Who is running a modified LS1? Questions...

[69Myway]

I am running a 2000 LS1 in my 69 Camaro with a SLP head/cam package. Specs on the package are here:

http://www.slponline.com/view_product.asp?P=12411

The engine is REALLY noisy! I am still using the stock rocker arm assembly (non-adjustable). The motor really sounds like it needs a minor valve adjusmtent.

Oil pressure is good and steady.

I have heard cam swaps can get noisy in the LS1, but have no reference to compare mine to.

Any input would be great.

Chris

[scogin918]

read the book by Will Hendzel (I think). It's about modifying your LS1 for performance and talks about that exact same subject. Cars that are bone stock from the factory come with features that help to cancel valvetrain noise. They do this because the majority of drivers just want to get it in and start it up and go. When you start to deviate from the factory set-up and add performance enhancing parts, it eliminates alot of those noise cancelling featues.

[Ralph LoGrasso]

Has the car been tuned?

[69Myway]

Has the car been tuned?

It was tuned (PCM wise) via spec sheet mail order from a pro up in Indiana. There really is no other tuning other than tweaking the t/b throttle set screw to adjust idle. The rockers are not adjustable and there are no manual timing settings to change.

[nitrovette]

Chris,im helping my brother with his ls-1 cam and head swap this week,patriot stage 3 heads and the cam is a magic stik-600 plus lift ,so will see how she sounds by next weekend.

[ertoys]

I recently sold my Z06 which I had a thunder racing reverse split cam installed.

It is well known in the LS1/6 world that aftermarket cams in these engines give it what they call a sewing machine sound.

I put about 8,000 miles on my cam install with no issues, I would not worry, altough I do understand that it is bothersome.

[Ralph LoGrasso]

It was tuned (PCM wise) via spec sheet mail order from a pro up in Indiana. There really is no other tuning other than tweaking the t/b throttle set screw to adjust idle. The rockers are not adjustable and there are no manual timing settings to change.

Chris, if the car has been tuned, then I wouldn't worry too much about it. The only reason I asked is I've seen a few examples of people doing a cam swap and thinking they could get by on the stock tune. You may want to try browsing the internal engine section on ls1tech.com. I'm sure there are atleast a few people running that setup on there, and many, many others that could help.

[69Myway]

Chris, if the car has been tuned, then I wouldn't worry too much about it. The only reason I asked is I've seen a few examples of people doing a cam swap and thinking they could get by on the stock tune. You may want to try browsing the internal engine section on ls1tech.com. I'm sure there are atleast a few people running that setup on there, and many, many others that could help.

Thanks. I actually have had a thread open over there for about three weeks or so with no real activity. I read about the o-ring issue slipping on the pick up tube but can't get a good feel for anybody with a modded engine in terms of what it sounds like for sure.

The sewing machine is a good way to describe it with a bit of a tick at each revolution. I can live with the sewing machine sound, but wonder if there is anyway to get the tick/tick to go away by installing adjustable rockers or something along those lines.

I am thinking I can easily post a quick video file on my website of the engine running so everybody can hear it.

[Nine Ball]

Its perfectly normal, especially after you install headers on an LS1. The valvetrains can get pretty noisy. The factory cast iron exhaust manifolds muffle most of that valvetrain noise, but headers seem to amplify it.

No biggie, turn up the radio :D

[69Myway]

Its perfectly normal, especially after you install headers on an LS1. The valvetrains can get pretty noisy. The factory cast iron exhaust manifolds muffle most of that valvetrain noise, but headers seem to amplify it.

No biggie, turn up the radio :D

Now that's the info I was looking for! Thanks!

We drove the car about 200 miles today to Silver Springs and enjoyed pretended to be Tourists in our own backyard. Car ran perfect. A/c was cold (so cold my boy had goose bumps), cruise control was tight and right...and of course, the engine was sewing away under the hood. LOL.

[WS6]

yep perfectly normal. all the ones i have done got louder. some worse than others. all of them already had headers which made it fairly noisy. added the cam and it just got worse. i did the same cam in two different cars one is pretty loud the other is only slightly louder than what it was with just headers. just make sure the rockers are torqued to 22ftlbs and call it done.

[69Myway]

yep perfectly normal. all the ones i have done got louder. some worse than others. all of them already had headers which made it fairly noisy. added the cam and it just got worse. i did the same cam in two different cars one is pretty loud the other is only slightly louder than what it was with just headers. just make sure the rockers are torqued to 22ftlbs and call it done.

I wonder if the noise can trigger a false knock sensor retard action.

[WS6]

if it was bad enough yes, but none of the cars i did had knock retard problems. you just have to run a data log and see what its doing. the noise is really just the valve train and the thin walled headers. its not a heavy enough knock/vibration(all noise is vibration) to set off the knock sensors typically. every car is different and there is only one way to find out and that is to data log it during a dyno run, drag strip pass, or out on the street.

[Steve68]

Good info guys, I would kinda freak when I fired it up and heard that