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Best factory motor for boost

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Old Dec 12, 2016 | 08:44 PM
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Default Best factory motor for boost

Just like the title says, what do you think is the best factory motor for boost? I currently have a lq4 in my swapped 240sx. It threw a rod the other day for no apparent reason and put a hole in both sides of the block. So I need to get a new motor. I was planning on running around 15psi on the stock bottom end. So should I go with another 6.0 if I can find one or should I go with a 5.3? Not sure what other info I need to provide.
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Old Dec 12, 2016 | 09:06 PM
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For what your doing either will be fine. If your set up for a 6.0 get another one. If you get a cheap 5.3 go that route. With a good tune up they will be fine at that level.
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Old Dec 12, 2016 | 09:12 PM
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Well I wasn't worried about anything when I built this car. It ran great NA. But the day I got the turbo on it threw the rod, that scared me which is why I'm asking. This motor had conservative timing, 8psi spring in the wastegate, and was a bit on the rich side. Everything was safe but a rod still let go for some reason.
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Old Dec 12, 2016 | 09:17 PM
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The first day the turbo was on it grenades? Throw another shortblock in it and get to work. If it does the same it's the tune
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Old Dec 12, 2016 | 09:20 PM
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Originally Posted by partemisio
Well I wasn't worried about anything when I built this car. It ran great NA. But the day I got the turbo on it threw the rod, that scared me which is why I'm asking. This motor had conservative timing, 8psi spring in the wastegate, and was a bit on the rich side. Everything was safe but a rod still let go for some reason.
Did you do a complete retune for boost? It definitely sounds like the tune.
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Old Dec 12, 2016 | 09:24 PM
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Originally Posted by Sleeperls
The first day the turbo was on it grenades? Throw another shortblock in it and get to work. If it does the same it's the tune
Yeah first day. 10* timing, 8psi, and between 10.0:1 and 10.5:1 AFR. May have been a lack of oil but I don't know at this point because I have not taken anything apart yet. I would like another 6.0 but they are hard to find around here and I'm not sure how much of a difference it actually makes for me.
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Old Dec 12, 2016 | 09:27 PM
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Originally Posted by JoeNova
Did you do a complete retune for boost? It definitely sounds like the tune.
Throwing a rod sounds more like over-rev. I'm betting the newfound turbo power disconnected the brain from the right foot for a moment. Even in the unlikely event of traction, a boosted 6.0 will spin to the moon in a car that lightweight in short order.
edit- The 4.8L is best for boost by default. The combination of the short stroke, thickest cylinder walls, and lightest pistons make it the most forgiving. The fact that they are generally cheapest doesn't hurt either.
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Old Dec 12, 2016 | 09:29 PM
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Originally Posted by JoeNova
Did you do a complete retune for boost? It definitely sounds like the tune.
I have AEM on the car. I used the boost comp table for fuel and verified AFR was safe till I could make it to the dyno. For timing I set it at 10* at 1 bar of boost and interpolated between where it's been set at atmosphere. Looking at my timing table it would be between 14.6* and 16* timing at the 8psi depending on what rpm you're looking at.
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Old Dec 12, 2016 | 09:32 PM
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Originally Posted by gametech
Throwing a rod sounds more like over-rev. I'm betting the newfound turbo power disconnected the brain from the right foot for a moment. Even in the unlikely event of traction, a boosted 6.0 will spin to the moon in a car that lightweight in short order.
RPM is one thing that came to mind for me. I wish I had my laptop hooked up so I could see exactly what was going on. I was doing a burnout when it happened. My rev limiter is set to cut ignition at 6,200RPM and fuel at 6,300RPM.
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Old Dec 12, 2016 | 09:39 PM
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Originally Posted by partemisio
RPM is one thing that came to mind for me. I wish I had my laptop hooked up so I could see exactly what was going on. I was doing a burnout when it happened. My rev limiter is set to cut ignition at 6,200RPM and fuel at 6,300RPM.
If the rev limiter did in fact work, those rpm's aren't a problem. From the details you have provided, however, either you had a highly unusual premature hard part failure, or something in the ECM didn't do as commanded. You mention a possible oil issue. Did you drill the pan for an oil return without removing it? People usually get lucky with that, but metal shavings can get in bad places.
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Old Dec 12, 2016 | 09:47 PM
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Originally Posted by gametech
If the rev limiter did in fact work, those rpm's aren't a problem. From the details you have provided, however, either you had a highly unusual premature hard part failure, or something in the ECM didn't do as commanded. You mention a possible oil issue. Did you drill the pan for an oil return without removing it? People usually get lucky with that, but metal shavings can get in bad places.
I took the timing cover off and had my welder weld an AN bung to it for the return line. Oil pressure was just a thought, I have no evidence other than the holes in my block. This motor had less than 80,000 miles on it when I pulled it to put in my car also but I don't know its life until I started running it.
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Old Dec 12, 2016 | 10:27 PM
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I would say an l33 block with 4.8 rotating assembly would probably be best for boost using stick parts. I plan to build one for my car at some point. I have a full gen3.5 4.8 rotating assenbly ready to go, just need to find a block to stuff it in.
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Old Dec 12, 2016 | 11:20 PM
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Wouldn't an LS9 or LSA with oil squirters on the pistons be best? Since they are designed for forced induction? I do realize the cost and rarity of them, but as the question asks, would they not be the best choices?

