Budget lq4 build to make most na horsepower?
09-26-2009, 04:38 AM
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Staging Lane
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Budget lq4 build to make most na horsepower? I want to pickup an lq4 this winter and start building it to install next summer, probably late next summer. I want to use l92 heads and considered the vic jr intake for it. I want to remain NA but want to keep it on the cheap, relatively speaking. Would the best bet be to get the maximum cubes possible or to spin it as high as possible to get the most usable na power for drag racing? Also open to suggestions on different manifolds, like maybe ported ls3, saw where one made almost as much as the fast, or so it seemed? Anyways, very open to suggestions on what would be best.
09-26-2009, 10:37 AM
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I want to pickup an lq4 this winter and start building it to install next summer, probably late next summer. I want to use l92 heads and considered the vic jr intake for it. I want to remain NA but want to keep it on the cheap, relatively speaking. Would the best bet be to get the maximum cubes possible or to spin it as high as possible to get the most usable na power for drag racing? Also open to suggestions on different manifolds, like maybe ported ls3, saw where one made almost as much as the fast, or so it seemed? Anyways, very open to suggestions on what would be best.
Well, first of all, no reason to buy a motor if thinking of adding cubes. Pick up a block, and add your stroker kit.
But, that is not budget oriented.
Pick up a truck motor/shortblock, pick up some as cast L92's (to save money) throw em on with a L76/3 intake, 23x/24x .6xx/.6xx 114 and call it a day. There is 550-575FWHP.
Reason I say no to Vic jr, added cost of the elbow/adapter, AND you have to run high flow fuel rails. LS3/76 you can run stock rails and no adapter.
If not concerned with that, well, then go Vic jr (I like carb intakes)
Also, pick up one of my 90 or 92 MM TBs (see sig) and my high flow fuel rails if going Vic Jr. (see here http://www.morrismotorsports.net/sho...formance_parts
09-26-2009, 11:56 AM
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Im looking at doing the same thing. Would you guys reccomend a lq9 short block or lq4 block to start? I want to run it stock for a summer then pull it and build it for nitrous.. what block is stronger for nitrous?
09-26-2009, 12:27 PM
#4
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I want to pickup an lq4 this winter and start building it to install next summer, probably late next summer. I want to use l92 heads and considered the vic jr intake for it. I want to remain NA but want to keep it on the cheap, relatively speaking. Would the best bet be to get the maximum cubes possible or to spin it as high as possible to get the most usable na power for drag racing? Also open to suggestions on different manifolds, like maybe ported ls3, saw where one made almost as much as the fast, or so it seemed? Anyways, very open to suggestions on what would be best.
Stock 6.0L truck shortblock with good rod bolts. That's it for the lower end.
Cathedral port heads with some decent work (most of the cost), single plane intake (not the Vic Jr, I believe) 4-bbl TB. Valvetrain was stock lifters, stock rockers (I'd add the Comp bearing upgrade now), really good (read big and stiff) pushrods, the correct springs and retainers and the correct hydraulic roller. Power peak in the low-mid 7000s and thru the traps about 8000. Yeak, HR, not SR. Cam is most important. No short block problems in more than a season of racing. 7900-8000 every run.
L92 heads will be a viable budget idea when good single-plane reasonalbly priced intakes are available so you can make power in the mid 7000s.
Spend you money where the power is: heads first, valvetrain and intake next.
My $.02
Jon
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09-26-2009, 02:32 PM
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Here's something that has been done successfully and relatively cheaply:
Stock 6.0L truck shortblock with good rod bolts. That's it for the lower end.
Cathedral port heads with some decent work (most of the cost), single plane intake (not the Vic Jr, I believe) 4-bbl TB. Valvetrain was stock lifters, stock rockers (I'd add the Comp bearing upgrade now), really good (read big and stiff) pushrods, the correct springs and retainers and the correct hydraulic roller. Power peak in the low-mid 7000s and thru the traps about 8000. Yeak, HR, not SR. Cam is most important. No short block problems in more than a season of racing. 7900-8000 every run.
L92 heads will be a viable budget idea when good single-plane reasonalbly priced intakes are available so you can make power in the mid 7000s.
