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I just finished a 454 build for a member here. Will sent sent me his virgin LS5 short block as a starting point, I hot tanked it a magna fluxed it, checked out fine, did a full block prep, line honed it, bored it .060, TQ plate honed it, couldn't deck the block due to the numbers. I resized the rods and installed ARP bolts, small ends were checked for press. I installed my custom Race Tec pistons on the rods, after a pin fit. The crank was ground .010 .010 and to even out the stroke we ended up with a 3.990 stroke, not helpful when considering I couldn't cut the deck, which left me with 465 Cubic Inches. My custom hyd roller ground on a billet core was 580/600/228/238/111/106, Morel lifters were used, with a Rollmaster timing chain. 049 GM oval port heads were used with the usual work, Scorpion rocker arms with Smith Bros .083 wall moly pushrods, Comp cams guide plates along with AFR adjustable guide plates were used. A Performer RPM air gap with work and a AED 1000 carb with a 1 inch open spacer for induction. Factory Corvette oil pan with a windage tray, M77 oil pump with a heli arc oil pickup. Maxima 10-40 oil with a Wix 51061 filter, 91 octane gas.
I am going to go in the upper 500's......about 560-570 as the cam duration is small.....but Mark always seems to surprise me......his heads make crazy VE.....
It in the car and started right up with no issues. I still have some tuning to do but all is good. Thanks Mark the engine looks great and will be right at home in its original engine bay.
I foolishly moved back up to New Hampshire for a job so, as you probably know she is hibernating for the winter. I will post a video in the spring after the salt is washed away.
im looking at this but my only change is going with Holley Sniper on a Torker 2 thus having no hood clearance issues. Can Mark make this work and wondering how much I should budget ?
I already have the Sniper, Hyperspark, intake and tank. everything I have seen about Vortec Pro convinces me this is the right way to go if i can make it work with my EFI.
Hello there Willforce71! That is a great looking engine there and very impressive power and torque results!
One question, if you are going to use the L88 style hood why don't you try the Air Intake system used on the Factory L88's? I have a 1968 (originally a L71) Corvette that is currently a 1968 L88 replica and I am still using the 427 but with 12.25-1 compression and that baby makes some power as well. The best part that worked out for me was how well the original factory L88 Hoods work when connected to the air intake system. Since I have high compression most people would imagine that I drive around on race gas. I am using cast iron GM "Closed Chamber" cylinder heads that have the same design as the L88's aluminum heads do inside the cylinder. The Closed Chamber heads were known for not detonating as badly as the Open Chamber heads that followed.
I literally use 93 octane (Sunoco) pump gasoline with this level of compression and without any problems. The primary reason I am able to do so is the cooler air going into the Combustion Chambers helps "deter" detonation. My DD Buick has about 150* (F) air being ingested in the engine and this costs power. On my C3 the intake air going into the combustion chamber is frequently well under 100* (F) and this really helps. And for the days when it is really hot the engine has a Snow Performance Water/Methanol Injection system incorporated into the intake below the throttle body. My Holley Sniper's control system will turn it on and off as needed or when wanted. The methanol increases the fuel's octane to 115 and the water cools down my hot parts in the fuel system, a marriage made in heaven for my Corvette.. I pour in windshield washer fluid and out come power.
Recently I switched my Carburetors for a Holley Stealth Sniper EFI system. I have an Edlebrock Performer RPM Air-Gap Intake Manifold on my 427 under the Sniper and it works well and fits under and seals to the L88 Hood. It looks just like a carbureted L88 engine otherwise.
Hello there wvleon! Is the Torker 2 a dual plane intake manifold? I was lucky with the Edlebrock that I have as it works well with the Holley but they say it is because of the center divider in the intake is "machined down". If you have not purchased all of your equipment yet you might want to check out: EFISYSTEMPRO.com. They sold me my Stealth Sniper and installation equipment for hundreds less than what I had budgeted. They sold me the Holley OEM Fuel Tank Module which has the Fuel Pump, gas sending unit and the Fuel pressure regulator all on one bracket inside your fuel tank. The guys at EFISYSTEMPRO also give 2 years of unbelievable service to their customers and will help you pick the best combination for your Corvette. Not having to replace the fuel tank in my 1968 was a true blessing for a guy with five crushed discs in his back. With the Sniper there is no need for a return fuel line. Having the pump inside the fuel tank sure makes the Interior quieter, the regulator is there for convenience and proximity to the gasoline.
Cold air being fed into the intake is a good thing for virtually any Internal Combustion type of engine. It can keep your engine happier especially if you have higher compression. If I were going to drive a original 1970 LT1 C3 again in this day and age I would install a Water/Methanol Injection system just to keep the engine from hurting itself with 11-1 Compression and today's gasoline.
I am looking forward to hearing how you like driving with that kind of power!
Hi Ct,
i did buy my components from EFI Pros to get the aftermarket support. I have not installed it yet as i am in the middle of doing other mods as well. I went with a Torker 2 manifold as i understand a single plane works better with the Sniper. unfortunately one thing leads to another so I am upgrading electrical, alternator and wiring, dual fan aluminum radiator etc.
the engine above has really peaked my interest and i am hoping if in budget will match up with the rest of my mods.
That is the beauty of the Corvette. We can never really finish all the things we would "like" to do. There is always a list of things that need to be attended to on an old Corvette.
I have done the upgrades on my Alternator and Cooling systems but something new always pops up. I have the Sniper working on my C3 but it is still learning and I have not attached control of the timing to the EFI system controller. I am using an older MSD Billet pro Distributor with a mechanical Tech output which I need for my Tachometer to work. I have the parts to lock out the centrifugal advance and to remove the vacuum advance mechanism.
The 7" display that Holley sells would look really nice over the center gauge panel in the C3, I would like to order one in the spring and attach it to the dashboard securely and use it for instruments so I can see what is happening with my Sniper. The problem is that my C3 is a Convertible and people have stolen things out of it before.
My only regret is that I did not buy a controller with a Knock sensor and individual cylinder retarding capabilities. I might make my own and use one of the inputs available to us.
LS5 454 Rebuild
