Our initial negotiations were quite tense, to say the least. When we arrived on site, the short-block was almost complete and practically every question was met with a sly smile and a "something like that" type of response. We hadn't even unloaded the camera equipment yet and still the papers were being covered, the parts being quietly stowed away. In all honesty, it wasn't very surprising to be met with this kind of apprehension. We were, after all, there to document the assembly of a naturally aspirated, 1,000-plus horsepower, 440 cubic-inch LSX engine, which was destined to compete in the insanely competitive NMCA LSX Challenge Series All Motor class. To say that information on an engine of this caliber is scarce would be an understatement. Truth be told, breaking the 1,000hp barrier with nothing more than raw atmospheric pressure and some gasoline is an almost impossible task for even the best LSX engine builders, which makes extracting information out of those that can do such a thing quite difficult. Luckily, however, we were not exactly strangers in this place and after some apprehensive moments, the brain trust at Pro Line Racing opened the floodgates.

What happened next was overwhelming. We know engine tricks here at GMHTP, but not on this level. Need a couple hundred horsepower increase with a stroker motor? We can handle that. Looking to bolt a blower on and tune it? That's easy stuff. Wondering what it takes to build a naturally aspirated race motor capable of producing over 2.3 hp per cubic-inch while still going rounds and lasting through races? You're going to have to call in the big guns. In case you're wondering, at 440 inches and 1,029 hp, this motor makes exactly 2.33 hp per cube, which is amazing considering a stock LS1 engine rated at 350 makes just 1.01 hp per cubic-inch. With no boost or nitrous, just the same atmospheric pressure and a throttle body, we're talking about an engine that is more than 2.3 times as efficient. Just think about that for a second while we start breaking out the parts list.

It all starts with an iron Chevrolet Performance LSX block, which was machined by Pro Line Racing to house eight 4.185-inch cylinder bores, billet main caps, a Jesel beltdrive, and a 4-inch Callies crankshaft. Special machining was also done to the lifter bores to allow for a set of keyed .937-inch solid roller lifters, along with massive 9/16-inch double taper pushrods. Inside, it's all about rotating weight, with the crankshaft cut down, lightweight BME aluminum 6.250-inch connecting rods, and specially designed Diamond pistons wrapped in ultra lightweight, super thin Total Seal rings. Up top, it's all about airflow, with Chevrolet Performance LSX-DR cylinder heads and a matching LSX-DR intake manifold. With 430 cfm of flow right out of the box, these heads can make some steam and the custom Pro Line Racing solid roller camshaft makes sure all the valve events happen exactly when they are needed. If you're looking for cam specs, you can forget it, although we will say it may or may not have over an inch of lift. As we said, this is serious business and if you are at all interested in high-end engine building with attention paid to every detail, we recommend you stick around a while and read through the rest of the story. Like the rulebook, we recommend you read between the lines in some spots...


Read more: http://www.gmhightechperformance.com...#ixzz2nPMsmJOH