We are just finishing up swapping an LQ4 in to a 98 T/A. It's going to have LT headers, cat back, using a stock LS1 intake, and a tune. So what do you guys think?

 

350-360rwhp. The LS1 intake is going to really choke you off.

 

Yea that's what I've heard also but the funds don't allow for an LS6 intake just yet.

 

Stock heads? stock cam? stock internals? Iron heads? Aluminum heads? The LQ4 is a lower-compression truck motor -- Anywhere from aound 320-350rwhp.

 

Stock heads, stock cam, stock internals, Aluminum heads(I think they are aluminum they are very light). We will be doing a cam in the next couple of months and throwing in an LS6 intake as well. What cam would you recommend with a 3600 stall, that's probably the highest we will go. The car will probably see the track about once a month and will be driven pretty much daily. Thanks in advance

 

I don't know about your budget, but that's a very friendly blower-motor at 9.6:1 compression.

If you're 100% going to a naturally-aspirated setup, I'd spend the $ and change to a .040" Cometic head gasket to raise the compression.

 

That has crossed my mind hundreds of times but there is no way I can do that right now.

How much of a boost in compression are we talking about. Also I know this is a dumb question but how do I calculate compression as in what is the formula to do it?

Also what cam would see the benefit of a 3600 stall with stock heads. We are looking at something with good midrange to top end without sacrificing too much low end. Thanks in advance

 

Any cam, even the stock one would benefit from a converter that size. And about needing the low end, you don't. That's what the higher stall torque converter is for. Put a decent size cam in it or regret the performance later - only problem is that the compression is a bit low for most cams to work well.

 

Oh yea I know any cam would benefit from the converter but I meant as in what aftermarket cam would really take advantage of it. From what I have read and been told is that the converter should be about 200-300rpm below where the cam makes peak torque. Is this true or have I misunderstood something? What size of a cam would put it in that rpm range? We will be using the cometic head gaskets to bump up compression as Kraest mentioned.
Thanks for the advice guys

 

Then no aftermarket cam is small enough to work with the 3600. Going by that rule, a stock car would require a minimum of 4000rpm, and most performance cams would need a 4500+