ZL1 stock internal upgradeability and reliability

[135Hoser]

Originally Posted by RedTape

Is there anything that can be done mod-wise to counteract this or prevent this sort of damage from happening that you know of? I have also heard this is a major issue with these motors and it has been worrying me a bit lol.

A good tune is your #1 priority. Ted Janetty @ JRE is a well known and well respected E-Tuner.

#2 I would suggest would be a dashlogic unit. You can use it to display the current knock on the HUD, and even have it alert you with audible noises when you experience knock.

#3 ALWAYS USE THE BEST GAS AVAILABLE TO YOU. Do not ever try to run 87/89 in these motors. Always 91 or better. You may also want to consider adding a can of Torco at every fill up. This will help boost your octane rating and prevent detonation/knock.

Hope this helps, I have similar mods on my ZL1 and enjoy it a fair bit.

[Redlineviper]

Originally Posted by RedTape

Is there anything that can be done mod-wise to counteract this or prevent this sort of damage from happening that you know of? I have also heard this is a major issue with these motors and it has been worrying me a bit lol.

As previously mentioned a good fuel 92-93 octane, meth 50/50 is great for dropping intake air temps which helps with detonation, and the obvious, a good tune.

[JANNETTYRACING]

Originally Posted by zlwhine

Hey everyone! Apologies for the super long post in advance lol. Recently got my Stainless Works catback exhaust and their longtube headers for my ZL1. They are going to be installed within the next two weeks. I can't wait to hear the difference going from the stock NPP (with the plug pulled, of course) to the SW full catback system and longtube headers. So far people seem to be really happy with their installs so I have high expectations . Besides those mods performance-wise, all I have additionally is a rotofab CAI. The next mod I'm looking to get is a 9.55" crank pulley. (1) Do I need to upgrade my injectors and heat exchanger with the pulley upgrade? For cooling, instead of the heat exchanger, would a bigger reservoir be sufficient or will I need a new heat exchanger? The ZL1 is my daily driver and I'm concerned with its reliability and do not want to put anything out of balance. Also, I would really like to get a cam upgrade. People give me a lot of different answers (usually 50/50) about a cam upgrade and its reliability. So, (2) if I upgraded the cam, either to a LS9 stock cam or a bigger aftermarket cam, would the car be significantly less reliable or can it still be daily driven without worries? <-- and (3) if it is reliable with all these mods, will the stock internals be able to withstand all that power? I know LS motors are tanks, but sometimes I wish the LSA resembled the ZR1's LS9 a bit more (forged internals from the factory!). Maybe I've been reading the horror story threads a bit too much (on various forums including various cars) and am a bit anxious from finally ridding of my powertrain warrenty lol. I'm also wondering whether a catch can is needed (very beneficial to have) or simply just nice to have. There is a lot of talk on these forums about the benefits of catch cans, so if they are really essential mods, I will make them my next priority before other mods as they are cheap and very easy to DIY. My main goal is finding the perfect ratio of daily driveability (and thus reliability) to power output so I'm just afraid to go overboard (the mod-bug is definitaly contagious and seems to not be curable, lol .

Hello ZLwhine, Welcome to the forum.

JRE takes all the guess work out of mods by offering DIY plug and play power solutions.

We offer engineered power packages in 50-75-100-125-150-200 RWHP and beyond.

I would be happy to discuss your goals, answer all your questions, and explain all the hows and whys.

Our power packages are tiered so you can build on them.

The Stock LSA short block is pretty robust and can handle about 700 RWHP reliably when done correctly.

Feel free to give me a call.

Ted.

[2014CamaroZL1]

I have been researching this topic for a while.
It is challenging, because there is little data on higher mileage cars with 700 hp.

I spoke with Hennessey a while back, and they claimed that their 700 hp CTS-V that they just sold had 90,000 miles and no problems.
But other than that, I have seen no hard data.

[NicKey]

The LSA / ZL1 engine and platform are very well engineered and can safely support modifications and upgrades, like anything else to a point, using the stock short block. These engines are not infallible, but do have lots of room for safe, every day power enhancement.

Most shops who have a track record with the LS platform should be familiar with the boundaries of safety and longevity.

I can't say that we have anyone driving their 700-750 rwhp pump gas NicKey Camaros every single day, as most are used only in fair weather, but some have miles and years of use and abuse at this point, without issue.

Spinning the S/C at a higher RPM will generally create more heat and keeping things cool is also generally a good thing. So increasing the capacity of the inter-cooler by adding a reservoir is an inexpensive way to accomplish this.

We strongly recommend oil catch cans in all LS performance applications and even more so in higher boosted applications.

A larger capacity heat exchanger and two additional fans are a good upgrade, but not always mandatory, depending on how you plan to use your ZL1 as well as the boost / power level.

[NicKey]

Here is some data, before and after as well as a video.


http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showth...17#post8679317

[TOO.BAD]

Originally Posted by JANNETTYRACING

Hello ZLwhine, Welcome to the forum.

JRE takes all the guess work out of mods by offering DIY plug and play power solutions.

We offer engineered power packages in 50-75-100-125-150-200 RWHP and beyond.

I would be happy to discuss your goals, answer all your questions, and explain all the hows and whys.

Our power packages are tiered so you can build on them.

The Stock LSA short block is pretty robust and can handle about 700 RWHP reliably when done correctly.

Feel free to give me a call.

Ted.

I had JRE install their 650 RWHP package in my car last February. I have put 5,000 miles on the car since then. Most of my driving is in town slow driving but I did go to the track twice this year and put 36 runs on my car. That's 72 burn outs. My car runs and sounds amazing. I couldn't be happier with the build and haven't had 1 issue with my car. What you need is the right combination of mods installed professionally and most important a good tune. I highly recommend JRE. Good Luck with your build!

[Redlineviper]

Originally Posted by TOO.BAD

I had JRE install their 650 RWHP package in my car last February. I have put 5,000 miles on the car since then. Most of my driving is in town slow driving but I did go to the track twice this year and put 36 runs on my car. That's 72 burn outs. My car runs and sounds amazing. I couldn't be happier with the build and haven't had 1 issue with my car. What you need is the right combination of mods installed professionally and most important a good tune. I highly recommend JRE. Good Luck with your build!

How does 36 runs equal 72 burn outs?

[TOO.BAD]

Originally Posted by Redlineviper

How does 36 runs equal 72 burn outs?

Ok 36 Burn Outs + 36 Runs.

[TOO.BAD]

Originally Posted by TOO.BAD

Ok 36 Burn Outs + 36 Runs.

My traction was so bad my runs felt like long burn outs. Hope to do much better next time with new 17x10 Bogart Wheels and Hoosier Slicks.