vetteboy86 said:
money is the one thing that would certainly make my troubles go away. Not like those other people who say money cant buy happiness.:L
Maybe, but I think you just trade one set of problems for another. A wise man told me, "It's not what you make but what you keep".
With that in mind, be extremely wary of everything you hear, especially from hot rod shops. Hot rodders like to show off their 'stuff' and speak of improvements, so similarly......... In the end, a skeptical buyer will keep more of his pile of gold, whatever the size.
I am hardly the oracle at engine-dom, but can relate a bit about my mistakes and what my experts told me; some true, others questionable. Most of hat is expressed in other threads about modifying these engines.
Before you grind off anything other than extra flashing from a casting process, know what the design intention was. I'd agree that potruding gasket material and mismatched ports on adjacent parts are in this category. A member with more engineering expertise than I explained in one of the aformentioned threads, why smooth intake runners are not a good idea. Similar comments are made about the Tornado device and the TB wedge. Not everyone agrees that descreening the MAF and doing the coolant bypass delivers any real improvement, while potentially causing other problems.
I do know that I wasted a fair amount of cash with my shotgun approach to more power. I learned that many of the aftermarket claims are exaggerated, or at least, not possible to fully realize with MY engine. A multi spark igniion will do as it says and the logic is sound about the claims, but they are very carefully worded and I stand by my earlier comment. If you were to boost the intake charge or run much higher revs than you have expressed are likely, I would recommend spending that dough later, on a motor built as a system. You cannot get the results without telling your engine builder rather specifically how you will drive the car.
For me, I am satisfied, despite initial reluctance to specify to my builder, exactly what I wanted from the engine, that I have a great engine (perhaps too much) for killer street performance and a probable 12 second bracket dragger. I got what I wanted by wasting money first, then slowing down and dealing with a very experienced group of Corvette experts, who told the truth about what worked and what was baloney for MY engine.
I wish the best result for you and your expensive hobby, so DOUBT EVERYBODY! (and get coated headers early on)
