MORNIN EVERYBODY!!!

I purchased a 98 c5 vette with an extra engine. the engine is a new 6.0 block, it has an escalade crank (54), escalade rods, new hyperteuctic pistons with -8cc dish, gm hot cam, and a set of heads that have been worked but i dont have the flow results back yet, word is they flow at 215 whatever alll that means. the motor was supposedly set up to be boosted in one way or the other but i dont know exactly what the intentions were.
NOOW THE DELIMA! I want to replace my high mileage ls1 with something while i am replacing the drivetrain all at the same time. I have no intentions of affording a sc or any other boost right now as finances dont allow. from what i have found out, the 6.0 should be running 9.4.1 cr which just does not seem to be enough. i have a great price from a local engine builder to tear down the 6.0 and replace the pistons etc and put it all back together for 1300 out the door, then comes the install etc and before i know it im thousands into it all and still have a 98c5. i love the car but this is turning into a fortune real fast and i am still not sure what im gonna end up with.

ANY WISDOM ON ALL THIS WOULD BE APPRECIATED

 

ttt

 

Buy a crate LS6 or LS2, install and be done with it.

High HP engines with moderately priced parts just will not last.

Good Luck

 

ttt

 

ttt for what? May not have been what you wanted to hear, but it was the gospel truth. Sell the other engine to finance one that fits your needs.

 

ttt cause its not the type of intel i am looking for smart guy. there is tons of successful lq4 powertrains in vettes crankin out over 500 hp without any dependability issues. i was looking for someone with this sort of experience which is obviously not you, but thanks for your weel thought input crainholio

 

Really? I would like to see a few that are driven hard and not parking lot queens.

 

First welcome to Corvette forum where there is a lot of knowledgeable people willing to help.
Au n Egl actually gave you good advice for many reasons. It is hard to build up a car with little money, harder yet if one has to hire out all the work. Many overlooked and seemingly small problem become reality when mixing and matching parts and one does not have the experience as to what is involved in making it work, for example crankshafts with different reluctors, harnesses, sensor placements, ECUs, etc and making it all work. There are solutions to all these and more but they all cost $ here and there that can add up quickly into $$$$. The LS6's star days have been overcast by its newer more powerful generation siblings but it is still a great motor that can be found reasonable and will work with what your vette has now. You might look for a low mileage used one and find it reasonable.
The other solution is to finish up the 6.0 you now have spending the least amount to install and get the odds and ends. You should find out exactly what you have and how it fits or does not fit together as a package before you go out and spend more $. You can then save up for future mods and use your 6.0 as a base to work from. The 6.0 with a decent cam will not be shabby anyway and if you need more HP at certain times maybe add 75-100 shot of nitrous and you'll be knocking in the 500 hp range anyways.
My 02 Z06 has a stock LS6 other then CAI and Corsa muffler and last year I ran a best of 12.76 @ 113 on street Goodyears. The MPH says there is et left on the line. There are lots of LS6 Vettes that with good off the line techniques run low 12's and a few got into the 11's, stock meaning 405 factory hp. I ran agaisnt a new SS Camaro last year at the track and the little LS6 just kept pulling away from him.
Au n Gel road races with a stock LS6 and hits 155 mph on the straights!
Its easy to get drop jawed over todays HP numbers but good solid et's can still be done without spending a fortune and still have a street car without spending a fortune.
BTW JMO but if I was going through the expense of changing pistons I would put in forged and find out more about your heads a 215 cfm flow is not even what a stock head flows. Head flow and cam is important because it = hp, but if the head is not done correctly and you don't have enough cam and compression the numbers become meaningless. Not trying to be a smart aXX but it is just like a stereo system it is more important that is matches the big numbers. The more work you can do or learn to do on your car the better off you are.

Carlos

 

Carlos you beat me to it All summed up the LS6 would be a perfect build for this car. That lq4 boondoggle will be just that. An LS6 crate with the proper boltons makes good longterm power and reliability. If your trying to build a vette with a budget and want some real WOW factor thats impossible. It takes tons of money to get out ahead and then to find out your really behind. For what its worth, try to sell that LQ4, buy a nice NOS wet kit and spray the LS1 til failure, then Crate the LS6 and set up with NOS. I have a brand new LS6 405 HP in the crate for 3500.00 ready to ship if your interested

 

guys the intel here is great. thanks. i am just waiting on the head numbers to come in tomorrow from the shop to tell me what the "street dowg" stamped heads are really doing. there is so much out there with a lot of success on the 6.0 ls based iron block builds i hate to get rid of it. i have it over at fuel injection specialties in san antonio to peel into it and see what i have so to speak and i'm trying to figure it all out. i know i would not want to even sell it the way it is without at least figuring out if it all works as i would not want another member going through what i am going through now. hopefully by tuesday this thread will get more responses from people that have this application in their vehicle. i will be posting a comprehensive parts list as well when it all comes in and would appreciate you guys revisiting to look at it when you get a chance. thanks again for your input

 

we will see how this goes and i will get with you. sounds like a great deal

 

quick link to look at... this article shows just one of the story's


http://www.carcraft.com/projectbuild...ock/index.html

 

Yes keep us posted, I have some element of experience achieving over 500+ rwhp from a 6.0 liter. However that parts list you currently have does not line up anywhere close to what Im thinking so I wont go into details. Im curious about the "Street Dawg" heads. Also note if your running the cadi rods they should be floating LQ9 correct?? Changing the pistons to bump the compression back up on your rotating assembly should be relatively inexpensive.

