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Stock Bottom End LS1

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Old Oct 5, 2006 | 08:45 PM
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Default Stock Bottom End LS1

Once again... search is down!

Just trying to find the threshold for a stock bottom end on a LS1. I will only be revving to 6k with NO MORE then 500whp... 550whp MAX. The 550whp is more then unlikely. But just incase... I know that would be the breaking point of a LT1 so I wouldn't push it that far ya know.

LS1s weak point on the bottom end is still a piston though right?
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Old Oct 5, 2006 | 09:46 PM
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weak spots are pistons and connecting rods

what are your plans for the motor?

you can easily make 450 rwhp on a cam, and then an extra 200 of nitrous ontop of that safely
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Old Oct 5, 2006 | 10:42 PM
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I'd be willing to bet the rods go before the pistons. I was always told that 500 is pushing it?

Originally Posted by CopCar
you can easily make 450 rwhp on a cam, and then an extra 200 of nitrous ontop of that safely
Are you saying that 650 hp on a stock bottom end can be done safely?

Last edited by zspot98; Oct 5, 2006 at 10:50 PM.
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Old Oct 5, 2006 | 10:52 PM
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I've always been told that the rod bolts were the weakest link.
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Old Oct 5, 2006 | 10:55 PM
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Originally Posted by Camaro_Guy
I've always been told that the rod bolts were the weakest link.
Usually only when your turnning it past 6800 rpm's.
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Old Oct 6, 2006 | 12:04 AM
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yes, i do belive its entirely possible to have 650 or so crank hp on a stock bottom end LS1, reliably

i hope to put down 400 rwhp through my auto, and then spray 200 or so on it. would put it easily in the 650 hp range at the crank.

id highly suggest that you use katech rod bolts though. early LS1s (97-00) rod bolts stretch and break at higher rpms, later LS1s (01-04) have stronger rod bolts, but personaly i wouldnt trust them either. also, if you have 97-99 LS1s you need to modify the block to support higher rpms otherwise you will starve bearings
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Old Oct 6, 2006 | 12:11 AM
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there are guys running 9s on the stock bottom end.....think about it
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Old Oct 6, 2006 | 12:11 AM
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Hes only reving it to 6K, so IMO, his rod bolts should be fine. But, if you have it on the engine stand, I would do it now..
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Old Oct 6, 2006 | 12:45 AM
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How do you plan on getting to 500-550rwhp on a stock cubed motor without revving past 6000? Forced induction or are you counting a shot of nitrous? I don't see a 346 making 500-550rwhp without a power adder if you're only revving higher. Your method of making power will determine how bad different weak points are. The tune has a lot to do with how much power you can make without melting a piston or shattering a rod (leaning out real bad, detonation, etc.).

I made 420rwhp through my Magnaflow cat-back and an LS6 manifold. I was beating on it the other day with my new cutout open (I'm assuming probably close to a 20rwhp gain on my car with the cutout) without trouble and hope to gain another 20-30rwhp with a ported Fast 90 setup, Z06 maf, 85mm lid by spring. I have the shiftlight set around 6300, so I'm revving probably 6400-6500 or so. I imagine my upper-end powerband will change quite a bit with the better breathing intake, and plan to bump the shiftlight up a couple hundred RPMs.

All the bottom end has are ARP rod bolts, Clevite H-series rod and cam bearings, LS6 oil pump. I'm running stock pushrods still too (need to pick up some hardened 7.4s).
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Old Oct 6, 2006 | 01:04 AM
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bottom line is the bottom end will hold what your wanting to do
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Old Oct 6, 2006 | 06:18 AM
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I want to have a set of mild ported LS6 heads with a pretty big sized cam. Then... after that maybe a wet 100 shot. That will call it a day since I have my TT 385 LT1 being built. 550whp daily driver car will suffice.

I figured 450whp n/a while still getting 18 mixed mpg and 25 on the highway when chillin. Since this is a 6 speed and I do have serious discipline. I figured it's pretty feasible. Then spray the bastard and bump it up to 550whp. I want a pretty "easy on the motor" setup because I will be driving it around quite a bit. That's the reason for the the limited 6k redline. Then the 100 shot for fun if I see myself losing.
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Old Oct 6, 2006 | 07:38 AM
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Originally Posted by staringback05
there are guys running 9s on the stock bottom end.....think about it
Really. I didn't think it was possible to take a stock bottom end that high? Do you guys have any links to these guys setups? I'd like to see what they're running.
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Old Oct 6, 2006 | 07:45 AM
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This subject is one I recently did a LOT of research on. I was building a heads/cam package good for 425rwhp and was going to spray 150 on top of that. While some people have gone 9's on the stock bottom end there have been others who were barely in the 10's when piston number 7 went south. It's a crap shoot IMO when you are over 500 rwhp.

However I do agree that you will be fine only because you are sticking to a 6,000 rpm redline. All of the people I talked to or read about that had the stock bottom end go bad were reving the engines to 6700-7000 rpm's.

I myself have decided to build a 408 iron block. Bigger cubes are costly but at least I'll have a brand new motor strong enough to utilize 150-200 N20 shots and a 6800 rpm redline. I could try this on my stock bottom end but then I'll have to say a prayer every time I line up for a quarter mile pass

Good luck to you.
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Old Oct 6, 2006 | 09:01 AM
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I have seen 630 to 650 on a FI stock bottom end with rod-bolts reving to 6800 or so.

I am making 507.9RWHP on a stock bottom and ARP Rod-Bolts end N/A. Just Heads/Cam and bolt-ons, but I am reving to 7200 and shifting at 7000rpm.
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Old Oct 6, 2006 | 09:08 PM
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So what do you think? 6k Redline... 500-550whp?

What would be the safest method to get there? More n/a + nitrous... or less n/a + more nitrous?
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