Welcome to Just Commodores, a site specifically designed for all people who share the same passion as yourself.

New Posts Contact us

Just Commodores Forum Community

It takes just a moment to join our fantastic community

Register

Retaining low end power while modding

VFSSBlackLS3

New Member
Joined
Nov 18, 2018
Messages
13
Reaction score
1
Points
3
Age
39
Location
Adelaide, Australia
Members Ride
VF SS Black Edition, Series 2 LS3, 6 Speed manual
Hi,
I have the option to buy a cheap but good quality VCM OTR intake for my VF SS LS3, and I'm curious to know is it possible to achieve hi output horsepower gains, while at the same time maintaining low end torque or improving low end torque, when it comes to installing mods such as headers and custom intakes etc? In other words, will installing headers, or intakes swap low end power for high end power? Will it potentially cause the LS3 to bog down? Or do these mods improve low end torque? Or at the very least maintain it while improving peak horsepower? Thank you in advance!
 

Forg

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2015
Messages
6,199
Reaction score
4,186
Points
113
Location
Sydney
Members Ride
Regal Peackock VF SS-V Redline Wagoon
Generally (not always - but usually) stuff like manifolds & intakes & exhausts will give an improvement that’s likely to be more noticeable up higher in the revs, but it won’t hurt things down low. In something like a small hot hatch with 1.6 litres of revvy goodness, you may mistake the extra oomph up high for losses down low, but it just tends to feel like that in comparison ... but if you’ve got 6.2 litres of LS3 I don’t know whether you’d have that same feeling.

It’s with stuff like cams where can really start to sacrifice low-end if chasing peak power. :)
 

lmoengnr

Donating Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2012
Messages
6,889
Reaction score
44,496
Points
113
Location
Sunbury Vic.
Members Ride
MY12.5 Maloo R8, MY12 Redline ute, Magnum 224
If you let an LS3 exhaust breathe easier(decent headers, high flow cats, less restrictive cat back), you'll unlock quite a bit of torque all the way through the rev range, even before a tune.

The MIL will eventually come on, so a tune will be required to inhibit the function of the post cat oxy sensors...
 

panhead

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2016
Messages
3,147
Reaction score
4,469
Points
113
Location
NSW Central Coast
Members Ride
Cars
If you let an LS3 exhaust breathe easier(decent headers, high flow cats, less restrictive cat back), you'll unlock quite a bit of torque all the way through the rev range, even before a tune.

The MIL will eventually come on, so a tune will be required to inhibit the function of the post cat oxy sensors...


This is what I would have said but I'd also be sure to add the tune to the mix as the tune with a couple of bolt ons to help the engine breath will do wonders as will a small cam swap.

After the tune you'll really notice the difference in the way it launches compared to stock.

If it's an auto maybe look at a tune for that to speed up the shifts, as I'm not an auto man maybe someone else can offer advice as to whether this applies to the VF2 in the way it did with the earlier VE.

It's when you start chasing bigger power outputs that you need to plan what you want to achieve and as power is expensive you may wish to start looking at stroking the bottom end or a supercharger to try an maintain the low end torque.




.
 
Last edited:
Top