[GoColts07]

I'm new here from Indy. I have an 04 SS. I was told on another thread the best place to start mods is with the headers. Although I truly appreciate the suggestion. I'm not the most mechanically gifted person so I would like to start out small with the mods. Will it be worth it to start with the air intake? Is K & N the way to go there?
Is there any out there I can read to get more information on my car?
I appreciate the help.

 

[COLD STEEL]

Although there are many brands and types, K&N is a very well known and proven brand. As for the headers, don't waste your money at this point. Start out with basics, computer tuning,intake kit,exhaust and then decide what you really want to do if that's not enough for you. Welcome to the forum

 

[04DetroitLS]

for the most part i agree w/ GBA
You can buy an aftermarket Downpipe, which will really open things up and get rid of the most restrictive part of our exhaust
For an intake, theres tons of ways to go, WizAired, K&N, JMB, hell, make your own, it'll work just as good, and cost 1/2 as much

My recommended starting points are
exhaust, 180* thermostat, intake, tune
do them all at once, it will really wake things up. Aslo you chould be able to drop pulley size (stock is 3.8) to a 3.6-3.5, but that can be a bit of a pain to do.. Th thermostat you should be able to change yourself,


BTW Welcome

 

[GoColts07]

Excellent! Thanks for the help.
I guess my Christmas list is made out now.:biggrin:
Where is the best place to read about those mods and what they'll do?

 

[04DetroitLS]

i had a thread on my "other forum" but its having issues since the upgrade

anyway
the downpipe (depending on if you get the catted or cat free version) basically eliminates the pinch point in the exhaust right before the cat, and some even delete the "Ubend" (look under your car where the pass door hinge is, its bent to accomidate the rear O2 sensor, most aftermarket DPs relocate it to the side to eliminate the "U bend"

heres my OLD intake setup, it actually extended into the fenderwell, but i removed that section to show the filter

Thats just painted pvc ( i recommend ABS Sewer wall pipe, holds better in the heat) Those fittings are just Fernco avail @ home depot, i recommend www.hightempsilicone.com now though (you learn as you go right? lol) Hellfire Motorsports (www.hellfiremotorsports.com) & Autozone also sell prebent sections of alum intake piping if you want to go that route.

the 180* t-stat lowers the temp @ which the thermostat opens, to help cool the engine/maintain cooler under hood temps, that paired w/ a pcm tune to match, you should notice 1-2 lines cooler on your temp gauge

Dropping pulley size: this gets a bit tricky, every 3800 i have seen modded acts differently, so the only TRUE way to know what a safe pulley size is, is to SCAN SCAN SCAN! you WANT 0*KR, 1-3 is decent anything over 5* is cause for worry/caution. KR is Knock Retard, or the *of timing the engine pulls to prevent detonation. Theres a TON of suff that can cause FLASE KR, you can usually tell false KR during a scan by how it shows up/when/and duration.
better read on KR http://www.zzperformance.com/grand_prix/articles1.php?id=20
that being said, you can most likely drop to a 3.5" on the mods i recommended. a smaller pulley increase the speed @ which the rotors in the blower turn, forcing more air into the Lower Intake Manifold, creating more power. Dropping further sizes will require more mods ( ie headers/powerlogPEMS, bigger injectors, meth kit or intercooler, etc..)
In theory the more air the blower puches, the more power your car will make, there are other factors in that though

 

[GoColts07]

Thanks for all the help. I will start with the intake then downpipe and so on.

 

[GoColts07]

How do I know if I need a 2.5" or 3" downpipe?
Taking a look at pcm's and overkill says they will custom calibrate. How or where do I find out about what to tell them?
I'm more than happy to read about these things instead of bugging the people in here. I just need to know where to look.
Do you know where I can find drawings/specs for my engine?

