best mod for 2002 vette

**seweber** · 03-17-2010, 09:54 AM

any free mods for 02 vette
or cheap first mod

**preston1980** · 03-17-2010, 12:09 PM

Originally Posted by seweber

any free mods for 02 vette
or cheap first mod

First mod on all of my LT1/LS1 cars was to de screen the mass air flow sensor, its free and I swear I can tell a differance in power, but others debate me on this. Then there is the very cheap throttle body coolant bypass mod, that one does help when the car gets hot.

First, you always want to get em breathing better before anything else. Inhale and exhale. Get a good cat back exhaust, and get a better air filter intake system. From there its all up for debate. With just those 2 things and a good tune, you can realisticly get 10-15 more rwhp. If you go even further with the exhaust and get full exhaust with headers and no cats or high flow cats. You can gain another 20-25 rwhp, and even more rear wheel torque.

So with a more open filter intake and full exhaust and a tune, you could go from around 300 rwhp and 300 rwt to low 340's rwhp and mid 340's rwt. The tune is very important if you do full exhaust, but no so much if you just do a cat back and a filter.

You will notice any improvement in hp, but if you do all this, you will definatley notice 40 rwhp. Plus any additional engine mods will make these first ones even more beneficial.

**00z28bubba** · 03-17-2010, 12:59 PM

auto or manual car? if manual do intake and exhaust after free mods. if auto do a 3400 stall torque converter with a tune and youll pull any similar modded manual vette/f-body. then you can go free/intake/exhaust mods.

***BlownC5*** · 03-18-2010, 11:38 AM

Good advice, intake and exhaust mods are a good start.

**5abivt** · 03-18-2010, 10:47 PM

Do your research and THINK about exactly what a mass air screen really does and you will never want to remove it. The turbulent readings can sometimes trick the ecm into running lean/rich etc and give the feel of more power or throttle response because of fueling and timing advance/retard.

Dont touch your maf.

**Y2KPewterSS** · 03-19-2010, 02:53 PM

If its an auto, get a stall, if its manual, then intake/exhaust mods. Don't touch your MAF though, leave it alone.

**gnomee** · 03-19-2010, 04:16 PM

I've looked around in quite a few Vette forums and the most common upgrade is the air box. Getting a Varam "Ram Air" intake is for Vettes is like getting a Lid is for F-Body's.

I've descreened the MAF before. I can't say the butt dyno registered anything, placebo dyno did though

.

My Z06 does not have one from the factory so unless there is solid info behind the PCM having an issue I don't see how it really makes much of a difference.

**preston1980** · 03-19-2010, 09:05 PM

Originally Posted by Y2KPewterSS

If its an auto, get a stall, if its manual, then intake/exhaust mods. Don't touch your MAF though, leave it alone.

Do you mean dont polish/port them or dont de-screen them or both?

I have de-screened all my MAF LT1/LS1 cars. I think it helps a little with air flow. I dont think you should try to have them polished/ported, but de-screening them is ok. IMO.

The 2002 ZO6 came out with a de-screened MAF sensor. You just have to be real carful not to break the 3 metal sensors in the middle. The screens push right out easy, just use a flat head screwdriver and keep it on the outer edge away from the sensors. You will get a few extra horses.

**preston1980** · 03-19-2010, 09:15 PM

Originally Posted by 5abivt

Do your research and THINK about exactly what a mass air screen really does and you will never want to remove it. The turbulent readings can sometimes trick the ecm into running lean/rich etc and give the feel of more power or throttle response because of fueling and timing advance/retard.

Dont touch your maf.

I think that feeling of more power is actually more power. The screen makes for less air flow, no screen makes better air flow. Less restriction is better, they figuired it out on the 2002 ZO6. And almost all after market MAF have no screens. I think without any tuning, you may see 2 or 3 hosepower, but with tunning, maybe 5-10 more horses depending on other mods done.

**Y2KPewterSS** · 03-19-2010, 09:35 PM

Originally Posted by preston1980

Do you mean dont polish/port them or dont de-screen them or both?

I have de-screened all my MAF LT1/LS1 cars. I think it helps a little with air flow. I dont think you should try to have them polished/ported, but de-screening them is ok. IMO.

The 2002 ZO6 came out with a de-screened MAF sensor. You just have to be real carful not to break the 3 metal sensors in the middle. The screens push right out easy, just use a flat head screwdriver and keep it on the outer edge away from the sensors. You will get a few extra horses.

Port/polishing them is an absolute NO IMO. Any tuner will tell you the same.

Descreening is the mixed factor. I have one MAF that is descreened, one that is screened. I have never had a problem with a descreened MAF myself, but some tuners(knowledgeable tuners) will encourage people not to even descreen. Descreening is probably ok to do, but I would never port/polish or even put an aftermarket MAF on. Just usually better to leave the MAF alone IMO.

