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I appreciate all of the the feedback. Tons of knowledge on the site. Always makes me realize just how much I dont know.
I spoke with R.E.D yesterday. I am pretty sure I am gonna go that way. He can supply a 5.3 block for $600.00. I think I will be happier going this way as I did not want the extra weight on the front end vs my current LS3. (spring change)
I appreciate all of the the feedback. Tons of knowledge on the site. Always makes me realize just how much I dont know.
I spoke with R.E.D yesterday. I am pretty sure I am gonna go that way. He can supply a 5.3 block for $600.00. I think I will be happier going this way as I did not want the extra weight on the front end vs my current LS3. (spring change)
You will not regret this move. Steve is a wealth of knowledge and does more than just sleeves. Ask him all the questions you can. He’s one of the smartest guys in all of motorsports...I’m not kidding. Lots of guys in professional motorsports reach out to him.
Hector Ariana Jr. for instance, was the first guy to hit 200mph on a pro stock bike, with special thanks to Steve Demirjian. He does most if not all of Dartons R&D work and holds patents for several Darton products. I could go on and on.
You will not regret this move. Steve is a wealth of knowledge and does more than just sleeves. Ask him all the questions you can. He’s one of the smartest guys in all of motorsports...I’m not kidding. Lots of guys in professional motorsports reach out to him.
Hector Ariana Jr. for instance, was the first guy to hit 200mph on a pro stock bike, with special thanks to Steve Demirjian. He does most if not all of Dartons R&D work and holds patents for several Darton products. I could go on and on.
Ya you ain't kiddin'. Steve will help steer you in the right direction even if it doesn't help his pocket book. Great dude with excellent experience!
Honestly just look for a stock ls7 longblock and convert it to wetsump with a different oil pan and oil pump - slide a cam in it and you're there.
If you want brand new - get the new ls7 570hp crate motor from GM. If you want 650 hp you just need to put a bigger cam in it. A ~236/250 on 114 cam would probably do 650hp everything else stock. I'd recommend the terminator X over the GM controller mentioned.
And absolutely spending the money get the 427. Yes they're better and way cooler.
If you went with the GMPP 505 or 570 depending on dry or wet and stuck a cam in it for 600hp+, would you need to replace the guides and redo the valve seat to be concentric before doing anything? Or have GM came out and said they fully fixed the broken valve issue, if so what did they actually do? Found a lot of info on the issue itself, and aftermarket fixes, but no access to GM bullentins stating what they've done for the crate motors.
I also would consider the new wet sump ls7 honestly......especially if 600 crank is the....and honestly if its 570 crank headers would get u just shy of 600.....then u wouldnt have to crack it open.........good luck finding out about valve guides tho.....u really cant go wrong with a brand new ls7 rotating assembly.....honestly that route is the smartest for anyone who has a 91 octane limit. We have 93 around here, if i had a 91 max and that motor was out 3 years ago i would have done that.
no there is nothing wrong with the short block you referred to but GM uses aluminum in cars for a reason. Lighter is faster and for most people more fun to drive and is more than strong enough. I would call TSP and a few others for prices to compare before committing to something
Really ? Take a look at these Curb Weights for 3rd, 4th, & 5th Gen Camaro's ( 3rd Gen = Cast Iron Block , 4th Gen = Aluminum engine, 5th Gen = Overweight, with aluminum engine )
@ez2cdave the 4th and 5th Gens would have been much heavier with an iron block. Add another 110+ pounds just for the block. For every ~100 pounds of extra engine weight according to All Corvette's Red, another ~100 to ~200 pounds of weight gets added in car design for structural reinforcement, cooling, braking, fuel capacity etc at the the OEM manufacturer level. The 4th & 5th Gen would have been between 200 to 300 pounds heavier still with iron V8's 😳
All the modern tech adds weight it seems. Dual air bags, ABS, better stereo systems, traction control, stability control, more standard features, seats with lumbar support, car area network, (computer controlled ash trays anyone?) etc...of course most of the new car buying public wants lots of tech and nice comfortable options etc.
I remember a car magazine joking back in the 1980's GM couldn't design a car that was at least 10% fat and over weight. Seems like newer cars just keep getting heavier and bigger.
Last edited by 99 Black Bird T/A; Nov 18, 2022 at 07:37 AM.
Since my original post... I ended up going with a Forged LS7 short block from Shafiroff Racing Engines. Finished off the top end with pimped out GM LS3 heads. With a Holley Terminator TBI/Holley split single plane it made 566/565 to the wheels. Not a max effort build .... just a great hot rod engine for my 67 Camaro. Great power, without the bulk!
Really ? Take a look at these Curb Weights for 3rd, 4th, & 5th Gen Camaro's ( 3rd Gen = Cast Iron Block , 4th Gen = Aluminum engine, 5th Gen = Overweight, with aluminum engine )
They're heavy for a few reasons, better crash safety, independent rear suspension, and just bigger.
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