Want to build LSX 454 from Jegs

[pimlico]

Ntnt

[214Chevy]

Your normal engine stuff...water pump, accessories and drive, oil pan, oil pump, headers, etc. Other than the stuff you've listed, that pretty much sums it up. Oh, botls and fasteners, etc. But, that's pretty much it.

[Matt@BOS]

454 LS engines have a pretty long stroke/rod ratio. With that always comes questions of reliability under abuse. Still, I think that engine should hold together for quite a while considering your plans for the car.

I think a lot of the difference in cost has to do with whether or not you're comparing aluminum block 454 LS engines to iron block ones. Also, the cost of an intake, throttle body, balancer, and oil pan all add up. Some also come with an ecu as well.

[Matt@BOS]

That's interesting; didn't realize that the LSX 454 may not be reliable under abuse.

I would like to be able to abuse the engine a bit and not have to worry about it breaking.

Do you have any other thoughts or options that might make a better engine?

I really don't need anything over 700HP or 700lbs torque. Just something super reliable, I can abuse a bit, and preferably an LS engine (because my bellhousing is already for an LS)

The truth is that if you are racing these engines, eventually they will fail, or need to be freshened up with new rings, and bearings, etc. That is just the nature of the beast. When you push things really hard very frequently and for extended amounts of time, the odds of breaking something go up. However, there is a difference between racing, and driving a car hard on the street and taking it to the occasional Good Guys Autocross. I don't think even the most reliable factory LS3 would be able to hold up to 100K miles of what I would do to it.

I'm not saying that the engine you're looking at is unreliable. In fact, I have an aluminum block 454 LS7 based engine in my Camaro, and I probably did 30+ track events with it last year. I had a cam go bad at the end of last year, but other than that, no issues. It burns oil, but I think almost all LS engines do.

If you plan to attend an autocross once or twice a year with the rest of your driving being on the street, I don't think there is anything wrong with the GM 454 LSX crate engine. seems like a good price considering the parts.

[fleetus macmullitz]

Did you look through the Blueprint thread near yours yet?

[214Chevy]

Does anyone have experience with BluePrint engines or that one in particular? Would love to get some feedback. Almost seems too good to be true.

What block is that engine using? The GM LSX?

Did you look through the Blueprint thread near yours yet?


Here you go. :slingshot: http://www.lateral-g.net/forums/showthread.php4?t=40586

[snappytravis]

Pimlico, I would suggest that you sit down and do some figuring. Your budget, You must also remember. The engine isn't the only thing. The clutch,trans,driveshaft, rearend, Fuel system possibly, could be as simple as pump but that horsepower will probably be Ricks tank with Vaporworx system and fittings that could be up to $2500.00. I rode in my buddys 68 Camaro with a ls3 I think 485 horse. The car runs great and super reliable. I think they are between 6g to 6500. You are at the right website for answers. I learn from the guys on here all the time they are all pretty cool. good luck

[fishface]

Pimlico, I would suggest that you sit down and do some figuring. Your budget, You must also remember. The engine isn't the only thing. The clutch,trans,driveshaft, rearend, Fuel system possibly, could be as simple as pump but that horsepower will probably be Ricks tank with Vaporworx system and fittings that could be up to $2500.00. I rode in my buddys 68 Camaro with a ls3 I think 485 horse. The car runs great and super reliable. I think they are between 6g to 6500. You are at the right website for answers. I learn from the guys on here all the time they are all pretty cool. good luck
Hey Travis, not to hijack the thread but was your buddy's ls3 the 480 version? Just wondering about the idle if so.
I also ride in a 5th gen with the factory ls3 and was shocked how quick it was.

[71RS/SS396]

The truth is that if you are racing these engines, eventually they will fail, or need to be freshened up with new rings, and bearings, etc. That is just the nature of the beast. When you push things really hard very frequently and for extended amounts of time, the odds of breaking something go up. However, there is a difference between racing, and driving a car hard on the street and taking it to the occasional Good Guys Autocross. I don't think even the most reliable factory LS3 would be able to hold up to 100K miles of what I would do to it.

I'm not saying that the engine you're looking at is unreliable. In fact, I have an aluminum block 454 LS7 based engine in my Camaro, and I probably did 30+ track events with it last year. I had a cam go bad at the end of last year, but other than that, no issues. It burns oil, but I think almost all LS engines do.

If you plan to attend an autocross once or twice a year with the rest of your driving being on the street, I don't think there is anything wrong with the GM 454 LSX crate engine. seems like a good price considering the parts.

