mstansbury0704

I’d like to get some opinions and thoughts on this. Have a procharged car. All the good stuff except the old LS1. Going to really start nickel and diming this year to scrounge together hopefully some good motor money, or atleast enough to get a shortblock for me to assemble the top end at my leisure. Been having a weird thought, with a boosted setup, why would you say go to Thompson and opt for a bigger cube motor for 2-3k more when you could get another 5.7 fully forged and rated to handle 1000hp? Just a glance at Thompson, a fully forged 346/383 base price is 6k. The ls3 variant rated to handle the same sauce base price is $8,500…this makes a whole lotta sense when your into NA stuff, but with a boosted app, what would stop you from just turning the boost up? For years I always said if this thing ever dies I’ll try to stuff the biggest motor I can into it. But now that I’m force feeding it, I’m quickly discovering I’m a pulley away from turning this motor inside out. It may never happen for me this year, but someday(especially if this thing blows up) I’d love to give it a new heart. Had it apart recently due to a morel lifter failing and noticed cyl 5 had some irregular wear at the bottom of the bore, probably piston slap all these years. Said f it. It’s not worth it to care.

just like to hear both sides of it, from you dong slingers with boosted ls7s, to the junkyard 5.3 crowd making 700+ wheel. I’m envious of both of you.

wannafbody

iTrader: (2)

It depends on the usage of the car. For the street I'd do a LS3 block, for a dedicated boosted drag car a 6.0 iron block or LSX block would be better. It really depends on how big your budget is. You could spend $5000 to $20,000.

mstansbury0704

What I’m saying, for a street car atleast…you can get a forged 5.7 for $2500 less off the rip than an LS3 based block. That alone pays for a lot of the top end. Plus last I looked I thought the square ports heads also more $$.. just wondering what the difference would really be and why you’d go with more cubes etc, with both having the same “safe” power reliability.. perhaps maybe the bigger motor doesn’t have to be cammed as radical for street manners? I guess this isn’t so much a question for me and my direction but I’m intrigued to know what and why people went with their motor etc. just a general discussion ya know.

LS1Formulation

iTrader: (13)

I'm just beginning my build, but I've purchased all my engine components so I'll chime in. I'm on a budget, enough of one that I could never afford to splurge on a built shortblock like you're considering. I'm building everything myself, and I've spent close to $20,000 in parts for the engine and drivetrain ( including a Terminator X system ). I did a lot of research before I started my build, just so I'd know I was building the best engine for my budget and power goals. I ended up with an LH6 5.3 aluminum block ( which is known for being one of the strongest factory blocks made ), Summit ProLS pistons and rods, and a factory crank. Those parts, along with quality machining from Steve Morris Engines and me building it rather meticulously, should provide me with a shortblock that can handle 1200+ HP. I doubt I'll ever turn it up that much, but I'd rather have room to grow than be power limited. IMO, the LS1 block is not going to have a lot of longevity if you make over 1000 HP. I don't think it will blow apart, but it might have ring sealing issues eventually. The liners are too thin, and the aluminum backing up the liners is not very thick. The LS3 block would seem to be the better choice at that point. We almost always want to turn up the power, so make sure you have room to grow.

mstansbury0704

I believe the 346/383 packages are based on the L33 or LH6 block. I’ll have to look again. I feel like I’ve sat down a while back and considered other options and by the time I got a bare block, and all the components and all of the machining done a premade shortblock isn’t so bad, especially considering time involved for me, hell these days it would cost me over $100 just to haul it there and go back to pick it up LOL.. But I live over an hour from anywhere that does machining. I’m unsure if your ring sealing concern would translate over to these block bases but that would be a good reason to opt for a larger cubed block, longevity maybe?

LS1Formulation

iTrader: (13)

I don't know the architecture of the L33 block, other than it appears to be a small bore LS1. Someone else may be able to chime in with more info on them. The LH6 is a beast, though. The cylinder liners are .250 thick, and the aluminum surrounding them is thick as well. Not only that, but it has siamesed bores which helps a LOT with block rigidity. Guys that sleeve blocks prefer them, and they have been pushed to 2000 HP. For my goals, I only went .030 over as to leave more meat in the cylinders, but yes, they can be bored out to LS1 size. The only bad thing when swapping them into an older LS powered car is they are Gen IV architecture, front mounted cam, DOD bosses, just like an LS2. Wasn't an issue for me, I just bought a Terminator X kit for the LS2 and I'm good to go.

mstansbury0704

Yea I was just looking at my options the other night. I think I’d want to stay alum. With so much extra crap up front I don’t think I’d want another 80-100#s up there. I pretty much have a separate mental bank account for car toy stuff lol. The more I think about it the more it’s adding up though. Obviously I’m gonna need a new twin or triple clutch etc.

I wonder about my t56. It’s taken some abuse over the years. Money shifts, clutch drops in the wrong gear(worn out hurst), etc lol. However something I wanted to throw out there to you, have you seen hptuners new standalone ECU? It may be of interest to you. Looks pretty capable. I just wish someone would come out with something that I could piggyback my factory gauges on. If I recall the only way to do so is to still use the factory pcm as a dummy box..

LS1Formulation

iTrader: (13)

Haven't seen the HP Tuners standalone, but I went with a Terminator X because it's a known entity and the whole aftermarket EFI thing is new to me. I'm almost in the same boat with my trans, except mine only has 3000 miles on it and is a stage 4 build. Unfortunately, it's not going to hold up to my power levels. I'm going to buy a Magnum-F in the spring and not worry about it. Check out Tick's full twin disc upgrade packages. I just got one, and it's nice. Tilton twin disc clutch, Tilton adjustable throw out bearing and master cylinder, all new lines and fasteners. Then you won't have to worry about any of your old hydraulics causing you issues. I'm just keeping my factory PCM, because it will still control a few things and leave me with more usable I/O in the Terminator X. Have a harness on order with Current Performance. It's highly doubtful any company will ever bring out an ECM that specifically controls gauges for one specific platform, you know?