[14ZL1M6]

Originally Posted by zlwhine

Hey everyone! Apologies for the super long post in advance lol. Recently got my Stainless Works catback exhaust and their longtube headers for my ZL1. They are going to be installed within the next two weeks. I can't wait to hear the difference going from the stock NPP (with the plug pulled, of course) to the SW full catback system and longtube headers. So far people seem to be really happy with their installs so I have high expectations . Besides those mods performance-wise, all I have additionally is a rotofab CAI. The next mod I'm looking to get is a 9.55" crank pulley. (1) Do I need to upgrade my injectors and heat exchanger with the pulley upgrade? For cooling, instead of the heat exchanger, would a bigger reservoir be sufficient or will I need a new heat exchanger? The ZL1 is my daily driver and I'm concerned with its reliability and do not want to put anything out of balance. Also, I would really like to get a cam upgrade. People give me a lot of different answers (usually 50/50) about a cam upgrade and its reliability. So, (2) if I upgraded the cam, either to a LS9 stock cam or a bigger aftermarket cam, would the car be significantly less reliable or can it still be daily driven without worries? <-- and (3) if it is reliable with all these mods, will the stock internals be able to withstand all that power? I know LS motors are tanks, but sometimes I wish the LSA resembled the ZR1's LS9 a bit more (forged internals from the factory!). Maybe I've been reading the horror story threads a bit too much (on various forums including various cars) and am a bit anxious from finally ridding of my powertrain warrenty lol. I'm also wondering whether a catch can is needed (very beneficial to have) or simply just nice to have. There is a lot of talk on these forums about the benefits of catch cans, so if they are really essential mods, I will make them my next priority before other mods as they are cheap and very easy to DIY. My main goal is finding the perfect ratio of daily driveability (and thus reliability) to power output so I'm just afraid to go overboard (the mod-bug is definitaly contagious and seems to not be curable, lol .

Not sure if you're running cats or not. I love my Stainless Works system. It's loud and obnoxious, just the way I like it! ;-) You are pretty much going down the same route I have. You will need to upgrade your injectors for sure. I went with 1000cc because I know I'm doing future upgrades, so I didn't want to buy injectors twice. I have had no cooling issues with my setup so far, so you should be okay unless your tracking your car. A cam is my next mod so I can't comment on that yet, but I do know the LS9 cam is not that much of an upgrade, just not worth it. I think for what you're looking for, your best bet is probably like a stage 2 cam, not too aggressive. You should have a catch can on it even when its totally stock. After I installed mine and ran it for a bit, I couldn't believe the oil in the can.