If you go this route spend bigly on the heads..$3,500 gets you a pretty good package from American heritage. Ti / moly valves. Hollow ss exh, pm guides and all the machine work. For an extra 600 you could even use formula one guides. When these engines fail it's always in the cylinder head
Just bought my first corvette after dreaming about them as a kid. I chose the C6Z specifically bc of the LS7. 505hp in a LS7 vs 505hp in a LS3 or any other motor, just doesn’t have the same attraction, I think that’s evident in the car world. The power builds to redline, and those type of motors for whatever explanation, just grabs everyone by the heart. Si/type R’s with Vtech, McLaren F1, AE86, many Ferraris 355’s, F550, Jag XJ22, GT350/350R, Toyota TRD, the lotus Elise with that TRD motor in it…Etc etc. N/A all day…& as long as the dyno graph just builds upwards until kissing redline ppl will love them 🤷
Wow, thanks for the thoughtful comment. I completely agree with your thought process. I think the LS7 changes the whole character of the car. I really enjoyed it. No matter the motor going in, I want the power to feel fun and exciting.
I agree the LS7 is a special engine hand built by GM. And pushed every limit we know. If you look at the CNC porting of that masterpiece its amazing. I know it's not cost effective but they are just wonderful.
I say stick LS7. You could always go 416 LS3 but Id want the ti rods and intake valves and some better exhaust valves in an LS7 to keep the character and call it a day. And thats exactly what I did. I went with a mild (for an ls7) cam and "fixed" heads, ARH headers and a ported MSD. A whole bunch of while youre in there stuff happened after I dropped it off. Good luck with the build! Wouldnt blame you for just camming an LS3 and feeling safe for the next 100k.
I'm telling you bro, 3-rotor peripheral-port with castor 2-stroke premix is the move. You'll be a global celebrity, plus frankly they last longer on track than they do on the street.
I'd call up the Katech Engineering guys to see what options they have on a "mostly factory" build of the LS7. They do sell them there and who better to trust with this beast of a motor but those that took it around the world to win trophies with it at Petit Le Man, Sebring, Daytona, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. That way, you know you have a LS7 you can trust around track, still provides similar manners around track that your used to seeing in the factory LS7, and you get a nice warranty to back it all up. My 2c.
Oil pressure is one of the best tools to monitor how healthy your engine is. From watching a few clips of your lapping I can see your WOT oil pressure is def on the lower side. I say 55-70psi WOT is what your looking for on track with a higher weight oil. From videos, i can see it almost in the 30s which is what you want at idle. If i saw those pressures I wouldve considered a rebuild before anymore lapping was done. Just something to think about when you start over with a new engine.
Whatever you do upgrade at minimum the scavenge side of the oil pump. Past that depends on budget and power goals. LS3 525 crate with dry sump upgrades is a reliable option to learn how to go faster leaving open the option for a bigger cam etc. If you go LS7 I'd run aftermarket heads not ported factory, and work with a vendor such as cam motion to get the valvetrain to be reliable on track. Aftermarket heads maybe labeled LS3 but are more LS7 in port opening. Eric Weingartner had an internet port series on a LS3 aftermarket head. One of the ports was a high velocity design which looked promising for a 427. Even if you don't go with him it is an interesting look at aftermarket heads.
I can say, we have put down a little over 500hp through a 4l60e with a 6.2L in a 72 C-10. Mind you we had CNC ported heads, custom grind cam, and a bunch of trick bottom end parts.
4:25 ok, I LOLd for real at that... you can't think of resale value of a Corvette that has been a track car... but what you can do is find another track enthusiast who will appreciate the car for what it is and take it off your hands when you're ready to move on... and they'll be happy with a cammed LS3!
The LS7 offers things an LS3 doesn't without costing the same or more. The dry sump, for one. The bore size, second. Don't give up the LS7 because it has only one critical failure point that is easily solved with aftermarket valve guides.
You can build an LS3-R. It's an LS3 block, GMPP CNC LS3 heads, 3.75" stroke, 4.07" bore, 1.165" piston crowns (Same as an LS7) flat-top ceramic coated and notched. 6.2" connecting rods. The pistons stick out less than stock with this combination. 6.4 liters, 391 cubic inches. TSP 227 camshaft. I stumbled across this setup by accident. I asked myself, "What if GM was allowed to use high quality forged pistons?" and this is what I came up with. -- Another option would be an all-aluminum 540 big block chevy with cylinder heads from the new 632 crate engine. You'd need a custom dry sump though.
So, I got to thinking about my suggestion of an aluminum big block. -- Brodix aluminum block will put you a minimum of 100 cubic inches beyond stock LS7's for the same cost. -- GM RS-X heads have shallow valve angles just like the LS7 does. You can get Eric Weingartener to do your valve job. -- Kinsler ITB's as a cross-ram will be unique and true to the Corvette. -- Those heads will bolt onto a 4.56" bore. A 4" stroke, 1.27" pistons, and 6.535" rods give you 523 cubic inches and a tight above-deck quench. -- A 4.6" bore and 4.25" stroke will give you 565 cubic inches, using 1.27" pistons and 6.385" rods, with a zero-deck setup. -- A 4.5" bore and 4.25" stroke gives you 541 cubic inches. -- The camshaft I came up with is 232/242-114LSA, 108 ICL. You get a 44 ABDC IVC. .650" lift is all you really need on this thing. Yes, .700 will make more power, but there's so much of everything else going on, I think it'll be the last thing on your mind. -- Run a 4" pipe from the air box through the cowl and into the cab. -- If these are the end times of ICE, I say wing it!
