Ok I am not an expert and have looked through the forum to put together an answer but am still having trouble joining the dots. (Could be working 80 hours plus air travel, could be I am just too dumb!)
For those that have followed, I "penned" the trackdays: what I would change posts.
I have changed out my stock rotors and pads, and will be working the suspension and tyres soon (thanks Bob!)
My other project to to gain a maximum efficiency from my engine (Mainly running 100 Octane or at worst 98) without blueprinting the engine in a rebuild.
Here goes: (please don't laugh) For reference, average Summer air temperature in Switzerland is 25° Centigrade (Can spike to 35-38) and lowest altitude is 370 Meters above sea level. Hunidity is on the high side in Summer around 60%.
I am not looking to supercharge or anything that adds major HP to the engine, as I am not certain what the LS7 can handle nor more importantly what I can handle :-). I know that I can easily reach 540 HP with a straight ECU remapping. The idea is to make the car as near to the official figures as possible. Currently in Switzerland, that is 505 HP
What I want to know is how to tune to get the best Air Fuel efficiency for track-fast street.
I cannot find a superchips dealer in Switzerland carrying an ECU map and want to know the best setup:
Do I fit a cold air induction (and which one requires the least modifications?)
AND add an ECU tune to match my fuel choice,
OR can I get sufficient efficiency only with a cold air induction.
OR can I get sufficient efficiency only with an ECU tune
I understand that a cold air induction PLUS ECU tune PLUS exhaust change is the best, but do not have the budget for the exhaust this year.
Next question:
I have seen a number of tools to tune the ECU map, but frankly not understanding the technical side would want to steer away from anything that would blow up on me!
I am good with computers so if the tools are preprogramed for my needs based on a download, I could flash the ECU myself. What to get and what are the risks.
In the self help part:
I am thinking of fitting a gtech meter (the new one) to monitor my current settings, before I get a tune. (Sorry for mentioning an non sponsor thingy )
At the moment my milage is good - nay - pretty unbelievable when I use the cruise control on long trips - but I am not worried about consumption as I do not put the miles on this car but another (Golf R32 - which is worse - go figure )
Any serious or less serious comments welcome. Any non-authorised component discussions, please PM me as I would like to remain a Good Forum Citizen
I am also seeing the Doctor once a month for my Z06 "Fetish"
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i believe he is talking about making sure the gap between the two pieces of the arching part of the spark plug is correct. any parts store can provide you with the knowledge and tool to do this, and most of the time if they are cool they'll do it for free, if you buy plugs from them.
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forgive my ?'s i'm an information leech so to speak. i like to know as much about a subject as i can when going into something new. (except for the 5 years i spent at college)
1. For summer months reduce coolant/distilled water ratio from 50/50 to 30/70 and add 2 bottles of Redline Water Wetter. *
2. Get a Halltech Killer Bee intake with a ported Throttle Body and computer tune
3. Corsa CAT back exhaust
just a few comments:
1. Changing the coolant ratios and adding water wetter is fine, but to get consistant, maximum power from the LS7 you should also install a lower temperature (160F or 180F) thermostat. The reason for this is that the GM PCM (aka engine control computer) uses less agressive ignition timing as the engine gets hotter. Lowering the running temp assures that you will always be running with the most aggresive tuning map.
2. The Halltech Killer Bee is good on the dyno, but a ram-air intake like Vararam is even better on the road because it force-feeds the air filter. 1/4 mile times comparisons between the two intakes has proven this.
3. Dyno tests show that the stock Z06 exhaust flows really well - good enough for at least 600hp. The Corsa sounds awesome and does flow better, but since the stock system is so good, expect an unmeasurable increase in horsepower with new mufflers.
i believe he is talking about making sure the gap between the two pieces of the arching part of the spark plug is correct. any parts store can provide you with the knowledge and tool to do this, and most of the time if they are cool they'll do it for free, if you buy plugs from them.
Got it. Culture Anglo-American language thing. Brits call that spark plug gaps. You call it indexing which is sexier. LOL
Quote:
Originally Posted by jdemeis
just a few comments:
1. Changing the coolant ratios and adding water wetter is fine, but to get consistant, maximum power from the LS7 you should also install a lower temperature (160F or 180F) thermostat. The reason for this is that the GM PCM (aka engine control computer) uses less agressive ignition timing as the engine gets hotter. Lowering the running temp assures that you will always be running with the most aggresive tuning map.
2. The Halltech Killer Bee is good on the dyno, but a ram-air intake like Vararam is even better on the road because it force-feeds the air filter. 1/4 mile times comparisons between the two intakes has proven this.
3. Dyno tests show that the stock Z06 exhaust flows really well - good enough for at least 600hp. The Corsa sounds awesome and does flow better, but since the stock system is so good, expect an unmeasurable increase in horsepower with new mufflers.
Sigh... gone ar the days when I used a screw driver to listen to my good old BMW 2002 engine to tune it manually! What is the world coming to... (On cold winter morning, I used to put the plugs in the oven to warm them up before starting the car, a 1950's trick my Dad gave from his days with an AC ACE Bristol. (which became the Cobra)
Big thank you all, you have Ignited a dim candle at the end of my long tunnel!
