LSX Nissan S14 makes 505 horsepower on the dyno on a 91-octane tune.
The video above comes to us from the YouTube channel of professional BMX rider Caleb Quanbeck and it features a trip to the dyno with his Nissan S14 drift car. Like pretty much every S14 with respectable power, this Nissan is powered by a built LSX, and, after moving to Portland, Quanbeck had to have the car returned for the area’s 91-octane gasoline. Even on a “conservative, reliable” tune for the lower-grade gasoline, this S14 roars on the dyno and makes more than 500 rear wheel horsepower.
Quanbeck’s Drift Machine
This video begins with some small talk as Quanbeck explains what is going on in the video, followed by a trip to his mother’s house to drop off his dogs. From there, he heads to Portland Speed to hit their dyno and get a new engine tune. Portland Speed remotely tuned the car when Quanbeck was in California, but now that he is back in Portland, he wanted to get it properly tuned in person. More importantly, he needed to have the LS1 engine tuned to safely make as much power as possible on the area’s crummy 91-octane gasoline.
After some footage of the car coming out of the trailer and driving around the parking lot, the S14 is pulled into the shop and strapped down to the dyno.
Thunderous Roar
Around the 6:15 mark in the video, we get to the dyno pulls and we get to watch from two different angles as the Nissan makes three rips on the rollers. The car sounds incredible as the engine speed is gradually increased and when the LS1 is pushed to wide-open-throttle, the engine roars so loud that the camera microphone can’t handle it.
On the second and third run, the cameraman moves to the front of the car – possibly with the hopes that the microphone would stand up better to the roar of the engine – but it doesn’t help. The LS1 engine in this Nissan S14is just too loud.
Solid Numbers
We only see one set of numbers towards the end of the video, but we can see that on a conservative tune, this LS1 engine makes 505 horsepower and 449 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels. That should be more than enough power to allow Quanbeck to have lots of fun throwing the back end around in this ultra-lightweight Nissan.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