You can't be concerned with resale value and want to consider anything other than a direct replacement/upgrade from the factory LS7. Anything less will likely significantly devalue the car unless it's some crazy boosted ls3 / 6.2L build (turbos, bigger blower, etc), which is also something you seem to want to avoid. It's gonna hurt financially, but I would consider a max effort N/A LS7 or 427 LSX. That way, you keep the displacement, potentially upgrade the power with cam and bolt-ons, keep the weight balance of the car similar to factory, and don't kill the resale value too much on the car
honestly its pricy but an mostly stock ls7 with redone valve guides, either send it to a shop or do it yourself but another ls7 seems like the best option for many reasons and if you put a bit more time and money in to grantee good valve guides then you will have an amazing motor with reliability and simplicity.
RHS or Dart LS Next aluminum block, you can run it as a 427, 441 all the way up to i think a maximum of 496ci. They have priority main oiling, which is big for you track fellas. Also, the LS7 dry sump system (your current oiling system) will bolt right on (just make sure its cleaned out really really good). You can pick and choose your CR when building a engine, so you can push it to run on the ragged edge of whatever fuel you want and make big power. Having an aftermarket rotating assembly means you need to get it balanced at a shop, bonus is the shops will balance your rotating assembly FAR beyond what GM did with any of their engines, allowing you to rev higher, same with the valvetrain. Aftermarket addresses a lot of short comings, i won't tear down the LS7 as a bad engine since it isn't, but once GM puts them into production their weak links can be seen an addressed. Downside is this could be expensive AF, would have to do a lot of research to make sure it all plays nice together. If you are not dead set against a forced induction engine a supercharged LS3 or LS2 could easily produce the power levels your at now and exceed them if you wanted for much lower. But, why not start off small? get a junkyard L33 aluminum 5.3, throw a cam and a cheapo turbo, or supercharger? I mean, you basically have an race ready chassis. depending on how mechancially inclined you are you could chop the front off the car, do a full tube front end (would allow you to drop the fenders/front end super easy to work on the engine) and it would even offset the weight of a iron block if you wanted to go that route. Hell, do something weird and put a ford Barra engine in there with a big ol turbo. I am sorry to hear your LS7 block is dead, but now you can use the car as a platform for doing cool stuff! like a destroked LS3 that pushes 9000rpm or whatever! GL Friends!
LS7 block, forged bottom end including rods & pistons, GT19 cam, titanium intake valves, inconel exhaust valves. Set rev limiter at 6500rpm. Stay NA or supercharge later if ya want.
I think you're overthinking this greatly. Put another LS7 in it and fix the valve issue, maybe do a mild cam and be done with it. Putting anything else but an LS7 into a Z car would be dumb.
So I know it's not exactly the same setup but I've got a centrifugal supercharged LS6 in my C5 Z06. The A&A kit is phenomenal for these platform of cars as it's essentially a bolt-on supercharger that isn't that difficult to mess with if you are handy with a wrench. With my car's current setup, I'm pushing 583WHP which is a pretty hefty amount of power out of a 3rd gen LS. Having something like a supercharged LS3 will easily stomp the ground out of any LS7 on track for linear performance curve. Yes, it's not exactly the same thing as the "famed LS7" that everyone loves to talk about but it's still something that'll put the power down reliably. Will you have to beef up cooling to handle the blower? Obviously yes. Speaking from experience however, a centrifugal blower has a very linear power curve and specifically hits peak power in the upper RPM band, meaning it's daily driveable when you want. I know this because that's how my car's currently set up. I daily drive my C5Z often, and despite having what BTR calls a stage 3 cam the car's actually quite tame unless I lay the hammer down. A buddy of mine has a base C6 with an A&A kit as well, and our estimate on power levels with the flextune kit the car has installed from a previous owner is somewhere into the 700WHP range. You can knock blowers all you want, but in the end if you do it right they make tons of power in a linear curve..... Just my thoughts
There is a shop called TSK out of Ohio. They are taking gen 4 blocks and for $2000 they cnc machining they blocks. Then they press in Darton sleeves for 427 or 440 cubes. A 5.3s are cheap. Then run a set of ported Ls3 heads. Way cheaper then a new 427 that's going to detonate again.
I straight loled with the "devalue" conversation. Mike: "i'm worried an LS3 swap will devalue for resale" Me- in my head: *yeah for sure. I see a C6Z with an LS3 and I hard pass* Isaac: "so you're not worried that 100k hard track miles and a roll cage WON'T devalue it?" Me: 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
If you have time and money, start with 5.3 aluminum block and bore, stroke it to desired displacement. Build a nice set of heads to match. The "affordable" easy solution, drop a LS3 crate motor with the hot cam in it from GM and call it a day.
