PI SWAP: poll

Caseych · 11-13-2006, 10:25 AM

I am doing an all stock pi head, cam, and intake swap on my 98 GT right now. I have read tons of threads on this subject and am tired of weeding through them for feedback.
What are your experience's with power before and after the swap? Good improvement? Unimpressed? Would you do it again?
Thanks
Caseych

r3dn3ck · 11-13-2006, 11:44 AM

PI swaps should return impressive gains over what you had. If you don't feel it, you're not moving. Add better cams and the gains are even better. Everyone I know that's done it has been as happy as a puppy with two peters.

Icefreezen · 11-13-2006, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by r3dn3ck

PI swaps should return impressive gains over what you had. If you don't feel it, you're not moving. Add better cams and the gains are even better. Everyone I know that's done it has been as happy as a puppy with two peters.

I agree while your doing the heads you might as well get some better cams since your doing all that work it just makes sense to spend the extra effort to install them.

Caseych · 11-13-2006, 12:00 PM

I know what you mean. I just don't have the money for that right now. I, unfortunately, have to wait to do that. (I know it is an outrageously expensive "wait until later", but I have no choice) It is an everyday driver right now so the most I would go is stage 1 anyway.
I like what I am hearing so far though.

stngmn96 · 11-15-2006, 11:50 AM

I recently did the whole PI Head Swap, forged pistons, crank and PI Intake. I was a little put off after doing it to my 96 GT until I got the whole motor tuned at Modular Madness in Salt Lake City. Since then I am totally in love with the swap. My motor picked up about 45 hp over the anemic stock 96 combo. I know I need to get the heads ported and polished and through in at least the stage 2 cams I want. I say if you have the money go for it. I just suggest getting the thing tuned for max gain.

r3dn3ck · 11-15-2006, 12:46 PM

with the compression bump you'll definitely want a tune before you drive much at all.

98-GT · 11-15-2006, 02:52 PM

definatly worth it, the gains are noticable

SLVR04GT · 11-16-2006, 10:34 AM

HUGE difference from what I've seen. Had a friend do it to his, with all the same mods I had on my car and I had very little pull over him. You might be kicking yourself later for not doing the cam now though... my .02

Caseych · 12-10-2006, 06:29 PM

I finally picked my car up yesterday after getting the PI swap done. I have decided to get the VT stage 2 cams next but am going to wait a long while first unless I find a great deal on them sooner.
I am loving the insane amount of brute force the car now has. It is not just a lot of noise anymore. It is actually a lot more go.
Even with that I am experience a somewhat scary problem. I am experiencing a stuttering/misfiring when I push the gas down hard and quick. At idle everything is perfect and even at a high sitting rev. It has eased up from when I drove it home for 3 hours across VA last night. I had a full tank of 87 octane in it from when I filled it up before I hauled it down there. I only drove it down to a little less than half a tank on the way home. Before I left there I put some octane booster in the car and then drove. I was limping all the way home. I got home and filled it the rest of the way with 93 and it is running say 50% better today. I know there is still a lot of crap fuel in there an am hoping that is the problem.
My other guess is that I have a bad plug. I just changed my plugs and wires about 10k miles ago and this seems unlikely.
What do you guys think?
Thanks,
Chad

stngmn96 · 12-18-2006, 11:21 AM

Did you do anything else other than the heads and intake? The new heads on a 96-98 GT will cause a bit of a compression jump. I let my builder put his choice of pistons in it and he used Forged Flat-tops. I have an insane 11:8-1 compression ratio and even 91 can be hit or miss with gas. I had my car professionally tuned up. I would recomend you do the same and not just with a programmer by itself. Get it dyno tuned. I would say find a good gas station with good trusted gas and stick with it and have a bottle of octane bosst in the car just in case.

Caseych · 12-18-2006, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stngmn96

Did you do anything else other than the heads and intake? The new heads on a 96-98 GT will cause a bit of a compression jump. I let my builder put his choice of pistons in it and he used Forged Flat-tops. I have an insane 11:8-1 compression ratio and even 91 can be hit or miss with gas. I had my car professionally tuned up. I would recomend you do the same and not just with a programmer by itself. Get it dyno tuned. I would say find a good gas station with good trusted gas and stick with it and have a bottle of octane bosst in the car just in case.

