[Workman]

Hey guys, I just got a simple question.
My car is a 95 trans am, Its Lt1 of course. I know these cars come stock with 275 horsepower and 325 torque.
I have Flow masters, Dbbl platinum spark plugs, and a Spectre Cone air filter instead of the normal air box. But it sits right where the air box was, As seen on my pic to the upper left lol. So i guess my question is,
How much Horsepower and Torque do you estimate my car has right now?
and if i add Long tube headers, Cat delete, True dual exhaust, How much power will I have?

 

[steveo]

well buddy, it's funny to think about, but theoreticaly, you have actually LOST power from those mods.

your flowmaster muffler (are they 50 series?) is known to actually be the one system that is more restrictive than the stock one, although it does sound good. if you're talking a complete catback you put on there, the tubing design might gain you a bit, but the muffler will piss all over it. some flowmaster mufflers are ok, the ones for f-bodies are crap

a cone filter on the stock tube? well, the tube is a restriction, and certianly the stock airbox is slightly restrictive with a stock engine; but now you're sucking in heated engine bay air. since the stock airbox is snorkeled out of the engine bay, this would likely negate any gain in some (not all) conditions. the temperature of the intake air is important.

you should at least build a doghouse around that air filter so it draws air through that hole where the stock airbox used to sit. or, failing that, just hang the sucker right on the end of your maf. at least that way you'll have a slight gain in flow from the removal of that sketchy stock tube, which might overcome the fact that you're drawing in baking hot air from a cramped engine bay

do not put true duals on your stock car, there is nothing to gain from that except a bit different of a sound, and it's a nightmare to design if you aren't good with exhaust work. the stock 2 into 1 system is good for all but a very heavily modified lt1

delete your cats, get longtubes, you're probably talking +10-15hp on a dyno, just due to how much the stock manifolds suck. you will lose a little low end torque too. right now you're certainly in the negative.

 

[bufmatmuslepants]

well buddy, it's funny to think about, but theoreticaly, you have actually LOST power from those mods.

your flowmaster muffler (are they 50 series?) is known to actually be the one system that is more restrictive than the stock one, although it does sound good. if you're talking a complete catback you put on there, the tubing design might gain you a bit, but the muffler will piss all over it. some flowmaster mufflers are ok, the ones for f-bodies are crap

a cone filter on the stock tube? well, the tube is a restriction, and certianly the stock airbox is slightly restrictive with a stock engine; but now you're sucking in heated engine bay air. since the stock airbox is snorkeled out of the engine bay, this would likely negate any gain in some (not all) conditions. the temperature of the intake air is important.

you should at least build a doghouse around that air filter so it draws air through that hole where the stock airbox used to sit. or, failing that, just hang the sucker right on the end of your maf. at least that way you'll have a slight gain in flow from the removal of that sketchy stock tube, which might overcome the fact that you're drawing in baking hot air from a cramped engine bay

do not put true duals on your stock car, there is nothing to gain from that except a bit different of a sound, and it's a nightmare to design if you aren't good with exhaust work. the stock 2 into 1 system is good for all but a very heavily modified lt1

delete your cats, get longtubes, you're probably talking +10-15hp on a dyno, just due to how much the stock manifolds suck. you will lose a little low end torque too. right now you're certainly in the negative.

Very well said. And those expensive spark plugs arnt doing you any favors either, you should stick with NGK TR55s, they are $2 each and work great in these cars.

Get a magnaflow catback or some other system with a straight through design mufler, and some long tube headers with an off road Y pipe (ORY). Get a full cold air intake, whether it be a K&N or Moroso plastic one that sticks the cone below the engine bay in front of the tire, or one of the cheap $75 ones on ebay that does the same thing, but is ugly and doesnt secure itself to anything. Then get a mail order tune, and if you have an M6, you will be close to 300rwhp. Right now you are probably around 255 if you are an M6, 230 if you are an A4.

 

[cardo0]

This good for discussion - maybe digestion and elimination too.

Power improvement is made from parts that compliment each other. Parts that don't match up can reduce your engines power out. It's all in the combination of good parts not just selecting good parts but may not match for efficiency.

Did u know platinum plugs actually conduct too well and make a weaker spark than the conventional iron alloy electrode plugs? Yes the Pt plugs conduct the charge too fast where the iron alloy electrodes allow the charge to "stack up" at the gap producing a "hotter" spark. But Pt plugs do last longer.

