Max power of LSA blower on B15 376?
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 168
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Max power of LSA blower on B15 376? I'm moving forward with an LS swap in my 96 Impala SS using a B15 LSX 376 crate engine. My end goal is to figure out what fitment would be like for either a 3.3 or 4.0L whipple and slap the big dude on there, but at $7500+ for a kit, that is going to be way out of my price range for a while.
Rather than keeping it N/A and crying inside for a few years, I figured I could much more easily scrape together the cash for a remanned LSA blower that I see a few different vendors selling for under $3000 for complete kits and be happy with that for a little while so I'm not going slower than I was with my 525hp LT1 396 prior to the LS swap.
I've done a bit of research on what LSA guys seem to be making with these blowers in stock configuration, but the B15 is a bit of a different beast. With 473HP at only a 9.0 compression, I would think that's a pretty good indication that the heads are flowing a little bit better than a stock LS3/LSA. With the lower compression and sort of a half-assed blower cam, I am thinking it may make a bit more efficient use of the CFM added from the LSA blower than a stock internal LSA.
What do you guys think I'd be looking at, max power wise, with the LSA blower? I was hoping conservatively with a pulley swap I could see 650 at the crank? Any more educated guesses?
I'd be totally happy with 625-650hp at the crank, but if I have to start dumping too much money into modding the blower with port work to get there then it may not be worth it.
Rather than keeping it N/A and crying inside for a few years, I figured I could much more easily scrape together the cash for a remanned LSA blower that I see a few different vendors selling for under $3000 for complete kits and be happy with that for a little while so I'm not going slower than I was with my 525hp LT1 396 prior to the LS swap.
I've done a bit of research on what LSA guys seem to be making with these blowers in stock configuration, but the B15 is a bit of a different beast. With 473HP at only a 9.0 compression, I would think that's a pretty good indication that the heads are flowing a little bit better than a stock LS3/LSA. With the lower compression and sort of a half-assed blower cam, I am thinking it may make a bit more efficient use of the CFM added from the LSA blower than a stock internal LSA.
What do you guys think I'd be looking at, max power wise, with the LSA blower? I was hoping conservatively with a pulley swap I could see 650 at the crank? Any more educated guesses?
I'd be totally happy with 625-650hp at the crank, but if I have to start dumping too much money into modding the blower with port work to get there then it may not be worth it.
On The Tree
Joined: Feb 2014
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From: The City of Motors
I am not an LSA expert but I stumbled on this article, which should be taken with a little grain of salt but seems to be relevant since its a stock LSA and they tried to see how far the stock blower would go. They claimed 725 HP with a stock cam.
Do you mind sharing these $3k kits? I could always enjoy dropping a blower on something... (if its not a vendor and that breaks rules then disregard).
http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/eng...y-last-725-hp/
Do you mind sharing these $3k kits? I could always enjoy dropping a blower on something... (if its not a vendor and that breaks rules then disregard).
http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/eng...y-last-725-hp/
One word...... turbo 
Allows you to turn up/down the boost from within the car.
No need for long tube headers, no belt slip, heat soak, 1000hp with a budget turbo is easy.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/forced-in...rbo-build.html
You can use stock exhaust manifolds to build a turbo hot side.... there are $150 Chinese tubular headers on eBay people are running with great success. Huron speed may have a kit..... (sponsor on here). $150-200 Chinese intercoolers can easily support 800rwhp+
Research both options... then decide!
http://www.hotrod.com/articles/make-...ecision-turbo/
Allows you to turn up/down the boost from within the car. No need for long tube headers, no belt slip, heat soak, 1000hp with a budget turbo is easy.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/forced-in...rbo-build.html
You can use stock exhaust manifolds to build a turbo hot side.... there are $150 Chinese tubular headers on eBay people are running with great success. Huron speed may have a kit..... (sponsor on here). $150-200 Chinese intercoolers can easily support 800rwhp+
Research both options... then decide!
http://www.hotrod.com/articles/make-...ecision-turbo/
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 676
Likes: 72
I see alot of zl1 guys squeking 750 to 770 on a chassis dyno stock blower but its pretty tapped out. I know the b15 in and out its the cam that makes the extra horses the heads are exactly the same they just throw a ls7 cam in it. A turbo might end up being the same price but it will give you growth later with just a twist of the **** and is more controllable if you use boost by speed or gear. Of course with a heavy car like that im sure the positive displacment blower will help torque production considerably. It really comes down to personal choice and fab skill. Id do turbo all the way if it was me.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 168
Likes: 14
As far as the turbo goes, I actually have two AGP/Borg Warner .83 AR 56mm turbos with waste gates and a Tial BOV sitting next to me in a box as I type this that were spec'd out for my old 396 Lt1 project but are basically the same as what AGP uses on their L99/LS3 camaro kits.