How much power do you want? 500whp should be attainable from a naturally aspirated LS3. A 416 stroker should have as much potential as an LS7 would if you're willing to sacrifice a few revs. Unfortunately, unless you wanna get what is eventually a motorcycle engine into your car, an LS is about the best way to get a powerful and reliable engine in a lightish package. ~450lbs for most naturally aspirated aluminum block engines. Now the motorcycle engine route. Build a balls to the wall track car with a hayabusa V8 crate engine. Revs to 11k and makes about 460 horsepower naturally aspirated. The complete engine weighs only about 200lbs and you don't need such a heavy trany. I know you're not going this route but it's cool.
LS7 with a mild reliability focused build I think checks the most boxes for that car. I think my Ideal Vette would be a Grand Sport with higher compression highish revving LS3. Cant wait to see what goes into that car.
I wonder what off the shelf parts look like for Chevys 1000hp engine as a drop in. That would definitely increase resale value, but by how much compared to a LS7 that’s originally in the car.
MAST Motorsports re-sleeved factory GM Aluminum GenIV Block (4.185" Bore x 4.125" Stroke) for a *454 LSX* short block, rebuilding your LS7 cylinder heads and re-using all bolt-ons. You don't need to spin the thing to the moon. A 6,500-6,750 RPM Track car with tons of bottom end would suit you fine.
My LS7 just had a valve drop, smacked the piston in cylinder 8 and cracked the cylinder wall. I am in a similar boat about decisions on what to do next.
How about a Dart LS Next block, 7 liter turbocharged? You get the strength and raised hp capacity without the weight of an LSX block. This is upgrade I am thinking for my currently procharged C6 Z06.
Ill be honest I dont really get the point. The thing holding an LS7 back from spinning to 9 grand isnt the crank or piston speeds lol. You're just giving up displacement for seemingly no reason.
It hasn't been done in a ZO6 But a 454 Big Block Chevy Swap would be awesome. Sure its heavier but the Torque band is Superior to any LS X Engine ever built Normsl Aspirated. With modern Aluminum heads and just 11psi Turbocharged or supercharged Boost used be well over 1000 Hp and 850 ft/lbs + torque at the Flywheel. Also the Big Chevy has a Superior oiling system. PRIORITY OILING TO TO MAINS 1ST.
Also I have another c6 buddy who has a ls2 with Texas speed heads and a msd intake with the big cam he got with the car it put down 498whp but vary peaky, one of the stock lifters failed revving to 7k, and he had the 6.0 built with 12:1 compression and a smaller cam, he is now making 486whp on e85, but has 50 more torque from 3-5k and has ate a few c6 z06's and barely beat a bone stock zr1... zr1 went e85 and buddy lost after that lol
The LS7 Is neat Titanium equipped engine platform. I have been into them after they self destructed. I used to build LS X Engines for a living in a South Chicago Race Shop. Specialized in Street Racing and Drag Racing. Also Endurance Racing builds . The LS7 has what I call design Engineering faults likely to save $. I like Titanium the way an engine performs with is hard to match Normal Aspirated or Boost. For one I would lose the Pankel Titanium Connecting rods they have Dinky 5/16" capscrew bolts. It looks Kool but better Titanium Connecting Rods are made. Crower 6AL4V Titanium Connecting Rods with L19 7/16" 1.800 U.H.L. Bolts. Full Floating design. Cost will be about $8500 for a set of 8 custom made. Full set of Manley or Victory Titanium Valves. You want them Full Chromium Nitrate coated. Cost is $185 per valve. $2,960 there. They are Forgef 1-piece Titanium valves. All New Bronze guides installed honed to size with a Sunnen P30 Honeall. NEW Berrylenium Copper intake and exhaust seats or Super B Exhaust seats. About $1500. The LS7 pistons are Wiesco Cast Hyperuentic. Ditch them they explode to marbles as you found out. Want CP Carillo or Diamond 2618 Forged pistons. Cost $1800-4000 depending upon options you choose. So already if you can not afford this....must look to other options. Engine swap Non LS7 No Titanium used.
Doing an LS7 things I think just like Beamer M guys you have to accept special engines come with certain problems and plan ahead for it and expect it to be pricey
It really isn't impossible to get a 6.2 to make 500+ horsepower NA. Just throw a good cam, intake, possibly warm over the heads, valvesprings, and a hot cam. Edit: that was mentioned, lol. Let me elaborate. What makes the LS7 special isnt that its the perfect NA ls or something. It's just another LS, with a fun "427" displacement. The special thing about the LS7 is what it managed to do while passing emissions and harshness standards for a production car. Its always going to be a compromise when compared to a purpose custom-built modified engine based on the same (LS) platform. A modified ls3 is HARDLY a downgrade.
