Help with a starting point
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 66
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Help with a starting point I want to use an LS for an upcoming project I have - a 67 LeMans road racer. I'm a very keen engine builder, but having worked in a hotrod shop for 10 years, my idea of "new" is "not a flathead."
So I need some direction. I thought about a truck motor to keep costs down, but I really don't want the weight of the iron block. I'm looking for what castings/years/etc might be the best mix n match to get me in the ballpark. I could just buy an LS7, but I'm not made of money
Target HP is 500+
Pump gas only
most likely T56 behind it
If you were building a "budget" 500 hp LS, what block, crank, heads, intake etc would you use?
So I need some direction. I thought about a truck motor to keep costs down, but I really don't want the weight of the iron block. I'm looking for what castings/years/etc might be the best mix n match to get me in the ballpark. I could just buy an LS7, but I'm not made of money
Target HP is 500+
Pump gas only
most likely T56 behind it
If you were building a "budget" 500 hp LS, what block, crank, heads, intake etc would you use?
If you are wanting to stay aluminum block, I would look for a LS2 or LS3/L92 block. At least at that point you have a 4"+ bore size and allows you to throw some better heads on there. Of course if you are talking 500 HP at the crank, that is pretty easily done with a stock LS1 short-block with heads/cam. If you are trying to get it to the ground, that takes more things into consideration like tranny, converter if auto, rearend etc. All those kinds of things will play into how aggressive you will have to go to get that number to the ground. What are you thinking on that?
Jon
Jon
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 66
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The target HP will be 500-550 at the crank. I'm not an experienced road racer and the car will be pulling close to 1g. Of course 650-700 hp would be nice, but I'm staying realistic and cheap I'm spending the biggest part of my wad on a gmachinechassis.com frame or something very similar.
Target weight for the car is mid to high 2000s with driver so cubes are a concern, but anything in the 350+ cube range should suffice.
I'm spending the biggest part of my wad on a gmachinechassis.com frame or something very similar.Target weight for the car is mid to high 2000s with driver so cubes are a concern, but anything in the 350+ cube range should suffice.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
The rest of the package will be a T56 with a 2.66/0.50 gearset back to an undetermined rear axle with a ratio of something like 4.10 or 4.27. I haven't picked a final tire size yet so fine tuning will happen as the build progresses. Rear axle choices are plentiful: 8.8, 9", D60, 12 bolt, just haven't picked that one yet.
Basically first gear final drive target ratio will be in the neighborhood of 11:1 so with a 24-27" tire size that should cover most cam choices in the 550hp range and final ratios and tire sizes can be tweaked from there.
Basically first gear final drive target ratio will be in the neighborhood of 11:1 so with a 24-27" tire size that should cover most cam choices in the 550hp range and final ratios and tire sizes can be tweaked from there.
