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My track day car is an ST2 C5 with a cammed LS1, and it's a fantastic car. However, I was sitting right seat the other day in a McLaren 650S and the acceleration was insane... Question is, when the LS1 gives up the ghost, what engine upgrade would be best? Thinking 550+ hp and torque with a dry sump, and reliable to track / race in at least 60 minute runs. Thoughts?
Last edited by SunnydayDILYSI; 10-21-2016 at 09:42 PM.
When we wanted to upgrade our SCCA GTA type LS1 powered stock cars we took a pretty simple route by just stroking the LS1's to 383 ci. We added a set of Advanced Induction ported 243 heads, a .600 lift cam.
one was cammed with a bit more duration than the other and made about 570 HP and 480 torque and the other made about 550 HP and 500 torque. (at the flywheel) The smaller cammed motor raced better. Both were around 11 to 1 compression and ran race gas.
These were 3 stage dry sump motors. The small cammed motor is still running and is a bear with torque everywhere and very easy to drive. Has run a 1:53 at Daytona in a Howe chassis Camaro similar to a Trans Am TA2 car. Top speed in the tri-oval was about 187 mph.
These were carbed motors with Holley 750's, but I think one with an LS2 intake and throttle body would make similar numbers.
There are many combinations that will do what you want but this was a pretty simple way for us.
You could sell your LS1 motor and use the funds to get an LS2 block and build a stroker LS2 402 and make close to 600 at the flywheel...even better.
I would pick up a used cup or busch engine then put a smaller cam in it. They can be purchased for 8000-15000 used. I ran a 650 hp 18 degee dry sump busch engine at 12:0 to1 compression for 3 years in the scca gt1 series. If you tried to build one new it would be in excess of $60000.
When everything was said and done these engines had 430 bhp and 430 ft-lb of torque. They used a more aggressive camshaft and higher quality valve springs. In addition the engines all used a dry sump oiling system. In 2000 these engines were sold to the ASA teams for $12,000. They come up on the market every once in a while.
At this point they're more of a collector's item than a serious race engine though. Here's more information.
Lots of good suggestions. For the circle track engines, is a dry sump all we need to do to make them reliable for the road?
Just make sure there are pick ups on both sides of the pan. Its easy to modify them for road racing.The newer dry sump oil pans are real nice. The oil tank should be placed to take advantage of the weight.
The CT 525 makes good power and torque but you would still need to dry sump it and you would still have a stock rod, stock piston motor with stock rod bolts.
Works pretty good in circle track but then again you don't have the stress of the constant deceleration, gearing down etc as in road racing.
Some of the TA2 Trans Am teams tried this a few years ago and quickly went to all forged motors.
Probably be OK for track days etc if you kept it no more than 6500 rpm.
I would run the costs a dry sump LS3 525 vs a dry sump 383 forged build of your LS1.
Anyone running this 525 ct crate for road racing with just an accusump and a canton oil pan ?
i've been researching these a bit also for fall 2017 install.
looking for 500hp to the wheels - still researching holly 750 vs holly injection vs injector and throttle body
so many options....
Anyone running this 525 ct crate for road racing with just an accusump and a canton oil pan ?
i've been researching these a bit also for fall 2017 install.
looking for 500hp to the wheels - still researching holly 750 vs holly injection vs injector and throttle body
so many options....
Not yet. LS3 crate with batwing pan and accusump is my plan when LS6 goes bye bye. I had looked at the vette LS3s vs the ct. CT have an advantage?
Anyone running this 525 ct crate for road racing with just an accusump and a canton oil pan ?
i've been researching these a bit also for fall 2017 install.
looking for 500hp to the wheels - still researching holly 750 vs holly injection vs injector and throttle body
so many options....
I've been running the LS376 create engine w/ an ARE 4-stage dry sump. I probably got 30 events out of it before I wiped a cam lobe this August. I get it back just in time for the Nov 3-4 TrackDaze Event at VIR. I'm putting a bigger cam in it. I'll try to remember to post the dyno numbers after next week.
Jim
What I'm running (or a Schwanke rebuild of it) in #13 GTA...
BTW, Chris - the LS3 in my #79 TA2 car - wowzers!!!!! It pulls like a freight train!
Originally Posted by rfn026
Speaking of LS1 engine. This one is interesting.
When everything was said and done these engines had 430 bhp and 430 ft-lb of torque. They used a more aggressive camshaft and higher quality valve springs. In addition the engines all used a dry sump oiling system. In 2000 these engines were sold to the ASA teams for $12,000. They come up on the market every once in a while.
At this point they're more of a collector's item than a serious race engine though. Here's more information.
I've been running the LS376 create engine w/ an ARE 4-stage dry sump. I probably got 30 events out of it before I wiped a cam lobe this August. I get it back just in time for the Nov 3-4 TrackDaze Event at VIR. I'm putting a bigger cam in it. I'll try to remember to post the dyno numbers after next week.
Jim
We have the same setup in my boss' C5Z track car. It's a LS376/525 with an ARE 4 stage dry sump. He has 20+ track days on it without any issues and he drives the car hard. The car is just now starting to use a little ( 1/2 quart / track day) oil.
10-21-2016, 09:23 PM
Best racing engine
Question is, when the LS1 gives up the ghost, what engine upgrade would be best? Thinking 550+ hp and torque with a dry sump, and reliable to track / race in at least 60 minute runs. Thoughts?
Bingo, THIS is the one that you want to use as the basis for a reliable road ace motor
