Need some guidance to modding

4to10cyl

4to10cyl

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Cadillac, MI
I'm not overly concerned with making the most power. I can already tell that it takes some extensive modding to get "much" faster than stock with this truck. I just got it though, and I'm just contemplating out a few things. These are the things I would like to do:

1) Exhaust
2) Something with the air filter
3) Tune of some sort

As far as exhaust goes, I don't care about hp as 5-10 won't make much of a difference on a 5,000lb truck. I just want it to sound extremely good. I want basically as deep of a tone as I can without it getting raspy. I think I just want to deal with catbacks though. I heard a straight pipe on youtube which sounds amazing, but I'm going to guess it gets raspy while driving.

I've been looking around on the site for air filters vs. CAIs vs. stock, etc. Just wondering what everyone's opinions are. I've basically read that stock is good, CAI don't do much but add sound (always a plus), and drop ins add 5hp? Sound about right?

And as far as tuning goes, I start to get lost. From what I've seen there is a tune for $250, the SCT tune, etc. How does it work. Do you have to replace the ECM with an unlocked one, who does tuning, etc. What's it cost? Way different from what I'm coming from. I had a 07 solstice which was supercharged and HP tuned. So I'm just trying to get the jist of things.

Thanks for your help!!

-Noob
 
Hi Noob, you will get lots of suggestions here shortly :rock: :D
 
TheSickness said:
or he could just do a search.........:confused: :D
Click to expand...
You could actually be nice for once, too :D :p :p ;)
 
TheSickness said:
or he could just do a search.........:confused: :D
Click to expand...

I've been searching for over a week. I've been finding a lot of different information though. Some say CAIs add power, some say they don't. Some have lost power with tuning, some haven't. I really want a good opinion on an exhaust though.
 
4to10cyl said:
I've been searching for over a week. I've been finding a lot of different information though. Some say CAIs add power, some say they don't. Some have lost power with tuning, some haven't. I really want a good opinion on an exhaust though.
Click to expand...
Some will say magnaflow, some won't ;)

Did that help any?? :dontknow: J/K, you will get lots of opinions tomorrow after us Ho's go to bed :D
 
i will go w/ the magnaglow... it's cheaper and sounds very good.... if after install you want her louder.. then just get rid of the cats...
also go w/ the sct... is also cheaper than buying a new stage 2 pcm.. or if you are out of warranty... just sent your pcm to dc performance for a reflahs..... about the cai... I still have the stock filter on it and I have no complaints...
 
Welcome and greetings from NY.
Lots of options regarding mods. Since you have an 04, the rear gears are different. 05-06 have 4.56. May want to start there.
Exhaust is a definate. Magnaflow is the most common but some have borla, flowmaster, or BillyBoat (all stainless). Magnaflow has awesome sound and is best bang for thw buck.

CAI will not add hp whichever one you do. Go for bling and sound. JMB is your first and last spot. He is a vendor here and make beautiful parts for these trucks.

PCM- for the longest time, a flash was pretty much the only way to go. SCT came out last summer with a tuner so people have flocked to it. Mutiple tunes, and can be updated. Cheap too. Can still do the flash but not worth it anymore.

Can also go with a turbo setup, spray or SC. Check out Roe racing, Justin JMB, or our twin turbo truck great vendor, Stinker.

Good luck and welcome again.
 
I have a spare stage II PCM for an '04 RC for about $50.00 if you're interested. All that would be needed is to flash your VIN in it. It'll be an extremely cheap way to gain some horses. An exhaust is an absolute must. There are many routes to take here. Then a K&N drop in filter is the cheapest and easiest way to make changes as well. After these are done and if you're not satisfied, you can always upgrade.. Babysteps are great for feeling out different configurations until you arrive where you want.
 
Tony's MBRP single outlet exhaust sound really nice and deep..............Only 400$ brand new.

Buy some ones k&n for pennies or goto jmb powdercoating, he sells the prettiest CAI.

Keep your eye's peeled for members selling their Stage 2 pcm's. You can also buy a SCT for 600 and SCT with dyno tune runs 850. EDIT GO WITH ANT'S STAGE 2, bg will charge you 125 to flash the vin.

I like my K&N alot
 
Here is a step by step dyno graph from when I had my '04 RC. Run 1 was bone stock, run 2 was with a K&N drop-in filter and a B&G stage II PCM, run 3 was with a K&N, B&G, bassani shorties, catless mids and magnaglow.

