Performance mods that DO work

[ZL1power69]

Feel free to add anything i may have overlooked.
Free mods:
- airbox mod (ex: "swiss cheese" airbox)
- throttle plate mod (96+ 4.3 V6)
- TPS voltage drop (increases mpg in some applications)
Intake:
- swiss cheese airbox (or other airbox mod) with high flow drop in filter
- aftermarket air intakes (ebay "chrome intakes", AEM Brute Force, K&N FIPK)
- open element air cleaner on TBI engines (ex: 4.3 TBI VIN Z)
- TB spacer on TBI engines (do not use on 96+ vin X or W)
Exhaust:
- headers (ex: eldelbrock)
*NOTE: gains will be similar to a catback unless the engine is taken past the bolt-on stage.
- high flow cat (universal catco and magnaflow models are the cheapest)
- remove pre-cat in the y-pipe before the cat (2000+ 4.3, check local emissions laws before doing so)
- high flow muffler (ex: flow-pro, vortex, ravin Z series, dynomax super turbo/ultra flow, borla)
- cat backs (ex: dynomax, gibson, borla) or custom make one.
*NOTE: a complete catback is not always nessesary for nice performance gains. usually on a mostly stock engine, the gains from a full catback will not offset the aditional cost.
PCM/ECM tuning:
- hand held programers (ex: hypertech, superchips)
- reflashed PCM w/ custom program 96+ OBD2 only (wait4meperformance, pcmforless, EFI live)
Ignition:
-aftermarket ignition using control unit, coil, and larger wires (ex:MSD)
*NOTE: stock system is adiquate in most cases as its the same system used on engines up to 454ci.
Other:
- underdrive pulleys
- electric fan (ex: one from a 93-96 3.8 Ford Taurus)

[Blazer SS]

Okay. I guess I will add a few things. I have always said that just changing your rockers out will give you a huge gain!

1.6 roller tip rockers same as the 350 about $60 and 1 hour of your time, this for late model Blazers up to 2000 (non adjustable), anything after that and you already have roller trunion rockers. You can update to full roller rockers minimal parts needed.

Older Blazers will benifit from full roller rockers (adjustable) .

This in a sense gives you a bigger cam (more lift) for the valves, does almost nothing for the duration. But this will let that C.A.I. do what you brought it for.

When you remove the throttle plate restrictor and go catback this mod with these also will give you the most gain for the money!

Leave your Maf sensor alone!! It works! Only descreen or replace it if you have some sort of forced induction. Just adding a Graniteli will not benifit you as expected will just give you a S.E.S. light. Until you get a reprogram.

Replace your Poppet injection with a MFI great throttle response! But leave in the Poppets if you want to go for maximum engine power! They both flow about the same but the poppets add just a little more fuel. The MFI will also give you better gas mileage and driveability.

Keep your engine tuned!! Keep your trans filter clean! Make sure that your Brakes are not frozen (rear) , easy way to check , put yout truck in neutral (engine off) and your emergency brake off , walk around to the rear of your Blazer grab the rear bumper and pull and push it away ,and too you (by yourself) NO HELP! You should be able to move it (Level ground) If not check your BRAKES!

Think of proccessed DYNO oil (synthetic) Better smaller lubrication particles, less friction more power!

Check your transfer case! Check your front and rear differentials, I have seen a lot of them that were bone dry! Power Robbing friction!! Not to mention a ticking time bomb!!

There are SO many more things that you can do with minimal money and little time to give you a better running Blazer. But when you are ready to spend a lot of money and a lot of time the basics will already be there!!

[Blazer SS]

Please forgive me but I forgot to mention the size of the 1.6 rockers. They are 1.6 3/8 self aligning roller tip rockers.

this can be used for the non adjustable and the adjustable rocker setup. when used with the non adjustable (vortec) setup , it will be a direct swap, just get some new metric rocker balls from RockAuto or reuse the ones from the origanal rockers providing wear is at a minumum!!!

