5.3 or 5.7 800+whp
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On The Tree
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From: Milwaukee Wisconsin
5.3 or 5.7 800+whp So i have a ls1, been around this for like a solid 4 months on if i should not or should go 5.3, my friend with a 900+whp camaro has basically talked me into going 5.3 iron aftermarket block and then use whatever heads i want because im going turbo on3 78/75. I have a manual 6 and my max goal is 800whp but anything between 700-800whp and doing 10second 1/4mile is my goal, basically i want a 10second turbo car with at least 700whp max 800whp, i will be running E85 because this is wisconsin and the stuff is everywhere which is nice lol. So will the 5.7 ls1 work for my goals so i can save the 3k or should i just go thompson motorsports 5.3 iron and eat the expense?
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So i have a ls1, been around this for like a solid 4 months on if i should not or should go 5.3, my friend with a 900+whp camaro has basically talked me into going 5.3 iron aftermarket block and then use whatever heads i want because im going turbo on3 78/75. I have a manual 6 and my max goal is 800whp but anything between 700-800whp and doing 10second 1/4mile is my goal, basically i want a 10second turbo car with at least 700whp max 800whp, i will be running E85 because this is wisconsin and the stuff is everywhere which is nice lol. So will the 5.7 ls1 work for my goals so i can save the 3k or should i just go thompson motorsports 5.3 iron and eat the expense?
Regardless of the engine selection, just go ahead and assume that with a turbo you will reach your goals. That said, the only two questions that need to be answered are price and durability.
With the ls1 block, you may save a little money if you leave the bottom end alone, but I don't think it would be as durable as the iron 5.3. You could easily sell the ls1 stuff to recoup the cost of buying an iron 5.3 block (probably have money left over). It would be slightly heavier (maybe 100 lbs or so), but the iron block will be more durable at those power levels in my opinion.
With the ls1 block, you may save a little money if you leave the bottom end alone, but I don't think it would be as durable as the iron 5.3. You could easily sell the ls1 stuff to recoup the cost of buying an iron 5.3 block (probably have money left over). It would be slightly heavier (maybe 100 lbs or so), but the iron block will be more durable at those power levels in my opinion.
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Regardless of the engine selection, just go ahead and assume that with a turbo you will reach your goals. That said, the only two questions that need to be answered are price and durability.
With the ls1 block, you may save a little money if you leave the bottom end alone, but I don't think it would be as durable as the iron 5.3. You could easily sell the ls1 stuff to recoup the cost of buying an iron 5.3 block (probably have money left over). It would be slightly heavier (maybe 100 lbs or so), but the iron block will be more durable at those power levels in my opinion.
With the ls1 block, you may save a little money if you leave the bottom end alone, but I don't think it would be as durable as the iron 5.3. You could easily sell the ls1 stuff to recoup the cost of buying an iron 5.3 block (probably have money left over). It would be slightly heavier (maybe 100 lbs or so), but the iron block will be more durable at those power levels in my opinion.
Originally Posted by Game ova
At 700-800whp aluminum is just as durable as iron....without the weight. Truth be told, aluminum is fine far beyond 800. Not sure why most people are paranoid about making modest power with aluminum blocks.
OP sell the LS1 and buy the iron block if you plan on enjoying it for more than 6 months.
Last edited by oscs; Sep 24, 2016 at 07:06 AM.
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Yeah maybe an LS3/2/A But we are talking about a stock bottom end LS1.. Those blocks are not what I would call "reliable" at 800whp. There are a ton of reasons that are commonly discussed on this website and are well documented from past experiences.
OP sell the LS1 and buy the iron block if you plan on enjoying it for more than 6 months.
OP sell the LS1 and buy the iron block if you plan on enjoying it for more than 6 months.
Originally Posted by Game ova
Where did op say stock bottom end....I re read the post a couple of times, but failed to see it. However, I did see him mention the word "block" though.
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Thread Starter
On The Tree
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From: Milwaukee Wisconsin
i would not be using a stock bottom end, id go forged internals and probably have to resleeve it anyways because im at 101k on the clock for it. I was just not wanting to spend 3k on just a block for my goals, granted that block is now what my 1+kwhp friend is using in his camaro and it looks baller as all hell..but id rather not spend over 15k on this car.
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On The Tree
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From: Milwaukee Wisconsin
5.7 will work, but you won't see 800 with the on3 and a soft tune....you will need to put some decent timing in it...which is fine being you are using E85. And a word of caution in regards to your transmission. With your new found power, and seemingly endless pull, you either need to overfill it....or put some oil jets on your gear set. Or after a few freeway pulls...it will whine.....trust me on this lol.
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The T56 Magnum, or TR6060, has an oil pump and cast in bosses that spray oil on the gears to keep things lubricated and cool. The older T56's can be modified in a similar fashion. You can also just add an electric scavenge pump to the drain hole in the T56 pan and plumb it to the input bearing. The problem is that with quick acceleration, high G situations like road racing, and standing mile runs all the fluid goes to the back of the transmission essentially making the front half of the transmission run dry.