**Ramairgod84** · 03-21-2010, 06:20 AM

I took the air breathing route. I got a blackwing air filter, then I had my throttle body port n polished, then i modified the fog light housings so that air could go through them (really good difference). I did a front liscense plate mod and cut the bumper behind it and put a screen there so that the air goes right to the filter, I then put on long tubes, and exhaust. Do those things and you'll see a BIG improvement. I descreened my maf, I asked nic D, the best tuner in arizona about it, and he said that tuners can tune for it, it just takes a little more effort

**MachWon** · 03-21-2010, 07:39 AM

Catback was the first mod I did when I got mine. All else was stock and I lost 10rwhp when I switched to a bbe bullet catback due to loss of backpressure. Sounds sweet? Very Gained power? Lost it I think a good thing to get first would be a nice air bridge and CAI. I wouldnt mess with a catback until you start adding cam, heads, intake, etc. Unless your just looking for sound.

**seweber** · 03-22-2010, 07:22 AM

thanks for the help

**Ramairgod84** · 03-22-2010, 08:10 AM

if you're looking for a list, here's from cheapest to most expensive.
free: cut holes behind your foglight housings, you can see where you would cut, and it'll open up air flow to your engine compartment. You'll really notice a difference with a filter tho instead of that nickel sized hole you're breathing through now.
free2: front liscense plate mod- get a second front liscense plate, and cut the middle out of it (i can find the links for you). You can order the same steel they use in the z06 screens to put it behind the hole on the plate, and then you use a type of side molding to make it look professional.- this will open up a ram air effect to your aftermarket air filter. pm me for links and pics on my car.
1st would be your port n polished throttle body, shaner motorsports does it for around 100, and you'll notice a difference, he'll even include a throttle bypass.
2nd would be your air filter. i went with donaldson blackwing ($299). You'll really feel a difference with those three mods right there. It opens your whole car up so you can breath better.
3rd, if you want a better shifter, now's a good time. I went with bmr's ripper shifter, and i couldnt be happier, ive NEVER missed a gear, and it's as precise as a doctor with a scalpel, they're about $269, and last forever.
4th, spark plugs and wires, i still have my originals on, but ngk's and gm hotwires ive heard to be a great combination.
5th- optional- a bigger air bridge- it'll help your air flow, and pair it with a smooth coupler to your throttle body, and you'll pick up about maybe 10hp. I found a bigger plastic air bridge for about 100.
- all these mods you can do by yourself, and they'll teach you alot about your car
thats all for basic do it yourself mods, im sure there are a few others but those are the ones i know. Here are the bigger ones:
exhaust- can range from 400 (borla straight pipes) - 1400 for a whole system. I've got borla stingers, i like the low rumble and the big tips. Ive heard indy pace car and that sounds higher pitched, almost like a european sports car. Youtube will be your friend for finding clips.
lastly- headers- everyone has their opinion- After talking to alot of people with reputible shops, stainless steel is your best bet, given, it'll help u flow the best and give th emost hp numbers. American racing headers come in first. Then kooks, then I think dynatech supermaxx ( which is what i have), then lg motorsports. I think in terms of corvettes, why go cheap. If it were an f body, sure why not, ive got $400 hooker headers on my 01 ws6. But do it right on vettes.
after all that get a tune, a full dyno tune that'll cost u from $300 to $500 depending on the shop, and you'll see around 340 rwhp. From there you can go rocker arm upgrades, gears, cam and heads, ect. Hope this helps, i know its long but it hopefully explains everything u need to know. pm me if u have any questions

**Khodges3** · 05-11-2015, 08:21 AM

GM's line of thinking was most all their MAF meters had screens in them. This was to straighten out the air flow going to and through the MAF meter so it would get an accurate reading of the amount of air going to the throttle body. This way the PCM could adjust the air/fuel mixture correctly according to numerous factors such as coolant temp, intake air temp, throttle position and air volume(MAF meter). When developing the 2002 Z06 for more horsepower than the 2001 Z06, they still used the larger truck engine MAF meter that had the screen in it, BUT the air flow going to it was at a pretty straight shot from the air filter housing, so the engineers removed the screen. Common thinking from earlier was that many of the air intake tubing before the MAF meter had curves in them, so the screen was there to straighten the air flow out. I believe you need 3 to 4 inches or more of straight air flow before safely removing the MAF meter screen to avoid driveability issues. Hib Halverson wrote articles on the 2001 and 2002 Z06 and this info was from interviews with GM Assistant Chief Engineer John Juriga who had a big hand in developing the LS6 engines.