Wrong there is a reason ERL modifies aluminum blocks for 6 bolts and there is a reason the large bore LSX has 6 bolts because cylinder pressure is cylinder pressure and the ability to hold down a cylinder head decreases with a larger bore on a 4 bolt setup. Same reason why GM built the ZR1 with a 4.065" instead of 4.125"
No homo?
Aside from arguing for the sake of arguing I am speaking about for the needs outlined in this thread. Not building a 2,500hp space shuttle. I like that you respond like that as if I don’t know these type of things. This thread is about making 500-600hp
So for GM building the ZR1 over 4" was ok. Again.
Clearly my car and Bills have shown that 4"+bore is fine at 800-1000hp levels without pushing water.
If you intend to only come in here and argue then you can save yourself the typing. It isn’t needed. If you want to provide relevant feedback to help this guy get on his way to lsx boost jam heaterz then please lets hear it.
Yeap exactly you and Bill have built so many LS engine combos between the two of you. I guess I am just the village idiot. Next time I have a question on LS engines I will give one of you a call.
J&J please list combos you built over 900rwhp?
And if the question is about map sensors or tuning feel free to just call me first…
You are far to old to think this is how communication should be conducted by adults. If you want to have some type of reasonable conversation with some actual relevance to this thread…let me know. Until then let me summarize my thoughts on this(we are trying to help a member of the community in this thread if you have forgotten).
- Yes Bore size and bolts per head can become a limiting factor at a certain power/cyl pressure level
- In my personal experience a 4" bore does not suffice in a 15-20psi ~1000rwhp environment given proper assembly and tuning
- In this application i personally would go for cubes over psi to get the power I am after
Jay I know you are just trying to be rude and not stay on subject. But be honest with yourself. You have not built some outrageous amount of 1,000hp cars. Ego aside you know damn well I have a clue and you can have respectable conversation about these things without your attitude.
Thanks!
JnJ can you please list specific examples of boosted LSX cars you worked on that pushed water?
sigh…i didnt mean to cause all this panty twisting…i just wanna do heaters and go fast.
when i decided to leave the gen 1 sbc, i decided i wanted to go big block chevy or lsx.
for the same money as boosting a 5.3 lsx for ~5-600hp i can build a carburated big block in the same hp range, with a little more torque. my truck is already setup for that option, but i like that the lsx is lighter. in the future the big block would leave me room to build even more and have a streetable 1500hp whereas the boosted 5.3 would need a whole new motor and larger turbo to get into that power range.
i need to do alot of reading on this before i pull the trigger on parts lol.
Now you’re talking about entirely different things lol
You said 500-600hp now you mention 1500hp
I’m also pretty sure the cost difference of a 500-600hp 5.3 turbo vs a bigblock that can do 1500hp is pretty large
You should probably figure out your budget and work in that direction because 1000hp+ setups is entirely different relm…People build 5.3 turbo setups because its budget people who build 1500hp stuff usually don’t do it on a budget.
Also Drew did 1000rwhp or whatever with his 418lsx and out of boost is very tame and got good gas mileage your carbed BB will not do that.
lol i should clarify. right now i want 5-600hp. in the future (few years out) i want to up the hp into the 4 digits. im looking to keep somewhat of a budget, i dont want to sink too much into the truck right now but im getting a bad itch to have some power. my e46 is slow as shit. lol
is it safe to assume a 5.3 with an ls6 cam, valvesprings, injectors, a 76 turbo, intercooler and around 12lbs boost would get me in the 550-575hp range? what would be reccommended for a good turbo thats not gonna fall apart on me?
like i said i have no idea what im doing here. i can put it together and wrench on it, but as far as knowing whats good and whats not with boost, i have no idea. i plan on bringing this to someone to tune it on a dyno.
Why does JnJ always argue in EVERY post. It’s ok to lend your opinion, and NOT argue with everyone, always.
What is a reliable combo to push 500 hp NA…?
Its been done an LS1/LS2 with really good heads, proper cam, and fast102.
It would be much easier to do it with more CID 402/408 etc
I’m keeping an eye on this thread… although if things go as planned my build should be closer to the no budget than the budget build… although it will be one of the two.
You’re really going to need a 408 iron block or 402 LS2 to make a nice 500hp na. Can you get 500hp from a 383 ls1 370 ls2 or even a 346? Sure, but it will be peak hp and won’t drive as nice as the others.
Most 408/402 with a good cam and heads will get you 500-550whp NA. I’m waiting to re-dyno tune my 408 but I’m hoping for 515+ NA. Then I’ll spray the house down muahhaha
Jay, I’ve always given credit where credit is due. You built a great rotating assembly (though at a rate of about a piston per week), and though we have our differences I still give you credit for that. Don’t act like you built the car though. This discussion is about keeping the heads down. You had nothing to do with the assembly of the top end of my engine that has held together, and I have about 6-7 witnesses who will attest to that. The gasket choice, torque pattern choice, head deck finish choice, and tuning didn’t come from your dome. Carry on with the criticizing 
By the way, those copper gaskets on Chuck’s non grooved block was an excellent choice for water retention. What did that last, 8 hours?
Everything else aside… in theory…
Will the heads stay down at say 17-20 psi on lets just say for arguments sake a 4.030 bore 370 Lq9 with 317 heads, LS9 gaskets and ARP studs? \:D/
If JnJ built it? It will hold 1000psi
If anyone else built it probably blow up at 2psi since JnJ didn’t build it
Great info…thanks guys. I have always wanted to build a street truck. More for driving more than racing but with enough balls to throw you back. Is 500 too high? Is 300 good enough for the weekend cruiser? No idea…but it is good to get some research along the way.
OP - sorry for the slight derail. Good luck with the build and please keep us posted.
Proper heads/cam setup should put you at 450rwhp good torque and drive ability.
More CID will produce more torque
It really comes down to budget