You can overfill the transmission with fluid so there is still some oil in the front of the transmission during heavy acceleration, or you can add a pump and cooler or a pump and jets.
Either way, please do not boost your LS1 block, split the paper thin sleeves, and turn it into trash. If you want a turbo car, then the weight of a good iron block is nothing. What, maybe an additional 1/4psi to make up for the extra ~80lbs of durability and strength? I am pretty sure you could use a stock bottom end GenIV 5.3 to reach your goals. The 5.3's have nice thick cylinder sleeves, so you could even use an aluminum block 5.3 and be fine.
You can overfill the transmission with fluid so there is still some oil in the front of the transmission during heavy acceleration, or you can add a pump and cooler or a pump and jets.
Either way, please do not boost your LS1 block, split the paper thin sleeves, and turn it into trash. If you want a turbo car, then the weight of a good iron block is nothing. What, maybe an additional 1/4psi to make up for the extra ~80lbs of durability and strength? I am pretty sure you could use a stock bottom end GenIV 5.3 to reach your goals. The 5.3's have nice thick cylinder sleeves, so you could even use an aluminum block 5.3 and be fine.
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From: Emory Texas currently
just do what i did bore out your iron 5.3 to 3.903 bore forged -11cc wiseco pistons eagle h beam rods arp bolts for the head and studs for the mains stock crank on388mm in a s10 3.27 gear th400 trans brake and it does much better than 10 sec quarter mile times my friend dont over think this its been done a hundred times by ppl so theres obviously a recipe that works well and mine is one of them
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I have essentially built exactly what your asking about. I built my car to be a street car so I was trying to keep as much weight off the front end as possible for several reasons. after doing some research I quickly learned about a beautiful little thing called the l33. this Block has more than enough strength to meet you goals and will keep the weight down at the same time. I'm just speaking of my own actual experience. however, my bottom end is far from stock, callies crank, h mean rods and diamond pistons were all thrown in and 7200 rpm shifts are just flat nasty in this thing. I could probably wind it up a little higher but I don't wanna push it. yes as others have said a stock t56 won't last long with this type of setup. I ended up going tr6060/twin disc and haven't had any issues. one thing I'll add is that yo can usually get an iron block a bit cheaper so if the extra weight doesn't matter maybe that's best for you. as usual kinds depens on what your goals are but no matter what I would ditch the stock bottom end ls1 no matter what.I'm sure some others will chine in with more experience. most importantly is just have fun with the build and do what suits your needs best.
Originally Posted by DavidBoren
The T56 Magnum, or TR6060, has an oil pump and cast in bosses that spray oil on the gears to keep things lubricated and cool. The older T56's can be modified in a similar fashion. You can also just add an electric scavenge pump to the drain hole in the T56 pan and plumb it to the input bearing. The problem is that with quick acceleration, high G situations like road racing, and standing mile runs all the fluid goes to the back of the transmission essentially making the front half of the transmission run dry.
You can overfill the transmission with fluid so there is still some oil in the front of the transmission during heavy acceleration, or you can add a pump and cooler or a pump and jets.
Either way, please do not boost your LS1 block, split the paper thin sleeves, and turn it into trash. If you want a turbo car, then the weight of a good iron block is nothing. What, maybe an additional 1/4psi to make up for the extra ~80lbs of durability and strength? I am pretty sure you could use a stock bottom end GenIV 5.3 to reach your goals. The 5.3's have nice thick cylinder sleeves, so you could even use an aluminum block 5.3 and be fine.
You can overfill the transmission with fluid so there is still some oil in the front of the transmission during heavy acceleration, or you can add a pump and cooler or a pump and jets.
Either way, please do not boost your LS1 block, split the paper thin sleeves, and turn it into trash. If you want a turbo car, then the weight of a good iron block is nothing. What, maybe an additional 1/4psi to make up for the extra ~80lbs of durability and strength? I am pretty sure you could use a stock bottom end GenIV 5.3 to reach your goals. The 5.3's have nice thick cylinder sleeves, so you could even use an aluminum block 5.3 and be fine.
Also no need to bore out anything. The whole benefit of the 5.3 is the thick cylinder walls. Open them up and you have an over weight LS1. 800whp is the normal for the later 5.3 motors nothing special required. Not to mention resleeving an LS1 block is expensive and a PIA. Not worth it.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Jun 2015
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From: Milwaukee Wisconsin
The T56 Magnum, or TR6060, has an oil pump and cast in bosses that spray oil on the gears to keep things lubricated and cool. The older T56's can be modified in a similar fashion. You can also just add an electric scavenge pump to the drain hole in the T56 pan and plumb it to the input bearing. The problem is that with quick acceleration, high G situations like road racing, and standing mile runs all the fluid goes to the back of the transmission essentially making the front half of the transmission run dry.