 

[04DetroitLS]

which DP (ZZP, RT, WBody Store) are you looking at? IMO, I'd go 3" (the 2.5 is recommended for N/A cars), and if you go weld in pipe, it will prob only cost you ~$50 to get it installed @ a mom & pop exhaust shop. For the Overkill PCM, just write him and let him know which mods you have, I know he also does custom (ie drive your car there) tuning, which may be what hes referring to on the site.

 

[GoColts07]

I'll probably go with ZZP from overkill. It seems they will offer more support and the complete package. Is there anything else I need to get when I get the downpipe like bolts, gaskets, etc.? Like I said I don't know a lot about this stuff.:redface:
I'll write the overkill guys about programming.

 

[COLD STEEL]

Before or after viagra?

 

[04DetroitLS]

Before or after viagra?

lol




anyway....
ZZP's support is hit & miss, depending on who you get on the other end, watch or they'll try to sell you the store
best cust support IMO is Intense, then Overkill (just b/c he can be a little slow responding), then zzp, followed by everyone else I usually get an answer from Intense w/in a few hours, but for tunes (off the shelf) Overkill is the best... The only issue i had w/ Intense, they shorted me 1 valve seal, and then next day aired it to me for free as soon as i called. NBD miscounts happen I do like the ZZP style valve seals (both are viton seals) better, they are easier to tell when they are seated properly. Just my .02
AFAIK, the gaskets SHOULD be included, the bolts you should already have in your car, if they break (they get rusty quick) you can pick up a set of stainless grade 8s from lowes (maybe$2 for the set), just bring the old bolt with you and match it up. If you need gaskets, most exh places will have them. Ask ZZP when/before you order though. Grab an o2 extension harness, im not sure how well the new setup will line up w/ your stock. I didnt need it, but i went headers/custom exhaust right from the start, and the DP came w/ the headers.

 

[GoColts07]

Thanks.
I will get some pics of my car up on the site hopefully tonight.
BTW, how do you increase airflow without removing the left light?

 

[COLD STEEL]

04DetroitLS


Since this guy is very interested, how about making a short video. We can all learn a thing or two, even myself who does not believe in wrong wheel drive lol, kidding aside....will you post a vid including things you've done and maybe a little show off?

 

[GoColts07]

Good idea GBA!
I am very interested in learning as much about impalas as I can. I love this car and want it to be cherry.:biggrin:

 

[04DetroitLS]

I'll work on it this winter...LOL the engine bay looks like ass tirght now, I dont think i prepped the topend very well when i painted it, its all starting to flake off and sice its getting torn down shortly.....

Colts,
theres no real way to increase air intake, unless you get a bigger TB, if you go with a DIY or K&N (or similar) intake it removes the baffles in the air box, and the accordian looking pipe, which will increase air flow, but you may notice a sucking sound when the car is cold. Those baffles & accordian are there to quiet the noise of the air coming into the engine.

You can extend the CAI into the drivers fender, theres a "brace" there you can unbolt one side of it and bend it down so that the filter will fit inside your fender. I'll try to get a pic of it this weekend, mine has been gone for quite some time though...

 

[GoColts07]

So replacing the stock intake will be sufficient?
I read somewhere that it's beneficial to take the 3800 Series cover off the top of the engine, but I saw the pic of yours and thought it looked good. Does it matter to have it on or off? Did you paint yours or buy it?
Mine looks worn.

 

[04DetroitLS]

painted it, just the colormatch spray, and some plastics primer

it does trap heat under it, thats the only benefit from removing it

 

[NaptownSS]

I'll show you mine......not much to see. I have since taken my S/C cover off and the plastic piece behind the grill (black plastic shown in pic right behind grill on the top) to allow more air into the engine bay. I also cut approx 2 ft of the seal on the back side of the engine compartment (shown is pic) starting on the drivers side, my thoughts were that it may give that air an easy escape allowing in more air from the front.

Testing out new intake, and having a bit of fun too!!!! Squirrly part at start is 1st gear, when shifted into second she sat down and red lined in 2nd gear thats about 94mph wheel speed, I cross the 1/4 mile mark in 2nd at 92mph