LS1 newb questions

**Teeeman** · 08-02-2009, 07:09 PM

New owner now, picked up a 2001 SS with very low miles for a good price and the car is virtually new inside and out...

... and so stock it still has a paper air filter.

I have absolutely no doubt I'm going to get a skip-shift bypass for it and install.

The car drives so perfectly right now I don't want to mod it enough to cause a need for tuning for a while.

That said, here's some questions:

SLP offers a good lid, will bolting it up change the drivability in any way?

Would a larger MAF and/or throttle body 1) cause changes in the drivability 2) make measurable gains and 3) require tuning to make use of...

Guess I'm hoping that the factory PCM can adjust to all 3 together without need for tuning...

my highest priority is to not affect the driveability.

I'm just not ready to get it tuned so if the mods I am thinking of (easy stuff for now) would not be worth the trouble, I plan to just enjoy the car as is.

It is 100HP less than my previous LT1/supercharged car but least this car is NICE and drives perfectly... and will be reliable if I don't fugger it up.

Anyway, hints, tips, experiences or thoughts all welcome...

(thanks all!)

-T

**BlackSS1** · 08-03-2009, 03:31 AM

Originally Posted by Teeeman

New owner now, picked up a 2001 SS with very low miles for a good price and the car is virtually new inside and out...

... and so stock it still has a paper air filter.

I have absolutely no doubt I'm going to get a skip-shift bypass for it and install.

The car drives so perfectly right now I don't want to mod it enough to cause a need for tuning for a while.

That said, here's some questions:

SLP offers a good lid, will bolting it up change the drivability in any way?

Would a larger MAF and/or throttle body 1) cause changes in the drivability 2) make measurable gains and 3) require tuning to make use of...

Guess I'm hoping that the factory PCM can adjust to all 3 together without need for tuning...

my highest priority is to not affect the driveability.

I'm just not ready to get it tuned so if the mods I am thinking of (easy stuff for now) would not be worth the trouble, I plan to just enjoy the car as is.

It is 100HP less than my previous LT1/supercharged car but least this car is NICE and drives perfectly... and will be reliable if I don't fugger it up.

Anyway, hints, tips, experiences or thoughts all welcome...

(thanks all!)

-T

Yes the SLP lid is worthwhile and the PCM can adapt just fine. 5-7 HP

Stay away from aftermarket MAF... the more you read on this site the more you will want to keep that stock! New ones also require a tune...

Throttle body will get you different answers, personally I am waiting until I get a FAST intake to get a big throttle body. Some people have the stock one ported for a few HP. On your 2001 the stock TB and LS6 instake work pretty well for bolt on motors.

Most folks start w/ a lid and exhaust mods to keep the stock driveability and add some power.

Enjoy your car!

**JoshieDoom** · 08-03-2009, 03:37 AM

SLP lid is a great start. Stick with the stock maf and throttle body. Port the stock TB. Exhaust is always a great starting mod as well.

BTW a paper airfilter changed often is better than K&N...

**Teeeman** · 08-04-2009, 02:09 PM

Thanks all!

Between when I posted and checking e-mail, Alvin (PCMFORLESS) wrote back and he offered a neat insight as well as the same general recommendations:

with a tune, you can disable the skip-shift (no hardware required) which suddenly has me interested in the tune after all...

So, that said... if I do go tune wonder what gains can be had with a larger MAF if the car is reprogrammed for...

If I get a tune might as well look into all the easy to do mods I can... but for now I won't be doing exhaust which probably makes the intake side mods nearly worthless... ?

-T

**karpetcm** · 08-04-2009, 03:23 PM

The intake mods will not be worthless at all and you will gain decent power from changing the lid and getting your TB ported, also do the TB bypass and the FRA mod while your at it. Dont get a aftermarket MAF as stated above even if your getting a tune for it, you simply dont need one and your stock one works just fine and will do you more then good with the power your making even with full bolt ons. Just get a good tune for your car with the intake mods and good tune you should pick up some good RWHP and RWTQ numbers till you get the exhuast done.