A 408 can be built to rev to 8k, make 550-650 whp (compression/cam/heads) where the 100 hp difference is, When they say 441/454 they are saying a lsx block, bigger bore/stroke than the ls7 (lsx has a taller deck height thus allowing more stroke) but... iron block, A ls3 /l33 with a pro charger (with intercooler) would be more manageable than a roots type supercharger with heat soak in mind, but the aluminum blocks seem to be 7-800 hp limited (besides the ls9) I'm not the biggest ls guy, but I'm around a few guys who are, so I'm going off of memory, and could be wrong on some facts, but one of those guys has a 408 lq9 with a dragon slayer crank revving to 82 or 8400 with a 90 something mm turbo making 1280 ish whp I think he was rev limited by the hydraulic lifters not piston speed so ls engines even bigger cubic inch motors can get into the 8k+ range if you go to a solid roller... but must lash the valves
The issue is the heads that i see. I fixed mine, especially as GM does not offer the LS7 any longer. Perhaps as a short block, but building from scratch will be expensive. Don't blow ot up, or you might be looking at this video's options content a lot closer.
I live in Canada and found it hard to find a reputable shop that had done such work. Davenport in Calgary sends a set of OEM heads to Lingenfelter to have guides replaced with ported heads matched to incanel exhaust valves. Never did get mine measured to see what spec they were before replacing. But with 24,000km and reading/seeing numerous video failures, wasn't willing to risk my LS7. Hopefully ol' Rusty (Atomic Orange) will ride strong for years to come :-)
TLDR: GM tried to get away with building a sniper rifle with AK-47 tolerances, with predictably disastrous results. Just get a new LS7, replace the garbage stick valves and valve guides with superior quality aftermarket parts and enjoy the resurrected car.
Honestly just comes down to what kind of money ya'll are looking to drop on a motor.. Money no object? Another LS7 built with lighter rotating assembly of your choice and Ti valves and rev it to 7500.. they can totally be reliable if you have the supporting rods, pistons and crank guys.
What the hell??? We have LS7 engines here in Australia with 800hp reliably, even 1100hp from Higgins Heads here in Aus is doable in NA form. Probably a bit late now, but just build the engine properly, these things can be very modified reliably. Every engine has its problems, just build the LS7.
its a great engine, just replace the heads, or retrofit the different valves that will make it last...keep these cars as stock as possible because thats what makes them awesome, anyone can slap a turbo LS into that car, but it will kill the essence of wht it is.
Put that $$$ in a 8 month CD earning 5.15% & trade vette in for a Kia ( highest ranking mass market vehicle for dependability). Or buy a cheap go cart ( even more thrilling)
That would be a step backwards. I don't know why people are stuck in the past saying to put a big Block or get rid of all the electronics,the ecm control ALOT ON THESE Z06 VETTES Most of the people on here don't even own a c6 z06 and are giving advice on a cr theme never driven with an ls7,let alone all the tech that in the Z.
@@Tigerchevelle77 I have been working on cars OVER 30 years. I can tell you with 100% certified knowledge, my stepfather has a corvette, old school, it can eat a current vette and crap out a few chevy Cruze as a result. Drop a valve? Nope. Rev limits? No. Head gasket problems? No way. Solid big block with 2 carburetors. Can fix it with minimum tools and a timing light. Engine isn't a knuckle buster and easy as hell to modify, but not needed, it is a monster as is. New vette are plastic, inside and outside. Too many things can AND DO go wrong with them. Try to boost them? Warranty void. Muffler delete, no bueno. Your never gonna convince me that a new technology ANYTHING can compete with old school muscle. EMP pulse? Your PCM is fried. New battery & alternator, back on the road immediately. We are 1 Coronal Mass Ejection away from the stone age. My 78 trans am 6.6 V8 did NJ to Ohio in 5 hours. Cannon Ball Run and out ran 2 PA state cops. 😝👌
@@Tigerchevelle77 The first car I out ran, called ahead to a second unit, out ran THAT one too. Faster than 2 pigs and a radio signal. A "new" Corvette with valve failure or "technology problems"? I can out run with my 1999 Ranger with 182K miles and a 48 foot trailer on the ball. Unless you can fix the current BAD VISIBLE LITANY OF PROBLEMS... CORVETTE will cease to exist, in the next 5 to 10 years.
@@jasonpocaro2730 EVERYONE, TROLL ALERT! CLAIMING HE CAN BEAT A Z06 PULLING A TRAILER WITH A RANGER! Let me guess,the ranger and the trailer belong to your stepdad!. If your turned off about the LS7 why even watch or comment 🤡?
I’d just go ls7 and fix said valve problem.
That's what I'm feeling too.
That's what I did to mine 👍
If you go this route spend bigly on the heads..$3,500 gets you a pretty good package from American heritage. Ti / moly valves. Hollow ss exh, pm guides and all the machine work. For an extra 600 you could even use formula one guides. When these engines fail it's always in the cylinder head
@@GridForgeMFG ZZ632
I've seen a couple posts on the Corvette forum with exploded motors with "fixed heads". These things are a just a flat out gamble.
