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lq9 for turbo

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Old May 7, 2026 | 05:19 AM
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Default lq9 for turbo

im new to building a turbo engine but i wanna try and build one myself . i have a lq9 short block that ran great . What all do i have to buy and do to build a daily driver boost engine . Its going in a 96 impala. Just need the recipè?
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Old May 7, 2026 | 05:37 AM
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I don't know your skill level so I'll start here, if it runs good then there's no reason to "build" it, leave it alone and boost it. Being your first turbo set up, don't set out to make 1,000 hp right off the bat. Keep the stock bottom end (often spelled short hand SBE) and just get a nice off the shelf cam and good valve springs. What's a realistic wheel horsepower or track time goal you want? Remember, you have to have the fuel and transmission to go with it as well as tuning. In the past, I've made 800whp with a completely SBE gen 3 5.3 even had factory ring gap, which is plenty for a lot of people. Now I daily drive an iron LS2 set up making around 1k whp.
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Old May 7, 2026 | 05:46 AM
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i did a swap in my old school it has a l76 in it n i just did a cam swap but im looking for more power in my other car this new engine its going in. I messed up my heads trying to drill out a exhaust bolt and drilled into the water jacket so i just disassemble it to a short block so im starting over i was just going to replace the cam bearings n rod bearings a guy told me 1700 to do that so should i go back with the factory heads?
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Old May 7, 2026 | 05:55 AM
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and im not looking to race just a goid engine thst can smoke these big *** rims i have on my car and im trying to keep up with my brother lt4
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Old May 7, 2026 | 07:07 AM
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Factory heads will support a lot of power. If it's a street car and you're just wanting to have fun and it be responsive, compression is your friend. Stock rectangle port heads are great. I think stock compression ratio is like 10.6:1? Not bad, I'd have a set of stock heads milled to bump CR up some closer to 11.1:1 and use head studs. My 6.0 is 11:1 CR and it's very snappy out of boost which I really like for a daily driver because it's making good horsepower before it's even into boost.

What fuel will you be running? 93 or e85?
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Old May 7, 2026 | 10:23 AM
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hopefully 93
all i need is a list of things i can save up and buy and install
my buddy is going to change my bearings for me
i just need to know wat heads i need to buy, cam, intake,etc.
im going to buy my parts and put them up and install when i get everything u say get even tell me wat turbo to buy
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Old May 7, 2026 | 07:37 PM
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all i need is a list of things i can save up and buy and install
i just need to know wat heads i need to buy, cam, intake,etc.
INTERNET!!! Build my motor FOR ME!!!!!!!! NOW!

Sorry, that's EXACTLY how this whole thing comes across. Kinda like the import guys where the fart pipe "adds" 20 HP, the cold-air intake "adds" 35 HP, the body kit "adds" 25 HP, the ... and in the end, even though they now "have 275 HP", they get WAXED at a stoplight by the soccer mom in a Kia minivan. I could go on butt I'm already nauseated.

The LQ9 isn't the best starting-out point for any boosted application because its compression is already so high. It's one of the best platforms of its era for N/A, butt not for boost. You can only have JUST SO MUCH compression before the fuel/air mixture, instead of burning in a controlled civilized manner AFTER the spark plug sparks, simply EXPLODES at some point BEFORE the spark occurs or the piston reaches TDC. This of course destroys bearings, breaks parts, goes SLOW, and sets money on fire. Kinda like shoveling $$$$ into the money furnace and wondering why the faster you shovel it in the more it requires to keep burning. Not a rewarding experience for most of us.

You need to quit posting and REALLY quit asking questions, and instead, READ. When you've read everything you think you can possibly read, READ some more. Then KEEP READING. Turn your transmitter OFF and turn on your receiver to max sensitivity.
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Old May 7, 2026 | 08:04 PM
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what block should i start with?
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Old May 7, 2026 | 08:10 PM
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Melling oil pump

Could run a stock bottom end but I'd change head gaskets.

My SBE has ARP head studs, cam, valve springs, heads have been decked to ensure they were flat, Melling oil pump.
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Old May 7, 2026 | 08:42 PM
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what block should i start with?
There aren't all that many LS motor blocks. In any case, the "block" (big bulky cast blob that sits down low) isn't the object in question.

The ENGINE is. One of those consists of a block (duh), butt also, crank, rods, PISTONS, HEADS, and so on.

One thing you've no doubt learned in your READING in the last few minutes, is that the BLOCK in the LQ9, is the same one as the one in the LQ4. 2 very different motors even though they are rather surprisingly similar. One comes in work trucks meant for construction sites with mud and gravel and a pallet of bricks in the bed and towing and abuse and all such as that; the other, comes in Cadillac Escalades and such as that, where people in "nice" clothes with disposable income want a status symbol and some kinda way to hulk a BIG EFFING CARCASS of a truck off of a stop light in a snappy and self-justifying manner. HHHMMMMM... what makes an ENGINE built out of the same BLOCK so DIFFERENT? The LQ4 is relatively boost-friendly, where the LQ9 is not. (not "impossible" or anything of the kind, just, less friendly) Hmmmmmmm... Your READING has no doubt shed light on this matter.

So since you've STOPPED POSTING and instead STARTED READING, what have you learned about "turbo" or otherwise boosted motors, IN GENERAL? Like, not "what block to buy", so much as, what compression ratios work well, why you choose this characteristic of heads over that other, how one cam works better than another, etc.?

PLEASE stop posting mindless CRAP and starter READING so that you can LEARN and then ask INTELLIGENT questions rather than "Internet!!!!!! Build my motor FOR ME!!!!!!!! NOW!!!"
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Old May 7, 2026 | 09:18 PM
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LQ9 has 10:1 compression. It’s perfect for boost. Eric, you really don’t have to change a lot to make power here. Since it’s apart, have the rings gapped for boost. Have your buddy set the bearings up on the side of loose….0025” mains and .0025” rods. As John mentioned, go with a Melling 10296 oil pump. Buy a new GM LS2 timing chain…it’s cheap and durable. You don’t need a lot of camshaft here…DO NOT over cam it. Something in the neighborhood of a 230/240 600/600 on a 114 is plenty. Too much camshaft will make this thing very lazy while cruising out of boost. I’d put a Fast 102 intake on it and a 92mm throttle body. Cometic headgaskets. ARP Headstuds will help it live. Your number one item to focus on here is the tune. Go with the best tuner your wallet can afford. Don’t let a buddy tune it that “thinks” he knows what’s up. Nope. If you want it to run right and have a decent lifespan, then go with a GREAT tuner. Gonna run you $750-$1k. It is what it is. You’re going to have to build your fuel a system to keep up with a turbo build. It’s fairly complicated, but not impossible. That’s important also. Injectors…buy good matched injectors.
It doesn’t take a ton of effort nor money to make 800 wheel with a turbo LS. Transmission will hate you. If it remotely hooks, which I doubt it will if you’re running on a set of dubs, your rear end will go after the transmission. Turbo builds are hard on drivetrain.
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Old May 8, 2026 | 07:17 AM
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6.0 lq9 - LS1TECH - Camaro and Firebird Forum Discussion
Looks like Eric is tone deaf.
The suggestions posed in his "other How to" thread is being ignored and he's
still asking the same, "answered many times" questions.
This kid is a troll.
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Old May 8, 2026 | 08:52 AM
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