Matt, if the engine has the right hone finish, the right ring package, and is vented correctly it won't use oil. I'm sure I use mine just as hard as you do and mine uses no oil to speak of. A lot of engine builders use low tension rings to squeeze out every last bit of power which is fine for drag racing but not good for what we do, GM uses them for fuel economy.

[214Chevy]

.... Ricks tank with Vaporworx system and fittings that could be up to $2500.00.

I spoke to Hector today about my fuel tank with Vaporworx and got my feelings hurt. :buttkick: LOL!! Over $2k for sure.

[Matt@BOS]

Matt, if the engine has the right hone finish, the right ring package, and is vented correctly it won't use oil. I'm sure I use mine just as hard as you do and mine uses no oil to speak of. A lot of engine builders use low tension rings to squeeze out every last bit of power which is fine for drag racing but not good for what we do, GM uses them for fuel economy.

Tim, you are definitely right about that, and seem to have it figured out. My engine will eventually come apart again, hopefully intentionally in a few years, since it all looked gone after a year of abuse. I'll definitely do things a little differently the second time around.

[Solid LT1]

Does anyone realize the LSX iron block weighs over 250lbs! Putting that big of a lump of iron in front will pretty much eliminate any potential of building a successful " Lateral G " machine....just my observations...what's a guy like me know?

[71RS/SS396]

Does anyone realize the LSX iron block weighs over 250lbs! Putting that big of a lump of iron in front will pretty much eliminate any potential of building a successful " Lateral G " machine....just my observations...what's a guy like me know?

Actually it weighs 230 lbs., I weighed it on a digital shipping scale but yes they are heavy.
Here's a list of blocks I've physically weighed myself

LS7..............107
RHS..............110
Dart Billet......128
6.0L Iron.......216
LSX..............230

[Solid LT1]

Well I guess if I break my LS3 it won't be able to be recycled for marine use...the LSX....that's another story:idea:

[Matt@BOS]

Does anyone realize the LSX iron block weighs over 250lbs! Putting that big of a lump of iron in front will pretty much eliminate any potential of building a successful " Lateral G " machine....just my observations...what's a guy like me know?

I'm not surprised that everyone avoids the LSX block because of its weight. I figured it would detract from the handling on my car. However, is it really any worse than an LS9. Once you factor in the weight of the supercharger, inter cooler, etc? Steilow seems to be able to get his nose heavy car around the track better than most...

[Solid LT1]

I'm not surprised that everyone avoids the LSX block because of its weight. I figured it would detract from the handling on my car. However, is it really any worse than an LS9. Once you factor in the weight of the supercharger, inter cooler, etc? Steilow seems to be able to get his nose heavy car around the track better than most...

I don't have Steilows engineering ability or resources, I just like to try to build my efforts using the best of my knowledge. If I wanted a 600+HP motored car....I would be building a ERL sleeved aluminum turbo motor. I think the out put of my warmed over LS3 should be just fine if my stock 2009 Z06 is any indicator. I have a nice Gen1 377cu/in SBC with 43lb billet crank, Manley billet I beam rods, Mahle pistons, CNCd AFR 195cc heads, T&D shaft rockers, Isky tool room springs/EZ roll solid rollers, custom Comp Cam.....after buying my C6 Z06 I decided aluminum dry sump LS was the way to go...( having lost 3 sets of rod bearings auto crossing my accusump equipped Vette over the years ) The Gen1 motor was around a $10K investment on my part....it will make 550+HP my LS3 probably will not but, the oiling system reliability and weight loss over the front of the car were factors that made me abandon the GEN1.

The $4500 price of the 3K mile dry sump LS3 motor off racing junk led me to take " the LS pill " after going through the motor, I'm not that impressed with the quality of the platform as a whole because I love high RPM screemers and the oiling system layout of the LS leaves something to be desired for high RPM operation. The LS is a great 6500 RPM production platform but for 7000+ RPM use, I foresee some problem areas with the platform, they might not present a problem to a guy running a 1/4 mile at a time but multiple laps at sustained RPMs on a Road Race or Autocross course will bring these deficiencies to light. The internal block castings are pretty nasty, many hours of detailing with a die grinder were done by me to my LS3 block, GM did a much better foundry job on the LS1 engine case. I see plenty of members telling of their needs for 700+HP motors in their builds, my personal experience from owning a 505HP Z06 ( replaced our C5 Z06) tells me my older C3 chassis will have all the power a guy like me can use.

In my book there is nothing " Lateral G " about a 200+ pound lump of iron sitting in the engine compartment. Then again what the heck does a guy like me know, I ran a " too small " Holley 650CFM double pumper on my factory LT-1 hi rise intake in my 12.28@117MPH LT-1 ( it only ran a 12.60@113 with cast iron exhaust manifolds on it! ) through the mufflers.