Can the engine handle 500-600 HP? What type connecting rods and pistons do we have in the C6? hopfully forged and heavy duty.....
Any commets?

 

Yes, but the higher the HP, the shorter the lifespan.

 

no the stock bottom end is not forged and 600 hp is pusing it mid to low 500 is safer

 

The rods are sintered metal (metal powder compressed and heated until it fuses in the desired shape). The pistons are conventionally cast. Sintered metal rods are pretty good, nearly equal to forgings. The pistons are the weak point. The top ring is very high (to help reduce emissions). This leaves the top edge of the piston very vulnerable to detonation damage. If you push these engines hard, and your tune isn't exactly spot on, you're likely to lose a piston.

 

I was referring to the 500HP area, but that's cool.

 

I saw a relatively low mileage car with a S/C with a rod that ripped in half and took the bottom half with it at 550rwhp. I consider that the limit. This makes me wonder why tuners actually go to high 500's with the new ATI. I saw this car at a tuner's shop. The crank is very strong and good to 700rwhp as has been shown by numberous N2O guys on the forum. Pistons are just suseptable to heat/detonation damage. Properly tuned, I would trust the pistons before the rods at 550+.

If you are planning a 500rwhp car then get the bottom end done.

 

According to GM's spec sheet, and Hot Rod magazine engine tear down. They are still Lightweight hypertotenic pistons of a flat top design(which mean they can handle about 600hp and high temps that supercharging and turbos make. The original crank is used out of the ls1 as the stroke is the same(this is a forged crank), the piston is just larger. Crank can handle about 600plus hp, as seen in many LS1 build ups, but the rods are no longer a powdered metal cast rod, according to Hot Rod, which makes them question, why go weaker? The roads showed about a 15% gain in thickness and weight, but they are not as strong as the powder metal cast pistons in the ls1 which could handle about 600hp, so thus the weak link in the ls2, next to the high level set top ring on the pistons. The larger size of the rods make them stronger than most would suspect for cast but according to Hot Rod, they believe that anything more than 500 to 550hp at the engine is asking for it. Beyond that the 6 bolt mains, and deep skirted block with integrated cast aluminum oil pan makes the block capable still of 600hp safely. A cheep engine build with forged rods, a stronger crank, and better ring setup on the pistons, and they believe this engine will safely pull 650 hp all day, leaving the block alone.

sorry you will have to research at the library for the engine article, I found it digging through many a magazine one day.

 

found this also

http://superchevy.com/technical/engi...ng/0405sc_ls2/

 

good information

 

The powdered rods (plywood of metal) are the week link, imho. GM endurance testing claims their safe to 6900rpm. I think you're OK up to around 500HP, especially if you're not at 6900rpm (or over) constantly.

Considering you can get into the 450hp range just by freeing up HP (exhaust, filter, etc), even mods up to 550 or so might be OK.

My race car makes just over 500 (restricted HP), but I rev it to 7500rpm. That is why I run forged parts.

 

Dave, I have a base C6 with upgraded Z0 6 shocks, springs and sway bars. The back end is loose with the larger rear sway bar, can i correct that with larger rear tires (non-run flats). I take the car to watkins Glan for tract days and would like more power. SC,Turbo or heads/Cam
PS How much would it cost to prepare my car for scca T1 class