Topic: Back, sorta...

[Uranium-238]

I don't own a GM anymore.  I am confident I would still win.
You will be on your 20th water pump and 5th timing chain

For an LS3? The timing chain is about a foot long, and only connects the cam to the crank...as it should be. The water pump is still a weak spot on these motors, but usually fails closer to 200k miles than the 60k my Kappa's did.

FWIW, my I feel that if you can live with the initial cost/high gas mileage, the GM V8's are fantastic engines. The amount of aftermarket support is incredible, I can pick and choose vendors. Honestly, for some things AC Delco is a great choice...others, I've got MSD, Hollet, Edelbrock, and many other to choose from. The aftermarket support for my truck, to speak nothing of the Camaro, puts the Kappa to shame.

But I buy used, I'm not paying money for a warranty/stealership hassles but have to deal with any problems that crop up. The truck has only had minor issues since I ditched my Kappa for it almost six years ago. The only issues have been a dead stereo, u-joint, dead battery, (normal for a truck that age) and the fan blower resistor. Hopefully the Camaro follows suit. With the main GM V8/transmission combos you can be pretty much sure your power train won't have any issues. Other bells and whistles? Not so much so, but so long as I can still drive I'm fine with that.

The other advantage of buying used is you can kinda tell if a vehicle is having weird issues or not in it's service history.

(FWIW, I buy most of my AC Delco parts from Amazon, since my local stealership seems intent on charging triple what Amazon does. The local Dodge dealership? Oh they price match Amazon...)

[elff]

If you have a local Napa, they tend to kick ass.  If they don't have it at your local store, they will deliver it to your local store within 1 day in most cases and their staff tends to be way more knowledgable about cars than Pep Boys or Autozone. 

[Kelu]

Why am I visualizing Speedy Gonzales with his little legs spinning in circles now?

Hahhaha, I was thinking to something similar, tazmanian devil (cartoon version too) running like crazy

Yes, though that place is under new ownership, and I don't feel like they're putting the time/money/energy into the Friday night street car events that the prior owner did.

I asked because imho MIR was one of the best places to set up record times. Speedracer from this forum did that with Kappa and then new camaro pity he is not a forum guy. I also went there with him once and I was impressed by the quality of prep

[Uranium-238]

He still holds the stock 5th-gen ZL1 record as far as I know.

The prep seems to ebb and flow with whatever special event is running that Friday night/weekend. One night this year they had a bunch of grudge cars running, along with some cars for the big event the following Saturday. There was also a Drag Week Tri-Five running in the mid 7's. Track prep that day was incredible, that's when I managed the 13.3. Tires were so sticky that the car shaked for about a mile and a half after I left the track, the rocks and debris was glued on that strongly.

They've also greatly reduced the number of Friday night street car events. Right now the next one is at the end of August, and the final one for the year is in September.

[Uranium-238]

Well I'm dumb.

I've been shifting at 6000-6100 RPM, as the factory tach shows redline at 6200 RPM.

After playing with HP Tuners on a run where I purposefully bounced it off the rev limiter, I learned something interesting...redline is 6600 RPM. Some googling confirms this. Why I never thought to check this I don't know, but in my defense the tach does have red starting at 6200 RPM...

500ish RPM that I'm not using has to have had an affect on my times...

[Sol Asylum]

So long as the torque curve shows it's usable RPM otherwise you might be better off shifting sooner.  Something more to look into.

[TomatoSoup]

Not sure what tune you have (if any) but most of the tunes (Trifecta and certainly GMPP) raise the redline from the stock 6200, anyway.

[Kelu]

Not sure what tune you have (if any) but most of the tunes (Trifecta and certainly GMPP) raise the redline from the stock 6200, anyway.

I will be the one to tell TS that this time he is _wrong_? 

Got him 

[Uranium-238]

So long as the torque curve shows it's usable RPM otherwise you might be better off shifting sooner.  Something more to look into.

The way these 5th gens are geared, you lose a ton of mechanical advantage each time you shift. Usually I cross the beams at the top of third, so between first and second that's a very useful 1000 rpm I haven't even been touching.

And to be clear, I sold my Kappa back in 2011, and since then have only bought vehicles with the number of cylinders that SHOULD have been in the Kappa.

