Why go forged?
It does make a lot of sense to aim it for more of a daily driver rather than a track car. I totally agree with that and I wasn't sure how drivable this car would be.
The problem with ls7's is that they aren't cheap and they don't come up very often at all. Unless I'm completely off my rocker.
What could I reasonably achieve with a ls1/ls2 block since they're cheaper? If I were to stick with just a hone? I think a 383 would be pushing it for side loading..yes?
A typical rotating assembly for a 383ci LS1 uses a 4" stroke as well as a 6.125" rod. An LS7 uses a 4" stroke as well, but with a shorter 6.067" rod. Most people that concern themselves with sideloading look at the ratio of rod length to stroke. After dividing rod length by stoke, the higher the number, the less angularity the rod makes and therefore less sideloading.
A stock 427ci LS7 has a rod/stroke ratio of 1.51:1.
A 383ci LS1 would have a ratio of 1.53:1.
A 383ci LS1 should have less side loading than a stock LS7, so as far as sideloading is concerned, if an LS7 doesn't have issues, neither will a 383.
Last time I checked there wasn't a law stating that you HAD to run a 6.125 rod. If I were to be building an ECONOMICAL street/track engine, I would opt for a 383 with the longest rod I could cram in there. Sure, you are more than likely going to have to move the pin boss into the oil control ring groove, but since you aren't going to boost or spray it, you should be just fine.
IMHO, unless your diving abilities are that of Michael Schumacher's, You are gunna wont some torque and what better way to do that then with a 383.
The point I'm making is why high RPM when you can make the same power at a lower RPM, and more of it everywhere with a larger engine? An over square engine is the ticket for high RPM, but is it really worth it? For gearing?
With rsepect to RPM the answer is yes - in road racing, which is much different than drag racing, RPM is king and low end torque is considered meaningless. In a road racing sedan, an LSX engine would rarely (if ever) see rpms below 4,500 rpm outside of the pits.
Read my comments as to preparing a daily driver for track use. Doing double duty as a DD and track car, it will spend 90% of it's life under 4500RPM. Again, is it worth it to optimize an engine for an RPM range which it will only see for maybe 10% of it's life, while disregarding the RPM range in which it will spend 90% if it's life?
Read my comments as to preparing a daily driver for track use. Doing double duty as a DD and track car, it will spend 90% of it's life under 4500RPM. Again, is it worth it to optimize an engine for an RPM range which it will only see for maybe 10% of it's life, while disregarding the RPM range in which it will spend 90% if it's life?
Since we're stopping here, I'll leave with a quote..
"The 7.0-liter engine combination allows us to run relatively low rpm to maximize fuel economy and reliability while producing extremely high torque numbers that make the cars very ‘driver-friendly' on a road course," explained GM Racing engineer John Rice.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/new-produ...l#post14005147
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Loads on the pistons, rods, and cranks are (by far) highest at top dead center (TDC) and bottom dead center (BDC) - not during the downward power/thrust stroke of the engine... which is where power adders make their presence felt.
There's a lot of good discussion in this thread! What it really comes down to is defining the purpose of the engine in the car and the qualities you want the engine to have. After you clearly spell out what you want the engine to do for the car, approach the design and build with an open mind and find the best way to achieve your goals... probably balancing optimal design and budget.
Long and short of it is? If you want an LS engine to hang together and be reliable AND make great power?; Just keep the limiter to the 7000 RPM range and you'll be happy for thousands of miles without worry or without overly exotic parts required.
But hey if you want to spend 20+k on an 8500 RPM de-stroked screamer thats reliable? Go ahead it aint my dough
I actually have a set of 383 stroker pistons and rods. The rod is a 6.200 rod so that should be fine to avoid too much side load and its all forged. I bought them awhile back without thinking it through and at the time it was a bad decision. But now I'm thinking that will give me the best of both worlds. Long rod to prevent side load and stroked to give me the extra cubes. I just have to get the block notched for the extra length
Darkman, This banter is actually quite useful since it gives me more than one perspective so I know I'm not getting a bias opinion. So keep on going please.
Annivs, I am being very greedy especially for a 2700 lb car. I just know if I overshoot, I'll hit somewhere below.
I think in general aiming for a lower rpm is probably by best bet since this will be my first/only vehicle for the next 4-5 years. If I go with a ls6 intake, custom grind cam, a set of good heads, with a light valvetrain.....I think I should be sitting alright
Does a stroker engine actually dip deeper into an oil pan? The oil pan I'm using for the conversion has to be very shallow to fit but I'm not sure if it'll be deep enough if the stroker needs more clearance?
What are the best priced heads as in dollar for flow? I don't want to spend an extra grand to get 5 more horses of flow but I don't want to go cheap either.
Any recommendations on springs?
you need to find a spring that suits the needs of the cam and the engine...
Manley, Comp, PAC, just to name a few
as far as heads go.. Patriot makes some great budget heads... but then again you can get a better for more money.. it just depends on your budget...
$2500 gets you some dam nice heads that will outdo most of the field.. $4000 gets you serious heads that will be on top of everybody...
how thick is your wallet?
Also, since you're not using a power adder, you have a great opportunity to pick your piston material. Typically the 4032 alloy is used for power adders because its characteristics are better for that application. However, i think the 2618 alloy is easier on your piston bores. I could have them mixed up, but it's definitely worth looking into if you're that concerned about side loading and scuffing the cylinder bores and piston skirts. So is coating your pistons. I wish I would have knew about the two different types of alloys before I build my engine...
Also, what would it take to get that kind of power....550hp from a ls1? I'm not stroking but I could bore it out to 3.905. What heads, cam, valvetrain, and I think I'll be running a ram air. This is not a drag car so I need this to be able to run daily and on the track.
Also, since you're not using a power adder, you have a great opportunity to pick your piston material. Typically the 4032 alloy is used for power adders because its characteristics are better for that application. However, i think the 2618 alloy is easier on your piston bores. I could have them mixed up, but it's definitely worth looking into if you're that concerned about side loading and scuffing the cylinder bores and piston skirts. So is coating your pistons. I wish I would have knew about the two different types of alloys before I build my engine...
Also, 2618 is the stronger alloy used for big power engines. The 4032 is more brittle, but expands less and is typically lighter.










