How reliable are h/c ls1 shortblocks
02-25-2010, 11:25 PM
#1
How reliable are h/c ls1 shortblocks I am always seeing people post up with spun this bearing or this or that happened. That is normal for people getting advice on these forums so i expect that. My last stock internal ls1 ran like a charm.
How many people have put 10k or 50k or 100k on their h/c car before it gave up the ghost or heard of people putting a lot of miles on. If everything is kept in check and maintained well what do you expect to see from your shortblock?
and we are not talking about max effort 7k rpm cars here, lets say 450rwhp or less and 6,500 and below for rpms, i will gladly take everyones imput.
How many people have put 10k or 50k or 100k on their h/c car before it gave up the ghost or heard of people putting a lot of miles on. If everything is kept in check and maintained well what do you expect to see from your shortblock?
and we are not talking about max effort 7k rpm cars here, lets say 450rwhp or less and 6,500 and below for rpms, i will gladly take everyones imput.
02-26-2010, 12:12 AM
#2
2nd H/C package and just turned 90K on the clock. Reliable I say yes, it has to do with correct set up, ie right valve train for the correct cam choice and not using your car for what its not supposed to be:
Track car is a track car not a DD
DD is not a "track" car
If your going to do a street/strip then you need the right set up. Also the split time. Most street/strip cars are 90/10 meaning they see 90% of street time and only <10% on the track.
Now the most important thing that ties everything together is the tune. The tune is the one thing that set a good set up to be great and can save a car from a mediocre to bad set up. Now any tuner who is worth their weight is not going to tune a car that the set up is done incorrectly, not that it doesn't happen. Or you have a bad tuner give you a **** tune on a good set up, that's what happened to me.
So my advice is do your homework, make sure that the set up you are going to get is the one that will optimize what you are going to use your car for and the tuner is a good one. The money that you spend on a tune will be the best money spend on your car. If you get a tune and the price is too good to be true it is. Do not skimp on a tune or your valve train.
Good Luck
Track car is a track car not a DD
DD is not a "track" car
If your going to do a street/strip then you need the right set up. Also the split time. Most street/strip cars are 90/10 meaning they see 90% of street time and only <10% on the track.
Now the most important thing that ties everything together is the tune. The tune is the one thing that set a good set up to be great and can save a car from a mediocre to bad set up. Now any tuner who is worth their weight is not going to tune a car that the set up is done incorrectly, not that it doesn't happen. Or you have a bad tuner give you a **** tune on a good set up, that's what happened to me.
So my advice is do your homework, make sure that the set up you are going to get is the one that will optimize what you are going to use your car for and the tuner is a good one. The money that you spend on a tune will be the best money spend on your car. If you get a tune and the price is too good to be true it is. Do not skimp on a tune or your valve train.
Good Luck
02-26-2010, 02:03 AM
#3
A heads cam car can be reliable, but as stated it's a matter of gathering parts that work together in harmony, just as the OEM components do. The other major factor, also previously mentioned is the tune. You might pick up 5 more rwhp with a couple more degrees of timing or the car being a little leaner, but if you want it to be reliable, you want it to be safe.
02-26-2010, 09:42 AM
#4
You can definitely make a heads/cam car reliable. We have customers with 50k+ miles on MS4 cams and heads on their car and daily drive them. I'm sure for every person you hear spinning a bearing or hurting parts on this forum, there are hundreds that you don't hear about on stock cars that are being serviced at local dealers. You just hear about them here because this is an automotive forum and most of the people here are modding their cars. Now if you're talking heads/cam and a bottle, that's probably not what I would call reliable! 
Jon
Jon
02-26-2010, 09:52 AM
#5
Well here is you a prime example sir. My car I believe is a good example of what is possible even on high mileage.
I swapped in a 224/224 .581/.581 114 cam, Bo White port/polished & milled 5.3 heads, 7.400" hardened pushrods, & LS7 lifters. We cracked my engine open with 100k miles on the clock. Cylinders looks brand new still. Put it all back together & the car now has 2 solid years of daily driving under its belt & now sits at about 150k miles. All I have done since the swap is change my oil. Never had a single problem from the car. Starts on the first bump of the key every time & finds idle within 2-3 seconds. I'm stull running untuned so I'm giving up some power. But mechanically the engine is solid. I drive an average of no less than 300 miles a week combine traffic & highway. And the car sees redline at least once a day.
These engines will last with proper maintaince & a well selected combo. Those 2 things I believe are key to engine survival in these cars. I have seen more guys stuffin mismatched parts into their ride & then wondering why they broke a month or so later. Longitivy of these motors is in the details.
I swapped in a 224/224 .581/.581 114 cam, Bo White port/polished & milled 5.3 heads, 7.400" hardened pushrods, & LS7 lifters. We cracked my engine open with 100k miles on the clock. Cylinders looks brand new still. Put it all back together & the car now has 2 solid years of daily driving under its belt & now sits at about 150k miles. All I have done since the swap is change my oil. Never had a single problem from the car. Starts on the first bump of the key every time & finds idle within 2-3 seconds. I'm stull running untuned so I'm giving up some power. But mechanically the engine is solid. I drive an average of no less than 300 miles a week combine traffic & highway. And the car sees redline at least once a day.
These engines will last with proper maintaince & a well selected combo. Those 2 things I believe are key to engine survival in these cars. I have seen more guys stuffin mismatched parts into their ride & then wondering why they broke a month or so later. Longitivy of these motors is in the details.
02-26-2010, 08:12 PM
#6
I put over 80k miles without one single problem on mine putting down 420 rwhp daily driving it. Not even one single valve spring swap. If its done right it won't affect reliability at all. Just pick a cam that is not too agressive on the springs and get some good springs.
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02-27-2010, 08:41 AM
#9
30k here getting ready for a spring freshening up. Car shifts at 6500 and usually sees that at least once everytime I drive it
XFI/X-ER lobes. The LS7 lifters seem to be holding up fine. I have made 2 1200 mile trips in the car without so much as a hiccup. I must admit I am **** about fluid changes and routine maintenance but I think that is especially critical with any performance car.
XFI/X-ER lobes. The LS7 lifters seem to be holding up fine. I have made 2 1200 mile trips in the car without so much as a hiccup. I must admit I am **** about fluid changes and routine maintenance but I think that is especially critical with any performance car. 