How easy is it to get 450 to 500 hp from a LQ9? Will simple cam, headers and reprogramming get me there?

Engine will go in a 2nd gen firebird and I plan on ditching the truck intake and using a LS1 intake.

Totally new to these new fangled engines so any help would be great.

 

450hp is doable with a good set of heads and a cam. 500 might be a little to high. It would take some serious research and a serious set of heads to make 500. Not saying it cant be done. It would be a big set of heads with a big cam and have a high rpm peak. Not really street friendly. Look in the internal engine section and do some research. Good luck.

 

stick with the truck intake it out preforms the ls1. it's about equal to the ls6 till 6k then it slows up a bite. 500 is a sretchand will need a good intake 90mm. good header's and probly a realy good head cam comb.

 

So is 400 to 450hp a better target without swapping heads?

 

here is a link to a car craft article were they made 550hp with l92 heads cam and carb intake. my car makes over 400hp and it just has a cam and headers.

 

Are you looking for 450-500 at the rear tires or at the crank?
Are you wanting a streetable engine or a race engine?
Emissions or not?

 

GM ASA cam, Ls6 valve springs, and an Ls6 intake manifold will give you 450+ The truck intake falls short around 5000 rpm. If you go with the ASA cam and the Ls6 manifold, you'll have a high reving motor with a steady power increase well up to 6000rpm. Look on the Performance Trucks site thats associated with this site to find some good information on the LQ9.

 

Hot Rod pulled over 500 hp out of a l92 head and cammed lq9. had long tubes l76 intake and a tune.

I believe it was the september/november/december issues (last one got a blower)