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I have a lq4 6.0ls I want to get around the 600hp range at the crank N/A. Is that possible and what are some ways I can get their without boost or nitrous? Motor will be going in my 79 camaro with either the 350turbo trans or the 4l80e. Haven’t decided yet.
Yes 600 fw NA out of a 6.0 is popsicle. But after you have done it you might wish you had boosted, depending on your tolerance of pita factors.
1. Compression. You are going to want 12:1 possibly more depending on cam selection.
2. Rpm. You need to set it up to rev. A 6.0 will not get you to 600 on torque increases alone. This means you will want great lifters, great springs, and big beefy pushrods. You will need to peak near 7000 rpm.
3. Cam. Going to be big and rowdy. Which means if you plan to daily it, you will need to learn how the car operates down low and learn to tolerate some parking lot surging, etc. probably something in the 242/250 range without putting any thought to it.
4. Exhaust. Upgrade to dual 3 inch system. 1-7/8 header primaries.
5. Intake. Fast 102, msd, or a carb style like CID.
Great advice already given, but do you really need 600? Because if 550 will do, then you can save several thousand dollars.....
6.2 pistons (you will also need gen 4 rods if your LQ4 has gen 3 rods)
LS3 or L92 topend
Any "stage 3 or 4" cam
Good dual springs
Long tubes
will make 550 all day.
N/A: Replace most things. Spends lots of money.
Flat top pistons with 58cc CNC ported heads will get you 12:1 and help get you to 600 HP.
You'll also need a good intake manifold that clears the hood, like a FAST 102.
Now you're $2500 in and you haven't done valvetrain yet.
You'll need a 6500-7000 RPM peak, so you'll want to go ahead and replace lifters/springs/pushrods while you do cam. Rocker trunions are up to you.
Now you're closer to $4000 in, and you've still got another grand to spend on headers, injectors, pump, and tune. 2 grand if you don't go cheap.
$6000 in, if you do the labor yourself.
It won't be the most pleasant thing to drive on a regular basis either with 12:1 compression and a cam with 240+ duration on both intake/exhaust.
Turbo: $260 turbo on a bone stock engine. Drives like stock.
In my 01 Camaro I'm running a LQ9 block bored to 408. I'm running a cam almost exactly as @Darth_V8r suggested, I'm 243/251 .624 .624 LSA 111 +1. I'm down on compression 11:1 and when if I rebuild I'll bump and run 13:1 and E85. But as mentioned Tuning or finding a tuner to smooth out a big cam with lots of overlap is tricky. I made 464rwhp on a Mustang Dyno and honestly that is on a motor that has lots of miles and iffy tunes so could be freshened up. If I was smart I'd switch to turbo on a 408 and make stupid power but I do enjoy the response and thump of a N/A motor.
Like mentioned on a 6.0 a turbo setup will make tons of power but I'm guessing if you are looking N/A you like that old school thump that everyone can hear and gets attention especially at cruises/car shows. Hope this helps if I had a camaro like yours I'd probably give up a little cam wise to be happier and easier tuning and enjoying wise. But I've driven mine to car shows 80-100 mile round trip and kick it into over drive and honestly drives great out on the road. Like mentioned on a big cam 6.0 it's the stop and go traffic that can drive a person crazy but then again you know why you have a bit of surge and might not bother you.
Now, please don't take this as condescending. Have you ever driven a NA 600 HP street car?? I have. It really isn't that enjoyable. I had, (and still have) a radical Big Block Chevy manual trans Belair. Legit 650 HP NA car. It's a street legal 1/4 mile car. If you have your heart set on 600 HP, that's OK. I honestly, really think you'd be happy with 400-450 HP for your app. It's going to be MUCH more reasonably priced, and way more attainable.
Now, please don't take this as condescending. Have you ever driven a NA 600 HP street car?? I have. It really isn't that enjoyable. I had, (and still have) a radical Big Block Chevy manual trans Belair. Legit 650 HP NA car. It's a street legal 1/4 mile car. If you have your heart set on 600 HP, that's OK. I honestly, really think you'd be happy with 400-450 HP for your app. It's going to be MUCH more reasonably priced, and way more attainable.
Exactly, a cammed lq4 with 706 heads will make close to 500hp and be a BLAST to drive for CHEAP
Mast small bores, 24x/25x 110 cam, lightweight valvetrain, msd intake ported, 102 tb, 1-7/8 headers, duals and x pipe, johnson short travels, underdrive balancer, electric wp, manual steering, should get you there. Then I'd stroke it. Nitrous kit. Wheel numbers depend on more factors like gear converter tire etc etc
Now, please don't take this as condescending. Have you ever driven a NA 600 HP street car?? I have. It really isn't that enjoyable. I had, (and still have) a radical Big Block Chevy manual trans Belair. Legit 650 HP NA car. It's a street legal 1/4 mile car. If you have your heart set on 600 HP, that's OK. I honestly, really think you'd be happy with 400-450 HP for your app. It's going to be MUCH more reasonably priced, and way more attainable.
