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Would you sacrifice weight for cubic inch?

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Old 09-24-2008, 11:14 AM
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I would take an iron motor in a minute. I want a 4.125" bore at least so I think the LSX is it. "Wait," you say."you can get the LS7 block with it's stock 4.125" bore and have aluminum!" Yes, well it still will not have the priority main oiling or the strength or the 6-bolt cylinder head capability, and the LS7 block is $2440.85 from Skogin Dickey. The LSX is $1928.85.
That's $512 that could go to boring and honing the LSX or to head work.
Will I need the LSX block because of the power I will make?? No, but it will be cheaper than an LS7 block, tons cheaper than the C5-R Block, and can be rebuilt twice (assuming it would only need a .030 over bore) and the aluminum blocks would need new sleeves every time.
Old 09-24-2008, 08:24 PM
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Well, it's worth mentioning inthe context of this discussion that the LSX block is ANOTHER 100lb heavier than the iron truck block, or very nearly 200lb heavier than any of the aluminum blocks. Yea it's cheaper, but 200lb is getting on the extreme end of the trade-off unless there are twin 88s hanging off it. Ever taken a heavy passenger for a ride and noticed how much better your car hooked? That's the feeling of your car being slower. What's more, the engine is over the wrong axle to help traction even.

And who said aluminum blocks need sleeves every rebuild? There are people running around with LS2s as big as 4.030 without issues, and plenty of LS7s at 4.135 too.

Last edited by drz; 09-24-2008 at 10:06 PM.
Old 09-25-2008, 12:08 PM
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Originally Posted by drz
Well, it's worth mentioning inthe context of this discussion that the LSX block is ANOTHER 100lb heavier than the iron truck block, or very nearly 200lb heavier than any of the aluminum blocks. Yea it's cheaper, but 200lb is getting on the extreme end of the trade-off unless there are twin 88s hanging off it. Ever taken a heavy passenger for a ride and noticed how much better your car hooked? That's the feeling of your car being slower. What's more, the engine is over the wrong axle to help traction even.

And who said aluminum blocks need sleeves every rebuild? There are people running around with LS2s as big as 4.030 without issues, and plenty of LS7s at 4.135 too.
Assuming a .030" overbore to clean them up I said. Still, if it only took .010" to clean them up, the aluminum blocks can be rebuilt once. A 4.135" LSX could be rebuilt 6 times. I'll take the LSX and its weight penalty for the durability and rebuildability not to mention priority main oiling, 6-bolt heads, etc. And I will probobly only ever have one S85 stuck to it if I am lucky.

I may just end up with a 4.03" bore truck block but we will see.

Last edited by 1CAMWNDR; 09-25-2008 at 12:50 PM.
Old 09-25-2008, 12:50 PM
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The weight of an iron 6.0L block vs alum 346 is only like 80-100 lbs. Right?
Old 09-25-2008, 01:34 PM
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Originally Posted by Apollo0526
The weight of an iron 6.0L block vs alum 346 is only like 80-100 lbs. Right?
Yes I think so.
I need to decide if I NEED the huge bore of the LSX. I mean, you can still use L92 heads on a 4.00-4.06 bore right? They might not work as well as if I had a 4.125"+ bore. But I can make up some of the cubes with a 3.9" or 4" crank and that will equal TORQUE!! Will a nice set of cathedral port heads work just as well??
Decisions....Decisions...
Old 09-25-2008, 01:36 PM
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Originally Posted by 1CAMWNDR
Assuming a .030" overbore to clean them up I said. Still, if it only took .010" to clean them up, the aluminum blocks can be rebuilt once. A 4.135" LSX could be rebuilt 6 times. I'll take the LSX and its weight penalty for the durability and rebuildability not to mention priority main oiling, 6-bolt heads, etc. And I will probobly only ever have one S85 stuck to it if I am lucky.

I may just end up with a 4.03" bore truck block but we will see.
More to the point, these aren't old SBC with poor carburation that washes the cylinders and wears abnormally. Any LS motor that needs more than 5 over has something else going on that's pretty serious, like mechanical failure resulting in gouged cylinder walls. I've seen 200k+ mile LS1s clean up at 5 over easy, and catastrophic nitrous meltdowns clean up at the same.

Last edited by drz; 09-25-2008 at 01:49 PM.
Old 09-25-2008, 02:22 PM
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Its funny how people say they will make up the weight of the iron block by doing weight reduction.

You could do the same thing with the aluminum block and have a much lighter vehicle.
Old 09-25-2008, 04:12 PM
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my gto is heavy enough , let alone the addition of the aps twins going on it in the next couple months , ill stick to a aluminum block and ill stick with less cubes , i got the twins to make up the extra inch's
Old 09-26-2008, 12:12 AM
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Saving weight isnt even about being faster, its so much more... Handling, braking faster and even "gas Mileage"... A lighter motor for me... Id take a 346 over a 408, I think.. Unless I was already a Truck..



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