Spend you money where the power is: heads first, valvetrain and intake next.
My $.02
Jon
Stock 6.0L truck shortblock with good rod bolts. That's it for the lower end.
Cathedral port heads with some decent work (most of the cost), single plane intake (not the Vic Jr, I believe) 4-bbl TB. Valvetrain was stock lifters, stock rockers (I'd add the Comp bearing upgrade now), really good (read big and stiff) pushrods, the correct springs and retainers and the correct hydraulic roller. Power peak in the low-mid 7000s and thru the traps about 8000. Yeak, HR, not SR. Cam is most important. No short block problems in more than a season of racing. 7900-8000 every run.
L92 heads will be a viable budget idea when good single-plane reasonalbly priced intakes are available so you can make power in the mid 7000s.
Spend you money where the power is: heads first, valvetrain and intake next.
My $.02
Jon
09-26-2009, 11:09 PM
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Oh, fwiw, if I went with vic or super vic I wouldn't run an elbow, I'd be afraid of all the losses, I'd just run an accufab tb. Super vic would be nice but a port matched vic jr should fit the bill on the l92s. Not like this motor is gonna make 750 horse or nuthin lol
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09-26-2009, 11:30 PM
#8
I have a 6.0L bottom end, Mild port L92's, 24x/24x 6xx 6xx 110 custom cam. GMPP l92 single plane intake, edelbrock elbow and a holley ls2 90MM TB.
It makes 525 or so at the rear wheels, run 11.0's in a 3775lb 6 speed car, and Revs to 8k RPM. and I spray a 150 shot just for *****... lol
I seen very little loss(like less than 5 peak hp) with the elbow, so I choose to keep the elbow over a accufab style tb. Was not worth cutting the car for the power...
The shortblock has been gone through(I got some VERY VERY low milage parts) but still is stock bearings, and stock ring set, and balanced and clearances checked for the ARP rod bolts. I also run PBM High Rev lifters, milles heads and flycut pistons, manley custom valves, stock rocker arms and manley custom valve springs...
it was done on a budget, but I made sure to spend the money where it was needed to help make the setup last. and its been together all year long, with many passes and several bottle's of nitrous ran through it. It still runs just as good as day one, and I am very happy with it.
PM me for any more details, I could have the same place put yours together if interested.
It makes 525 or so at the rear wheels, run 11.0's in a 3775lb 6 speed car, and Revs to 8k RPM. and I spray a 150 shot just for *****... lol
I seen very little loss(like less than 5 peak hp) with the elbow, so I choose to keep the elbow over a accufab style tb. Was not worth cutting the car for the power...
The shortblock has been gone through(I got some VERY VERY low milage parts) but still is stock bearings, and stock ring set, and balanced and clearances checked for the ARP rod bolts. I also run PBM High Rev lifters, milles heads and flycut pistons, manley custom valves, stock rocker arms and manley custom valve springs...
it was done on a budget, but I made sure to spend the money where it was needed to help make the setup last. and its been together all year long, with many passes and several bottle's of nitrous ran through it. It still runs just as good as day one, and I am very happy with it.
PM me for any more details, I could have the same place put yours together if interested.
09-27-2009, 09:43 AM
#9
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You personally run this setup? It sounds like it'll get the job done.I mentioned the l92s cuz it appears a vic jr did come out that will fit them. Why do you suggest hydraulic instead of solid? I can't help but think, that if I can avoid the cost of a stroker crank, at least bore the block out for that little it'll add to freshen it up and at the same time possibly add some higher comp pistons with valve reliefs for an even larger cam to help breath at 8000 rpms??
Why not hydraulic if you are only going to 8 grand?
With the proper choice of parts and the right cam you can get the power/rpm you need for a reasonable price, which was the goal for the engine mentioned. It's a lot easier to use the stock (non-adjustable) rockers on a hydraulic cam than on a solid, but that can be done. The stock rockers are cheap, and lighter than any aftermarket rocker I've seen, especially on the valve end. Oh, yeah, they are also very stiff. Did I mention cheap along with good?If it ain't broke, don't fix it. BES's engine is a good example. If you don't need new pistons and rings, why freshen/bore the engine and spend all that money? There are other ways to get compression than pistons.
