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Swapping out the LT1/T56 for an LS1/T56 + turbo!


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Well the time has come for me to swap out the LT1 for an LS1. I am bored with the power that it makes and I don't want to spend money on the LT1 to make it faster. So I have been watching ebay for the past few months looking for a deal on an LS1/T56 drop out and I finally found one! $3900 shipped to my door for a 2002 LS1/T56 with 48,000! I haven't recieved it yet but its on the way. I am hoping to pull the LT1 out soon so I can start mocking up the LS1. Plans are for an LS1 with flipped truck manifolds(personally Im sick of header leaks and the manifolds have supported 1000HP so they wont be an issue) and a single turbo. I am going to put forged rods and pistons in the LS1 and drop the compression down to 8.5 or 9.0:1(somewhere in there). The goal will be 500RWHP for the street with 600HP for the track! I want a monster and this should do it!

 

I wish I could post more but with a full time job and starting my own automotive repair shop Im too busy to browse the forums as much as I would like. I'll be posting pics and info as I go along in the project though!

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Why change the bottom end if your goal is only 500-600 whp? That's EASILY achievable with ~10 psi. On a good tune, that will live forever.

 

 

I honestly don't think it will live forever and I'm the kind of guy that likes to avoid problems if I can. Too many guys with FI LS1's seem to break the top ring lands so I'm a bit skeptical of what the stock motor can really take. Besides its cheaper and easier to just do it now when the motor is on a stand in my shop :-)

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http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/forced-induction-9/

 

If it were me, I'd just put in a $300 5.3 and get all the turbo stuff figured out. See how much it'll take. Then build an engine, rather than risking a new engine on a new setup.

 

My $.02

 

OH, and there is this.

 

http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/forced-induction/1334206-new-stock-bottom-end-record.html

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Thanks for the encouragement guys! I'm super excited to start gathering parts and get this show on the road!

 

My original plan was to do a 6.0 LQ4 engine and T56 but after adding up all the little stuff to make the LQ4 basically an LS1 set up I didn't see the value in it. New intake manifold, different brackets, harness, water pump, balancer, etc.... Plus I after doing some thinking I like the idea of shaving 85lbs off the front end to help make up for the weight the turbo, intercooler, and piping will add.

 

I'm going to order the pistons and rods soon. Some say you don't need them for my power goals but for about $1000 I can have a forged bottom end with a more ideal compression ratio. I've just seen too many boosted LS1's with broken 1st ringlands to not do it while the engine is out. I'm not going to go crazy with the rest of the engine though. The LS1 I'm getting already has the LS6 intake so I'll just run that. Im going to check the castings on the heads and if they aren't what I want then I'll be running some 317 castings with some upgraded springs and yella terra rockers. No porting of the heads this time. I didn't really feel like porting my LT1 heads was worth it in the end. Probably could have saved my money on that and done different power upgrades. As for the T56 I won't be opening that up either this time. Just going to get a nice clutch and roll with it. Haven't seen too many of these have issues so I'm not really worried about that.

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I would recommend Monster Clutch Co. They make an awesome product, and it's much more drivable than some of their competitors. I run their stage 3 in my H/C nitrous Camaro, and it takes the abuse just fine. After all, it's rated to 700 HP/ 700 lbft. At the wheels. In a 3900lb car. They're tough. No chatter whatsoever.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well I recieved the engine and have started modding it. I decieded after much (more) reading that the bottom end will be fine stock.(knock on wood). So instead I bought some 317 heads with PRC double valve springs to lower the compression down.

 

Other goodies include some Yella Terra roller rockers, 60 Siemens injectors, FAST fuel rails, and ARP head studs. Still trying to find a used LS6 cam so I can put this thing back together and start the mouting process!

 

Feels good to be doing something like this to the car again, I think I like building stuff like this more than I like driving it!

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You should be fine with the stock bottom end. It really all comes down to the tune, and not trying to push it too hard. Most of the lower end issues I have witnessed have come down to those two things. Keep it around 6 to 8 lbs of boost with a mild cam, good tune and you will make your power for a long time. People get greedy and break things.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I honestly don't think it will live forever and I'm the kind of guy that likes to avoid problems if I can. Too many guys with FI LS1's seem to break the top ring lands so I'm a bit skeptical of what the stock motor can really take. Besides its cheaper and easier to just do it now when the motor is on a stand in my shop :-)

the reason that number 5 and 7 break has nothing to do with the 500-600 whp it has to do entirely with detonation. my ls1 made 510/545 on a very very safe tune and it was a 130k mile junk yard motor that had horrid leak down readings. if your really concerned ad a meth injection kit and have it tuned by some one very very reputable. 600 is safe on any 2000+ ls1 or ls6 thats bone stock and on meth. you can actually run up to 550 on just pump with no problems. if your ls1 is older then a 2000 then the rod bolts should be replaced as they are weak, 2000 and up got better bolts. i just yanked my old tired ls1 due to its oil pump failing and i am putting a new ls6 crate motor in as we speak and it will be bone stock and tuned to 600 whp on pump and meth and im not worried in the least, not after seeing how well the old ls1 held up to countless passes and beatings.

Edited by 240zRacer
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I would recommend Monster Clutch Co. They make an awesome product, and it's much more drivable than some of their competitors. I run their stage 3 in my H/C nitrous Camaro, and it takes the abuse just fine. After all, it's rated to 700 HP/ 700 lbft. At the wheels. In a 3900lb car. They're tough. No chatter whatsoever.

i am running a monster stage 3 in my 240z as well and its a great clutch.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I removed the LT1/T56 last night and tonight I test fitted the engine with some 1" LS1 conversion set back plates that I got off of ebay and the MSA SBC mounts from my LT1. Fits like a glove. The only I thing I may have to do is attach the rear bolt on passenger side of the rack and pinion a different way. Thats the only thing hitting the oil pan. I might be able to just grind it down some. I'm just happy the oil pan can stay stock!

 

med_gallery_332_899_769623.jpg

 

Truck manifolds do not clear frame rails on either side. I'm going to try some flipped C6 manifolds next. I really don't want headers as weird as that sounds.

 

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med_gallery_332_899_756438.jpg

 

Engine is sitting further back that the LT1 was! Probably 1-1.5"

 

med_gallery_332_899_543250.jpg

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