Dynocomparison.jpg
 
Here is a pic of JMB's CAI. Don't know if it added power but people sure like the looks of it! Also has a slight hiss to it :D

image23.jpg
 
Let us know, Justin or I would be glad to help,

you got a ton of choices, tuners? well the flash dont reall do a ton on the rc's, actually for a bit untill you go further than exhaust, dont waste your money;) your not gonna add a ton of hp

Justins cold air kit is the bomb!, but do any of them add hp, no:p

Justin has bissani headers,with mids
I have american racing with mids
Roe has bellangers with mids

cat backs, I have borla, magnaflow, MBRP, and another one I think!LOLOL

Also you could get a roe tb, but hp wise..........eh little bit here and there

I can also get ya gears for the rear if ya need, like 4.88's which is popular

other than that, I got a ton of the juicy tid bits

Justin has killer viper emblems , that is a must

I get led tail lghts, third lights, interior lights

I also go the best damn lowering kit ever made for the RC:D

It even has a couple upgrades I havent posted about yet, should hve the springs in a couple days too.
 
oh and forgot I can get cal tracs, and my price?.........well most ask $500, mine is a TON less;)

gotta run bo, holla if ya need us
 
The first mod I did to my truck was a custom CAI. We did before and after runs back to back the same day in the same temp controlled room running the same intake temp and my truck gained 4hp to the wheels. I since have done the Magnaflow cat back and B&G performance and haven't dynoed it yet but it ran a 13.50 at 102 mph. Today I took out the 2 rear cats out and replaced them with some pipe. Very nice deep sound with no rasp.
 
I didn't waste any time with all the nickle and dime stuff. I just put a blower on it and that was the end of it.:D
 
Welcome, I put american racing long tube headers,mid pipes with hi flow cats and magnaflow cat back. I also have a sct tuner and iam running the mid tune. But I have a reg cab and the sct doesn't do much for us (as other guys were saying). To get to my point, I had mine dyod 448 hp and 492 tor. Another guy had a stock one and had 8 less hp and 40-50 less tor. My headers only added tq. I spent about 3000-3500 on mods for those numbers. I suggest go forged and put a roe on it.
 
4to10cyl said:
I'm not overly concerned with making the most power. I can already tell that it takes some extensive modding to get "much" faster than stock with this truck. I just got it though, and I'm just contemplating out a few things. These are the things I would like to do:

1) Exhaust
2) Something with the air filter
3) Tune of some sort

As far as exhaust goes, I don't care about hp as 5-10 won't make much of a difference on a 5,000lb truck. I just want it to sound extremely good. I want basically as deep of a tone as I can without it getting raspy. I think I just want to deal with catbacks though. I heard a straight pipe on youtube which sounds amazing, but I'm going to guess it gets raspy while driving.

I've been looking around on the site for air filters vs. CAIs vs. stock, etc. Just wondering what everyone's opinions are. I've basically read that stock is good, CAI don't do much but add sound (always a plus), and drop ins add 5hp? Sound about right?

And as far as tuning goes, I start to get lost. From what I've seen there is a tune for $250, the SCT tune, etc. How does it work. Do you have to replace the ECM with an unlocked one, who does tuning, etc. What's it cost? Way different from what I'm coming from. I had a 07 solstice which was supercharged and HP tuned. So I'm just trying to get the jist of things.

Thanks for your help!!

-Noob
Click to expand...
Welcome,

You sound like me as far as exhaust systems go. I had never really fancied the Viper sounds, to be honest a lot sound no different to a pile of rice driving down the street. Some sound exotic, some just plain crap. I searched and searched and was after the deepest sound, could have cared less about being the loudest or gaining the most hp, I just wanted DEEP. In the end I went with the Billy Boat system which from what I have seen, heard and researched is easily the deepest system. But, the down side is, you have to pay for it. :eek: I went with the complete system, long tube headers, catless mids and cat back. The catless mids are the way to go if they are legal in your state. The volume is the same as the hiflows so there really is no reason to go hiflow other than for legal reasons.

As far as air filters, I'm no pro, only had my truck around 10 months but I purchased a CAI kit for mine and think it's good. More for looks and sound, performance with an exhaust may improve by the seat of the pants. I think you will find you are wrong, a 5,000lb truck with 550hp will go faster than one with 500hp - fact. So, all these little bolt-ons do improve your truck and you can feel the difference, I can definitely tell mine ain't stock any more, that's for sure. ;) I would also suggest a Roe Racing Throttle Body, we put one on my truck and the response is fantastic, quite amazing really + extra grunt. I have the full exhaust, CAI, TB and a Roe Racing (Sean = the man) SCT tuner. I have guesstimated that I'd be around 570hp at the fly wheel or 500hp at the wheels.

The SCT Tuner as people probably would have said by now is a plug and play unit. You email Sean (or who ever you choose) and tell them your exact mods, average air temp, altitude, gas you run, etc and they'll tune your truck for your area. It's simple machine really that was easy to come up with (all these plug and play units that is). The trucks were made at a universal spec, the SCT tunes your truck for your area, something the factory didn't, and to be fair, couldn't do, unless they built your truck in your garage. The price is $500 and it's money well spent. You get 3 tunes for 3 fuels, 91, 93, 95, 98, what ever you run or would like to. You get better MPG, more power, better response and you can also diagnose your check engine lights to! New programs can be emailed to you and downloaded from your PC, too easy. Each engine and truck is different, some guy may get more hp, some less, some none at all but if it runs cooler, shifts better (auto) just to name a few, it's a good mod if you ask me.

I LOVE MY TRUCK. :rock: :rock: :rock: Check out this link for the Billy Boat video: www.carlwalski.com/Nightrunner.html


:)
 
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