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BUILDING A LSX MOTOR?


STEVE-O

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Well with the many many combinations of blocks etc for the ls series motors if you were going to start a mild street build what block do you think would be best to start with...???

 

Goal is around 600 hp na

 

I want to try and do this for around 3 grand if I can buying used parts where I can and doing things like porting some stock heads etc to save money also.. I am not trying to make this a high milage reliable motor so if it holds up to 10k I would be happy just want something to do in my downtime now and want a good plan of action before I start

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Well with the many many combinations of blocks etc for the ls series motors if you were going to start a mild street build what block do you think would be best to start with...???

 

Goal is around 600 hp na

 

I want to try and do this for around 3 grand if I can buying used parts where I can and doing things like porting some stock heads etc to save money also.. I am not trying to make this a high milage reliable motor so if it holds up to 10k I would be happy just want something to do in my downtime now and want a good plan of action before I start

 

LS1 Tech is your friend for this one. I have been doing a lot of research on there and talking with a few of the vendors on there on a set up I want to do.

 

Your goal is going to be tough on a budget and I don't know if it will be be possible with stock heads.

 

Cheap and reliable do not go hand in hand and I might be leary of buying used parts do hit the number you want.

 

I would recomend talking with the guys a t Texas Speed they have been very good to me and taken care of all of my questions.

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LS1 Tech is your friend for this one. I have been doing a lot of research on there and talking with a few of the vendors on there on a set up I want to do.

 

Your goal is going to be tough on a budget and I don't know if it will be be possible with stock heads.

 

Cheap and reliable do not go hand in hand and I might be leary of buying used parts do hit the number you want.

 

I would recomend talking with the guys a t Texas Speed they have been very good to me and taken care of all of my questions.

 

I have looked on there forever and there are many routes you could go to make this happen but I wanted to get a opinion on why they feel the way they do about the block they choose..

 

I will not be buying any vendor parts as they are way to expensive for my build.. I will be looking for deals from local people trying to get rid of things they have bought and dont need. I know cheap and reliable do not go together that is why I said I dont intend for it to be real reliable.

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I have looked on there forever and there are many routes you could go to make this happen but I wanted to get a opinion on why they feel the way they do about the block they choose..

 

I will not be buying any vendor parts as they are way to expensive for my build.. I will be looking for deals from local people trying to get rid of things they have bought and dont need. I know cheap and reliable do not go together that is why I said I dont intend for it to be real reliable.

 

If you are going that route than look no further than Cordell's LQ4 build. You can get those blocks used for $400 and new for about $700. Then it is up to you on what parts you want to stick in it but again 600 NA for 3k will be a tall order.

 

Hell I think you can find an LQ4 out of a truck for around $1500 or more depending on how many miles you want on it.

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I am talking 600 crank hp not whp. And honestly I am going to be happy if I put down over 400whp na all said and done so really it doesnt need to meet 600 crank. sorry i guess I should have been a tad more specific.
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If you are going that route than look no further than Cordell's LQ4 build. You can get those blocks used for $400 and new for about $700. Then it is up to you on what parts you want to stick in it but again 600 NA for 3k will be a tall order.

 

Hell I think you can find an LQ4 out of a truck for around $1500 or more depending on how many miles you want on it.

 

 

 

I found in about three minutes of looking a almost entire lq4 long block for 800 but it would need shipped. so that seems like a good route to go. I dont mind buying solid things like a cam or anything used as long as it is in good shape.

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I found in about three minutes of looking a almost entire lq4 long block for 800 but it would need shipped. so that seems like a good route to go. I dont mind buying solid things like a cam or anything used as long as it is in good shape.

 

There is a Pick n Pull in cleveland that sells tons of LSx and LQx motors. Look also at the LQ9 that came out of the caddy's and high end GMC stuff. There is also a sponsor on Ls1tech that sells tons of the motors.

 

A while back GM High Performance did a good write up on all the different LS based motors out there that should be a good help to you.

 

Lots of research should help go a long way to get you a nice budget build :)

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From my limited LSX knowledge from my own research, 600 NA HP is not a realistic goal for your budget.

this

I am talking 600 crank hp not whp. And honestly I am going to be happy if I put down over 400whp na all said and done so really it doesnt need to meet 600 crank. sorry i guess I should have been a tad more specific.

yes you should have.

