Chris Friedl

anybody know if anyone makes high performance heads for the 8.1? where to get HO camshafts, etc?

RoyO

Check the Comp Cams website I think they have stuff for yor engine.

Nasty N8

iTrader: (33)

No one makes an aftermarket head for that motor. We could do some port work on your heads, some bigger valves and get you a custom cam. What are you building it for? And what are you looking to get out of it.

Vents

iTrader: (9)

port work? are you kidding? did ya not notice that you can fit your whole hand in those suckers??

IMO all you'd really need to seriously wake up one of those motors would be a killer set of headers and a decent sized cam. then you could spray it. ;D

Juggernaut

iTrader: (1)

Arizona Speed & Marine makes an awesome looking intake manifold for the 8.1L, you should check them out and see what else they might have.
Check out TByrne for pricing and other 8.1L stuff.

Ryan

Chris Friedl

well actually, im thinking of dropping an 8.1 into a tahoe, but i want something that's a little more potent than usual. What i want isnt a towing engine, but something that will be at least as fast as a grand cherokee 5.9. I wanna be able to keep up with some 'stangs off a light . So you think headers, a cam, new rockers, and a good exhaust would do it? what kind of numbers would be possible?

NHRATA01

iTrader: (10)

I thought the 8.1 was a tradional BBC, and would accept most aftermarket BBC heads???

ssfiress

those cherokee 5.9 are sick. a friend of mine has one in the platinum color. we used so mach it to Lake Tahoe to go riding in the winter from the Bay Area and get to north shore in like 2 hours. normally a 3 1/2 hour trip. pretty quick for a SUV.

Chris Friedl

No, the 8.2 is a 502(BBC), but the 8.1, also known as the 8100 vortec is just a big block version of the LS1 series of engines (LS1, 5.3, and 6.0)

Inspector12

iTrader: (29)

Save yourself some money and buy a WHIPPLE SUPERCHARGER or one from KENNE BELL they work great what year tahoe although it does not matter
by the time you get all the parts etc... you will save yourself a lot of time ad aggrivation if somethig does not work right. I had sell them and
I have built motors over all the blower is cheaper and it is a true bolt on item. I had one on my 96 truck swb reg cab 350 with 100K a whipple and jba headers I ran 6 back to bak 13.80x @98 mph they have great tourque to get out of the hole and on my 2001 truck I had one they work great for what you are trying to do. That is my .02! Good luck on what ever you decide!

Cal

iTrader: (1)

Really? I thought the 502 was just a bored and stroked version of the old 454 BBC with fuel injection added on. There was some of those being sold as crate engines before GM came out with their 502.

FAST LS1

iTrader: (2)

As far as I know it's an engine is based on the 454 big block, not LS* based. 8.1L is like 496ci and no LS based block can be bored and stroked to that large of a displacement. It does have different heads from any previous big block that are more like LS1 heads I believe?

This article says it's built off the old big block stucture under hightlights a few paragraphs down.
http://www.new-cars.com/2002/chevrol...verado-hd.html

Inspector12

iTrader: (29)

Fast Ls1 is right. The engine is based on the old BBC style motor it has a few differences on the crank seal and the heads are different the old heads will not work on the newer blocks ETC... But the design is very close to the traditional BBC.

MrYenko

The 8.1 is to Big-Blocks what the LT1 is to small-blocks...

Everyone just thinks it has LS1 roots because its got similar "cathedral" style intake ports.

ne14a6t9

ohh man you think an 8.1l will fit in an 00 corvette, seriously I need more power

Speedfreaks101

The new 8.1 has cathedral ports as was stated in a previous post and also has a revised firing order (same as the LS1) and has a longer stroke 4.37 Vs the 454 that has 4 in stroke. There are a few other minor differences.

66ImpalaLT1

The 8.1 is a big block with LS1 style engine management, coil over plug and all that.

Cal

iTrader: (1)

Since the 8.1 is a big block, it has substantially more weight and would probably kill the corner handling of your 'vette. With the power you can get out of the LSx series, there isn't much reason to get a big block, unless you just need the torque in a truck application.

Slowverado

hell, if the 8.1 has LS1 based heads because of it's "cathedral" style intake ports, then the LS1 has old school Cadillac roots from the old 472 and 500 CI motors, the old caddy motors had the same type intake ports 20 years ago

Chris Friedl

8.1 will fit in a corvette, in fact i have a magazine where a guy dropped one in a navy blue vert, but extensive mods were necessary as far as the steering rack, etc.