built 406 or mild 350 w/whipple

[Crookedaxle]

Revolutions per minute is the speed from which the torque is measured.

I stopped reading when I got to exactly here, your first comment. Didn't you give more than one incorrect definition of what HP even is up top here? Now you're telling me what it is after I'm the first one to actually post what HP is? Not that there aren't many others here that know also. You not being one of them evidently.

 

[Hipster]

I stopped reading when I got to exactly here, your first comment. Didn't you give more than one incorrect definition of what HP even is up top here? Now you're telling me what it is after I'm the first one to actually post what HP is? Not that there aren't many others here that know also. You not being one of them evidently.

I'm sure most of them also understand what rotational, angular, or vehicle speed is and what applies in this discussion without the definition I provided for you.

 

[618 Syndicate]

Funny you both agree on something that is incorrectamundo.

Horsepower = Torque x RPM / 5,252

It's also why torque and HP always cross at 5,252 RPM

Ummm, you wrote the formula for calculating horsepower which uses the measurement of torque to come up with a number. Without knowing the actual amount of force being applied (torque) you cannot know the (theoretical) amount of horsepower. It cannot be measured by itself, because it only exists as the product of two other measurements: force (torque) and speed (rpm).
That's what we both said.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

LOL! Sez the guy that doesn't even know what the calculation for HP is....

I wasn't giving the formula, stating how it is derived and why the two coexist. You can see above the correct formula. OP sorry that we thread jacked you!

Do the 406 with the RamJet, you won't be sorry.

 

[Knightmare]

LS are sweet car engines. I've heard that with a 4" stroke crank (5.3L -> 383, 6.0L -> ~408?) They can make good torque. I haven't driven one of those.

Worth nothing is that the torque rating on a 6.0L is at 4200 RPM. A 350 vortec is rated at 2800 RPM. And the difference is 360 LB-Ft vs 330 LB-Ft. I honestly like my vortec better (granted, I have 4.10's and a 4L80 with .75:1 OD. I think the only LS 6.0 I've driven had 3.73's or worse).

For a truck:
Non-Emissions Diesel > Big Block Gas > SBC/LS stroker > SBC > LS

 

[RDF1]

I use to daily and tow with a cam 6.0 and a S475 turbo. It did very well. It would chug along like a diesel. I ran about 8psi at 2000rpms / 70mph.
It still got good mileage, mind you not as well as a diesel. It would get 23.5-24mpg unloaded. I dont remember it getting less than 10mpg but one time and that was after I put the cam in it and hadn't fine tuned the fuel table. It was really rich in boost and higher load in vacuum.

At the same time my brother had a 99 C3500 454/4l80e/4.10s. It got 8-9mpg unloaded and 5.5-6mpg towing his enclosed trailer. After tuning it and new plugs/wires it only gained .5 mpg unloaded.
I could pull his trailer with the same load and get 12-13mpg on the same route.


So saying a LS has to scream to tow isn't exactly true. Now I know it's not a stock/stock comparison but for a simple turbo setup they do very good.
I put over 300,000 miles on that 6.0 with the turbo. So running boost at low rpms wasnt beating the bearings out of the bottom end.

I even went as far as unhooking my heater core in the summer and run the W/A intercooler water to run thru it.
IATs would get down in the low 50* on a 100* day. Was able to get some more timing in it too.


I always tell everyone to write out the whole plan and price it. See which way you want to go if your on a tight budget. It's free to plan and think thru the setup.

I have a BW S370 billet turbo for my 2500HD to try out one day.
It does ok towing with 87octane but can tell a difference with 93octane and adding more timing.

I do miss the whistle.....

 

[b454rat]

I'd love to do a turbo but lack the funds to do it. I'd prolly go with an LS if was to go turbo. I watched some vids by Richard Holdeder boosting a 4.8 and 454. 900 horse with a stock lower end Vortec 454, but had Brodix heads on it. Still did 800 something with the stock heads. Torque was thru the roof. Made nice numbers even with the 4.8....

 

[RDF1]

We have a few cars with stock 5.3s that are running in the high 4s in the 1/8th.
Just cam and springs with the right turbo and it is crazy.
Straight M1 methanol is amazing what they can do.
We played with one on the dyno and put down 1380hp I think it was thru a power glide.

 

[stutaeng]

I'd love to do a turbo but lack the funds to do it. I'd prolly go with an LS if was to go turbo. I watched some vids by Richard Holdeder boosting a 4.8 and 454. 900 horse with a stock lower end Vortec 454, but had Brodix heads on it. Still did 800 something with the stock heads. Torque was thru the roof. Made nice numbers even with the 4.8....

Yeah, I saw that video...that was pretty cool!

I know some keep singing the LS song, LOL. I'm doing a 5.3/4L80 on my 99 Silverado right now. My 4.3 and 4L60 need a rebuild, but rebuilds are kinda spendy. I got a running engine with harness and ECU for $400, and an early model 4L80 for $240...with other stuff here and there, just little bit more than $1,000 so far...that's about half the price of rebuilding my existing V6! It is a no-brainer swap vs. rebuild in my case. Not going for anything crazy, basically just a stock drivetrain...will eventually go with 4.10s, however. Of course, that's just parts if you do the work yourself.

...which is my point about the LS, they are everywhere and that keeps the price pretty darn low. In my area, the SBC/BBC are not too abundant as they once were, but they are still out there. BBC seem more rare.

Most engines have some sort of common issues, and the LS are not the exception. If I had to list the most common issues with the SBC Vortec of this generation, it would be the intake manifold gaskets, distributors and spider injectors; although I think the BBC has it's own issues with the later 2?...just kinda lost faith on distributer ignition on my 4.3. Maybe they are not as bad as I think they are, don't know, but seems like distr. and/or cap and rotor is a very common problem on this forum.

I think the 8.1 with some of the LS technology built-in would get my vote (or that L21 unicorn that came with the Allison,) but I'm talking stock vs stock. Everything goes out the window in the aftermarket realm, as you have pointed out. For a street 1500 truck, I think any 4.8/5.3/6.0 would be just fine, even for light/med. towing...do a turbo later as funds become available? Heavy towing or off-roading or mudding with huge tires, I'd the vow to the BBC; again, stock vs stock.


I hope this helps.

 

[b454rat]

Im trying to get the funds together for a running driving truck with a 454/4l80 for $800. I'd leave it stock, maybe check the distributor for wear, clean injectors, usual stuff. But seen a vid of it running and it runs sweet. The big block would be for the yukon, that is lifted now, but will do an SAS once garage is up. This was a couple years ago, but a local late model junkyard THREW OUT a **** load of LS engines. They had so many with no demand, they loaded em up in their 48' dump trailer and scrapped em. Next door is a pick a part, they still have alot in there, but condition is unknown. It might say it runs, but wouldn't trust it. I thought bout an 8.1, but not **** for aftermarket, and what there is is ungodly expensive. A carb'd intake is over 700 bucks. That same yard has one with the 4l85, says motor no good. This time of year can't do anything, having no garage and working on the cold wet ground sucks. Did it years ago, but I was younger years ago lol....