The full roller rocker has a roller trunion and a roller tip and can only be used with a adjustable setup! You can convert to adjustable by just buying new rocker studs (Vortec) From ARP or Summit.

Remember that both of these setups will have to be self aligning! If you go with regular rockers you will have to purchase guide plates!

One more thing with Rockers. If you plan on using your Blazer as a daily driver stay away from aluminum rockers! They sound good and are very pretty but steele is the key to durability! There are a few companies that make steele rockers that are way stronger than aluminum and are lighter where it counts , over the valve.

But if you plan and will remove your rocker covers to inspect the rockers go right ahead and use aluminum. Just try to check them at least once a week!

[Blazer SS]

Believe it or not but there is one spacer out there that actually works!

I don't know if any one has ever heard of a V-MAX spacer.

This spacer sits below the plastic section of the intake manifold. It raises the intake maybe an inch and gives the intake more volumn. More air capacity.

Our spider assembly, be it MFI or Poppet takes up a lot of room in the intake and actually blocks and disrupts direct air passage to the cylanders!

What this spacer accomplishes is more air is readily available to the cylanders, the engine does not have to work as hard to take in air. (like trying to breathe through a sandwich bag or a shopping bag) and if you have forced induction , the goodtimes will be abundant!!

The material is first rate (billet aluminum) and everything is included, longer screws and new gaskets.

Remember air is very important to performance and any way that you can get it into your engine with the least amount of restriction is always the key!

Everything that I am talking about has been used in the building of my two Blazers. V6 and V8. So I am only going to recomend things that will truly work! Not just stuff that sounds good. And will actually hurt your performance.

[Blazer SS]

C.A.I. Bad ! NO! VERY GOOD! YES!!!!

Less restrictive air is always good for an engine! What is bad for an engine is Hot air!!

If you put in a cheap C.A.I. Just make sure that you do not over oil it! Let it dry completely! And after a week reclean your MAF sensor, by then all of the oil that was still suspended in the filter will have run its coarse.

Put the filter as close to the headlight as possible , and use some sort of heat shield. cardboard or whatever. Just block as much heat from the engine as possible! There should be a large rectangular opening directly behind the drivers side headlight , try and get your filter to sit diirectly in front of it.

Hot air contains less oxygen than cool air (expansion)thats why hot air ballons float. We need nice heavy air for combustion (Cold air), you ever notice that the first couple of weeks of winter when you are still on summer gas you seem to have much more Horsepower? Same gas just more oxygen for combustion.

Any cold air intake will work, wether it costs $35 or $300 just make sure that it is clean , oiled and screened! And the most important , GET IT AS FAR AWAY FROM THE ENGINE AS POSSIBLE! The closer to the headlight the better!!

[Blazer SS]

Spark plugs!

I don't care what kind you buy , Just make sure that the gap is set correctly! This is the single most thing that will effect any performance that you hope to gain!

The biggest mistake that I have seen is that most people change their sparkplugs with a filthy engine! What good is changing your sparkplugs when you foul them just by inserting them in the holes!! Clean your area around the sparkplugs before removing them or putting new ones in!!

After setting and checking your gap , Do not let them touch the sides of the hole when you insert them!! The slightist nudge to the electrode can effect your gap setting!

A lot of people complain that they have a misfiire and that they have just changed out the sparkplugs , wires and cap and rotor. when all it was , was a fouled or incorrectly gapped sparkplug that they did themselves by incorrectly installing something as simple as a sparkplug!!

Sparkplugs simple , engine can't run without them! your performance ,well what performance without them?

Rule of thumb. bigger gap , normally aspirated engine. Smaller gap, higher compression , forced induction. the bigger the gap the more stress that is placed on the ignition system! keep your Gap at the propper setting!

[blazes9395]

Throttle Body Spacer - for a TBI engine ('88-95ish) not CSFI system('96+).

If anyone has a TBI system and wants a little more grunt, a spacer for this system does actually work.

[Blazer SS]

Programmer! Why get one?

