So I think my T/A spun a bearing today. It's a stock LS1 just bolt ons and stall. I'm currently at college and my dad fired it up and took this video. Under my recommendation he is not running it anymore I am going to have him trailer it to G-Force (Pearland) probably and get their opinion. As much as I try to avoid shops... I do really like them though. Being in college *and* just having gotten engaged, my budget is strained. I'd like to rebuild it with BETTER parts, but I have to respect my budget at the same time. It at least needs to make the same power though (Again, stock LS1 with the 8-whatever heads, not the 243). Could I squeeze that out of an LQ9 with bolt ons? What manifold do I need? Toss up opinions, nothing is unreasonable. I have about $2500 that I can work with, but as always, less it better! Thanks much everyone, excited to see what y'all come up with.

Kyle

 

You might want to start picking through the junkyards or wrecked vehicles. That sound does sound like it is in the bottom end to me for sure. $2500 won't get you very far these days, I would start saving up for a decent short block if it were me. If I couldn't swing that I would just try to find a low mileage bottom end, maybe go with some $300 243's and a cam and call her a day. I honestly don't know huge amounts about the LQ engines so I will get other to chime in on that, but I do know they can make good power similar to a LS1 with about the same parts. A 6.0 would be nice.

 

I bought a complete LS1 engine for $2500....It can be done, especially since you have the rest of the components. You can easily get a 6.0 iron short block for a $1000-$1500. Transfer all your parts over and done.

 

Well I guess, ideally, I want to grad a shortblock for *cheap*, throw in a nice cam kit, get it tuned, call it day. Think 400rwhp is doable in a cam only LQ9?

EDIT: Without 243 heads