A cone filter can help reduce intake restriction but without a picture no telling how well it may help or hurt. Try a vacuum gauge to measure intake restriction at WOT. I have a vac gauge right on my dash and at WOT it goes all the way to zero - i calibrate my gauges at work so i'm confidant in it's reading. All i have right now is a K&N filter within the stock intake box. But i have a MOROSO "honker CAI" stitting on the shelf waiting for install.:LS1LT1flag:

Long tube headers and a free flowing exhaust may give the stock engine a few ponies but are a must for serious engine mods in the future. They will allow the bigger cams and better heads to breath better - again improve the combination.

If u what HP numbers u can calculate this by your self using the cars weight and a stop watch - get Dr. Jacobs book on ignition systems. But u will have to use your head instead of your wallet.

Hope this helps more than it hurts and good luck,
cardo

 

[Workman]

Thanks guys for the info its needed!

 

[1993Hawk]

Long tubes will give more hp than 10-15 on the dyno. Being around alot of dyno pulls I have seen LT1's gain some decent numbers from exhaust mods. I personally picked up 8 rwhp from adding just a borla 2 3/4" y-pipe running off stock log manifolds on my long gone 95 lt1, automatic formula. It dynoed 281 rwhp with just that and a already added 160 stat. I have a buddy that picked up 22 rwhp with just Hooker Longtubes on is LT1. Not trying to split hairs on hp numbers but this is just from my experience.

I put Mac midlengths and a 3" ORP on my 93 Firehawk M6 with a 160 stat, had it tuned from PCMforless. I have not had it dynoed yet but can say its night and day difference in seat of the pants performance. I will post dyno results as soon as we do it.

 

[lt1-xjs]

Long tubes will give more hp than 10-15 on the dyno. Being around alot of dyno pulls I have seen LT1's gain some decent numbers from exhaust mods. I personally picked up 8 rwhp from adding just a borla 2 3/4" y-pipe running off stock log manifolds on my long gone 95 lt1, automatic formula. It dynoed 281 rwhp with just that and a already added 160 stat. I have a buddy that picked up 22 rwhp with just Hooker Longtubes on is LT1. Not trying to split hairs on hp numbers but this is just from my experience.

I put Mac midlengths and a 3" ORP on my 93 Firehawk M6 with a 160 stat, had it tuned from PCMforless. I have not had it dynoed yet but can say its night and day difference in seat of the pants performance. I will post dyno results as soon as we do it.

What are the before numbers ?

 

[1993Hawk]

The numbers for the 95 auto, Formula stock were 273 rwhp , 281rwhp with just the borla 2 3/4" y-pipe. This car ran 13.90's @100 mph. Ran solid 14.00's @98 mph stock. Borla also claimed 7-9 rwhp gain from going to there 2 3/4" y-pipe. I would say they were right on the money. I tried to buy one for my hawk before I did the headers, but they were discontinued.

I have no before base numbers for the 93 Firehawk. I am just hoping for 300 rwhp for the mods I have done. I am doing this so I have a baseline before i do the head/cam change. I wish I would have done a bone stock base on the Firehawk before the headers,160 stat and tune but i did not. I did find some base #'s on other stock LT1 Firehawks. Numbers were between 270-280 rwhp. These were M6 cars.

 

[lt1-xjs]

The numbers for the 95 auto, Formula stock were 273 rwhp , 281rwhp with just the borla 2 3/4" y-pipe. This car ran 13.90's @100 mph. Ran solid 14.00's @98 mph stock. Borla also claimed 7-9 rwhp gain from going to there 2 3/4" y-pipe. I would say they were right on the money. I tried to buy one for my hawk before I did the headers, but they were discontinued.

I have no before base numbers for the 93 Firehawk. I am just hoping for 300 rwhp for the mods I have done. I am doing this so I have a baseline before i do the head/cam change. I wish I would have done a bone stock base on the Firehawk before the headers,160 stat and tune but i did not. I did find some base #'s on other stock LT1 Firehawks. Numbers were between 270-280 rwhp. These were M6 cars.

I doubt if you'll get anywhere near 300 rwhp with mids and a tune, maybe with a few more bolt-ons.

 

[steveo]

baseline horsepower numbers are crap too

if you took 10 brand new identical LT1 cars in controlled conditions and stomped on them in a straight line, you'd be really suprised at how variable production engines are.

these aren't blueprinted engines, they're just chucked together

 

[lt1-xjs]

baseline horsepower numbers are crap too

if you took 10 brand new identical LT1 cars in controlled conditions and stomped on them in a straight line, you'd be really suprised at how variable production engines are.

these aren't blueprinted engines, they're just chucked together

Getting a baseline dyno is important. You won't know the extent of your gains from the mods you do.

