LT1 questionaire. (built motors)
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From: Huntersville, NC
LT1 questionaire. (built motors) Ok, so I'm starting into the LT1 crew. My roommate Bryan (bmcrary) knows them pretty dag on good, and I know the LSX cars and V6 cars quite well, I do know some about the LTs but not as much as others.
I'm building an LT1 motor and would like to have imputs on what people think are good aftermarket internal part manufacturers are and what the more used or reliable distributers are.
I'm wanting to go forged internals and a cam. A few of my friends have gone the hotcam route, which I've heard nothing but glory stories about but I'm more of a rebel that goes against the popular choice and tries to make things unique.
I know this question has been asked many times all over the boards, I am just looking for a beginers how to guide when searching for internal and engine building LT1 parts.
Thanks for all imput. Much appreciated.
I'm building an LT1 motor and would like to have imputs on what people think are good aftermarket internal part manufacturers are and what the more used or reliable distributers are.
I'm wanting to go forged internals and a cam. A few of my friends have gone the hotcam route, which I've heard nothing but glory stories about but I'm more of a rebel that goes against the popular choice and tries to make things unique.
I know this question has been asked many times all over the boards, I am just looking for a beginers how to guide when searching for internal and engine building LT1 parts.
Thanks for all imput. Much appreciated.
hotcam is ok but there are betters check out LE head/cam packages (eportworks.com
Also port pros, TEA, and others. either while give you good power a lot of people are running LE though. as for internals it all depends on what you want to build 383 or 355 a lot of people are using the same set-up i have in my sig for there 355s. as for forged crank unless you are building a 383 or 396 you really don't need it unless you are going to be boosting or spraying a lot. Also need supporting mods LT, injectors, gears, good tune, and what not a 12 bolt or 9" wouldn't hurt to put on after the motor build.
Hope this helps some and gives a general idea
Also port pros, TEA, and others. either while give you good power a lot of people are running LE though. as for internals it all depends on what you want to build 383 or 355 a lot of people are using the same set-up i have in my sig for there 355s. as for forged crank unless you are building a 383 or 396 you really don't need it unless you are going to be boosting or spraying a lot. Also need supporting mods LT, injectors, gears, good tune, and what not a 12 bolt or 9" wouldn't hurt to put on after the motor build.
Hope this helps some and gives a general idea
I went from 13.0@104-105 to 12.5@111 with 3.73's and the crane 227 cam (210/224) on the stock stall. The tranny was slipping on the 12.5 run too, it hit the limiter on the 1-2 shift so there was probably a tenth or 2 hiding in there too.
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From: Huntersville, NC
I will be building a 355 motor and keeping the stock crank.
A buddy of mine is running forged pistons and rods, bored .30 over, stock crank and supporting LTs and what not and making in the 350ish area. That's what I'm wanting to make.
Those numbers make for a fun street car with a good amount of torque. I do know that I will have the block honed and cleaned up, cylinders cleaned up and bored. I'd love to get it blueprinted also. I'm just looking to make a well built, clean running and somewhat powerful 355 LT1.
I'd like anywhere from mid to upper 300s.
Thank you so far for the replys. I can feel my head growing. haha
(all numbers are rear wheel numbers)
A buddy of mine is running forged pistons and rods, bored .30 over, stock crank and supporting LTs and what not and making in the 350ish area. That's what I'm wanting to make.
Those numbers make for a fun street car with a good amount of torque. I do know that I will have the block honed and cleaned up, cylinders cleaned up and bored. I'd love to get it blueprinted also. I'm just looking to make a well built, clean running and somewhat powerful 355 LT1.
I'd like anywhere from mid to upper 300s.
Thank you so far for the replys. I can feel my head growing. haha
(all numbers are rear wheel numbers)
Your bottom end really doesnt determine how much 'power' you actualy produce.
You should get in touch with some of our sponsors and go over your goals with them, im sure any of them will be helpful and point you in the right directon.
Good luck.
Tony.
You should get in touch with some of our sponsors and go over your goals with them, im sure any of them will be helpful and point you in the right directon.
Good luck.
Tony.
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So far I've looked into the LE1 heads/cam kit and the AI Street/Strip Ported Intake with Corrected Geometry.
As far as the bottom end, the reason I wanted to bore it out to a 355 and run forged internals was just because later down the road I would like to run a power adder. Whether that is a SC or turbo, I'd like to bypass having to take the motor out and spend more money on it then...
What are some good brands or names of internal parts?(ie pistons/rods) I am just trying to figure out where to look? lol.
As far as the bottom end, the reason I wanted to bore it out to a 355 and run forged internals was just because later down the road I would like to run a power adder. Whether that is a SC or turbo, I'd like to bypass having to take the motor out and spend more money on it then...
What are some good brands or names of internal parts?(ie pistons/rods) I am just trying to figure out where to look? lol.
well... if your power adder was gonna be dope, you coulda done it. but a built n/a and a boosted combo are about as far away from each other design wise as you're gonna get. a boosted motor is gonna want a different alloy piston than a daily driven n/a combo, along with different ring material and gap sizes. the cams and compression ratios required between the two are just worlds apart also. build a blower engine without the blower and it will be a stone around town and mildly powerful at higher revs when cyl pressures finally come up.
my suggestion to you would be to have your stock crank reconditioned just like you planned. run whatever brand is your taste on rods (eagle, scat, compstar etc) for me a rod in a built sbc has to have a 7/16" bolt and i like H beams over I beams also. for pistons i like the flat top mahle kits that include rings you cant buy better for the money. i dont care to get into a discussion on rod lengths but i almost always run a 6" rod just to save a little mass off the piston. run a stock volume pump with a high pressure spring in it, or run a stock volume big block chevy oil pump and the associated drive shaft it requires to fit in a small block. i have had great success with many lt and gen 1 sbc 355's with the stuff i mentioned previously, it doesnt even get in a strain going 7k with the right top end and cam.
my suggestion to you would be to have your stock crank reconditioned just like you planned. run whatever brand is your taste on rods (eagle, scat, compstar etc) for me a rod in a built sbc has to have a 7/16" bolt and i like H beams over I beams also. for pistons i like the flat top mahle kits that include rings you cant buy better for the money. i dont care to get into a discussion on rod lengths but i almost always run a 6" rod just to save a little mass off the piston. run a stock volume pump with a high pressure spring in it, or run a stock volume big block chevy oil pump and the associated drive shaft it requires to fit in a small block. i have had great success with many lt and gen 1 sbc 355's with the stuff i mentioned previously, it doesnt even get in a strain going 7k with the right top end and cam.
Whatever direction you decide on I'd over build the bottom end...I like Callies cranks, Oliver billet steel rods and JE pistons...This is $$$ but imho it'll be well worth it no matter if your N/A, spray, boost, whatever...I've got 12 years on just that bottom end combo in my 383 and it doesn't owe me a thing and it keeps getting faster...
--Alan
--Alan
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I agree with your "overbuild" statement ABA383. I'd rather have a strong NA motor that I went overboard on and can't afford the SC or turbo setup for at the current time. Then slapping boost on a motor that's not ready for it.
As of now, I believe I'm just going to be rebuilding/refreshing the motor, throwing in a cam with the necessary assesories and ceramic coating/porting the intake. Along with LTs and a tune. I just don't have the budget for high doller internals now and I have no plans to boost the car anytime soon.
What would be some good choices for cams? What are the popular ones? As I said before I'm not that fluent on LT1 motors as I am compared to LSX's.
As of now, I believe I'm just going to be rebuilding/refreshing the motor, throwing in a cam with the necessary assesories and ceramic coating/porting the intake. Along with LTs and a tune. I just don't have the budget for high doller internals now and I have no plans to boost the car anytime soon.
What would be some good choices for cams? What are the popular ones? As I said before I'm not that fluent on LT1 motors as I am compared to LSX's.