LY6 swap now, LSA supercharger later?
#1
LY6 swap now, LSA supercharger later?
I've got a '71 El Camino, and I'm looking to do an engine swap with T56. Found a good deal on an LY6. The LY6 has 9.7:1 compression, and I live in Colorado (5000-10k feet elevation).
My tentative plan is to finish the engine swap without a supercharger. I'd install an LS3 cam with VVT delete, and also a LSA harmonic balancer with a crank pin. I've seen an article where they used vette alternator and PS, along with LSA harmonic balancer. I'd also do an LS3 car intake manifold, fuel rails, injectors. Headers would be 1 7/8" long tubes, exhaust would be pretty mellow, either high flow cats or no cats. That should make for decent N/A performance, and make it easier to get the car running and driving sooner. I'm hoping to use a stock LS3 tune, and the car would be driveable right away. I'd like to get 375rwhp and 375ft-lbs N/A with the LS3 cam, basically around what a stock LS3 makes (I'd be down a point on compression and 6.0 vs. 6.2, but would have long tube headers and less restrictive exhaust).
I'm hoping to have the car finished by spring, and I'd leave the car N/A for the summer. Then when winter rolls around, if I want more power I'd get a used LSA supercharger (around $3-4k). I could install the supercharger without having to swap the cam or harmonic balancer, so it should be a quick/easy swap, but I think I'd take it to a pro for the dyno tuning.
Magnusson sells a kit for the LS3, and my engine will have a full point lower compression, so I think the LS3 cam can't be too horrible of a choice with a supercharger. If I were doing the blower right away I'd probably get an LS9 cam, but from the dynos I've seen of LS3 vs LS9, the LS9 gives up too much low end torque in a N/A engine (like 30ftlbs at 3000 rpm).
I don't care about the cost of buying a 2nd cam later (LS9 cam is like $100), but I'd like to avoid the labor. With the LSA supercharger, it'd be nice to have ~500rwhp and 500ft-lbs. If I fall much short of that, I'd either upgrade the pulley for another couple psi of boost, or bite the bullet and swap to an LS9 cam.
Thoughts?
Thanks,
Miles
My tentative plan is to finish the engine swap without a supercharger. I'd install an LS3 cam with VVT delete, and also a LSA harmonic balancer with a crank pin. I've seen an article where they used vette alternator and PS, along with LSA harmonic balancer. I'd also do an LS3 car intake manifold, fuel rails, injectors. Headers would be 1 7/8" long tubes, exhaust would be pretty mellow, either high flow cats or no cats. That should make for decent N/A performance, and make it easier to get the car running and driving sooner. I'm hoping to use a stock LS3 tune, and the car would be driveable right away. I'd like to get 375rwhp and 375ft-lbs N/A with the LS3 cam, basically around what a stock LS3 makes (I'd be down a point on compression and 6.0 vs. 6.2, but would have long tube headers and less restrictive exhaust).
I'm hoping to have the car finished by spring, and I'd leave the car N/A for the summer. Then when winter rolls around, if I want more power I'd get a used LSA supercharger (around $3-4k). I could install the supercharger without having to swap the cam or harmonic balancer, so it should be a quick/easy swap, but I think I'd take it to a pro for the dyno tuning.
Magnusson sells a kit for the LS3, and my engine will have a full point lower compression, so I think the LS3 cam can't be too horrible of a choice with a supercharger. If I were doing the blower right away I'd probably get an LS9 cam, but from the dynos I've seen of LS3 vs LS9, the LS9 gives up too much low end torque in a N/A engine (like 30ftlbs at 3000 rpm).
I don't care about the cost of buying a 2nd cam later (LS9 cam is like $100), but I'd like to avoid the labor. With the LSA supercharger, it'd be nice to have ~500rwhp and 500ft-lbs. If I fall much short of that, I'd either upgrade the pulley for another couple psi of boost, or bite the bullet and swap to an LS9 cam.
Thoughts?
Thanks,
Miles
#2
I've got a '71 El Camino, and I'm looking to do an engine swap with T56. Found a good deal on an LY6. The LY6 has 9.7:1 compression, and I live in Colorado (5000-10k feet elevation).
