i want more power!!!
 

I have a mechanic friend who owes me some work. i have an 86 vette. i'd like to clean up the inside of my engine compartment. what are some engine components that could be removed or replaced to free me up some more horsies :)?

RE: i want more power!!!
 

There's really nothing major under the hood that's going to gain you much simply by removing it. A good first step would be to lose the precats though, and replace the main cat with a modern hi-flow unit. Or better yet go to a true dual system w/ an X-pipe and a pair of hi-flow cats. Beyond this, long tube headers and a better intake than the anemic factory TPI will net you a bunch, w/o even going into the engine. These are the choke points on the L98.

RE: i want more power!!!
 

Along with eliminating the Cats, Tune up stuff like Hi Proformance Plugs and wire, a K&N filter and a new "hotter" chip to accomadate the changes are a quick cheap method for a few horses.

RE: i want more power!!!
 

With the abilty of modern and especially modern performance cats to flow, there's no justifiable reason to eliminate them. It's irresponsible and they're by far the most important component on a car when it comes to actually doing something to keep the air clean. Everything else can basically be accomplished by designing and maintaining an efficient engine package. Such irresponsibility will be the death of our hobby one of these days. Any chips other than custom for a given combination are a waste of money for accomplishing either improved performance or efficiency. The K&N I won't even go into again here. What's a "hi proformance" plug? (High performance?) Are you also sucked in by nonsense such as the Splitfire or other gimmicks designed to drain your wallet?

RE: i want more power!!!
 

You can dump the air pump.

RE: i want more power!!!
 

NOPE, just the victim of an idiot with 10 posts on a corvette forum that knows it all and probably got their azz kicked in school everyday years back and is tuff now that he has a keyboard.

As for the topic at hand, good luck "mraaron895" on your horsepower improvement and ignore idiots like "Notorious" on this forum......for the most part people are very educated and want to help each other. I would look at a new chip once you make the mods, most the folks I know that have done all that ended up with 20-30 more HP.......nothing to shake a stick at.

RE: i want more power!!!
 

Yes mraaron895, ignore me. I'm an idiot. Dan said so, so it must be so. Just because I've been turning wrenches, hot rodding, racing oval and drag cars for 35 years doesn't mean squat. Since I have only a handful of posts, I am most certainly an idiot. And the fact that my daily driven LT1 makes 450 NA HP and 500 lb-ft of torque means nothing either. And it only gets a paltry 15 city and 26 highway mpg while doing so. Further proof that I'm a complete cretin.
Please note that I did not call him any names, as he did me. But apparently I have severely gored his ox. I apologize for trying to help people not throw their money away on worthless mods. I'm a very bad person. I shall go and flog myself now.

RE: i want more power!!!
 

Nope, I think you called me "irresponsible" when you have absolutely now idea who I am. But most overly opinionated people don't see their own problems. Just stay off the forums, I don't care if your vette has 90000 HP....rudeness is not excepted in any shape or form. Just read the forums and keep all your top HP secrets to yourself. I would rather have a friend that knows nothing help me anyday on my car that someone rude that knows everything. Buy the way, I don't know to many people trying save the environment with a 450hp car, buy a Toyota Prius super mechanic and go on thier forums and maybe I'll believe your GREEN.

RE: i want more power!!!
 

I only called you irresponsible if you advocate ditching cats on a street car and I stand by that. My 450 HP car is more efficient than a lot of mini-vans, any larger SUVs and many smaller ones, etc. I'm sorry, but much to your chagrin, I'm not going anywhere. I certainly don't know everything, nor do I claim to. And if I strike you as rude, so be it. I've not called you any names nor told you to stay off of the forums. But if you can't defend your positions in any manner except for name calling and such, then they are obviously pretty weak positions.

RE: i want more power!!!
 

Ok. Im sure I will be called bull**** on this stuff but I know im partly right. K&N plus a cut lid is about 10 horsepower on a dyno. No intake is going to give noticable gains on a L-98. You can port your plenum but dont expect much. You can eliminate all cats like I did. Mine had 2 precats and a main cat. Right now I am running straight manifolds. You can get march pullys get some rapidfire plugs ect. Good tune up. Also, descreen your maf sensor. Power coupler might help a little. Air foil is ****. Work on the exaust. True dual no cats muffler eliminators is a good setup which i have. Long tube headers give back about 15 horsepower. Get them jet hot coated to reduce temps. Get a lower temp thermostat if you want. I use a 160 degree one. A custom chip would be required once you change your cam. You can gets heads, cam, roller rockers, ect and get a chip and be pushing out over 300 ponies. Thats about it for really boltons that actually make a difference. Goodluck!!!

I think notorious is another vroom guys. Watch out!!!

RE: i want more power!!!
 

Good post "Black86vette", all of what you stated is also what I've read and seen for simple horsepower gains without tearing into the engine. The only "cats" im putting back on my vette exhaust are ones out of a litter box, but they start to smell after a while.;)

RE: i want more power!!!
 

Thank you for all the imput everyone. I really apperciate everyone taking the time to help out a newbie to corvettes and cars in general. I've now got some ideas i can throw at my mechanic friend.
-Aaron

RE: i want more power!!!
 

Mraaron895, go to a thread I started on Aug 24, 2006, titled, " More Horsepower, C4 & C5 Only". Over 2,000 members read this thread and a great many made the changes suggested in this thread and gained lots of horses with a bare minimum of money involved. Read the thread first and then see if it is worthwhile for you. I did this years ago to my 87 Vette conv't and the HP gains were incredible. My Vette runs like a top. If you experience more than your share of trouble with your Vette, and many are, may I be so bold as to recommend you listen to the advice of MECH259 on this Forum; he has the respect of hundreds of members of this Forum, and others. Best of luck. ;)

mypetu39

RE: i want more power!!!
 

[sm=nxsmile.gif]Kitty Power[sm=nxsmile.gif]

Notorious=[sm=lockeddance.gif]

RE: i want more power!!!
 

I believe this is the link, good thread.

https://www.corvetteforums.com/m_9461/tm.htm

RE: i want more power!!!
 

Good thread. Good bolts ons but that does not equal 100 horsepower and I know that for damn sure! The intake mods will get you about 15 and that includs the 160 thermo. The fulle xaust would get you maybe 35 so around 50. Id give it 60 tops if yoru cats were shot and you needed a big tune up but thats stretching it. Also, the air foil is useless up until higher RPMs but it does seem to make it idle a little better. Just what I heard though so I am just throwing that part up in the air.