 

[Gamikatsu]

Likely... you will cry yourself to sleep if you knew what your car was putting to the ground...

A4 cars typically 230-250 RWHP and m6 cars 240-260 RWHP. usually towadrs the lower end of the spectrum for our LT1 cars.

they respond really well to the correct mods however.

a TRUE cold air intake, not a slip on cone. get either the K&N FIPK or the Moroso intake they claim 18.3 hp claims on a dyno (sure felt impressive in my car, but i'll call it 10 hp gain) and a full cat-back exhaust can be good for 20+ hp, long tubes are more. Flowmaster mufflers are aweful for performance with there chambered design and actually will probably hurt your power, your'e better off with a flow through design magnaflow or similar. get rid of All accordian pipe and use 3" mandrel bent. 1.6 roller rockers with springs are good for another 15 Hp gain. get all those and you would be close to 300 RWHP if not right over it. but they feel fast dont' they!!!

 

[Workman]

Okay guys did some underneath searching on my car, It DOES NOT have flow masters, just two big muffler pipes on the end, and the last container thing the mufflers come out of apear to be that of a Flow master but it doesnt say it on it. And my Spectre cone air filter is NO joke RIGHT WHERE THE BOX WOULD BE. I tested it today almost 61 degrees here and no lie, i put my hand where the air filter is, COLD and as i got to the throttle body WARM bcuz the motor is right there obviously. ITs not getting ANY hot air bcuz of its location. And For some reason my car seems like its got ALOT more than just 230 Rwhp.
And ever since Ive added that litle cone filter there i have noticed an increase in throttle response and seriously, I can hear that thing whstling when i get up on it occasionally, It sounds like a supercharger lol but it does feel like im getting more power. not less.

Another thing, I raced a ford focus SVT, pushing 15 p.s.i, And Won. mind you his car only weighs like 2500 pounds, if that.

 

[Gamikatsu]

well, a 95 LT1 was rated at 275. figure the drivetrain loss in a 4L60E transmission your right at 240~ horsepower... hate to say it but its the truth... go hit a dyno... its just life. considering the 4.6 mustang at first was like 215 base horsepower, which put down 180 or less to the wheels... food for thought. horsepower is funny...Torque on the other hand... is under rated.... 325 ft lbs of torque, after drive train losses.. probably 275 ft lbs to the wheels... thats beast... why your 240 hp car feels fast. find a friend who has a real LT1 K&N CAI or moroso CAI and see the difference... the stock air box, had a small port that sucked the air ONLY out of the fender or under the headlight area, where as your cone... pulls air from anywhere around it... which happens to be HOT engine air. if you pull up live data and watch your intake air temp sensor while driving you will notice, it gets HOT... real hot... true CAI's that go OUTSIDE the engine bay, drastically reduce intake temps. i didn't want to believe it either, but i did my homework and am glad i did.

 

[Workman]

well, a 95 LT1 was rated at 275. figure the drivetrain loss in a 4L60E transmission your right at 240~ horsepower... hate to say it but its the truth... go hit a dyno... its just life. considering the 4.6 mustang at first was like 215 base horsepower, which put down 180 or less to the wheels... food for thought. horsepower is funny...Torque on the other hand... is under rated.... 325 ft lbs of torque, after drive train losses.. probably 275 ft lbs to the wheels... thats beast... why your 240 hp car feels fast. find a friend who has a real LT1 K&N CAI or moroso CAI and see the difference... the stock air box, had a small port that sucked the air ONLY out of the fender or under the headlight area, where as your cone... pulls air from anywhere around it... which happens to be HOT engine air. if you pull up live data and watch your intake air temp sensor while driving you will notice, it gets HOT... real hot... true CAI's that go OUTSIDE the engine bay, drastically reduce intake temps. i didn't want to believe it either, but i did my homework and am glad i did.

I understand what ur saying man but here's the thing, this cone tips stickss inside that little hole lol no naughty thoughts. But were having a dyno day soon and ill do a with cone and with stock air filter kinda thing.

 

[steveo]

you usually run a dyno with your hood up, and after it's cooled off a bit. that would make your results unrealistic, with respect to your hot air intake...

 

[ShowNoMercy]

You have a automatic, a dyno will only hurt feelings.

Go race your car.

 

[Gamikatsu]

You have a automatic, a dyno will only hurt feelings.

Go race your car.

Permission to add this to my Signature......

 

[ShowNoMercy]

By all means, have at it

 

[Gamikatsu]

Done... My name is SSgt Duplantis and i approve that message!!!

yes i own an automatic....