My tentative plan is to finish the engine swap without a supercharger. I'd install an LS3 cam with VVT delete, and also a LSA harmonic balancer with a crank pin. I've seen an article where they used vette alternator and PS, along with LSA harmonic balancer. I'd also do an LS3 car intake manifold, fuel rails, injectors. Headers would be 1 7/8" long tubes, exhaust would be pretty mellow, either high flow cats or no cats. That should make for decent N/A performance, and make it easier to get the car running and driving sooner. I'm hoping to use a stock LS3 tune, and the car would be driveable right away. I'd like to get 375rwhp and 375ft-lbs N/A with the LS3 cam, basically around what a stock LS3 makes (I'd be down a point on compression and 6.0 vs. 6.2, but would have long tube headers and less restrictive exhaust).
I'm hoping to have the car finished by spring, and I'd leave the car N/A for the summer. Then when winter rolls around, if I want more power I'd get a used LSA supercharger (around $3-4k). I could install the supercharger without having to swap the cam or harmonic balancer, so it should be a quick/easy swap, but I think I'd take it to a pro for the dyno tuning.
Magnusson sells a kit for the LS3, and my engine will have a full point lower compression, so I think the LS3 cam can't be too horrible of a choice with a supercharger. If I were doing the blower right away I'd probably get an LS9 cam, but from the dynos I've seen of LS3 vs LS9, the LS9 gives up too much low end torque in a N/A engine (like 30ftlbs at 3000 rpm).
I don't care about the cost of buying a 2nd cam later (LS9 cam is like $100), but I'd like to avoid the labor. With the LSA supercharger, it'd be nice to have ~500rwhp and 500ft-lbs. If I fall much short of that, I'd either upgrade the pulley for another couple psi of boost, or bite the bullet and swap to an LS9 cam.
Thoughts?
Thanks,
Miles
My tentative plan is to finish the engine swap without a supercharger. I'd install an LS3 cam with VVT delete, and also a LSA harmonic balancer with a crank pin. I've seen an article where they used vette alternator and PS, along with LSA harmonic balancer. I'd also do an LS3 car intake manifold, fuel rails, injectors. Headers would be 1 7/8" long tubes, exhaust would be pretty mellow, either high flow cats or no cats. That should make for decent N/A performance, and make it easier to get the car running and driving sooner. I'm hoping to use a stock LS3 tune, and the car would be driveable right away. I'd like to get 375rwhp and 375ft-lbs N/A with the LS3 cam, basically around what a stock LS3 makes (I'd be down a point on compression and 6.0 vs. 6.2, but would have long tube headers and less restrictive exhaust).
I'm hoping to have the car finished by spring, and I'd leave the car N/A for the summer. Then when winter rolls around, if I want more power I'd get a used LSA supercharger (around $3-4k). I could install the supercharger without having to swap the cam or harmonic balancer, so it should be a quick/easy swap, but I think I'd take it to a pro for the dyno tuning.
Magnusson sells a kit for the LS3, and my engine will have a full point lower compression, so I think the LS3 cam can't be too horrible of a choice with a supercharger. If I were doing the blower right away I'd probably get an LS9 cam, but from the dynos I've seen of LS3 vs LS9, the LS9 gives up too much low end torque in a N/A engine (like 30ftlbs at 3000 rpm).
I don't care about the cost of buying a 2nd cam later (LS9 cam is like $100), but I'd like to avoid the labor. With the LSA supercharger, it'd be nice to have ~500rwhp and 500ft-lbs. If I fall much short of that, I'd either upgrade the pulley for another couple psi of boost, or bite the bullet and swap to an LS9 cam.
Thoughts?
Thanks,
Miles
As for the LY6, I run one bone-stock with only tuning in my truck and find it to be pretty potent as is. I am debating on whether I should go to a non-VVT when I add boost also. I may just save the money and time, and boost what I have.
Are you swapping the truck manifold to car manifold for hood clearance?
#3
TECH Apprentice
Does the LSA compressor fit with the VVT spacing, or what kind or prochager would fit. I have a LY6 and think boost would be great if you could bolt something on without replacing the entire front drive and or the cam. I spaced the Vet PS/ALT bracket of the right head 1.5 inches