PCMs for less will do a tune for $250 and can reccommend combinations that they have seen work. If you change anything on the motor a retune is $50.

http://www.pcmforless.com/index.php?...d=44&Itemid=40

Thanks Guy, sounds like a great starting point no matter how many mods I do up front.

Gene

As others have said get on Ls1-tech and do some homework , also checkout the classifieds. This is were us poorboys buy our LS1 goodies.

I found used 98 LS1 motor on crigslist so I was like let's go check it out decent price at the time I thought and local. So I get there and find the motor to hve a set of stage 2 heads,LS6 intake,trick flow pushrods,comp cam few other goodies and only had 70k on it and car was wrecked and body was unrepairable. So for 2,300 I got wiring harness,pcm and engine. To top that they even had dyno sheet that proved rwhp at 423 rwhp and 392 foot pounds torque and receipts from work when parts where installed from previous owner in TX. So I scooped it up and took it home, well I am always noisy so I asked a friend that is a engine builder and asked about rebuilding it and he said it's got low miles but I dug in taking parts off and found lifter wearing slightly! So I tore it all down got ARP bolts for rods all new gaskets, new pistons,lifters,LS2 timing chain,ported oil pump etc. Swapped a timing belt job for engine build minus machine work,even got to help during build and blue print it etc. He tells me motor has more power and pcm was probably not tune right but will see in then end! I still think the 98's are good motors but some don't . Just my luck I think I got a good deal in the end!

Sounds great! Let us what the dyno results are. :yes:

just a fyi, the '01 Z06 LS6 had a smaller cam than '02-'04 LS6. it was only .525 lift while '02-'04 was .550 lift. that cam in your car with a good tune will get you close to 400 rear wheel hp. when i say a good tune that means on a local dyno with a tuner. i've seen mail order tunes range from 20-43 hp lower than a local tune on a dyno.

you should replace the push rods no matter what cam you have, stock LS1 push rods flex a lot and can even brake at high RPM.

LS1 blocks are different than LS6 blocks. only about 15% of '01 and 28% '02 camaros got a LS6 block. you can tell by the part number on the back.

1. the LS6 block has vents at the bottom of the cylinders to allow for better back pressure dissipation... the LS1 block did not have this.

2. the LS6 blocks that wound up in the f-bodies were made from the denser casting, and therefore were more prone to tolerate nitrous... the LS1 blocks were almost equally tolerant of nitrous, but were made from a less dense product run.

3. the way to tell if your block is an LS6 block is to look at the casting number at the top, back of the block and on the driver's side... the LS6 casting number is 12561168... anything else is the LS1 casting number.

good reading about the LSx engines.
http://www.cadillacfaq.com/faq/answe...0of%20power%22

if your running everything like i am and like we have already talked about then no you do not need to delete VATS in the PCM. i am not deleting it out of mine because i like the fact that i have anti-theft in my 1969 camaro and its that much harder to steal.

read up on LS1Tech.com, there is a cam only section and people put the cam they have and the power they made. a lot of good info there. if you want to keep stock valve springs you need to stay under .570 lift IIRC.

Yup, I had read before about the LS6 blocks and checked the number at that time, mine is the LS6 block. I've done a fair amount of reading in LS1Tech over the last year but I'm still a little confused. Even though it's an LS6 block, I thought it was still considered an LS1 for a number of other reasons. Are you saying it would have an LS6 cam in it as well or are you saying to stay with the later Z06 cam if I make the change? My motor came from an 02 Camaro. I believe the intake is supposed to be an LS6 as well. The heads are 241's not 243's that Fitz78ta mentioned earlier. The car was built in the second half of 02 so I'm thinking that it must have most of the later upgrades.

Thanks for the tip on the tune. From everything I've been reading the tune is most important that's for sure! When I get the thing finally fired up, I will find a dyno shop somewhere around here that can do the tune like you said. It sounds worth every penny. Meanwhile, I'll keep researching, that's for sure.

As far as the VATS, I agree, same plan. I too like the thought of the antitheft, especially with a ragtop that can be opened easier. I've got the gage 02 cluster mounted and just about have the dash set up completed. I'm pleased with the results. I moved the conv top switch to the old ignition location. The dash cluster area in the 64 will basically be blacked out - tinted glass to see the gages only, the rest dark.

By the way, I did get right steering wheel adaptor set up from Grant to work with the 02 column. I got the correct number through Steve at Madman & Co. Racing, Inc. That was a lead I got from an LS1Tech forum search. Steve was real helpful.

if you do swap a Z06 cam make sure its the later one.

you also don't have to use the stock dash if you don't want to.

here is how to wire it.
http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/stereo...et-gauges.html

also lets you use a standard GM 0-90 ohm fuel level sending unit.

Yah, I wanted to use the Camaro cluster for a number of reasons, that's what keep things interesting, something a little different.

I looked at the article you linked. Great info, I saved it.

Thanks

Here's a pic of the new dash set up with the Camaro cluster behind tint and the Camaro column with a Grant steering wheel. I also added a pic of the original. Not the best pics, sorry for that.

This look may not be for everyone but I like it.