ZZP Performance Coil Pack in a 3400?
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 6,433
Since the 3100/3400/NA 3800 all use the same stock coil pack, and the SC 3800 has the same connector - they'll pop in and work just fine.
Waste of money unless your stock stuff is broken though. Even then, I still wouldn't bother with these over JY coils or stock replacements.
Always thought it was a bit odd they started selling ZZP brand coils and wires. They used to have this big tech article on their site bragging about how stock is just fine and how other shops up sell people with this high failure rate aftermarket stuff to 'upgrade' things that don't really need upgraded. They used to jump all over other companies for doing it on clubgp. Yet here we are a decade later, and they're selling both.
They got some crap online after a dyno day a couple years back as their (well, Matt's, but its their joint build) record setting 8 second drag car still had stock coils and PRJ wires.
Waste of money unless your stock stuff is broken though. Even then, I still wouldn't bother with these over JY coils or stock replacements.
Always thought it was a bit odd they started selling ZZP brand coils and wires. They used to have this big tech article on their site bragging about how stock is just fine and how other shops up sell people with this high failure rate aftermarket stuff to 'upgrade' things that don't really need upgraded. They used to jump all over other companies for doing it on clubgp. Yet here we are a decade later, and they're selling both.
They got some crap online after a dyno day a couple years back as their (well, Matt's, but its their joint build) record setting 8 second drag car still had stock coils and PRJ wires.
Last edited by bumpin96monte; Oct 31, 2020 at 08:59 AM.
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 322
From: Warren MI
Since the 3100/3400/NA 3800 all use the same stock coil pack, and the SC 3800 has the same connector - they'll pop in and work just fine.
Waste of money unless your stock stuff is broken though. Even then, I still wouldn't bother with these over JY coils or stock replacements.
Always thought it was a bit odd they started selling ZZP brand coils and wires. They used to have this big tech article on their site bragging about how stock is just fine and how other shops up sell people with this high failure rate aftermarket stuff to 'upgrade' things that don't really need upgraded. They used to jump all over other companies for doing it on clubgp. Yet here we are a decade later, and they're selling both.
They got some crap online after a dyno day a couple years back as their (well, Matt's, but its their joint build) record setting 8 second drag car still had stock coils and PRJ wires.
Waste of money unless your stock stuff is broken though. Even then, I still wouldn't bother with these over JY coils or stock replacements.
Always thought it was a bit odd they started selling ZZP brand coils and wires. They used to have this big tech article on their site bragging about how stock is just fine and how other shops up sell people with this high failure rate aftermarket stuff to 'upgrade' things that don't really need upgraded. They used to jump all over other companies for doing it on clubgp. Yet here we are a decade later, and they're selling both.
They got some crap online after a dyno day a couple years back as their (well, Matt's, but its their joint build) record setting 8 second drag car still had stock coils and PRJ wires.
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 6,433
What do you mean they're on their way out? Are the housings cracked or windings shorted? It's just not really a wear item - either they're good or they're not.
If your coils still physically work, you could always just spray paint them if you just want red coils. Just not a huge fan of putting something potentially less reliable on the car just because it looks cool, you know? Would be different if it actually helped performance over a good functioning stock coil, but they dont. The ICM is what limits how much total energy is put into the system- the coils are just stepping up the voltage.
Not sure what the failure % is on the ZZP coils, but I know one person had 2 bad out of 3 right out of the box. Oddly enough the replacements had different metal terminals too (not sure if they revised them or what happened), but the replacements have been fine.
Another guy with a fairly robust turbo setup had a failure on his too that was fairly hard to figure out. Out of nowhere he started getting misfires under boost. After lots of troubleshooting, they measured the coils and found out some of the secondary windings had shorted out on one coil - effectively greatly reducing spark voltage on those two cylinders.
Guess I've just seen too many people get burned on the old MSD GM coils back in the day to ever reccomend aftermarket coils. Sucks to see people spend a lot of money on something that ends up causing them issues - especially when there are thousands and thousands of perfectly good stock coils in junkyards. Heck, given how robust the stock units are, I'd even rather pay the same price as the ZZP coils for new stock GM coils - at least then you're getting something with a long proven track record. Then spray those red if color is what you're after.
If your coils still physically work, you could always just spray paint them if you just want red coils. Just not a huge fan of putting something potentially less reliable on the car just because it looks cool, you know? Would be different if it actually helped performance over a good functioning stock coil, but they dont. The ICM is what limits how much total energy is put into the system- the coils are just stepping up the voltage.
Not sure what the failure % is on the ZZP coils, but I know one person had 2 bad out of 3 right out of the box. Oddly enough the replacements had different metal terminals too (not sure if they revised them or what happened), but the replacements have been fine.
Another guy with a fairly robust turbo setup had a failure on his too that was fairly hard to figure out. Out of nowhere he started getting misfires under boost. After lots of troubleshooting, they measured the coils and found out some of the secondary windings had shorted out on one coil - effectively greatly reducing spark voltage on those two cylinders.
Guess I've just seen too many people get burned on the old MSD GM coils back in the day to ever reccomend aftermarket coils. Sucks to see people spend a lot of money on something that ends up causing them issues - especially when there are thousands and thousands of perfectly good stock coils in junkyards. Heck, given how robust the stock units are, I'd even rather pay the same price as the ZZP coils for new stock GM coils - at least then you're getting something with a long proven track record. Then spray those red if color is what you're after.
Last edited by bumpin96monte; Nov 1, 2020 at 09:36 AM.
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 4,156
From: Coal City,Il
I totally understand bumpin's POV on the coils however, I have them (the ZZP ones) and theyve been great. I went from burnt out stock coils, to MSD (which were bad out of the box), to a no name brand (bad out of the box), to junkyard ones (worse than original stock I replaced), to finally the ZZP ones.
They sure look good, they got that goin for them....?
They sure look good, they got that goin for them....?
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 6,433
One other thing to consider from the performance perspective - adding more secondary windings from the factory would've cost near zero given the enormous amount of coils GM bought. If there was a notable power increase there with no downsides, they certainly would've done it.
IMO the factory ignition systems on these are actually pretty overdesigned given how far we've been able to push them and still maintain reliable ignition. As such, "upgrading" to higher voltage coils on a near stock 3400 like the OP is talking kinda feels like upgrading to some huge flashy injectors - a bit poser-ish.
Maybe if the stock stuff wasn't so good or hadn't been proven extremely reliable I'd get it. If the looks are the problem, I'd rather just build a cover or just relocate them altogether.
IMO the factory ignition systems on these are actually pretty overdesigned given how far we've been able to push them and still maintain reliable ignition. As such, "upgrading" to higher voltage coils on a near stock 3400 like the OP is talking kinda feels like upgrading to some huge flashy injectors - a bit poser-ish.
Maybe if the stock stuff wasn't so good or hadn't been proven extremely reliable I'd get it. If the looks are the problem, I'd rather just build a cover or just relocate them altogether.
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 6,433
If you're dead set on some kind of "upgrade"- D576 coils (stock supercharged 3800 coils with the blue bottom) do put out more voltage than the D555 coils your car wouldve had stock, but have an equally good quality track record for reliability. Although IMO with a NA 3400, I sure wouldn't worry about it and would just get D555s.
If you're dead set on having red coils, just get some good stock coils and paint them. At least paint won't cause you maintenance issues (assuming they're properly masked of course). If you went as far as to buy brand new stock coils vs just buying junkyard ones like most do, the car's going to be in the junkyard before you have another failure.
Last edited by bumpin96monte; Nov 2, 2020 at 06:20 PM.