No, I just did the intake and heads and cams. I should have posted again, but Wednesday I changed my plug wires and am running really well. I do plan on having my car dyno tuned and am shopping around for the best shop in the area. If anyone knows of any near Chesterfield, VA let me know. I just had my "check engine" light come on last night and the code was for my "ineffecient cat". I have a bassani catted x on my car and would like to have the light permanently shut off from that happening again. So that would be another benefit of the tune.
Thanks

11-13-2006, 10:25 AM	#1 (permalink)
Caseych Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 33	PI SWAP: poll I am doing an all stock pi head, cam, and intake swap on my 98 GT right now. I have read tons of threads on this subject and am tired of weeding through them for feedback. What are your experience's with power before and after the swap? Good improvement? Unimpressed? Would you do it again? Thanks Caseych

12-10-2006, 06:29 PM	#9 (permalink)
Caseych Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 33	PI swapped I finally picked my car up yesterday after getting the PI swap done. I have decided to get the VT stage 2 cams next but am going to wait a long while first unless I find a great deal on them sooner. I am loving the insane amount of brute force the car now has. It is not just a lot of noise anymore. It is actually a lot more go. Even with that I am experience a somewhat scary problem. I am experiencing a stuttering/misfiring when I push the gas down hard and quick. At idle everything is perfect and even at a high sitting rev. It has eased up from when I drove it home for 3 hours across VA last night. I had a full tank of 87 octane in it from when I filled it up before I hauled it down there. I only drove it down to a little less than half a tank on the way home. Before I left there I put some octane booster in the car and then drove. I was limping all the way home. I got home and filled it the rest of the way with 93 and it is running say 50% better today. I know there is still a lot of crap fuel in there an am hoping that is the problem. My other guess is that I have a bad plug. I just changed my plugs and wires about 10k miles ago and this seems unlikely. What do you guys think? Thanks, Chad

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11-13-2006, 11:44 AM	#2 (permalink)
r3dn3ck Wowbagger hates me too! Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Magrathea/California Posts: 7,008	PI swaps should return impressive gains over what you had. If you don't feel it, you're not moving. Add better cams and the gains are even better. Everyone I know that's done it has been as happy as a puppy with two peters.

11-13-2006, 12:00 PM	#4 (permalink)
Caseych Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 33	I know what you mean. I just don't have the money for that right now. I, unfortunately, have to wait to do that. (I know it is an outrageously expensive "wait until later", but I have no choice) It is an everyday driver right now so the most I would go is stage 1 anyway. I like what I am hearing so far though.

11-15-2006, 11:50 AM	#5 (permalink)
stngmn96 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: West Haven, UT Posts: 164	I recently did the whole PI Head Swap, forged pistons, crank and PI Intake. I was a little put off after doing it to my 96 GT until I got the whole motor tuned at Modular Madness in Salt Lake City. Since then I am totally in love with the swap. My motor picked up about 45 hp over the anemic stock 96 combo. I know I need to get the heads ported and polished and through in at least the stage 2 cams I want. I say if you have the money go for it. I just suggest getting the thing tuned for max gain.

11-15-2006, 12:46 PM	#6 (permalink)
r3dn3ck Wowbagger hates me too! Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Magrathea/California Posts: 7,008	with the compression bump you'll definitely want a tune before you drive much at all.

11-15-2006, 02:52 PM	#7 (permalink)
98-GT Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 56	definatly worth it, the gains are noticable

11-16-2006, 10:34 AM	#8 (permalink)
SLVR04GT Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 78	HUGE difference from what I've seen. Had a friend do it to his, with all the same mods I had on my car and I had very little pull over him. You might be kicking yourself later for not doing the cam now though... my .02

12-18-2006, 11:21 AM	#10 (permalink)
stngmn96 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: West Haven, UT Posts: 164	Did you do anything else other than the heads and intake? The new heads on a 96-98 GT will cause a bit of a compression jump. I let my builder put his choice of pistons in it and he used Forged Flat-tops. I have an insane 11:8-1 compression ratio and even 91 can be hit or miss with gas. I had my car professionally tuned up. I would recomend you do the same and not just with a programmer by itself. Get it dyno tuned. I would say find a good gas station with good trusted gas and stick with it and have a bottle of octane bosst in the car just in case.