You can overfill the transmission with fluid so there is still some oil in the front of the transmission during heavy acceleration, or you can add a pump and cooler or a pump and jets.
Either way, please do not boost your LS1 block, split the paper thin sleeves, and turn it into trash. If you want a turbo car, then the weight of a good iron block is nothing. What, maybe an additional 1/4psi to make up for the extra ~80lbs of durability and strength? I am pretty sure you could use a stock bottom end GenIV 5.3 to reach your goals. The 5.3's have nice thick cylinder sleeves, so you could even use an aluminum block 5.3 and be fine.
You can overfill the transmission with fluid so there is still some oil in the front of the transmission during heavy acceleration, or you can add a pump and cooler or a pump and jets.
Either way, please do not boost your LS1 block, split the paper thin sleeves, and turn it into trash. If you want a turbo car, then the weight of a good iron block is nothing. What, maybe an additional 1/4psi to make up for the extra ~80lbs of durability and strength? I am pretty sure you could use a stock bottom end GenIV 5.3 to reach your goals. The 5.3's have nice thick cylinder sleeves, so you could even use an aluminum block 5.3 and be fine.
I have essentially built exactly what your asking about. I built my car to be a street car so I was trying to keep as much weight off the front end as possible for several reasons. after doing some research I quickly learned about a beautiful little thing called the l33. this Block has more than enough strength to meet you goals and will keep the weight down at the same time. I'm just speaking of my own actual experience. however, my bottom end is far from stock, callies crank, h mean rods and diamond pistons were all thrown in and 7200 rpm shifts are just flat nasty in this thing. I could probably wind it up a little higher but I don't wanna push it. yes as others have said a stock t56 won't last long with this type of setup. I ended up going tr6060/twin disc and haven't had any issues. one thing I'll add is that yo can usually get an iron block a bit cheaper so if the extra weight doesn't matter maybe that's best for you. as usual kinds depens on what your goals are but no matter what I would ditch the stock bottom end ls1 no matter what.I'm sure some others will chine in with more experience. most importantly is just have fun with the build and do what suits your needs best.
Is the tr6060 manual still or no? id like to stay manual because automatics are flat out boring to drive to me, ive driven manuals my whole life so id rather stick to that. Also what do these or the magnum run about? like I said have a budget so if I have to turn down the WHP so I stay within budget for now I will. I only 24 years old so I still gotta get my life together and what not lol.
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Is the tr6060 manual still or no? id like to stay manual because automatics are flat out boring to drive to me, ive driven manuals my whole life so id rather stick to that. Also what do these or the magnum run about? like I said have a budget so if I have to turn down the WHP so I stay within budget for now I will. I only 24 years old so I still gotta get my life together and what not lol.
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On The Tree
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From: Milwaukee Wisconsin
Yes the 6060 is still a manual. Not trying to be a smart alec....but you may want to go heads cam for now. From what I'm reading, you are not prepared financially for FI just yet. It's not just the big stuff your have to buy, there's myriads of nickel and dime pieces to go along with a FI build.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
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From: Milwaukee Wisconsin
Yes the 6060 is still a manual. Not trying to be a smart alec....but you may want to go heads cam for now. From what I'm reading, you are not prepared financially for FI just yet. It's not just the big stuff your have to buy, there's myriads of nickel and dime pieces to go along with a FI build.
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From: Portland, Oregon
Honestly, I personally think you should find a 4th generation 5.3L (iron or aluminum block, it's your choice) and rebuild your current T56 to "Stage 2" specs, with a pump and cooler.
You literally only have to replace bearings and rings and bolts... reuse the crank, rods, and pistons... get the 799 heads CNC ported, Advanced Induction specializes in stock valve sizes, the stock valves work well on the tiny 5.3 bore.
Your goals are very attainable, do not over complicate this. You do not need forged internals.
You literally only have to replace bearings and rings and bolts... reuse the crank, rods, and pistons... get the 799 heads CNC ported, Advanced Induction specializes in stock valve sizes, the stock valves work well on the tiny 5.3 bore.
Your goals are very attainable, do not over complicate this. You do not need forged internals.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 107
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From: Milwaukee Wisconsin
Honestly, I personally think you should find a 4th generation 5.3L (iron or aluminum block, it's your choice) and rebuild your current T56 to "Stage 2" specs, with a pump and cooler.
You literally only have to replace bearings and rings and bolts... reuse the crank, rods, and pistons... get the 799 heads CNC ported, Advanced Induction specializes in stock valve sizes, the stock valves work well on the tiny 5.3 bore.
Your goals are very attainable, do not over complicate this. You do not need forged internals.
You literally only have to replace bearings and rings and bolts... reuse the crank, rods, and pistons... get the 799 heads CNC ported, Advanced Induction specializes in stock valve sizes, the stock valves work well on the tiny 5.3 bore.
Your goals are very attainable, do not over complicate this. You do not need forged internals.