5th Gen Noob need ideas

[farm rat]

OK the car is a bone stock 2011 1LS M6. 67K on the clock. What I am looking for is the must do mods for 1. Performance and 2. Reliability. It will be a work in progress as I am not made of money. Also any quirks I need to watch for. I am pretty handy with a wrench and not afraid to get dirty.

Thank you in advance for the help.

[ChibiBlackSheep]

Keep an eye on oil levels, be religious with your oil change schedule.

Catch-can is a must, upper-intake cleaning is a must if your car never had a catch-can.

[DSX_Camaro]

Swap your brake / clutch fluid reservoir for fresh flush (I honestly use just Napa brand DOT3 - the forum has recommendations for more performance oriented fluids for tracking and such, but I don't track). Change differential and transmission oil (I prefer Redline GL5 75W90, check manual / forum for exact quantities, don't overfill). Chibi has good thoughts too. Check coolant and power steering.

Easy mods, intake, air scoop, ported throttle body, ported intake manifold, iceolator / plenum spacers, headers, tune. Exhaust for sound.

You could also skim the forum for LFX intake manifold conversions, and if anyone runs the 80mm throttle body with it.

[rtcat600man]

Welcome.

Check out the link below for many of the ideas you seek out.

https://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16893

Also, click on MY BUILD in my signature below, for what I did over the years for my Camaro for further ideas.

If you have any specific questions for me, list them here or send me a message.

ENJOY.

[farm rat]

Originally Posted by rtcat600man

Welcome.

Check out the link below for many of the ideas you seek out.

https://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16893

Also, click on MY BUILD in my signature below, for what I did over the years for my Camaro for further ideas.

If you have any specific questions for me, list them here or send me a message.

ENJOY.

Thanks for the link I bookmarked it

Couple of questions

What is an iceolator? It wasn't listed

What is the difference between an air scoop and a CAI?

Do most of these mods require a tune?

What mods did you list can you do without having to do a tune? In other words since this a WIP I would want to as much as I can over time before having to have a tune done...if that makes sense.

I know these are pretty basic questions that have already been answered but quite honestly the search function aint all that great and between my busy job and trying to run a small farm by myself I don't have a lot of time.

Thanks
FR

[rtcat600man]

Originally Posted by farm rat

Thanks for the link I bookmarked it

Couple of questions

What is an iceolator? It wasn't listed

What is the difference between an air scoop and a CAI?

Do most of these mods require a tune?

What mods did you list can you do without having to do a tune? In other words since this a WIP I would want to as much as I can over time before having to have a tune done...if that makes sense.

I know these are pretty basic questions that have already been answered but quite honestly the search function aint all that great and between my busy job and trying to run a small farm by myself I don't have a lot of time.

Thanks
FR

The iceolator is a spacer between the intake manifold and the heads. This helps separate the heat from the heads to the intake manifold. There were a couple different ones on the market. Mine happens to be 3/8" thick and is called iceolator. I will have to add that to the list........Thank - you

Here are a few threads on the subject.

https://www.camaro5.com/forums/showt...highlight=vmax

https://www.camaro5.com/forums/showt...ight=iceolator

https://www.camaro5.com/forums/showt...ight=iceolator

Here is a link to purchase one.

http://www.jdpmotorsports.com/vmax-i...v6-vmax-250-lp


The air scoop was deigned to help guide more air into thebottom of the cold air intake system.

I have an INJEN system and it grabs air from the bottom of the engine bay area. I did cut some of the plastic from the front end in the area for the air scoop to help aid in providing more air to my system. There are threads out there that discuss this further.

I attached 4 photos showing my set-up and where I cutout the plastic.









Here is a link to purchase one.

https://www.phastekperformance.com/C...maro-12216.htm

As for a tune, neither of these mods would really require a tune, as the computer can make many adjustments to help with the changes you would make. However, I have an old tune and was more of a canned tune. There are people now who have cracked some or most of the codes and a tune will help all around too.

You can do some mods prior to getting a tune. Just a matter of what you want first. As you read my build you can see what I did and when.

Hope this helps.

Good Luck

[farm rat]

OK so being on a budget (I am getting a divorce) chronologically where would you start?

Meaning the most bang for the buck up front

In no particular order I am thinking

CAI
Iceolator
Ported TB
Plenum spacer

Am I on the right track?

Edit to add. This is a daily driver I doubt will ever see a track of any kind.