 

 

BUT imo, use a 6.0 iron block.

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400whp doesn't sound very hard to do at all when reading ls1tech, it seems most common bolt ons and a cam reach 400whp. Doesn't sound too crazy to me if you can find a motor cheap.

 

What's it going in btw?

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If you are going that route than look no further than Cordell's LQ4 build. You can get those blocks used for $400 and new for about $700. Then it is up to you on what parts you want to stick in it but again 600 NA for 3k will be a tall order.

 

Hell I think you can find an LQ4 out of a truck for around $1500 or more depending on how many miles you want on it.

 

I have seen assembled 6.0l LQ9's here is ohio for around $700 give or take a few. I bought my 5.3 LM7 for $400 and they had a lot to choose from.

Edited by Flybye
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this

 

yes you should have.

 

 

BUT imo, use a 6.0 iron block.

 

this is what I am thinking but lq4 or lq9? does it matter if I am getting say ls6 heads anyway??? Why take a lower compression, iron block that weighs what 88 lbs more than the aluminum block???

 

Not arguing at all with the choise just wondering the basis behinde it. Because I was leaning twords the lq motor so convinse me please :)

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What's it going in btw?

 

dont know yet but a motor takes up far less room than a shell of a car :)

 

so while I am building a motor I know I want It gives me time to look at say rx-7, 240sx, 300zx, shells etc etc

 

leaning twords the 240 but not stuck on it maybe also a 280 or who knows at this point. It will be either way a car I beat on and when it breaks i dont get pissed cause it wont have a lot into it.

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this is what I am thinking but lq4 or lq9? does it matter if I am getting say ls6 heads anyway??? Why take a lower compression, iron block that weighs what 88 lbs more than the aluminum block???

 

Not arguing at all with the choise just wondering the basis behinde it. Because I was leaning twords the lq motor so convinse me please :)

 

 

with alot of cylinder pressure, which block will flex more?

 

aluminum with the sleeves, or a solid iron one?

 

the sleeved block's dont give you much room either on boring.

Edited by Removed
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I am talking 600 crank hp not whp. And honestly I am going to be happy if I put down over 400whp na all said and done so really it doesnt need to meet 600 crank. sorry i guess I should have been a tad more specific.

 

If you want to make 400rwhp you just need a ls1 stock bottom end full boltons, cam and a ls6 intake manifold.

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you are going to need a 4" crank, and with high compression pistons there goes most of your budget, use l92 heads a big cam and probably only could afford a 6.0 steel block

that might put you close to 500rwhp. but your budget might be over the 3k mark

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you are going to need a 4" crank, and with high compression pistons there goes most of your budget, use l92 heads a big cam and probably only could afford a 6.0 steel block

that might put you close to 500rwhp. but your budget might be over the 3k mark

 

If he wants to make +500rwhp NA. He will have big money in the NA build.

 

Very few stock bottom end cars have reached that mark NA. The lsx motors you see hit those numbers are ls3 and ls7 motors. Good luck finding either of those motors for less than $5K. Then you will need full boltons, ported heads, ported intake manifold, TB and a cam. You will have another $4-6K right there.

 

Yes, there are ls1 and ls2 motors that make 500rwhp but, you will spend $6K on the heads, cam, intake manifold and TB alone. Then you will have to buy RRs, electric water pump and all the other bolt ons to make it happen. I think I can count on one hand the stock bottom end ls1/ls2 cars that broke the 500rwhp mark NA.

 

You can make 400rwhp NA for your budget with the right parts all day long and a stock ls1 bottom end. Try to find an 01 or newer ls1 motor and go with an MS3 cam.

Edited by Linn
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why must it be NA? Why not just do basic bolt-ons, a cam, and some juice? Pretty sure the lsx motors have proven to like it and handle it fairly well. Just curious, as it'd save you a bunch of money I'm sure.
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why must it be NA? Why not just do basic bolt-ons, a cam, and some juice? Pretty sure the lsx motors have proven to like it and handle it fairly well. Just curious, as it'd save you a bunch of money I'm sure.

 

I want to make that much na if I can and I already have some steriod juice for it also... but it being a cheap build and what not I will have to see how good the parts are I get for it to see how much if any juice I want to shoot it up with.

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