Just bought my first corvette after dreaming about them as a kid. I chose the C6Z specifically bc of the LS7. 505hp in a LS7 vs 505hp in a LS3 or any other motor, just doesn’t have the same attraction, I think that’s evident in the car world. The power builds to redline, and those type of motors for whatever explanation, just grabs everyone by the heart. Si/type R’s with Vtech, McLaren F1, AE86, many Ferraris 355’s, F550, Jag XJ22, GT350/350R, Toyota TRD, the lotus Elise with that TRD motor in it…Etc etc. N/A all day…& as long as the dyno graph just builds upwards until kissing redline ppl will love them 🤷
Wow, thanks for the thoughtful comment. I completely agree with your thought process. I think the LS7 changes the whole character of the car. I really enjoyed it.
No matter the motor going in, I want the power to feel fun and exciting.
I agree the LS7 is a special engine hand built by GM. And pushed every limit we know. If you look at the CNC porting of that masterpiece its amazing. I know it's not cost effective but they are just wonderful.
I say stick LS7. You could always go 416 LS3 but Id want the ti rods and intake valves and some better exhaust valves in an LS7 to keep the character and call it a day. And thats exactly what I did. I went with a mild (for an ls7) cam and "fixed" heads, ARH headers and a ported MSD. A whole bunch of while youre in there stuff happened after I dropped it off.
Good luck with the build! Wouldnt blame you for just camming an LS3 and feeling safe for the next 100k.
Glad to hear you're leaning towards LS7!
I'm telling you bro, 3-rotor peripheral-port with castor 2-stroke premix is the move. You'll be a global celebrity, plus frankly they last longer on track than they do on the street.
I'd call up the Katech Engineering guys to see what options they have on a "mostly factory" build of the LS7. They do sell them there and who better to trust with this beast of a motor but those that took it around the world to win trophies with it at Petit Le Man, Sebring, Daytona, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. That way, you know you have a LS7 you can trust around track, still provides similar manners around track that your used to seeing in the factory LS7, and you get a nice warranty to back it all up.
My 2c.
Oil pressure is one of the best tools to monitor how healthy your engine is. From watching a few clips of your lapping I can see your WOT oil pressure is def on the lower side. I say 55-70psi WOT is what your looking for on track with a higher weight oil. From videos, i can see it almost in the 30s which is what you want at idle. If i saw those pressures I wouldve considered a rebuild before anymore lapping was done. Just something to think about when you start over with a new engine.
Whatever you do upgrade at minimum the scavenge side of the oil pump. Past that depends on budget and power goals. LS3 525 crate with dry sump upgrades is a reliable option to learn how to go faster leaving open the option for a bigger cam etc. If you go LS7 I'd run aftermarket heads not ported factory, and work with a vendor such as cam motion to get the valvetrain to be reliable on track. Aftermarket heads maybe labeled LS3 but are more LS7 in port opening. Eric Weingartner had an internet port series on a LS3 aftermarket head. One of the ports was a high velocity design which looked promising for a 427. Even if you don't go with him it is an interesting look at aftermarket heads.
I can say, we have put down a little over 500hp through a 4l60e with a 6.2L in a 72 C-10. Mind you we had CNC ported heads, custom grind cam, and a bunch of trick bottom end parts.
Good to know! I bet building out an aluminum 6.2 gets close to approaching used ls7 prices.
What ever happened to the Z06??
4:25 ok, I LOLd for real at that... you can't think of resale value of a Corvette that has been a track car... but what you can do is find another track enthusiast who will appreciate the car for what it is and take it off your hands when you're ready to move on... and they'll be happy with a cammed LS3!
How about a Mercury SB4 7.0? Based on an LS7, DOHC 4 valve, 750hp N/A. Special enough to hold value in a Z06.
The LS7 offers things an LS3 doesn't without costing the same or more. The dry sump, for one. The bore size, second.
Don't give up the LS7 because it has only one critical failure point that is easily solved with aftermarket valve guides.
Lots of ls3’s come with dry sump
You can build an LS3-R. It's an LS3 block, GMPP CNC LS3 heads, 3.75" stroke, 4.07" bore, 1.165" piston crowns (Same as an LS7) flat-top ceramic coated and notched. 6.2" connecting rods. The pistons stick out less than stock with this combination. 6.4 liters, 391 cubic inches. TSP 227 camshaft. I stumbled across this setup by accident. I asked myself, "What if GM was allowed to use high quality forged pistons?" and this is what I came up with.
-- Another option would be an all-aluminum 540 big block chevy with cylinder heads from the new 632 crate engine. You'd need a custom dry sump though.
So, I got to thinking about my suggestion of an aluminum big block.
-- Brodix aluminum block will put you a minimum of 100 cubic inches beyond stock LS7's for the same cost.
-- GM RS-X heads have shallow valve angles just like the LS7 does. You can get Eric Weingartener to do your valve job.
-- Kinsler ITB's as a cross-ram will be unique and true to the Corvette.
-- Those heads will bolt onto a 4.56" bore. A 4" stroke, 1.27" pistons, and 6.535" rods give you 523 cubic inches and a tight above-deck quench.
