LIL QIK's 2013 ZL1 Build

[LIL QIK]

I remember when I first saw a 2012 ZL1 getting unloaded off a truck at the local dealership. All I could think to myself was how much it sucked that I would never be able to get one. I can't tell you how thrilled I was to actually drive off in one this past November. Granted I had to trade in my 2010 Camaro SS and an old 2002 Corvette Convertible I had in order to make it happen....lol. But hey.....I got one. And granted....I bought it used with 8k on it....but hey....I got one...lol. So I've decided to start playing with it and see what I can get out of it. Hope you guys enjoy the following.

This is my baby.... I drove her around for a few thousand miles before I decided to take her to the track. Bone stock on factory tires she turned an 11.95 in the 1/4. I was happy/impressed with that.




Now I've gone and developed a plan for the ZL1 and picked up a lot of the parts already. Just need to finish up another project before I dive in. But here's the basics of what has been picked up already. Some of it is left over stuff from a previous projects planned and some is new. But it's all going to the ZL1.


Stuff that's sitting in the garage already.....

LSA 416
WCCH LSA Heads

Got two cams that I wanna try
(One has gone low 9's in a buddies CTS-V.)
(The other is a custom BTR cam that's a little larger.)
Rockers arms are just upgraded trunions (trying to keep it simple this build)
Morel Street Link Bar Lifters
Katch Billet Timing Chain
Schumann's Dynamic Oil Pump (LSPROXV)

2.3 Supercharger Upgrade
FIC 1000 Injectors
102mm NW TB
4.5" Custom Intake from G-Force Motorsports
Meth Injection
Custom Nitrous Setup

Moroso Catch Can Kit from Janettty Racing

Squash Performance Twin 450lph Fuel Pump Setup (Gonna try E85)
Kenne Bell Boost-A-Pump
Aeromotive A1000 Regulator

Innovative Dampner
Metco 9.10 Crank Pulley
LPE Supercharger Hub
LPE 2.55 Blower Pulley
Metco Idler Relocaiton with 100mm/50mm Pulleys
LPE Heat Exchanger w\ Dual Fans

1-7/8" Kooks Headers
3" Cat Deletes
Magnaflow ZL1 3" Cat-Back Exhaust


Stuff that I'm hoping to be able to pick up in the near future....

Rear Suspension BMR Components
17" Drag Pack Setup
All the 6L90e Tranny Upgrades. I haven't really decided whether or not I want to go with a stall or not...

Anyway....I hope to do some of the upgrades in a staged fashion so I can see what the improvements are on the dyno. Some of them will actually get done to my stock motor before I pull it out and put it in something else. One of the first things I want to check out is the Magnaflow Exhaust. Can't seem to find any good example in vids. Some people have been interested in the same thing. So I hope to get some good clips.

[LIL QIK]

Kind of dropped the ball on this....lol... I went ahead and installed most everything. Didn't really do the staged thing that I had planned. Just said screw it. One night a few weeks back I thought I was going to just do a small cam swap, pulley upgrade and cold air intake...and before the night was over I ended up putting the 416 in along with everything else that I had listed above. I drove the car back and forth to work for about a week and then decided to install the meth and nitrous as well. But there were some things that made me a little nervous on the 416 so on a gut feeling I decided to pull the 416 back out while I had it down. So I cleaned up the stock short block and decided to put that back in with the cam and head change. So as of right now I'm using the stock short block, WCCH LSA heads, cam, 2300 upgrade and pulleys.

I've got a question for some of you guys that are pushing the stock LSA bottom end. How hard are you really pushing it. In your opinion what's the max boost you would push on it. I'm gonna hold off on hitting it with the nitrous. But i'm curious as to what you guys think is the safe point. I've got enough pump and injector to go ahead and run the E85 and meth.... What do you think? And yea....I understand that it's all in the tune...but all that aside what do you figure is max. We know it'll go 20+psi.... but I'm not convinced the stock short block will hold...

Dave

[lbheat]

Impresive amount of parts. But 20psi on stock bottom end!!!??? No way that engine will last, im sure zl1 owners can chime in. Best of luck on your new awesome build.

[LIL QIK]

Originally Posted by lbheat

Impresive amount of parts. But 20psi on stock bottom end!!!??? No way that engine will last, im sure zl1 owners can chime in. Best of luck on your new awesome build.

Well....Turns out you may have been right. I went out to Camaro5 Fest and had a good time. We had just gotten the tune done on Friday and I made it out there on Saturday and did some racing. Had a really good time. Turns out the car was hitting 21psi.... But it didn't really last. In the final race I noticed my oil pressure was down when the lights were coming down. By the time I got back to my parking spot I was only making 5psi at idle. Not sure what happened yet being that I haven't gotten the motor out yet.....but I'm kind of thinking I ate up the thrust bearing. I feel the converter may have ballooned.....but I'll know more tonight....

We didn't run any nitrous and I ran a splash of C16 and my meth. Had absolutely no knock all day. Car was running prettty decent. Managed a 10.50 @ 134.50 for my best time and managed a 1.58 60' on my Nitto NT05R's using factory 20's. Had to leave extremely soft so was pretty happy with the 60' times.

But never the less....I don't think the motor fared well. I got home and replace the oil filter and pressure only came back up to 45psi at idle cold. It's usually 70psi cold. I cut the filter open and there was quite a bit of paper thin shiny ass shavings in the filter. Engine makes no noise at all and never did even when the psi was really low. Even drove it home.... So I'll get into it in the next couple of nights to verify what happened.

What ever the case.....a fresh motor is going back in. Just have to decide if I want to stick with forged factory cubes and keep my boost up.....or if I want to go back with stroker.... before I decide that I guess I'll have to see how the factory crank fared....

[LIL QIK]

Well....took the motor out and apart this past weekend. Turns out I spun a main bearing. Now trying to decide on whether or not to build up the stock motor, rebuild the 416 or what I'm heavily leaning towards is tossing in an LSx setup. You make a decision in the next couple of days.

[LIL QIK]

Well....decided on the LSX376-B15 crate engine. Hopefully that'll hold for a while until I can get the rotating assembly in that I want. Really nothing special about this setup. Basically the same thing as stock other than the block, heads and pistons. Using the same crank and rods. So I'm not comfortable hitting it with everything. Will hold off on hitting it with the nitrous. Came with an LS9 cam. Just going to run the engine as it came and see how it does. I never could find any flow numbers on the 6-bolt LSx heads that are on it. So really have no clue as to what it will do on the 15psi max recommended boost that they suggest. It's in and seems to be running fine. Sounds stock again which is a little weird......but just need to see what it'll do. Does seem a little boring right now though...lol. Hopefully can get her broken in and fully tuned soon.

For what it cost on the crate motor....I could have gotten the LSx 427 short block done...but it would have taken considerably longer. The crate engine was to my door in 4 days from the time I ordered and in a couple of days after that. Having one built was 6-8 weeks out. Didn't want the car to be down that long. This also gets me the foundation to the motor that I wanted....just have to get the rest of it now...lol.