I have not driven a 600hp N/A car before. I have driven the Same year car with a sbc 406 with a vortech supercharger made 389whp before boost. So assuming it’s right around 450-475whp now and I loved it. But I don’t know anything about turbos Or superchargers and how to even attempted installing one correctly lol. 600hp at the crank isn’t a absolute goal it’s just something close so I can keep up with the sbc406 lol. I would love to go turbo. But everything I’ve seen as far as turbo kits are super expensive.
PS - if after you price all this out you find yourself asking ... how much power will I lose if I just use xxxx instead?
Just stop the process and go boosted. Big NA power is not cheap.
I’m starting to see this as I price out parts. i would love to do a turbo but I don’t know anything about them. And everything I see is 3000 plus dolllars for a kit.
In my 01 Camaro I'm running a LQ9 block bored to 408. I'm running a cam almost exactly as @Darth_V8r suggested, I'm 243/251 .624 .624 LSA 111 +1. I'm down on compression 11:1 and when if I rebuild I'll bump and run 13:1 and E85. But as mentioned Tuning or finding a tuner to smooth out a big cam with lots of overlap is tricky. I made 464rwhp on a Mustang Dyno and honestly that is on a motor that has lots of miles and iffy tunes so could be freshened up. If I was smart I'd switch to turbo on a 408 and make stupid power but I do enjoy the response and thump of a N/A motor.
Like mentioned on a 6.0 a turbo setup will make tons of power but I'm guessing if you are looking N/A you like that old school thump that everyone can hear and gets attention especially at cruises/car shows. Hope this helps if I had a camaro like yours I'd probably give up a little cam wise to be happier and easier tuning and enjoying wise. But I've driven mine to car shows 80-100 mile round trip and kick it into over drive and honestly drives great out on the road. Like mentioned on a big cam 6.0 it's the stop and go traffic that can drive a person crazy but then again you know why you have a bit of surge and might not bother you.
i wouldn’t mind going turbo! I just don’t know what I’m doing! I’ve never did anything with boost before and everything I find is really expensive. And trying to find the right turbo with supporting mods is foreign to me.
I’m starting to see this as I price out parts. i would love to do a turbo but I don’t know anything about them. And everything I see is 3000 plus dolllars for a kit.
Turbo kit are expensive but after complete everyone loves it, but that cost upfront is a tough pill to swallow. Honestly like others have mentioned with the 6.0 do forged internals and a good set of heads from AFR or Trickflow and a decent cam from cam motion, will defiantly entertaining especially in your camaro. Then with your 4l80e and a forged motor if you get bored later can always turbo it down the road.
My father has a 99 single cab short box 4wd truck that the 5.3 got tired in. He replaced it with a bone stock 6.0 and a stage 2 truck cam from Cam Motion and was a night and day difference. Truck pulls pretty good and he didn't even tap into any capabilities of that 6.0, just a cam and spring swap. Either way car looks great and will be fun no matter how mild or wild you go with the 6.0.
I’m starting to see this as I price out parts. i would love to do a turbo but I don’t know anything about them. And everything I see is 3000 plus dolllars for a kit.
Boost does not have to mean turbo. Tvs or Kong 2300 for example. Or use ls3 heads and get a used LSA blower setup for cheep off flea bay. Or go procharged. There is also the rear mount turbo option.
Don get me wrong. I love big power NA builds. And I could give you a parts list recipe that will get you past 600. But you will be looking at $10k range.
LSA blowers aren't cheap anymore And lids are getting scarce.
The advice above is very good. Chasing a specific number can be pricey.
I have an LQ4 in one of my builds, ported stock heads, small cam, good intake and exhaust. Likely makes 480-500 crank. And I have a 403" LS2 in my other car, going to make probably 600 crank. Probably costs $6000+ more than the LQ4.
The stock bottom end LQ4 pushes my 4x4 lifted truck into low 13s, probably would be mid 11s in a car, and better if I had more than stock 9.5 compression and a 223 cam.
Everyone pretty much covered the basics. Good heads, good (big) cam, can get there, even on 11:1 cr pump gas if everything else is top notch. Hoping to have around 600hp myself from my n/a ls2. Driving mine with a big cam is no problem, mine's 30 degrees overlap. If it's properly SD tuned and you have a 4000+ rpm converter, car drives around just fine. This car in pic below is just one good example of what's possible and there has been more of them..
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600hp 6.0l recipes? 
And lids are getting scarce.
