Help! Engine

[Stella]

Was hoping to get some specs on the xlr engine. I know that it is a 4.6 liter north star. What do they call the engine a ls1 or ls2 ? Want to do some engine mods and looking through other sights really can't determine what the 4.6 is? Has anybody out there done some real modes or just the basic intake and exhaust. Any insight would b cool. Thanks!

 

[sschooley]

Mods 2 Engine

Stella,

You are so brave! Beyond my comprehension ......

Steve

 

[ChicagoDave]

Was hoping to get some specs on the xlr engine. I know that it is a 4.6 liter north star. What do they call the engine a ls1 or ls2 ? Want to do some engine mods and looking through other sights really can't determine what the 4.6 is? Has anybody out there done some real modes or just the basic intake and exhaust. Any insight would b cool. Thanks!

Gizmo has done the most engine work that I have seen ... hopefully he chimes in and gives you some info you are looking for. My experience has been that not too much "mod'ing" has been done with the XLR's - it doesn't seem to attract those kinds of car people.

Good luck - hope you find the info you are looking for. Also check out Bruce's wealth of information on the XLR - here is the link:

https://www.xlr-net.com/forums/cadillac-xlr-general-discussion-32/xlr-history-information-5341/

 

[GizmoQ]

Gizmo has done the most engine work that I have seen ... hopefully he chimes in and gives you some info you are looking for. My experience has been that not too much "mod'ing" has been done with the XLR's - it doesn't seem to attract those kinds of car people.

Good luck - hope you find the info you are looking for. Also check out Bruce's wealth of information on the XLR - here is the link:

https://www.xlr-net.com/forums/cadillac-xlr-general-discussion-32/xlr-history-information-5341/

Who?

What?

Where?

 

[Stella]

Thanks guys. I know I've read a lot about people's concern's about modding the car but come on. It all boils down to the engine and related drivetrain. All the engine management sensors and controllers should b able to b programed to compensate. Would think a head change and some cams or throttle body,something. Car manufactures tend to tune their cars for the best of both world's or to get their m.p.g's. Well I'm one of those guys that want's some put in your seat power. I know the v is out there but I couldn't pass up this car now it's time to see what can b done. My real question is their interchangeable parts with other generation GM motors. The bores might b different but can the heads b interchanged. Gizmo I've read a lot about your car and let me tell ya great job looks good,and sounds like you drive it for what it's designed for.Can you give me any insight?

 

[b_pappy]

It's a Northstar, totally different than a LS1 or LS2. Northstar is a DOHC motor. D3 does a lot of work to them, but do some reading first. Some guys tune these motors for sand rails too. There are some go fast parts available, but nothing like the LS aftermarket.

 

[Stella]

Thanks pappy I should have already know that one was a single cam vs dual. I thought the north star engine was actually in ALOT of GM cars. I might be wrong but isn't some or later design engines in NASCAR this design? Wouldn't think that EVERBODY is intimidated by the car. Looks fast why not b real fast?

 

[GizmoQ]

Thanks pappy I should have already know that one was a single cam vs dual. I thought the north star engine was actually in ALOT of GM cars. I might be wrong but isn't some or later design engines in NASCAR this design? Wouldn't think that EVERYBODY is intimidated by the car. Looks fast why not b real fast?

The NorthStar was exclusively designed for Cadillac. I think the only other car to use it was a destroked one in the Olds Aurora. There are few NorthStar tuners out there, and even fewer making any real gains power-wise. The biggest problem is the Cadillac ECM. The SandRail builds use a different ECM system and therefore have achieved incredible power and torque numbers out of this engine. Cadillac, however, in their infinite wisdom, has never released the programming software for the older ECM. With the older ECMs, the tuners I know can do some basic stuff by cutting and pasting portions from different spec NorthStar programs, but its a trial and error process. Our ECM is a little more programmable, but I'm banging up against its limitation at every step of my build.

GoFast parts are extremely hard to come by because without the ability to tune the ECM, its basically worthless. There is a CAI, headers, and exhaust for your car. I know a tuner that can reprogram your speed and rev limiters as well as tweak the engine and tranny for the above. There are no hipo heads, there is onehigh performance crank (not one kind, but one crank in all the world) that I know of but the owner never got the Cadillac ECM to tune for it.