-- A 4.6" bore and 4.25" stroke will give you 565 cubic inches, using 1.27" pistons and 6.385" rods, with a zero-deck setup.
-- A 4.5" bore and 4.25" stroke gives you 541 cubic inches.
-- The camshaft I came up with is 232/242-114LSA, 108 ICL. You get a 44 ABDC IVC. .650" lift is all you really need on this thing. Yes, .700 will make more power, but there's so much of everything else going on, I think it'll be the last thing on your mind.
-- Run a 4" pipe from the air box through the cowl and into the cab.
-- If these are the end times of ICE, I say wing it!
You can't be concerned with resale value and want to consider anything other than a direct replacement/upgrade from the factory LS7. Anything less will likely significantly devalue the car unless it's some crazy boosted ls3 / 6.2L build (turbos, bigger blower, etc), which is also something you seem to want to avoid. It's gonna hurt financially, but I would consider a max effort N/A LS7 or 427 LSX. That way, you keep the displacement, potentially upgrade the power with cam and bolt-ons, keep the weight balance of the car similar to factory, and don't kill the resale value too much on the car
honestly its pricy but an mostly stock ls7 with redone valve guides, either send it to a shop or do it yourself but another ls7 seems like the best option for many reasons and if you put a bit more time and money in to grantee good valve guides then you will have an amazing motor with reliability and simplicity.
I think a heads/cam ls3 would suit your needs, this would also be far more reliable than the ls7
RHS or Dart LS Next aluminum block, you can run it as a 427, 441 all the way up to i think a maximum of 496ci. They have priority main oiling, which is big for you track fellas. Also, the LS7 dry sump system (your current oiling system) will bolt right on (just make sure its cleaned out really really good). You can pick and choose your CR when building a engine, so you can push it to run on the ragged edge of whatever fuel you want and make big power. Having an aftermarket rotating assembly means you need to get it balanced at a shop, bonus is the shops will balance your rotating assembly FAR beyond what GM did with any of their engines, allowing you to rev higher, same with the valvetrain. Aftermarket addresses a lot of short comings, i won't tear down the LS7 as a bad engine since it isn't, but once GM puts them into production their weak links can be seen an addressed. Downside is this could be expensive AF, would have to do a lot of research to make sure it all plays nice together. If you are not dead set against a forced induction engine a supercharged LS3 or LS2 could easily produce the power levels your at now and exceed them if you wanted for much lower. But, why not start off small? get a junkyard L33 aluminum 5.3, throw a cam and a cheapo turbo, or supercharger? I mean, you basically have an race ready chassis. depending on how mechancially inclined you are you could chop the front off the car, do a full tube front end (would allow you to drop the fenders/front end super easy to work on the engine) and it would even offset the weight of a iron block if you wanted to go that route. Hell, do something weird and put a ford Barra engine in there with a big ol turbo. I am sorry to hear your LS7 block is dead, but now you can use the car as a platform for doing cool stuff! like a destroked LS3 that pushes 9000rpm or whatever! GL Friends!
LS7 block, forged bottom end including rods & pistons, GT19 cam, titanium intake valves, inconel exhaust valves. Set rev limiter at 6500rpm. Stay NA or supercharge later if ya want.
I think you're overthinking this greatly. Put another LS7 in it and fix the valve issue, maybe do a mild cam and be done with it. Putting anything else but an LS7 into a Z car would be dumb.
So I know it's not exactly the same setup but I've got a centrifugal supercharged LS6 in my C5 Z06. The A&A kit is phenomenal for these platform of cars as it's essentially a bolt-on supercharger that isn't that difficult to mess with if you are handy with a wrench.
With my car's current setup, I'm pushing 583WHP which is a pretty hefty amount of power out of a 3rd gen LS.
Having something like a supercharged LS3 will easily stomp the ground out of any LS7 on track for linear performance curve.
Yes, it's not exactly the same thing as the "famed LS7" that everyone loves to talk about but it's still something that'll put the power down reliably.
Will you have to beef up cooling to handle the blower? Obviously yes.
Speaking from experience however, a centrifugal blower has a very linear power curve and specifically hits peak power in the upper RPM band, meaning it's daily driveable when you want. I know this because that's how my car's currently set up. I daily drive my C5Z often, and despite having what BTR calls a stage 3 cam the car's actually quite tame unless I lay the hammer down.
A buddy of mine has a base C6 with an A&A kit as well, and our estimate on power levels with the flextune kit the car has installed from a previous owner is somewhere into the 700WHP range.
You can knock blowers all you want, but in the end if you do it right they make tons of power in a linear curve.....
Just my thoughts
There is a shop called TSK out of Ohio. They are taking gen 4 blocks and for $2000 they cnc machining they blocks. Then they press in Darton sleeves for 427 or 440 cubes. A 5.3s are cheap. Then run a set of ported Ls3 heads. Way cheaper then a new 427 that's going to detonate again.
