Boost?
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Staging Lane
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Joined: Jun 2012
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From: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Boost? Considering running a turbo on my lt1 camaro. what kinda boost can the stock bottom end take? If it was rebuilt with certain fasteners would that change anything?
fasteners wont change how much boost it can take. The number one issue with boost and a stock bottomend is detonation can easily crack a stock piston. That means sloppy tuning, bad fuel, letting the fuel level get too low and run out momentarily when in a corner under power etc.
Do you intend to intercool or spray alky or anything?
What are you doing for heads and cam?
Do you intend to intercool or spray alky or anything?
What are you doing for heads and cam?
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 17
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From: Homestead, Florida
Its not so much the stock bottom end as it is the compression ratio. Running a stock LT1 with a 10.4:1 ratio it a ticking time bomb. Lower the compression and youll be good for about 200hp. ARP it all the way and add Forged Pistons and lower the CR and youll be fine with 12psi max with stock crank and rods. Plus its pointless to add a turbo and only make 450rwhp. Just do a H/C/I and I bet youll still end up with the same power. If you were to turbo it do it right with a aftermarket bottom end, 9:1 compression, and a fully built top end. Then you can run as much boost as you wish.
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A number of years back I met a guy at Byron who had a 355 LT1 in an Impala, his single turbo setup had cracked a stock piston so he put forged slugs for 9.5:1 compression in it and kept the heads and cam untouched because he was "breaking too many parts" without the added power heads and cam would have given him.
He sprayed alky over 9psi and had an intercooler took it to 11-12psi and the day I met him ran 12.8 with a best ever of 12.5 at 107mph. 2800stall Vig and 3.42s so decent setup for a mild turbo.
To put that in perspective my old heads/cam setup, AI 190cc heads, 226/234 cam 3400 Edge and 3.73s would run 12.7 at 108ish on STREET TIRES with the slicks and tools in the trunk fully heat soaked after a 150mile drive to the track.
Point being trying to make big power with boost on an otherwise stock longblock is a lesson in futility. I know LS guys do it but their heads/cam are a lot better to start with and tuning wise their ability to use 2-3BAR MAPs is HUGE in making it all work right.
I know a turbo seems like the easy way to make bug power, but IMO at least on an LT1 if you don't support the turbo right your car will cost more to build and be slower than a good heads/cam setup.
He sprayed alky over 9psi and had an intercooler took it to 11-12psi and the day I met him ran 12.8 with a best ever of 12.5 at 107mph. 2800stall Vig and 3.42s so decent setup for a mild turbo.
To put that in perspective my old heads/cam setup, AI 190cc heads, 226/234 cam 3400 Edge and 3.73s would run 12.7 at 108ish on STREET TIRES with the slicks and tools in the trunk fully heat soaked after a 150mile drive to the track.
Point being trying to make big power with boost on an otherwise stock longblock is a lesson in futility. I know LS guys do it but their heads/cam are a lot better to start with and tuning wise their ability to use 2-3BAR MAPs is HUGE in making it all work right.
I know a turbo seems like the easy way to make bug power, but IMO at least on an LT1 if you don't support the turbo right your car will cost more to build and be slower than a good heads/cam setup.
