Winter project planning

So, it is time to start thinking about winter projects and I was hoping to get some input as to what you guys think are the best options going forward. My ’05 RC, 65k miles (owned it since 40k), is pretty much stock, has Magnaflow muffler in otherwise OEM pipes, UD pulley, K&N intake. Goals: continued reliability, a little more seat of the pants fun, maybe a crack at mid-13’s in the 1/4 mile.

Recently completed: new ball joints, all fluids changed, tires.

Could/Should do based on age/miles: Coils, wires, plugs. Any other 60k pending issues? Worth investing in a caliper rebuild BEFORE an issue? Nearing end of expected clutch life? Front end bushings?

Wants/wishes: 170 T-stat, TB and canned tune. OEM air box and K&N drop in. Black chrome rims, black OEM headlights and smoked LED tails.

What am I missing or should I consider? Anything not worth it on my list?

I would consider doing the calipers and the oil cooler and ps lines if you haven't done those yet.
Also, headers, catless and more than likely plugs and wires. Then tune.
I have an 05 QC and doing all the exhaust at once with a tb really made a difference. Probably be awhile before I do much more.

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Longtube Billy Boat or American Racing headers with no cats, or high flow cats.

Instead of a can tune, take it to a shop and have torrie remote tune it on a dyno.

Also, in my opinion, i have always thought that K&N's and JMB cold air intake was better than the stock "accordion" style intake tube.

Intake, Tonys Throttle body, porting out the intake manifold (doesn't gain much), longtubes either B&B or ARE, full exhaust with no cats, 170*Tstat, Tonys coil packs and wires, a fresh set of champions gapped at .35 and a dyno tune.

I'd happily set you up with a combo you should run low 12s with boss. You should do mud 13s stock. Nice coils needed. Fresh wires/plugs, Belanger headers, our SnakeBite exhaust , our mono blade TB, UD pulley, K&N CAI, tuning , and you'll be eating Camaros and shitting Mustangs :rock:

VENOMOUS1 RACING said:

I'd happily set you up with a combo you should run low 12s with boss. You should do mud 13s stock. Nice coils needed. Fresh wires/plugs, Belanger headers, our SnakeBite exhaust , our mono blade TB, UD pulley, K&N CAI, tuning , and you'll be eating Camaros and shitting Mustangs :rock:

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I ran a best of 14.1 at 100 mph in my one day at the track. Probably not launching hard enough. I will see what I can swing this year. Ideally your list looks great, but there is a house supervisor that has other ideas. Maybe limited to the spark system, TB, and tune. Have the UDP and K&N.

StinkyLinky said:

I ran a best of 14.1 at 100 mph in my one day at the track. Probably not launching hard enough. I will see what I can swing this year. Ideally your list looks great, but there is a house supervisor that has other ideas. Maybe limited to the spark system, TB, and tune. Have the UDP and K&N.

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Those dang budget coordinators

StinkyLinky said:

So, it is time to start thinking about winter projects and I was hoping to get some input as to what you guys think are the best options going forward. My ’05 RC, 65k miles (owned it since 40k), is pretty much stock, has Magnaflow muffler in otherwise OEM pipes, UD pulley, K&N intake. Goals: continued reliability, a little more seat of the pants fun, maybe a crack at mid-13’s in the 1/4 mile.

Recently completed: new ball joints, all fluids changed, tires.

Could/Should do based on age/miles: Coils, wires, plugs. Any other 60k pending issues? Worth investing in a caliper rebuild BEFORE an issue? Nearing end of expected clutch life? Front end bushings?

Wants/wishes: 170 T-stat, TB and canned tune. OEM air box and K&N drop in. Black chrome rims, black OEM headlights and smoked LED tails.

What am I missing or should I consider? Anything not worth it on my list?