[Sol Asylum]

I will be the one to tell TO that this time he is _wrong_? 

Got him 

Who is this TO?

[Kelu]

Who is this TO?

I meant TS, corrected, mister right

[TomatoSoup]

I will be the one to tell TS that this time he is _wrong_? 

Why?  You think the tunes don't raise the redline?  I know for sure that GMPP does.

[Gentleman Jack]

Why?  You think the tunes don't raise the redline?  I know for sure that GMPP does.

TS-
Please reread a few of the posts before Kelu really starts to make fun of you.

[Kelu]

TS-
Please reread a few of the posts before Kelu really starts to make fun of you.

What's wrong with you???? Do you realize that you trying to stop some fun on the forum??? Geez...
...
Oh I think I know the reason of your weird behavior: you need TS' scope

[Gentleman Jack]

What's wrong with you???? Do you realize that you trying to stop some fun on the forum??? Geez...
...
Oh I think I know the reason of your weird behavior: you need TS' scope

I like TS. I don't like most of the rest of you.

[Sol Asylum]

Invite TS and his O-scope out to SD tell him you need to settle a bet 

[elff]

So long as the torque curve shows it's usable RPM otherwise you might be better off shifting sooner.  Something more to look into.

Exactly
No use revving to 8000 if the power drops off way before that.

T.S.  Wrong GM car.
 

[TomatoSoup]

Doh!

[Gentleman Jack]

Doh!

I tried to protect you!!!!

[elff]

[elff]

I found this while surfing the web in my Alfa Glass house
https://blackflag.jalopnik.com/corvette-z06-owners-hit-gm-with-class-action-lawsuit-be-1796070293

Looks like only need 16 minutes to humiliate a car with 3 times the HP.
     

[Uranium-238]

I found this while surfing the web in my Alfa Glass house
https://blackflag.jalopnik.com/corvette-z06-owners-hit-gm-with-class-action-lawsuit-be-1796070293

Looks like only need 16 minutes to humiliate a car with 3 times the HP.
     

I'd respond with a defense of GM, but honestly I have no desire for any make of car made after ~2014-2015 or so. (And even then only a small list of vehicles) But who buys a GM V8 to keep it stock? C'mon folks, swap in a cooler thermostat and stop whining...

Whole reason I again stopped back was to say if anyone is planning on heading to MIR with their Kappa this season I'd love to meet up with them. Might try and make an autocross event sometime, but with the current exhaust setup I think I'm over the dB limit for some groups.

Oh and elff, I'm in the upper 12's now on a bad run...if all goes well I'll be in the 11's before the season is out... 

[elff]

Sweet!!!

What changes have you done to the car to drop some time.  Getting into the 11's is no small feat.

You better have someone filming that so you can post it and brag.

[Kelu]

Whole reason I again stopped back was to say if anyone is planning on heading to MIR with their Kappa this season I'd love to meet up with them.

I would love to but I'm a lot more south keep us posted and come back here more often than twice per year

[Uranium-238]

Sweet!!!

What changes have you done to the car to drop some time.  Getting into the 11's is no small feat.

You better have someone filming that so you can post it and brag.

Headers and half a tune. Honestly anyone with a 5th gen Camaro SS owes it to themselves to get long tubes on the car, backtracking horsepower numbers from my timeslips I'd say the car picked up around 40-50 HP at the wheels. (Which jives with bone stock crate LS3 engines running ~490 hp flywheel on an engine dyno with just dyno headers and no tune.)

MPH from the run (12.9 @ 110) says the car should run as-is in the low 12's. If the OT work I'm expecting happens this summer, the plan is to get a new clutch, drag radials, and a cam. Those should be good for mid/low 11's. Still though, that wasn't even close to a clean run, I'm still shaking down some instrumentation issues...

Made two passes. First run went great...then I topped out in third about 50-70 from the finish line. From there I just let it coast, and still got the 12.9

Next up my shift light didn't work...and I ended up hitting the limiter in 1st...then proceeded to compound the issue by short shifting 3rd and 4th. That also still net a 12.9, so I'm confident the car is at least mid-12 capable with my current (still lousy) launches.

Kelu I'll definitely keep everyone posted, and I intend to stop by throughout the season.