and have a few things on the way already like the Exhaust setup, Oil Pan Spacer. Still debating on the headers. And a little confused on Gauges and how to control them. Do I need EGT or anything else? Two bungs in the HFC?

 

I'm going to say that you'll get a lot more for your money with a turbo kit - coming from a vortech owner.

It's personal preference though and you gotta judge your situation. I have around 510-520 crank hp with my vortech and still have another 10-20hp on the table with adding timing and gotta say it's plenty of power for most people.

Besides, you can always go turbo later if you decide you must own everything down the 1/4 mile - cause honestly it's hard to justify 500+hp on the street

 

I can not and will not get a turbo. Sorry I live in California and dont want that smog or motor build up hassle. VORTECH will be my final anwser. I personally think that this setup should be very safe and effective. Not much overkill and only the neccasary parts to be in the low 400's whp range.

 

yeah we understand

I don't live in CA, but had my own set of reasons for going with the vortech and damn it was a hard decision

 

EGT is a waste. Wideband for sure with dual channels if you can afford it.

 

you don't need dual A/F - it's nice though. IMO you're better off using that space for a gauge for another useful gauge - oil temp or boost or whatever

you can always have the A/F tapped into one side, and have the dyno read the other side if you have a dual exhaust - though if they join at any point it kinda doesn't matter

 

Not sure why you'd only do one side. If you only do one side, might as well do neither or just do it way back where they meet. Doing one side just assumes that the other side is close. Doesn't mean that both banks are running equally.

 

I dunno, I thought most people had 1 A/F gauge wired into a bung on their cat/test pipe?

I know Sharif has 2 A/F guages, and they read extremely close to the same thing, but you never know cause the innovative A/F gauges need to be recalibrated every now and then so there's some room for error just in the calibration

 

My suggestion, do this:
Tuner kit w/8 psi pulley
440 cc injectors
Plenum spacer (keep the strut bar)
Walbro fuel pump
Oil pan spacer
3.9:1 final drive conversion
UTEC with a good tune

If you are running a SC, I don't know if you really need the boost gauge. If there is a boost leak you'll feel it with your ***, as the car will act slower. But since a boost gauge is a "must-have" for any boosted vehicle...
AFR is good, so is fuel presure. You have a stock oil pressure gauge, but keeping your eye on oil temp my be a good idea.... I don't know.

There are some things about full Vortech kit that I am not crazy about, even though they work:
1) I'd happily pass the in-line pump in favor of an in-tank one
2) Upgrade the injectors no matter what. I am not comfortable maxing out the stock ones.
3) Tap the oil pan at the spacer, rather then drill the upper oil pan
4) SS box requires to cut and reconnect wires from the ECU.

The reason why I mentioned UTEC is this:
There were several people that complained about noise coming from the blower they described at "grinding walnuts". This was recified by raising the idle to 800-900. UTEC has this function. Otherwise you'll have to get a reflash (more $$).

If you are looking for a good fuel/ems package, got to the "store" section of
http://www.racemrc.com
and check out the stage 1 engine management package.

I don't really believe that you absolutely require a full fuel return system under 400 whp....

 

I've never driven my vortech with the stock gearing cause I already had the 3.9 on, but I don't see why more people haven't gone to the 3.9 with the vortech.

1st gear is already too damn short even with the 3.3 final drive - there's just no reason to try to salvage it, unless you have competition tires or drag radials, you're going to have to give it part throttle when you reach 5000 rpms in 1st gear. 2nd gear I can fully floor with no traction issues even with 295 PS2's - which I still don't think are super sticky. I have a nismo LSD though and I strongly believe that helps a lot

 

since when do people with vortech's not blow their motors? i could have sworn i saw a poll asking which F/I they were running when their motors blew. vortech's were right up with the greddy tt as for the number of occurances.

 

Ok, I'v got a question for you guys. It was mentioned in one of my old posts (which I can't seem to find now) thats its possible to get 550whp out of the Vortech but I'd have to live with it being super loud with the new blower. Have any of you seen this done yet or know what all would be needed? I don't see how it could if people are struggling to get 450? But I love the sound of a screaming SC and if it is indeed possible its the route I wanna go.