RPM is needed to get hp, and the intake needs to be the right length and runner cross-section, etc. to make things work in the mid-high 7000s. I'm not sure how the Edelbrock or GMPP L92 single planes stack up. L92s are less well understood than cathedral port heads. There are folks who have/are figuring out what works with them, but I don't see any bargain prices on the stuff that works, so the price will probably be higher than even really good cathedral port combinations.
The larger L92 intake valves are harder to control at high rpm unless you pop for titanium valves, which sorta negates the "budget" engine idea. L92s WILL be the way to go for 4.00+ bore LS engines, but we are still on the upslope of the learning (and price) curve.
My $.02
Jon
Last edited by Old SStroker; 09-27-2009 at 10:08 AM.
09-27-2009, 08:10 PM
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I appreciate all the input. I'm digging the use of the stock bottom end and spinning to 8 grand. I agree with the if it ain't broke don't fix it, and yeah I'm aware you can get compression other ways I was just stating. BES, thats pretty good that you only lost around 5 horsepower with the elbow. I wonder if thats attributed to the gmpp manifold over the edelbrock?? Either or I'm imaging the elbow and an ss hood modded to let air flow directly into the engine bay, letting the throttle body get the freshest air possible I'm liking what I see in this thread so far. 11.0s in a 6 speed car that heavy seems pretty good. What do you 60'? I've done a lot of weight reduction to my car and at the moment I believe weighs about 3150 with me in it. I need to take it to the scales and verify. But point being if I could build a motor in the power range you're at, it should do pretty well at the track.
I'm liking what I see in this thread so far. 11.0s in a 6 speed car that heavy seems pretty good. What do you 60'? I've done a lot of weight reduction to my car and at the moment I believe weighs about 3150 with me in it. I need to take it to the scales and verify. But point being if I could build a motor in the power range you're at, it should do pretty well at the track. 
10-09-2009, 02:34 AM
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If you are going for boost (turbo/supercharger etc) I would go with the LQ4. If you are going for N/A, I would go with the LQ9.
If you are only using the block and replacing the heads and pistons..it really doesn't matter which one you use.
10-09-2009, 03:02 AM
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I have a 6.0L bottom end, Mild port L92's, 24x/24x 6xx 6xx 110 custom cam. GMPP l92 single plane intake, edelbrock elbow and a holley ls2 90MM TB.
It makes 525 or so at the rear wheels, run 11.0's in a 3775lb 6 speed car, and Revs to 8k RPM. and I spray a 150 shot just for *****... lol
I seen very little loss(like less than 5 peak hp) with the elbow, so I choose to keep the elbow over a accufab style tb. Was not worth cutting the car for the power...
The shortblock has been gone through(I got some VERY VERY low milage parts) but still is stock bearings, and stock ring set, and balanced and clearances checked for the ARP rod bolts. I also run PBM High Rev lifters, milles heads and flycut pistons, manley custom valves, stock rocker arms and manley custom valve springs...
it was done on a budget, but I made sure to spend the money where it was needed to help make the setup last. and its been together all year long, with many passes and several bottle's of nitrous ran through it. It still runs just as good as day one, and I am very happy with it.
PM me for any more details, I could have the same place put yours together if interested.
It makes 525 or so at the rear wheels, run 11.0's in a 3775lb 6 speed car, and Revs to 8k RPM. and I spray a 150 shot just for *****... lol
I seen very little loss(like less than 5 peak hp) with the elbow, so I choose to keep the elbow over a accufab style tb. Was not worth cutting the car for the power...
The shortblock has been gone through(I got some VERY VERY low milage parts) but still is stock bearings, and stock ring set, and balanced and clearances checked for the ARP rod bolts. I also run PBM High Rev lifters, milles heads and flycut pistons, manley custom valves, stock rocker arms and manley custom valve springs...
it was done on a budget, but I made sure to spend the money where it was needed to help make the setup last. and its been together all year long, with many passes and several bottle's of nitrous ran through it. It still runs just as good as day one, and I am very happy with it.
PM me for any more details, I could have the same place put yours together if interested.