What's the purpose of the vented oil filler cap and what kind of paint did you use to pain your IM

Thanks for being patient.
FR

[ChibiBlackSheep]

On a budget, I would do routine maintenance items first. Flush all fluids, get the car in tip-top shape.

Then I would get the catch-can installed, followed by a CAI and exhaust. Then just enjoy the car, because the other stuff isn't really worth the cost per small amount of power added. Whereas the intake and exhaust you would hear the changes all of the time and enjoy it.

[rtcat600man]

[/CODE]

Originally Posted by farm rat

OK so being on a budget (I am getting a divorce) chronologically where would you start?

Meaning the most bang for the buck up front

In no particular order I am thinking

CAI
Iceolator
Ported TB
Plenum spacer

Am I on the right track?

Edit to add. This is a daily driver I doubt will ever see a track of any kind.

What's the purpose of the vented oil filler cap and what kind of paint did you use to pain your IM

Thanks for being patient.
FR

Sorry to hear about the divorce, been there done that....GOOD LUCK.

Catch can first.
Go thru everything to make sure it is all in working order.
Change your oil every 3 - 5K miles.
CAI and exhaust to see and hear some changes. (look for deals or used ones from others selling their stuff.
No real reason for the vented oil filler cap doing basic mods.
IM was painted with basic IOM paint, and then a coat of clear.

Originally Posted by ChibiBlackSheep

On a budget, I would do routine maintenance items first. Flush all fluids, get the car in tip-top shape.

Then I would get the catch-can installed, followed by a CAI and exhaust. Then just enjoy the car, because the other stuff isn't really worth the cost per small amount of power added. Whereas the intake and exhaust you would hear the changes all of the time and enjoy it.

[farm rat]

I think exhaust will be towards the end of the list. Whatever I can do to increase performance and mpg without having to do a tune is probably where I am going first.

I am due for an oil change and I'll probably change out the tranny and differential fluids for a better grade like Red Line or Royal Purple.

[ChibiBlackSheep]

Originally Posted by farm rat

I am due for an oil change and I'll probably change out the tranny and differential fluids for a better grade like Red Line or Royal Purple.

Super easy to do. I went with mobil 1 for oil, trans, and diff.

Don't forget to do the radiator too. It's recommended at least every 3-5 years, and your car is now 7.

[farm rat]

Originally Posted by ChibiBlackSheep

Super easy to do. I went with mobil 1 for oil, trans, and diff.

Don't forget to do the radiator too. It's recommended at least every 3-5 years, and your car is now 7.

What is the recommended fluid for the radiator?

I assume you put Mobil 1 gear lube in the tranny and diff.

[ChibiBlackSheep]

Originally Posted by farm rat

What is the recommended fluid for the radiator?

I assume you put Mobil 1 gear lube in the tranny and diff.

Yep, I got 3 quarts of Mobil 1 75-90 and put 1 in the diff and almost 2 in the trans. I also threw in 3 ounces of GM limited-slip fluid just in case. (some say it's already in the mobil 1, some say to still use it, the GM manual does call for it so I grabbed it) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For the radiator you just need dex-cool compatible coolant. I went with premixed prestone dexcool.

Bought 4 bottles + 2 bottles of distilled water. Drained my rad, threw in the distilled water, ran the car for 10 minutes, drained, and filled with the dexcool until full. Ran it with the cap off until it let the air out, topped off the system. Closed it all up, and every morning I checked the overflow just to make sure. I think the second morning I needed to add a little more after I drove to and from work.

[farm rat]

Originally Posted by ChibiBlackSheep

Yep, I got 3 quarts of Mobil 1 75-90 and put 1 in the diff and almost 2 in the trans. I also threw in 3 ounces of GM limited-slip fluid just in case. (some say it's already in the mobil 1, some say to still use it, the GM manual does call for it so I grabbed it) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For the radiator you just need dex-cool compatible coolant. I went with premixed prestone dexcool.

Bought 4 bottles + 2 bottles of distilled water. Drained my rad, threw in the distilled water, ran the car for 10 minutes, drained, and filled with the dexcool until full. Ran it with the cap off until it let the air out, topped off the system. Closed it all up, and every morning I checked the overflow just to make sure. I think the second morning I needed to add a little more after I drove to and from work.

I haven't looked, is everything pretty straight forward to get to on the tranny and diff?

Thanks for your patience
FR