Last edited by ScottyBG; Dec 12, 2016 at 11:21 PM. Reason: spelling
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Old Dec 13, 2016 | 06:05 AM
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If you care about the engine, cut fuel well before ignition.

Also for the sake of bouncing off a rev limiter, such as when during a burn out, I would set it much lower. In other words, if you arn't racing for money or some kind of competition, why use a high rev limit? instead, use a low limit, like 5500~, that way you can bounce all day without issue, the engine just laughs.

When you go to actually race, or win money, you can risk the engine and raise the limiter.
same idea with the filter. Use a high quality Paper-OEM style filter for daily driving and messing around. when you goto race the car, use a high flow filter for max power. switch back to paper element for 99% street/daily style driving, if you do any at all. If you care about the engine.

Originally Posted by ScottyBG
Wouldn't an LS9 or LSA with oil squirters on the pistons be best? Since they are designed for forced induction? I do realize the cost and rarity of them, but as the question asks, would they not be the best choices?
Good idea, piston oil squirt tech is used on many forced induction OEM turbo platforms like sr20 and 2jzgte. If you can get access to it, it seems a valuable addition. Those engines use cast aluminum pistons fwiw, so it might not benefit a forging the same way/as much. just food, I never tested the difference.
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Old Dec 13, 2016 | 06:29 AM
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Does anybody know what rod gets oil first? I think the number 1 rod is what let go. If this is the last rod to get oil I could see that rod being a clue. After looking at it I am thinking more and more about oil. My welder moved my remote mount filter housing to make room for the y-pipe. After looking at the filter housing I noticed that now the AN lines have a few extreme angles. No external signs of them being completely kinked but the inside is definitely restricted at least some now.
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Old Dec 13, 2016 | 07:06 AM
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Kinda sounds like your in Aus. Mate I've got a 5.3 for sale if you'd like to go that route. As suggested earlier the smaller truck motors lend themselves to boost slightly better and still make stupid power. I'm in Brisbane.
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Old Dec 13, 2016 | 07:39 AM
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Originally Posted by partemisio
Yeah first day. 10* timing, 8psi, and between 10.0:1 and 10.5:1 AFR. May have been a lack of oil but I don't know at this point because I have not taken anything apart yet. I would like another 6.0 but they are hard to find around here and I'm not sure how much of a difference it actually makes for me.
Waaaay too rich. Most widebands won't even read below 10:1, so it could have been even richer. Too much fuel can do some damage.
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Old Dec 13, 2016 | 10:36 AM
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A built one
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Old Dec 14, 2016 | 05:22 PM
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Originally Posted by kingtal0n
If you care about the engine, cut fuel well before ignition.

Also for the sake of bouncing off a rev limiter, such as when during a burn out, I would set it much lower. In other words, if you arn't racing for money or some kind of competition, why use a high rev limit? instead, use a low limit, like 5500~, that way you can bounce all day without issue, the engine just laughs.

When you go to actually race, or win money, you can risk the engine and raise the limiter.
same idea with the filter. Use a high quality Paper-OEM style filter for daily driving and messing around. when you goto race the car, use a high flow filter for max power. switch back to paper element for 99% street/daily style driving, if you do any at all. If you care about the engine.



Good idea, piston oil squirt tech is used on many forced induction OEM turbo platforms like sr20 and 2jzgte. If you can get access to it, it seems a valuable addition. Those engines use cast aluminum pistons fwiw, so it might not benefit a forging the same way/as much. just food, I never tested the difference.
OEM ecu seems to suck in terms of rev limiters etc....oddly there have been a few posts where people bent rods on the limiter with the stock ecu. So **** knows what it is doing !

If budget permits, the LSA would make a lot of sense, it also uses larger head studs too I believe ? Never a bad thing.

Or those LSX376 B8 and B15 seem to get good reports and hold up to boost well, although at the penalty of a heavy iron block.

On a real budget though...pretty much any engine will do, the more recent the better.
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Old Dec 16, 2016 | 05:07 PM
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Originally Posted by svslow
Waaaay too rich. Most widebands won't even read below 10:1, so it could have been even richer. Too much fuel can do some damage.
It's richer than a final tune should be but it's definitely not too rich to run. Some factory turbo cars go close to 9:1. It definitely wouldn't throw a rod because of it.



I'm pulling the motor out tomorrow and will hopefully have a new motor in on Sunday.
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