Dfish1247

I'm wanting to install headers, catless x pipe, cai, and intake all at once. My question is on the tuner, ive seen diablo, hp, and efilive sticking out as the main 3. I'm used to sct from having a powerstroke, is sct not a widely used platform for gm? This is new territory for me, well on a gm anyway.

Also, just installing what I listed above, are the factory npp mufflers good enough flow wise? I don't want all the racket, it's my dd after all. Car is a 2011 base. Thanks in advance

Patriot Six

HP Tuners is what the majority of tuners use. If not familiar with it, I highly recommended a reputable tuner that can get the most power and driveability out of your mods. Factory exhaust is fine unless you're looking for a different sound. Headers will make it louder.

Nelson765

I recently did a very similar set up on my 2008 Z51 convertible. Don't forget to add a 160 degree thermostat. For the tuning, after a lot of research, I decided on a professional street tuning, it made the most sense and the best value. The tuner I use is an independent Wizard, that tunes for many local specialty shops but also on his own. He uses HP Tuners and he tunes for a living, that is all he does. He has a great reputation and knows his trade. The car runs like a dream, unbelievable performance gains. No dyno numbers yet but the car feels incredibly strong and scary fast, a totally different car. I kept the npp so I have the option to quiet it down if I feel like. It is loud but beautiful loud. Haven't had the need to close the mufflers yet!

Dfish1247

Thanks for the replies, I personally don't know of any tuners local to me. I'm also thinking about getting a bigger cam while I'm at it. Any recommendations on something the wife can drive? Car is a manual so infinite stall, lol. I don't want something meant for the drag strip, but something that'll take advantage of all this other stuff and be daily driveable.

Glad to hear the factory mufflers are fine, are the z06 mufflers louder or just bigger? Read of people gaining some power from the full z06 exhaust, just wondering in case I ever install a blower. But, I want quiet when cruising along and obnoxious when floored.

why a 160* thermostat?

Nelson765

The engine will run cooler all the time. This is very good for the performance and the life of the engine. What I learn is that GM uses a higher thermostat (hotter engine) to get better emissions even thou is detrimental to performance and engine life. Every big name performance shop includes a 160 thermostat in all their performance packages and every professional tuner recommends it. It is a very inexpensive (under $30) and easy DIY upgrade.

MTPZ06

If you're planning to throw a cam in there along with full exhaust, you really need a professional tune. A hand-held Diablo isn't going to get it done...which I never recommend anyways. I've read threads where people have done just a CAI and a Diablo tune, and actually lose HP.

Boomer111

160* stat can run too cool sometimes.

Just saying it isn't the holy grail of mods.

I ran it for awhile and would see 168-172 all the time, I think it is a little too cool. Especially in Winter it would run a tad cooler even.

Now if it was say 185 I would be all in.

I did install a 180* stat in place of the 187* stocker.

I see 189-192* now at 75 mph.

At 65mph I see 194* still below pulled timing temps.

Unreal

160 t stat is a complete waste of money.

Dcasole

I agree .....

Dcasole

Never heard this one before .... how did they know they lost power if they did not use a dyno ....If they lost power something else was going on ......did they do a baseline also ...

I went this route ( Diablo, CAI , Headers , Intake and Diablo Lew tune) because I am going to do a cam and did not want to pay the $800 dyno/tune fee until I install the cam

I can assure you that I did not lose power as my stack of low 12.0X second time slips on Michelin Pilot SS pedaling all the way down the the track will prove ....

Doing a mail order tune with HP Tuners, SCT or a Diablo is fine for bolt on cars and the only route that some have avalable to them .......

Dave

MTPZ06

From what I read stated by the owners...dyno pulls (not tuning) before and after. Is it operator error, unfavorable conditions, who knows...could be. Merely passing along what I had seen reported on more than one occasion. If I find one of the threads, I'll post the link.

If it works for you, that's all that matters.

Unreal

Maybe out of the box diablo, but if you had it custom tuned using the diablo software, it really isn't any different than HP/EFI/etc. Nothing wrong with mail order, and a lot of the time better than local.

Nelson765

And your statement is based on what research?

So you have more experience and knowledge than the most reputable Corvette shops in the country?

Just a few shops that include a 160 thermostat in their performance packages;

East Coast Supercharging,
West Coast Corvettes,
Lingenfelter,
Chuck Cow.

Just to mention a few. I am no expert but common sense goes a long way . . .

Dfish1247

180* sounds more reasonable to me. Now if you're racing, I could understand it, full load constantly. My 88 1500 got worse mileage on a 160,180 seems to be a happy medium.

I would think custom tunes through email should suffice for what I want. If compounds, triples, monster injectors, etc.. on diesels can be done, I can't see a bigger camshaft being impossible. Besides, I'm not installing a combination no one ever heard of, I'm sure there's 1000s of these combos out there.

Anyway, I've ordered everything short of cam and tuner. Kooks longtubes and x pipe, fast 102 intake, vararam intake, mtw switch.

Any recommendations on a cam? Just from reading it seems around 230* duration or less and over 112* lsa are the max sizes for a dd. Well, not a stumbling, need a vac can for brakes pos anyway.

Unreal

Either one of the proven BTR off the shelf grinds (stage 2 or 3) or have Pat G/Ed C/etc custom spec you a cam exactly for your goals.

Except for winter, a 160 and 180 T-stat will perform the same because the car doesn't run on the stat. Corvettes do not have enough cooling normally to run on the t-stat opening temp. So all a 160 does is make it so the car takes longer to warm up, which is actually bad for the car.

Dcasole

[QUOTE=Dfish1247;1594630586
Anyway, I've ordered everything short of cam and tuner. Kooks longtubes and x pipe, fast 102 intake, vararam intake[/QUOTE]
This is the combination i run , it will put you in the 12.0x range at the track depending on traction and "driver mod" ......
For remote tuning when installing a cam you will need a wideband .... install the "bung" for it now ....

Dave

Dano523

Don't totally agree with you on that, but its not the miracle cure that some are claiming it to be as well.

During light cruising, the 160 will allow the stat to open faster and allows for the engine to run about 10* cooler. That is until you get into the throttle at all, and the motor is going to run it normal hotter temp range instead. So what the 160 does buy you, is a one time short hit of the motor being cooler to start with, when you do decide to get on it for the initial first time.

So the second part of the 160 mod, is that tuners will want to run the fan harder/longer to try to bring the temp that way back down instead; ending up with burning up the Fan connector isntead.




To bottom line it, if you want the engine to run cooler all the time, including under a load, then it take a lot better radiator and even better fan system itself to pull that one off when a 160 t stat is put in place.

Unreal

If a car is running at 190+F, a 160/170/180 or even a 190 stat is open. It is not causing the car to run cooler. A stat cannot cause a car to run cooler unless it has excess cooling capability. It is impossible.

So all the OP has to do is see if his car runs on the stat now, which besides middle of winter, it probably doesn't. Since people are concerned with cooling during hot weather, a vette does not have enough cooling to run on the stat. Then if your car did have enough cooling to do that, you wouldn't want to run at 160 anyways. That is too cool.

xBoostx

I'm a fan of the 160 stat ls engines like to run at lower temps we get better dyno numbers when we let engine cool down to 140 before the next run.

I live in a very hot state and getting a head start on the cooling system is important, the 160 opens sooner so cooling starts earlier as I move down the road fan program to start @ 170/50% when the stat is open enough to take advantage of it.

The 192 will keep temps higher by been fully open by 200 so getting engine to run cooler require extra fan effort.

I recommend the OP a good tuner instead of a do it yourself for best results.

Nelson765

Well said and with real world experience. Thanks.