in the distant future i'm thinking about a cam and heads. how big of a cam could i get without causing problems on the bottom end?
any help is appreciated

thanx

 

The bottom end is very good on these LS1s with 6 bolt mains and deep skirted blocks like a diesel. The weakest link is the rod bolts, but if you have a 2001 or newer they have been improved. These newer blocks can USUALLY take 7000 rpm. So any cam that peaks below that should be fine.

Oh I forgot to mention, ARP makes even stonger rod bolts; that would be a very worthy mod. I plan to do that at some point.

 

At some duration/lift number you have to start flycutting the pistons.

Someone will be by to help soon enough

 

isnt that around .600?

 

On a stock deck and unmilled heads. Depending on the duration at the desired lift, some will contact lower lift at the valve timing from what I have gathered. But around .600ish. .598 is clear for take off on stock unmilled heads, with 2*adv in.

 

How strong is the bottom end of the LS1?

Well, 'ChevyNo1' just pulled 574 rwhp and 624 ftlb torque with his twin turbo 98 Camaro SS.

The actual motor itself is bone stock. Of course, he only spins it to 6,000 revs.

I think problems with stock rods and rod bolts arise from folks spinning the motor too high. Keep it below 6,500 and you should have no problems.

Ron,

 

Amen, Tin Indian, and I personally think that the people that break stock rods have detonation issues. As I have turned my stock rods 7000 a few times and currently make enough power to run 150 mph in the quarter, (except my $3000 Rossler 4L60E won't stand it) Of course my timing is VERY LOW on the spray. There are several people running 9's with stock bottom ends.