 

Not likely the first time you've been very wrong, and I'll bet it won't be the last time either.

Good luck w/ your project nonetheless, it's going to be a learning experience for you.

A wise person said: "You can ignore reality, but you can't ignore the consequences of ignoring reality."

 

crainholio,

you may have years of experience and bottomless pockets which i admit i do not, and i am in no way trying to challenge your intellect on the proposed question at hand. however, you obviously chose another route to accomplish the needs of my build, which i may not be able to afford i might add, and had a very abrupt delivery and hijacked my thread with your course at best mannerism. i AM learning and seeking advise from someone that has actually performed the build of which i am proposing to do with the parts i have, not just drop 5k and acheive nothing greater than i already have in the garage. your advise may be the reality as you stated but it seems that tons of other people including industry leaders in the corvette and motor industry seem to have other opinions that vary greatly from yours which may put someones "reality" into question. thanks for your time and suggestions and have a blessed day sir

 

the rods are cadi's.
the pistons are new -8cc hyper pistons
heads were originally 243's that have been worked over- waiting on flow
they have z06 springs
block is brand new along with gaskets, bearing, covers, ud pulley etc
ls6 intake
pp throttle body
varaam
long tubes/ complete exhaust set up
gm- hot cam (new)

this is what i know until tomorrow!!!

 

that is why we are suggesting the LS6 crate.

Unless you have deep pockets for constant rebuilds, get the crate motor

 

I didn't get the impression that you were, no hard feelings.

There are a lot of variables that you're overlooking which will add up to significant $$ and/or hassles.

For example, that 58x reluctor wheel on the crank. Is the shop going to swap that for a 24x wheel, or are you buying a Lingenfelter converter box? Does your 6.0 block have the Knock Sensors in the LS1 location, or on the side such that you'll need an extension harness? Is the cam position sensor on the rear or the front of the engine?

Fuel Injection Specialties is an excellent shop and they've been in business since back when TPI was the Big Thing. If they're the shop quoting your piston swap (and reluctor wheel change) then you're in good hands for the assembly...just take a careful look at all the other things you need to manage for the swap.

 

IMO that statement right there is the key question. Is one trying to make a nice ride for one self, or trying to get out ahead of others in HP and speed?
If one is building a ride for one self the budget and ride can be reasonable. If one is trying to run with the big dawgs who have been at it a long time and some have deep pockets and much larger budgets then one stands a good chance of going broke and disappointed long before the project is done.
Do you want a quick street car? Look at the facts a 13 second street C5 is still a good ride with decent street manners. Do you want a track car or strip car?
For the track its more about the equipment living then more power. To get to high 11's does not require tons of $$ or hp and that is all you can run legally before you start getting into roll bars, roll cages, other safety equipment and start planning for parts breakage.
This is already assuming the car in question is not suffering from tired and worn parts already. If the engine is tired what condition is the transmission, driveline, joints, brakes, cooling, electrical, and fueling? Check out the prices on upgrading axle shafts, rear end trans strut/girdle, a C5 bolt in roll bar vs a cage!
Check the forum real well including the fine print to get an idea an overall costs, specially if this is a DD.
I believe it was cheaper to build my gasser to run low to mid 9's then it would to make my Z06 run low 10's legally.
BTW $3500 for an in the crate LS6 is a very good deal!

Carlos

 

I read stories like that all the time. Jeff Smith has been writing up low buck builds for years. Its a good project, he used a salvage iron motor so in C5 your adding more weight up front. Lots of people do that but IMO the new crate LS6 just offered is a much better deal. First every 100 lbs of weight costs a tenth in et. The LS6 engine is new, the LS6 package stock is proven to be better then 405 HP, 400 ft lbs torque, usually 410-417 hp on dynos. Add a tune and you can pick up a little more but will just stay with 405-410 as a base. I just added 5 gal. of E85 to my LS6 this past week and covered the fueling with a Racetronix Hotwire last year and just added a KB BAP last week. Just on the fuel change I logged a 31 Ft lbs increase in a second gear pull in Delivered Torque over my best run last year on 93 Sunoco premium!
If I was to throw even a 75-100 shot the little LS6 stock is 500 or over! On street tires in competitive driving mode with a 6 speed you have to baby it off the line. Spray in 1st would be useless, don't powershift into 2nd as the tires spin pretty good so a shot should delayed in 2nd, or just use it in 3rd and 4rth.
Ranger who is an excellent driver would get his 60 fts down by slipping the clutch enough, but also understand this means his clutch would last 125 runs or so on a stock 2002 C5 Z06! Ranger got down to high 11's on a stock Z06 with street tires. If you race frequent enough to be sharp on the starting line technique 125 runs is not a lot of runs.
Automatics are great for drag racing but need to be beefed up and cooled enough to have any life with any hp off the line. The beauty of a reasonable nitrous shot is you can time it to come in later to help keep breakage down but sufficient fueling needs to be covered.

Carlos