**joedude02** · 08-04-2009, 05:48 PM

i highly recommend the Borla catback.

http://marylandspeed.com/borla-3-sta...780-p-381.html

**planemech2** · 08-04-2009, 06:52 PM

Check InstallUniversity.com and do the "free ram air" mod. The combination of that and an SLP lid really woke up my car.

**pajeff02** · 08-04-2009, 06:59 PM

As stated... leave the MAF alone. Check out the Amsoil Ea air filters through CompSyn (site sponsor). Much better filtration than a K&N or other brand cotton gauze filter. Also, check with KY Speed (another site sponsor) for deals on the SLP lids. I ordered from both of the above just a few months ago and am very pleased with the results.

**Bama99z** · 08-05-2009, 06:47 PM

T
Did you say that you were from Bama also? Hopefully my Hooker super comp LT'S will be here this week. I am starting with the simple mods as well.
Good Luck

**Teeeman** · 08-06-2009, 12:40 PM

Yes, in essentially Huntsville.

Thanks all on the hints and tips...

... probably would want to hang onto the stock TB in stock condition, may get a spare and port it...

great info!

-T

**jmro** · 08-07-2009, 12:38 PM

If you plan on installing headers in the future and are going to get the skip shift tuned out go ahead and get the AIR and EGR stuff turned off while they have plugged in. i would only say that if you are going to look into headers..
on another note i am not located to far from you in hsv

**Teeeman** · 08-07-2009, 08:11 PM

My goal is leave the car emissions capable...

... if all hardware is left in place but tuning "turns off" the equipment, will any problems develop for the car's drivability or the equipment that is "turned off" should I decide to turn it on?

Took the car out for the first time to play tonight, found some nice isolated (smooth as a baby's bottom) road.

Did a 4 car-length burnout on the (get this) original F1s for the 2001 car...

they smoked up nice, left marks...

I was shocked with what happened next:

I did a "street tire/ride clutch" launch expecting the tires to let go as I released the clutch fully at about 20MPH...

they hooked.

Between the larger F1s and Auburn differential this car has much more traction than my old '93 Z28 (even pre-blower).

Yes, I had the ASR turned off

With ASR I hear some detonation... is this normal?

Without it I hear the whoosh of spinning F1s and then a squeak as they grab... very reminiscient of the '93 as I put 16" F1s on it... but with stock GM 10bolt posi and smaller (?) tire the car got much less traction.

The LT1 had more low-end grunt too...

I think the LS1 is way better for power... the high-flow heads really wake up at 3700RPM from what I can tell playing and watching the tach...

oh, I decided after 2 repeat passes of the spot I was "working" tonight to bug out...

... 2 miles later I pass a Hunstville PD cruiser heading the other way.

In this age of anal-retent "SUVs are fast" cell phone carrying folks...

well, I don't stick around long in any one spot no matter how isolated...

I think it paid off tonight.

Cruiser was just cruising but heading way off the beaten path for traffic patrol, if you know what I mean...

-T

**Blue28** · 08-08-2009, 10:17 AM

Originally Posted by pajeff02

As stated... leave the MAF alone. Check out the Amsoil Ea air filters through CompSyn (site sponsor). Much better filtration than a K&N or other brand cotton gauze filter. Also, check with KY Speed (another site sponsor) for deals on the SLP lids. I ordered from both of the above just a few months ago and am very pleased with the results.

The Amsoil Ea air filters are the way to go, no oiling, just vacuum or blow it out with a shop vac (no high pressure air) when it's dirty!

And the SLP lid is the best Lid I've had on my car, the other 2 abs plastic lids I had cracked.
Throttle body coolant bypass is worth doing, just get the barbed fittings at your local hardware store for cheap!
And IMO get a catch-can, it'll cut down on the oil vapors being sucked back through the intake track and coating it with oil.

**Teeeman** · 08-09-2009, 04:57 PM

Lot of folks seem to believe in adding the catch can...

... do all LS1 tend to spit some oil ?

(this car so far uses no oil I can tell but I should have me a look in the intake plumbing real soon, I spent this weekend finishing the detail job on my wife's car which was WAY overdue and she was not a happy camper, hhahaha!>.. and finishing up the Windstar we are selling)

I am just getting to know the car...

... thanks for the heads up on the can!

Oh... any particular can that is well-liked you can recommend?

Thanks!

-T