I recently spend more time than I wanted to custom building a procharger setup from scratch, designing/cutting blower bracket, custom welding all the accessory brackets, piping etc... and I want this Impala project to go as bolt-on as possible. I just don't have the time or motivation for all the fitment issues, fab work, relocating things like ABS etc..., and I also want it to be as easy to maintain as possible. Looking for a mostly bolt-in setup that I can begin daily driving again as soon as I torque the last bolt and lock the tune in. This car has been apart for 12 years LOL Plus, the instant torque of the roots blower should be a nice touch on a car that will likely be 4400lbs with the LSX block and weight of a power adder.
I haven't totally ruled the turbos out, which is why I haven't sold them yet, but I just really doubt i'd go that route. I have never tuned/built a turbo setup before and I just don't feel like learning on this car.
Jordoza, I would imagine those guys making 700+ are probably with ported blowers? still, if guys are making that with the unit, I would think it wouldn't be to difficult to hit 650. I really thought the B15's heads were different, they are 6 bolt vs the 4 bolt LSA so the castings aren't the same, but I suppose the ports could be identical.
I recently spend more time than I wanted to custom building a procharger setup from scratch, designing/cutting blower bracket, custom welding all the accessory brackets, piping etc... and I want this Impala project to go as bolt-on as possible. I just don't have the time or motivation for all the fitment issues, fab work, relocating things like ABS etc..., and I also want it to be as easy to maintain as possible. Looking for a mostly bolt-in setup that I can begin daily driving again as soon as I torque the last bolt and lock the tune in. This car has been apart for 12 years LOL Plus, the instant torque of the roots blower should be a nice touch on a car that will likely be 4400lbs with the LSX block and weight of a power adder.
I haven't totally ruled the turbos out, which is why I haven't sold them yet, but I just really doubt i'd go that route. I have never tuned/built a turbo setup before and I just don't feel like learning on this car.
Jordoza, I would imagine those guys making 700+ are probably with ported blowers? still, if guys are making that with the unit, I would think it wouldn't be to difficult to hit 650. I really thought the B15's heads were different, they are 6 bolt vs the 4 bolt LSA so the castings aren't the same, but I suppose the ports could be identical.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 676
Likes: 72
The last one i tuned that made around there was pullied, cold air i believe a roto fab, headers, exhaust, intercooler heat exchanger upgrade, injectors and other smal stuff like plugs and of course tuning. Honestly it doesnt take all that much. I could pm you an add on list to get there if your interested. I inderstand wanting the bolt on approach. Id lsa blower all the way then. The ports are the same only has the extra head bolts. Good thing about that is if you wanted to send the heads out to get ported most everyone has a program ready for them. Youd just have to pick who you wanted to go with for porting. That will make the blower make the power alot easier to.
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On The Tree
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 184
Likes: 2
I have a stock LSA out of a '13 ZL1, I invested a mere $250 in it (a $100 ZR1 camshaft and a $150 2.55 upper pulley) and put down 624hp/601tq at the rear wheels. with bigger cam and more flowing heads I guess I can reach 800hp very easily.
Damn....its cheaper than a LSA SC'er too......
Too bad.....that would be a 1,400 RWHP easy install.....no complex turbo mess under the hood. no lag. no boost issues. No tremendous heat.
.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 168
Likes: 14
LS6427, what do you mean it won't fit? In what car? I'm assuming your T/A? I think I may have a bit more room in the Impala, and I'm not opposed to using a cowl hood or some other kind of raised hood to clear it. I think my main issue would be clearing the firewall/cowl area but it depends on how far back the whipple sits.
The whipple is what I'd like to do down the road, but no way can I afford it now and used/remanned LSA blower kits are out there for half the price. Basically, I was going to throw the B15 into the car N/A and drive it like that for a few years till I can get together the 7+ grand I'd need for the big whipple but with the price of some LSA blowers I figured I could do that now just so the car isn't a dog.