I straight loled with the "devalue" conversation. Mike: "i'm worried an LS3 swap will devalue for resale" Me- in my head: *yeah for sure. I see a C6Z with an LS3 and I hard pass* Isaac: "so you're not worried that 100k hard track miles and a roll cage WON'T devalue it?" Me: 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
If you have time and money, start with 5.3 aluminum block and bore, stroke it to desired displacement. Build a nice set of heads to match. The "affordable" easy solution, drop a LS3 crate motor with the hot cam in it from GM and call it a day.
Really excited to see how this turns out!
How much power do you want? 500whp should be attainable from a naturally aspirated LS3. A 416 stroker should have as much potential as an LS7 would if you're willing to sacrifice a few revs.
Unfortunately, unless you wanna get what is eventually a motorcycle engine into your car, an LS is about the best way to get a powerful and reliable engine in a lightish package. ~450lbs for most naturally aspirated aluminum block engines.
Now the motorcycle engine route. Build a balls to the wall track car with a hayabusa V8 crate engine. Revs to 11k and makes about 460 horsepower naturally aspirated. The complete engine weighs only about 200lbs and you don't need such a heavy trany. I know you're not going this route but it's cool.
Stick with ls7. Get Frankenstein or TFS head castings.
This right here 👏. The LS7 is a great motor it just needs some aftermarket head.
@Milo Jones What heads
LS7 with a mild reliability focused build I think checks the most boxes for that car. I think my Ideal Vette would be a Grand Sport with higher compression highish revving LS3. Cant wait to see what goes into that car.
I wonder what off the shelf parts look like for Chevys 1000hp engine as a drop in. That would definitely increase resale value, but by how much compared to a LS7 that’s originally in the car.
MAST Motorsports re-sleeved factory GM Aluminum GenIV Block (4.185" Bore x 4.125" Stroke) for a *454 LSX* short block, rebuilding your LS7 cylinder heads and re-using all bolt-ons. You don't need to spin the thing to the moon. A 6,500-6,750 RPM Track car with tons of bottom end would suit you fine.
Did you do anything yet? Im local and may have an option for you.
That decision got my sub.
My LS7 just had a valve drop, smacked the piston in cylinder 8 and cracked the cylinder wall. I am in a similar boat about decisions on what to do next.
Have you come up with a decision? Mine also just dropped a valve and I don’t even know where to start
Did they fix the LS7 valve problem before they put them in the Camaro Z28?
So what the status in the corvette?
Well, so, what did you decide?
How about a Dart LS Next block, 7 liter turbocharged? You get the strength and raised hp capacity without the weight of an LSX block. This is upgrade I am thinking for my currently procharged C6 Z06.
Mast Motorsports de-stroked LS7 8500 rpm would be way more track oriented and just wicked something this way comes.
Looks like they make some pretty serious kit. It would be a seriously loud and fun way to spend $25,000.
sick engine❤
Ill be honest I dont really get the point. The thing holding an LS7 back from spinning to 9 grand isnt the crank or piston speeds lol. You're just giving up displacement for seemingly no reason.
how much do you want for the junk block and cyl. head?
Ls3 based 416 stroker. You’d for sure get that nasty grunt you know from the ls7. My boss has one. Makes 550whp NA
Any updates?
Id honestly say get an Lt1 from the new generation, put the lt2 intake on after shaving a bit off to make it fit. E85 tune and you're FLYIN
Do a video explaining what mods you had to the suspension and brakes
Just stick with the LS7 and just do the heads on it.
I have a 2002 Camaro SS and I am looking at a 408 stoker.
Put a 5.2 VOODOO in it.
I think a cool motor would be somthing like cbm’s ls3 that’s stroked to 7l so you keep a 7l motor but with a ls3 type motor
I'll take a look. Thanks!
ls7 intake and cylinder heads bolt to any LS just need room for valves.
Thompson speedway huh
Time to Plaid swap the C6
Engine. Please say engine.
Smogged 305
Old school 383 stroker dual carbureted 71 series blower.
Are you planning on dry sumping the LS3?
LSX Supercharged
Killer Interchiller
Keeps IAT sub ambient with minimal to no affect on AC.
It hasn't been done in a ZO6 But a 454 Big Block Chevy Swap would be awesome.
Sure its heavier but the Torque band is Superior to any LS X Engine ever built Normsl Aspirated.
With modern Aluminum heads and just 11psi Turbocharged or supercharged Boost used be well over 1000 Hp and 850 ft/lbs + torque at the Flywheel.
Also the Big Chevy has a Superior oiling system. PRIORITY OILING TO TO MAINS 1ST.
I vote aluminum dart block 4" stroke & 4.125" bore, Ti rods, Dart pro1 LS7 style heads, LS3 valvetrain, n/a build
it's a close but better than an LS7
Also I have another c6 buddy who has a ls2 with Texas speed heads and a msd intake with the big cam he got with the car it put down 498whp but vary peaky, one of the stock lifters failed revving to 7k, and he had the 6.0 built with 12:1 compression and a smaller cam, he is now making 486whp on e85, but has 50 more torque from 3-5k and has ate a few c6 z06's and barely beat a bone stock zr1... zr1 went e85 and buddy lost after that lol
AGT 1500 what could go wrong
Call Katech Brother. They are the best period ……….. Also LS7 engine feel is literally unmatched I don’t think a better replacement exists
How about built LS3 for track work and then LS7 when you wanna sell it? Probably the most expensive option. 😂
Oh jeez lol. You're gonna bankrupt me.