Because all Blazers come from the factory detuned! Wake up your engine a little.

People think all they realy do is advance your timing a little bit. ( Late model Blazers advance is done through the computor), They do much more than that! at the least they are OBD 2 code readers. You can luck up on EBAY and get one for less than a hundred bucks.

If you want more ! You have to pay more! With the mods that were listed above this will compliment them nicely!

Get one that is updateble! and programable! Chips are just that, outdated programming. That people are trying to get rid of!

After you do any mod also do a driving cycle. this will let your computor relearn things like fuel maps and such. Very ,Very Important!! I think that GM's driving cycle is listed on this forum.

[Cloud Strife]

Someone please tell me what brand and store to buy the 1.6 3/8 Roller Tip Rockers at.

I will delete the post after someone lets me know as I am seeing a lot of available items out there.

[Chris Stewart]

A 4.10 differential (option code GT5) will make one "launch" with an auto. trans....yer fuel milage may suffer. Loose items will smash against the rear hatch/tailgate
A 3.73 (option code GT4) won't hit as hard but fuel milage won't be as bad either.
The front side of the passenger side axle tube has the ID stamp. The first 3 digits are the axle ratio.

[Blazer SS]

Any 5.7 ,350 roller tip rocker will work. Look on ebay. they have them for $69. Also try Summit and Jegs .

Try Comp Cams magnum roller tip rockers. Or something from Crane.

Remmember that wheel size plays a important part in the final drive ratio! If you have large tires with a large outside diameter . You can effectively negate your 410 gears. great for rock crawling . Really really bad for performance. If speed off the line is what you are after.

Do Not, I repeat, Do not! Use anything that will block your intake! No spiral charger! As said before in the first post , will do absolutely nothing but block air flow. Now if you can figure out how to put in 6 of these right before the valves inside of the heads. Then you are in business. As stupid as that sounds.

Chevy vortec heads are great! they only need help on the exhaust side. They are a great upgrade for any pre vortec engine. Chevy did a great job with these.

TPI engines will love that spacer between the throttle body and the intake, they make several throttle bodies with porting and bigger injectors for this engine. Try Edlebrock , Only problem is cost. the other only 2 injectors! Check Edlebrock and look at their new intakes for the tpi. Instant HP Gains!

[thebeastjuggalo]

i cant seem to find anything on this "TPS voltage drop" can someone post a link to it or tell me more about/how to do it?

thx.

[Ducaire]

Originally Posted by ZL1power69

Intake:
- swiss cheese airbox (or other airbox mod) with high flow drop in filter
- ebay cold air intakes (usually perform the same as name brand intakes but with reduced cost)
- open element air cleaner on TBI engines (ex: 4.3 TBI VIN Z)
- TB spacer on TBI engines (do not use on 96+ vin X or W)

Can these be found at an autoparts store, or must they be ordered off Ebay?

[ZL1power69]

Originally Posted by Ducaire

Can these be found at an autoparts store, or must they be ordered off Ebay?

in reference to your 90 s10;
- cutting holes in the airbox is a free mod. i don't think it can be done on a 90 s10 though.
- there aren't any ebay intakes for the 90 s10 but yes thats the only place you could get one
- the open element air cleaner can be found at a local store like advanced auto, autozone, etc or online on ebay or summitracing/jegs
- you may be able to find a TB spacer at a local store but again your best bet would be ebay or summitracing/jegs.

[Blazer SS]

One mod that no one seems to talk about , It is a seven letter dirty word that adds instant gratification and lightens your wallet at the same time. Takes about three hours to install right . Our motor loves it ,loves it like (crack !!). And in three hours you will be out and about trying to race everything that you can find, UNTIL IT RUNS OUT!!

That seven letter dirty word is N I T R O U S !

Wet system only !! 50 to a 75 shot. Nothing more. Engine must be in good working order !! Don't race on city streets !! Find a back road that is not used often. Cost $500.00 and more with every bottle fill.