Maxx Burkholder

Hey guys I'm pretty new to the forums and ls engines in general. Just under a year ago I picked up an 02 trans am. Ive done the following to the engine,
Custom cam based off the torquer v2
3600 stall
port and polished heads
edelbrock proflo xt
hooker headers + x pipe
ls7 oil pump
k&n

Anyways i was planning what i wanted to do next. I am not planning on using this car as a DD for much longer (mainly track and weekends)

I know i need to pick up a 12 bolt and a new fuel system but beyond that I'm torn between stroking it to a 383 and running nitrous or supercharging without nitrous.

is it worth picking up an iron block and stroking it beyond 383?
its not in my budget to both stoke and supercharge so for now i need to pick one or the other. Any help appreciated.

Fastdriver1992

iTrader: (1)

how much power do u want to make and how consistant do u want it to be at the track? for consistancy i would keep it N/A, for horsepower beyond 550rwhp i would go Supercharger, though boost is difficult to dial in for a bracket racer

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

What are your performance goals and where do you want to hit those goals? What is the performance now?

I ask location because it is harder to run 11.0 in Denver than it is in MD.

What version of ported heads do you have and would you be looking at reusing them or starting from a clean slate with a stroker?

Maxx Burkholder

I would like to be above the 550 mark whether that is with or without nitrous.
I have not gotten on a dyno yet (tsp tune) but I'm guessing its sitting around 425rwhp. I'm in SC close to ocean level.
ultimately id like to be under 10 seconds. I'm still using stock heads and was hoping to keep it that way for this stage of the build.

Sales2@Texas-speed

iTrader: (5)

Like they said, you have to evaluate what you want from the combo, what it will be used for, etc. For a power-adder combo to stay "reliable" I feel you will end up needing forged internals anyway, which even on a stock stroke combo, ends u costing within a few hundred dollars of what the stroker would have. So I personally would opt for NA. There are MANY "hidden" costs to running power-adders!

Maxx Burkholder

so if i take the stroker route with forged internals would i be safe running some nitrous?
Also would it be worth going beyond a 383?

Maxx Burkholder

Also i was looking on your site at the ls7 block. if i wanted to stroke it to 427 would i be able to reuse my ls1 heads and torquer v2?

Sales2@Texas-speed

iTrader: (5)

If you have an LQ4/LQ9 iron block, the most common stroker package will be a 408ci. That's a 4.0" stroke and a 4.030" bore. You can put more stroke into it, but on that block for a power-adder, I'd stay with the 408ci.

Sales2@Texas-speed

iTrader: (5)

Yes, on a well-built 408ci engine, you could run a lot of spray assuming you fuel and tune it properly.

Maxx Burkholder

but on my current aluminum block i could only run a 383 correct?

ultimately i would like to have a 427 which brought me to possibly just getting an ls7 block. but i don't want to have to get new heads and a new cam (already put money into both of those) I was hoping if it was possible i would just swap my current heads and cam from the ls1 i have to the ls7 block on your site. and that would allow me to run a 427.

thanks for the help so far thought. I'm leaning towards N/A

Maxx Burkholder

oh i see the lq9 block on your site now.... probably a better option.

Sales2@Texas-speed

iTrader: (5)

Yes, on the LS1/LS6 block for a power-adder, I'd stick with 383ci.

While the heads/cam from an LS1 can and will carry over to an LS7 block, they will be choking you back and would not make anywhere near the power a good LS3 or better yet LS7 head would!

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

You know that the topend is CRITICAL to NA power especially. You can't throw a set of LS1 heads on a 427 and expect it to be a monster. ALL the air coming and going is through the heads if they are mediocre then the displacement can't make power. Displacement needs to be fed if you expect it to help performance.