408 build help
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 5
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From: Geyserville, CA
408 build help Hi guys! so i'm new to this site and i'm looking for a lot of suggestions on how to go about this build. I'm a newbie to the ls world, the most i've done is help my buddy rebuild an lq9 for his truck with a mild cam swap. So what i'm wanting to do is build an ls for my 98 Silverado, soon to be solid axle swapped, 37" tires and 4.56 gears. I was planning on getting an lq4 block to start with, putting in a callies 408 rotating kit, swapping the heads out for some chevy performance ls3 heads and perhaps an l92 intake. The part that i'm really not sure about is what cam to go with. I'm aiming for 500 bhp, but i'm also wanting a good amount of low end tq being that its going in a truck. Obviously anything is going to be a huge improvement over stock, but i see a lot of guys making most of their power well above 5000 rpm, which really isn't going to be usable for me. So how can i go about this and make big power in the low end? is it really going to be all in the cam, or am i going about this whole build all wrong?
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: Geyserville, CA
500 at the crank, I'm trying not to break the bank on heads, and the chevy performance ones are only $1300 a pair and fully CNC machined which is what made them really attractive, I'd spend a little more if it would help performance but I'm not looking to drop $2500 on them
TECH Veteran
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 4,893
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From: Mississippi
You mentioned torque...... This is what I would do personally. You don't need a L92/LS3 head to make 500 horse. It's easily achieved with a pair of factory 317 heads which is what most 6.0 motors come out with. They can be picked up for a 100 dollar bill. Pick up a 317 head or a 243/799 casting head and send them to a vendor for a CNC port job. Texas speed offer a program starring at 750 bucks and up.
On the intake you'll have enough room to run a Trailblazer SS intake with a 92 mm throttle body. It's really a steal for the power that can be made with that intake.
Then as far as a cam selection goes I would call Martin Smallwood, Brian Tooley, Kip @ cam motion or Pat G.
Those 317 heads made 540 horse at the crank with a 239/255 cam which is badoff on specs..... With a well matched cam and a mild port job you be able to run a small torquier going and still clear your horsepower goal.
Main thing you need is headers, a Trailblazer SS intake, and a good camshaft spec to your heads.
Here is a great link. Read and learn and good look..
http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/engine/ccrp-1208-ls-cathedral-port-vs-square-port-heads/
On the intake you'll have enough room to run a Trailblazer SS intake with a 92 mm throttle body. It's really a steal for the power that can be made with that intake.
Then as far as a cam selection goes I would call Martin Smallwood, Brian Tooley, Kip @ cam motion or Pat G.
Those 317 heads made 540 horse at the crank with a 239/255 cam which is badoff on specs..... With a well matched cam and a mild port job you be able to run a small torquier going and still clear your horsepower goal.
Main thing you need is headers, a Trailblazer SS intake, and a good camshaft spec to your heads.
Here is a great link. Read and learn and good look..
http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/engine/ccrp-1208-ls-cathedral-port-vs-square-port-heads/
500hp is no problem at all. You can do cnc porting on your heads from TSP for a very very reasonable price! 
I'd be happy to help you with a stroker rotating assembly to get you rocking and rolling! Just let us know when your ready! With several hundred crankshafts & rods in stock I bet we have whatever combo you want to build!!
I'd be happy to help you with a stroker rotating assembly to get you rocking and rolling! Just let us know when your ready! With several hundred crankshafts & rods in stock I bet we have whatever combo you want to build!!
__________________
Jason
Co-Owner, Texas Speed & Performance, Ltd.
2005 Twin Turbo C6
404cid Stroker, 67mm Twins
994rwhp/902lb ft @ 22 psi (mustang dyno) www.Texas-Speed.com
Jason
Co-Owner, Texas Speed & Performance, Ltd.
2005 Twin Turbo C6
404cid Stroker, 67mm Twins
994rwhp/902lb ft @ 22 psi (mustang dyno) www.Texas-Speed.com
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Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: Geyserville, CA
so 408 out of an lq4 block, ported 317's, trailblazer intake, thinking cam similar to the one in the link above 23x/24x .624/.624 114 separation, and 36# injectors? sounds like a recipe for over 500 crank hp?
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Hi guys! so i'm new to this site and i'm looking for a lot of suggestions on how to go about this build. I'm a newbie to the ls world, the most i've done is help my buddy rebuild an lq9 for his truck with a mild cam swap. So what i'm wanting to do is build an ls for my 98 Silverado, soon to be solid axle swapped, 37" tires and 4.56 gears. I was planning on getting an lq4 block to start with, putting in a callies 408 rotating kit, swapping the heads out for some chevy performance ls3 heads and perhaps an l92 intake. The part that i'm really not sure about is what cam to go with. I'm aiming for 500 bhp, but i'm also wanting a good amount of low end tq being that its going in a truck. Obviously anything is going to be a huge improvement over stock, but i see a lot of guys making most of their power well above 5000 rpm, which really isn't going to be usable for me. So how can i go about this and make big power in the low end? is it really going to be all in the cam, or am i going about this whole build all wrong?
The advantage to buying a completed short-block from a trusted LS supplier is you know your getting a part that's proven. For example the TSP short-blocks are all cnc machined, cnc digitized, and cnc blueprinted. Infact we install both torque plates & motor mounts to simulate the block being assembled when it gets honed! Its attention to details like this that really help!
__________________
Jason
Co-Owner, Texas Speed & Performance, Ltd.
2005 Twin Turbo C6
404cid Stroker, 67mm Twins
994rwhp/902lb ft @ 22 psi (mustang dyno) www.Texas-Speed.com
Jason
Co-Owner, Texas Speed & Performance, Ltd.
2005 Twin Turbo C6
404cid Stroker, 67mm Twins
994rwhp/902lb ft @ 22 psi (mustang dyno) www.Texas-Speed.com
Teching In
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Very helpful guy 500hp is no problem at all. You can do cnc porting on your heads from TSP for a very very reasonable price!
I'd be happy to help you with a stroker rotating assembly to get you rocking and rolling! Just let us know when your ready! With several hundred crankshafts & rods in stock I bet we have whatever combo you want to build!!
I'd be happy to help you with a stroker rotating assembly to get you rocking and rolling! Just let us know when your ready! With several hundred crankshafts & rods in stock I bet we have whatever combo you want to build!!