Without the capability to strengthen the internals of the motor, I've been told the 4.4L will not hold more than 575RWHP before imploding. I intend to find out. The 4.6L that you have will probably top out at 400RWHP, but getting there is going to require experimentation on your part. On the intake side the size of the throttle body is the limiting factor. On the exhaust side, the manifold and cats are the choke points.

Good luck with your mods.

Giz

 

[Stella]

Thanks gizmo great info. I live just a little south of Chicago would wait4me performance b my best stop. Have read lots about him on other sites seems to know what's going on. Have u ever heard of assc or something up north of me I think near Wisconsin I thought thanks where a old friend use to go. Wanna go fast without experimenting and wasting a lot of money.

 

[TED]

I have a wait 4 me tune that after weeks he could never get to work ! I finely called SCT who is the maker of the unit and they took the time to get at least one of the tunes to work and keep the car runing. It was terible experience. And didnt run all that well anyway. I let LUND Cadillac do a tune and they did a fantastic job ! I even took it back and said i wanted the (shifts ) firmed up a little and they took care of that to. I have the wait 4 me tune if anybody wants to buy it. LOL ! Personaly i think these cars are way over his head ! Or by now he has learned something at others expense. I keep it where i can see it to remind me BUYER BEWARE ! I dont mind spending money (XLR-V) But man do i hate to get taken!

 

[GizmoQ]

I have a wait 4 me tune that after weeks he could never get to work ! I finely called SCT who is the maker of the unit and they took the time to get at least one of the tunes to work and keep the car runing. It was terible experience. And didnt run all that well anyway. I let LUND Cadillac do a tune and they did a fantastic job ! I even took it back and said i wanted the (shifts ) firmed up a little and they took care of that to. I have the wait 4 me tune if anybody wants to buy it. LOL ! Personaly i think these cars are way over his head ! Or by now he has learned something at others expense. I keep it where i can see it to remind me BUYER BEWARE ! I dont mind spending money (XLR-V) But man do i hate to get taken!

I have heard horror stories about Wait4Me tunes Most of Jesse's unsatisfied customers are ones who bought his mail order handheld and tune; whereas the tweaks for individual add-ons took too long to get. The CTS-V complaints I've heard were experimental builds that didn't work out or outright failed, most of which he fixed at no cost to the customer other than time without their vehicles. He is a one man shop with more work than he can schedule efficiently (I joke with him that "Wait4Me" is too real a moniker). I highly recommend dyno tuning regardless of who you get to do it.

I took my car to Wait4Me last winter and other than scheduling conflicts had a positive experience. I stayed with the car and picked his brain while he dyno tuned my car. Jesse admitted he had only had one other XLR in the shop and it didn't go well (he did not elaborate), but since I knew I would be looking over his shoulder the whole time and he was the closest, most reputable, cheapest, and most radical Cadillac tuner, I went for it. My build was almost as radical for the XLR as his 1100RWHP CTS-V, so I wanted someone who would think outside the box, i.e., willing to experiment, capable of fixing what he breaks while knowledgeable enough to know when to back off. We achieved my initial goal during my second visit(I took the car home while he was awaiting parts). We have since developed a game plan for hitting my ultimate goal of 575RWHP/550 TQ and hopefully can get there this winter. Yes I am going back.

OBTW, for those on the forum in Florida this month, there is an event on the 24th of February at Palm Beach International Raceway to determine once and for all the fastest 1/4 mi CTS-V. This is a closed competition, but open to the public for spectators. Approximately 15-20 CTS-Vs from all over the country will be drag racing from 9AM to 4PM including a half dozen with over 600RWHP. Jesse is racing his 1100RWHP street legal car at the event and I may make a pass or two just for grins.

 

[Stella]

Good luck with the racing I'd b doing the same but not this way. I was wondering the guy u said could tune it is that Jesse. I've read a little about all the motor mishap and he said she said. Don't know any other builder's that wouldn't charge for a blown motor and on top of it blow the second and still buy salvageable parts back. Sounded like the owner was mad " given" but needs to understand there's no guarantee in motors that radical and **** does break. I would love to see this Jesse do his 9 sec run. That's put your ass in the seat horsepower and he still has AC. WHAT? I've had my own mishap's. Had a 550 rwhp 351w motor blow on the dyno builder only helped out with labor which I thought was nice. Now the motor was rebuilt with better rods, runs great and totaled 796 rwhp with a 250shot. It's streetable but not anything like a ctsv or anything. Always have to remind your self you PAY TO PLAY and usually make sacrifices, but also life is to short to drive SLOW.