If I get this correctly, for what I am looking for;
Stage one.
1. I need to get a Vararam forced induction (with housing change?)
2. I do not need to spend cash on a free flow exhaust, or at least not yet. (most tracks over here are decibel limited anyways. Maybe a decent freeflow header and X cross over in the future.
3. Change the thermostat. I admit I wondered why that was important, any risk to the engine?
4. Looking at the ECU tuning packages, I am seeing mixed results from the mail in type. I would really like to check the air/fuel mix with a new cold air induction. (We have wild altitude changes on our roads.) I will probably buy a simple tool like the Gtech system to control this first and live with the stock ECU tune. (2008).
Stage 2.
1. An option would be to Install a blueprinted ported &polished Evans water pump, blueprinted & ported TStat and Evans NPG-R coolant. I have never heard this one, this must be track experience shining through. I will google that and see what it takes to buy and fit. My problem is going to be finding the coolant in Switzerland.
Conclusions:
By changing air induction and ignition timings when the engine is hot, I MUST be getting a different fuel air mix, which if stock could either be too lean at revs or too heavy resulting in poor ignition. (and power loss).
Am I getting a glimmer of the idea, or remaining dumb..... a lost cause, back to my screw driver to listen to the engine. LOL
Thank you all for the input. No need to confirm my ignorance, I know that already!
Just my .02 cents worth here. The stock thermostat does not even bigin to open until 187 degrees and is not fully open until 217 degrees! Personally, given where you live, I would go with a quality 180 degree thermostat in lieu of the 160. I will be moving to Pennsylvania, still warmer then Geneva I think, and I am going with the 180 unit. For those living in much hotter climates, the 160 might be ok, but these engines do like to run a little hotter, just not TOO hot.
People will argue over intakes all day long, Vararam is fine. I chose a Killer Bee for my '08 running in conjunction with an Air Charger to increase flow of ambient air to the Killer Bee. Katech builds the C6.R race engines and that is what they recommend - good enough for me.
Of course a chassis dyno tune from an established tuner is the best way to tune, but I am sure a mail order tune from a top notch tuner would meet your needs.
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'08 Atomic Orange Z06 with 3 LZ Sienna Wrap Interior, Nav, and Chromies. M2W, Halltech Killer Bee, Air Charger, 180 degree thermo, Body Colored Spoiler, More Mods coming
People will argue over intakes all day long, Vararam is fine. I chose a Killer Bee for my '08 running in conjunction with an Air Charger to increase flow of ambient air to the Killer Bee. Katech builds the C6.R race engines and that is what they recommend - good enough for me.
Just beware the fox guarding the henhouse! From what I've seen, Katech appears to be engaged in a business arrangement with Halltech who makes the Killer Bee. Food for thought: if the design is superior, then why does Katech ditch the Killer Bee and install a ram air box similar to the Vararam on it's flagship C6RS (see photo below)?
Just beware the fox guarding the henhouse! From what I've seen, Katech appears to be engaged in a business arrangement with Halltech who makes the Killer Bee. Food for thought: if the design is superior, then why does Katech ditch the Killer Bee and install a ram air box similar to the Vararam on it's flagship C6RS (see photo below)?
So your thinking here is that Katech, the builder of the C5.R and C6.R engines would jeopardize their hard earned spotless international reputation for a few bucks from a small afternarket manufacturer such as Halltech?
I don't think so.... But, it is this type of nonsensical thinking that so characterizes so many threads associated with intakes... sigh. But shame on me 'cause I really normally know better than say ANYTHING about ANY intake on these forums -thanks for reminding me again why I normally stay far away from the "intake wars"!
it is this type of nonsensical thinking that so characterizes so many threads associated with intakes
I'm not arguing for one brand or another here, but it's an engineering fact that at higher speeds, a forced intake will make more power than a traditional filter. And regarding your "Katech knows best" comment, a race mechanic colleague of mine crewed on the Pratt & Miller built C5R race car during the ROLEX days and he assures me that they were running a closed box ram air intake - not an open filter like the Killer Bee.
Also interesting to note is that Halltech now sells an optional "Bee Hive" air ram kit for their Killer Bee and claim it adds 15hp. Isn't that like Halltech basically admitting that their standard filter settup is inferior to ram induction?
Just beware the fox guarding the henhouse! From what I've seen, Katech appears to be engaged in a business arrangement with Halltech who makes the Killer Bee. Food for thought: if the design is superior, then why does Katech ditch the Killer Bee and install a ram air box similar to the Vararam on it's flagship C6RS (see photo below)?
Katech doesn't build the C6RS, Pratt & Miller does. Katech had nothing to do with the selection of the airbox. Katech's responsibilities begin at the throttle body and end at the flywheel.
Katech doesn't build the C6RS, Pratt & Miller does. Katech had nothing to do with the selection of the airbox. Katech's responsibilities begin at the throttle body and end at the flywheel.
Do you have any opinion on the painful (to shoppers) intake debate? Halltech or Vararam?
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