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I like your thought process on this "winter" project. I also like the KISS method. Utilize PROVEN mods that yield the best overall results and maintain headache free reliability. The "combination" should work together as a package. The good thing is we have a giant aluminum lump that can pump a bunch of air. All aluminum engines (properly tuned) like to run in the 190* range. So the low temp t-stat is not worth it. In the end when you improve the pumping ability of this lump, it will ALL be in the tune as some have stated. Even as you add these mods to a stock tune, you will be surprised to see that the A/F ratio will still be pig rich. (somewhere in the 11:1 range). I saw this on my Wideband O2 after fresh plugs (Indexed), wires, demon coils, BBK TB and a full, 3" manifold back B&B exhaust. I also run the stock CAI with a drop in K&N. You want to feed this engine as cool of an intake charge as possible. The ECM will pull valuable timing as the temperature rises above 104*. A filter sucking from the engine bay just cannot keep temps low enough after through warm up. The OEM set up will keep temps within or close to ambient at road speed without restriction. Now, even a "can tune" will be safe rich. I saw similar or richer A/F at high RPM with a Can tune and even lost .2 in the 1/4. Stock my 05' RC ran 13.2 in the 1/4. 13.4 with a Can tune AND the mods listed above. Bottom line? The true secret to 12's will be traction and tune. My truck really "woke up" with a tune around 12.5:1 and now runs 1/2 second quicker with a trap speed in the 108 mph range. (Stock weight w/ spare, Uncorrected w/ poor Arizona air)
Preserve your power UNDER peak and do not bounce this engine off the rev limiter if you want to preserve the valve train.
If your truck was mine, I'd go B&B manifold back exhaust with high flow cats, TB, full tune up with indexed plugs, wires and high voltage coils. Tune it with Torrie and pony up for a Wideband A/F gauge and KNOW where your truck is running. It will make a huge swath of torque that will be smooth and strong as a locomotive, headache free (emissions and engine bay heat) and very reliable. Then if your buddy wants to taunt you with his New 2017 392 Scat Pack Charger by claiming how beautiful his tail lights are, you know even from a dig, you can embarrass him to well over 120 mph!!:rock:

Have Fun... Cheers!

P.S. W/ your mileage, prior to your "tune up", run some "One and Done" through your engine. Especially if you do not consistently use good fuel like Chevron with Techron. This will get your 10 injectors and combustion chambers cleaned up nicely. The injectors will "atomize" better and more evenly to take advantage of your upcoming tune and make all 10 "air pumps" run in unison. Also be ready for your oil to turn dark as it dissolves all the combustion deposits and change it afterwards. :burnout:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Gumout-O...=109191239_0&wl14=gumout one and done&veh=sem

Pirana131313 said:

Longtube Billy Boat or American Racing headers with no cats, or high flow cats.

Instead of a can tune, take it to a shop and have torrie remote tune it on a dyno.

Also, in my opinion, i have always thought that K&N's and JMB cold air intake was better than the stock "accordion" style intake tube.

Intake, Tonys Throttle body, porting out the intake manifold (doesn't gain much), longtubes either B&B or ARE, full exhaust with no cats, 170*Tstat, Tonys coil packs and wires, a fresh set of champions gapped at .35 and a dyno tune.

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Billy Boat's - check.
JMB CAI with catch can - check.
BBK TB - check.
Tunes from Torrie to put it on the floor - check.

6speedquadcab said:

Billy Boat's - check.
JMB CAI with catch can - check.
BBK TB - check.
Tunes from Torrie to put it on the floor - check.

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Now there is something I forgot to mention. A Good, Large Catch Can.
Keep the low octane, hot oil fumes out of the intake before leaning out the engine with tuning.

Cheers!

Psycho1122 said:

Now there is something I forgot to mention. A Good, Large Catch Can.
Keep the low octane, hot oil fumes out of the intake before leaning out the engine with tuning.

Cheers!

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I thought catch cans were required for a forced air setup, not a factor for NA. But I've been wrong once before.

StinkyLinky said:

I thought catch cans were required for a forced air setup, not a factor for NA. But I've been wrong once before.

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Do your do diligence. Search this site and check this write up:

https://www.enginebasics.com/Engine Basics Root Folder/Catch_Can.html

There are reasons the factory map is so rich. Avoid detonation and keep the OEM cats happy. The EPA puts the OEM in a box with emissions standards. I would NOT lean out your engine to an optimum 12.5:1 until you remove the oil fumes/mist from the intake. If and when you change out the TB, you will see the mess from the fumes in the intake manifold.

I would also advise a large catch can and pull vacuum assist from the drivers side valve cover (Metered OEM nipple). Pull fresh air from the air box to the passenger side valve cover (OEM set up) with separator in between.

https://www.rxspeedworks.com/

Talk to Tommy : 352.678.9303 or email him... [email protected]

Cheers!

Got a few other mods lined up, just feels like every time I want to do an upgrade something else breaks down on my truck. I understand a 12 year old truck is gonna have its share of repair, replace, and maintenance to do list but couldn't it have waited until AFTER the supercharger goes in?

Well, winter is almost upon us, and now I am saving for a 17x24 and 10 ft high composite deck to build in the spring. Probably changing the want list to a need list, and get new rotors and pads up front and sadly not much else. :shot: