408 or 427
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408 or 427 Thinking of gettig a stroker 408 or 427 for my 96 Z28. Would this be an ideal transplant? Better options? looking for something in the 400-450hp range, for now but with more potential. rough estimate of price. any other ideas. thanks matt
Neither is practical from an LT1 block.
Cubes are not the ticket to power airflow is.
Judging by how you stated it one might guess you are looking for 400-450flywheel HP which is a very modest goal and a little porting on the heads and a decent cam will easily get you there. If you mean rear wheel then it is still possible to top 400rwhp with heads and cam.
I am not saying strokers are bad just that you have the wrong idea about how to make power.
How modified is the rest of the car, if it is stock then starting at the engine is wrong.
Cubes are not the ticket to power airflow is.
Judging by how you stated it one might guess you are looking for 400-450flywheel HP which is a very modest goal and a little porting on the heads and a decent cam will easily get you there. If you mean rear wheel then it is still possible to top 400rwhp with heads and cam.
I am not saying strokers are bad just that you have the wrong idea about how to make power.
How modified is the rest of the car, if it is stock then starting at the engine is wrong.
Then again, for your current goals you do not need 427,408,396, or even a 383 to accomplish. A 355 refreshing of the block and a quality head and cam package will get you far above your goal for a tiny fraction of a huge cube LT1. Then if you want more potential later on, you can go 383 fairly easily down the road. Then again, all that will be pointless in an otherwise stock Z, so unless you have some serious cash to drop on everything at once, what you have now will be a big factor to consider.
There is a good reason why 400+ ci LT1s are very uncommon.
::EDIT:: Looks like you want LSX. Being the LT1 section I assumed you were still going to use that block.
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I understand what you guys are saying. but Ive already done about every thing I can to my lt1. It is nearing 100k miles, is not very daily driven reliable, and is not exactly legal. so basically. Iwant something I can throw a 150- 200 shot on and go when I want
forged 355/396/383 will let you spray it with whatever you can afford
also more cubes will swallow up huge cams and make them more driveable
also more cubes will swallow up huge cams and make them more driveable
Last edited by myltwon; Nov 3, 2007 at 04:09 PM.
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An LSx is not going to take a 150-200 shot any better than an LT1 does and with the tiny piston probably not even as well as an LT1 does.
My car is a daily driver, at least when it is not snowing, recently as last week I drove 360 miles in one day including 150 miles each way to the dragstrip knocked off some 12.3-5 passes and drove home.
Only ever had two things break at the dragstrip, blew a header gasket once and had an ashtray slide break. I have since learned to open the ashtray and keep it open at the track otherwise those low 1.6 short times make it slam open had enough to break the slides.
Between the power and the more comfortable seats spring through fall I drive my Caprice more than the wagon and has never left me stranded. Before this I had a milder cam only setup in it for 30K miles, current for about 15K.
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LSx is a fine thing.. but you will NOT be legal. Sell the 96, buy an OBD2, preferably 01 or 02. Better starting point, and programming will pass almost any mods at the emissions shop. Drop a moderately bigcam in it for a grand, add long tubes, and have 400-450 RWHP that's legal on the stock cubes. Then buy a 408 iron block stroker, full forged with good heads, long tubes, LSx FAST 90/90 or carb manifold with sheet metal elbow, and easily make 500 on the motor. Good for a 200 shot or if you go that way could build for boost and make up to 1000 on pump gas. Engine like this would run about 8-15 grand, plus additional suspension, trans, and fuel mods.
LSx swap into a Lt body leaves you stuck with emissions being hard to pass on OBD1 tests, and it'll still be an LT1 as far as resale goes.
Sell the LT1, buy an LSx. I've got both, and there are several LSx swap LTs around here. I know what I'm talking about... and honestly, an LS in an LT isn't all that specuial anymore. Maybe in a 1st gen, but not in an LT.
LSx swap into a Lt body leaves you stuck with emissions being hard to pass on OBD1 tests, and it'll still be an LT1 as far as resale goes.