The end goal will still be to put the whipple on it, but I'd love to try to make 650 at the crank with the LSA blower now as that should be enough to keep up with most of my friends on cruises/track days.
Last edited by kris396ss; Mar 4, 2018 at 10:21 AM.
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 1
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Wow since you lay it out like that it's a no brainer!!! One word...... turbo Allows you to turn up/down the boost from within the car.
No need for long tube headers, no belt slip, heat soak, 1000hp with a budget turbo is easy.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/forced-in...rbo-build.html
You can use stock exhaust manifolds to build a turbo hot side.... there are $150 Chinese tubular headers on eBay people are running with great success. Huron speed may have a kit..... (sponsor on here). $150-200 Chinese intercoolers can easily support 800rwhp+
Research both options... then decide!
http://www.hotrod.com/articles/make-...ecision-turbo/
Allows you to turn up/down the boost from within the car.No need for long tube headers, no belt slip, heat soak, 1000hp with a budget turbo is easy.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/forced-in...rbo-build.html
You can use stock exhaust manifolds to build a turbo hot side.... there are $150 Chinese tubular headers on eBay people are running with great success. Huron speed may have a kit..... (sponsor on here). $150-200 Chinese intercoolers can easily support 800rwhp+
Research both options... then decide!
http://www.hotrod.com/articles/make-...ecision-turbo/
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 168
Likes: 14
Forgot all about this thread, figured I'd give you all an update. I ended up going with the LSA. A whipple would have been awesome, but by the time I got done with the 10 rib drive it would have been a couple thousand out of budget and I wasn't happy with the customer service. Not sure how fitment would have been with the larger ones either.
I ended up getting a great deal on a new LSA supercharger. Picked up a ZL1 lid with reinforced brick, LSX Concepts ZL1 "race" front drive and went to work. Then things got a little crazy when I decided to have Jokerz Performance do their "Chaos" port job on the blower, stick a 2.4 grip tech on it and picked up a ported 90mm TB.
Been hanging around a lot of LSA Facebook pages and learned a lot more about the potential of the LSA blower....and I'm really excited to see what mine can do. Most of the LSA gurus I have talked to think that with the better flowing LS3 style heads on the b15, slightly more aggressive LS7 cam that comes with the B15 and the ported blower/2.4 pulley I should be close to hitting 700RWHP on E85. Hopefully I'll find out this summer. I was only expecting to hit 600-650 so I'd be supper happy with that. If not, could always pulley up on the crank.
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/145918422@N04/, on Flickr
Had to roll the cowl up a little using a dolly and a torch but it came out good, after I painted it you could never tell. Hopefully it's enough clearance with the poly mounts.
Thanks to everyone for all the help on here!
I ended up getting a great deal on a new LSA supercharger. Picked up a ZL1 lid with reinforced brick, LSX Concepts ZL1 "race" front drive and went to work. Then things got a little crazy when I decided to have Jokerz Performance do their "Chaos" port job on the blower, stick a 2.4 grip tech on it and picked up a ported 90mm TB.
Been hanging around a lot of LSA Facebook pages and learned a lot more about the potential of the LSA blower....and I'm really excited to see what mine can do. Most of the LSA gurus I have talked to think that with the better flowing LS3 style heads on the b15, slightly more aggressive LS7 cam that comes with the B15 and the ported blower/2.4 pulley I should be close to hitting 700RWHP on E85. Hopefully I'll find out this summer. I was only expecting to hit 600-650 so I'd be supper happy with that. If not, could always pulley up on the crank.
Had to roll the cowl up a little using a dolly and a torch but it came out good, after I painted it you could never tell. Hopefully it's enough clearance with the poly mounts.
Thanks to everyone for all the help on here!
Last edited by kris396ss; Feb 13, 2019 at 12:03 PM.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 168
Likes: 14
Almost thinking that after 13 years of this car not running due to mishaps, unfortunate events, lack of money and time that this thing MIGHT actually run again this year LOL. One thing that has been a dream about the LSA setup is the fact that once I got everything to fit , it has all been bolt on from there on out and that has been a dream.
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/145918422@N04/, on Flickr