Sell the LT1, buy an LSx. I've got both, and there are several LSx swap LTs around here. I know what I'm talking about... and honestly, an LS in an LT isn't all that specuial anymore. Maybe in a 1st gen, but not in an LT.
Sounds to me like an owner problem not a platform one.
An LSx is not going to take a 150-200 shot any better than an LT1 does and with the tiny piston probably not even as well as an LT1 does.
My car is a daily driver, at least when it is not snowing, recently as last week I drove 360 miles in one day including 150 miles each way to the dragstrip knocked off some 12.3-5 passes and drove home.
Only ever had two things break at the dragstrip, blew a header gasket once and had an ashtray slide break. I have since learned to open the ashtray and keep it open at the track otherwise those low 1.6 short times make it slam open had enough to break the slides.
Between the power and the more comfortable seats spring through fall I drive my Caprice more than the wagon and has never left me stranded. Before this I had a milder cam only setup in it for 30K miles, current for about 15K.
An LSx is not going to take a 150-200 shot any better than an LT1 does and with the tiny piston probably not even as well as an LT1 does.
My car is a daily driver, at least when it is not snowing, recently as last week I drove 360 miles in one day including 150 miles each way to the dragstrip knocked off some 12.3-5 passes and drove home.
Only ever had two things break at the dragstrip, blew a header gasket once and had an ashtray slide break. I have since learned to open the ashtray and keep it open at the track otherwise those low 1.6 short times make it slam open had enough to break the slides.
Between the power and the more comfortable seats spring through fall I drive my Caprice more than the wagon and has never left me stranded. Before this I had a milder cam only setup in it for 30K miles, current for about 15K.
Not more then once at least.
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LSx is a fine thing.. but you will NOT be legal. Sell the 96, buy an OBD2, preferably 01 or 02. Better starting point, and programming will pass almost any mods at the emissions shop. Drop a moderately bigcam in it for a grand, add long tubes, and have 400-450 RWHP that's legal on the stock cubes. Then buy a 408 iron block stroker, full forged with good heads, long tubes, LSx FAST 90/90 or carb manifold with sheet metal elbow, and easily make 500 on the motor. Good for a 200 shot or if you go that way could build for boost and make up to 1000 on pump gas. Engine like this would run about 8-15 grand, plus additional suspension, trans, and fuel mods.
LSx swap into a Lt body leaves you stuck with emissions being hard to pass on OBD1 tests, and it'll still be an LT1 as far as resale goes.
Sell the LT1, buy an LSx. I've got both, and there are several LSx swap LTs around here. I know what I'm talking about... and honestly, an LS in an LT isn't all that specuial anymore. Maybe in a 1st gen, but not in an LT.
LSx swap into a Lt body leaves you stuck with emissions being hard to pass on OBD1 tests, and it'll still be an LT1 as far as resale goes.
Sell the LT1, buy an LSx. I've got both, and there are several LSx swap LTs around here. I know what I'm talking about... and honestly, an LS in an LT isn't all that specuial anymore. Maybe in a 1st gen, but not in an LT.
Guys run more than 200 through LT1s, there is a heads/cam/200+80 shot Impala that went 10.9, that motor saw 200 for years before that.
I would bet that almost anyone running over 200 has probably opened up the rings a little though. I am no engine builder but I think that is the issue with big shots, the ring gap closes because of heat.
Guys run more than 200 through LT1s, there is a heads/cam/200+80 shot Impala that went 10.9, that motor saw 200 for years before that.
I would bet that almost anyone running over 200 has probably opened up the rings a little though. I am no engine builder but I think that is the issue with big shots, the ring gap closes because of heat.
I would bet that almost anyone running over 200 has probably opened up the rings a little though. I am no engine builder but I think that is the issue with big shots, the ring gap closes because of heat.
I'm sure the block itself can take it, but like everything else it is the combination of parts and not just the act of spraying in itself. 
Buy a 6 liter truck motor. Buy a set of GMPP CNC Ported L92 heads, and a custom spec cam. With an L76 intake and some custom tuning, be happy at around 470-490rwhp.
No LT1 on this planet can do that with anywhere near that level of streetability.
No LT1 on this planet can do that with anywhere near that level of streetability.