The LS7 Is neat Titanium equipped engine platform.
I have been into them after they self destructed.
I used to build LS X Engines for a living in a South Chicago Race Shop.
Specialized in Street Racing and Drag Racing. Also Endurance Racing builds .
The LS7 has what I call design Engineering faults likely to save $.
I like Titanium the way an engine performs with is hard to match Normal Aspirated or Boost.
For one I would lose the Pankel Titanium Connecting rods they have Dinky 5/16" capscrew bolts.
It looks Kool but better Titanium Connecting Rods are made.
Crower 6AL4V Titanium Connecting Rods with L19 7/16" 1.800 U.H.L. Bolts. Full Floating design.
Cost will be about $8500 for a set of 8 custom made.
Full set of Manley or Victory Titanium Valves. You want them Full Chromium Nitrate coated. Cost is $185 per valve. $2,960 there.
They are Forgef 1-piece Titanium valves.
All New Bronze guides installed honed to size with a Sunnen P30 Honeall.
NEW Berrylenium Copper intake and exhaust seats or Super B Exhaust seats. About $1500.
The LS7 pistons are Wiesco Cast Hyperuentic.
Ditch them they explode to marbles as you found out.
Want CP Carillo or Diamond 2618 Forged pistons. Cost $1800-4000 depending upon options you choose.
So already if you can not afford this....must look to other options. Engine swap Non LS7 No Titanium used.
Thanks for taking the time to give me that info. Good details in that comment! Could buy a house in Texas for all those Ti parts!
Doing an LS7 things I think just like Beamer M guys you have to accept special engines come with certain problems and plan ahead for it and expect it to be pricey
It really isn't impossible to get a 6.2 to make 500+ horsepower NA. Just throw a good cam, intake, possibly warm over the heads, valvesprings, and a hot cam.
Edit: that was mentioned, lol. Let me elaborate.
What makes the LS7 special isnt that its the perfect NA ls or something. It's just another LS, with a fun "427" displacement. The special thing about the LS7 is what it managed to do while passing emissions and harshness standards for a production car. Its always going to be a compromise when compared to a purpose custom-built modified engine based on the same (LS) platform. A modified ls3 is HARDLY a downgrade.
Correction. Ls7 got put in 3 cars. HSV w427 🇦🇺
A 408 can be built to rev to 8k, make 550-650 whp (compression/cam/heads) where the 100 hp difference is,
When they say 441/454 they are saying a lsx block, bigger bore/stroke than the ls7 (lsx has a taller deck height thus allowing more stroke) but... iron block,
A ls3 /l33 with a pro charger (with intercooler) would be more manageable than a roots type supercharger with heat soak in mind, but the aluminum blocks seem to be 7-800 hp limited (besides the ls9) I'm not the biggest ls guy, but I'm around a few guys who are, so I'm going off of memory, and could be wrong on some facts,
but one of those guys has a 408 lq9 with a dragon slayer crank revving to 82 or 8400 with a 90 something mm turbo making 1280 ish whp I think he was rev limited by the hydraulic lifters not piston speed so ls engines even bigger cubic inch motors can get into the 8k+ range if you go to a solid roller... but must lash the valves
Thanks for the info! We've always been interested in revving V8's high. I've looked into the dragon slayer stuff a bit, it's a compelling option...
The issue is the heads that i see. I fixed mine, especially as GM does not offer the LS7 any longer. Perhaps as a short block, but building from scratch will be expensive. Don't blow ot up, or you might be looking at this video's options content a lot closer.
I live in Canada and found it hard to find a reputable shop that had done such work. Davenport in Calgary sends a set of OEM heads to Lingenfelter to have guides replaced with ported heads matched to incanel exhaust valves. Never did get mine measured to see what spec they were before replacing. But with 24,000km and reading/seeing numerous video failures, wasn't willing to risk my LS7. Hopefully ol' Rusty (Atomic Orange) will ride strong for years to come :-)
Yes Chevy does still make the 427, check out Chevy Performance, they make th LSX 427, a very good engine !! I bought LSX 376 B15 for my C6 corvette.
@@rodw1105 okay, thanks Rod :-) I'll check it out. Happy to see we have viable options. Nice!
ZZ632 would be hilarious
diesel engine, Cummins
TLDR: GM tried to get away with building a sniper rifle with AK-47 tolerances, with predictably disastrous results. Just get a new LS7, replace the garbage stick valves and valve guides with superior quality aftermarket parts and enjoy the resurrected car.
Honestly just comes down to what kind of money ya'll are looking to drop on a motor..
Money no object? Another LS7 built with lighter rotating assembly of your choice and Ti valves and rev it to 7500.. they can totally be reliable if you have the supporting rods, pistons and crank guys.
LT6!
What the hell??? We have LS7 engines here in Australia with 800hp reliably, even 1100hp from Higgins Heads here in Aus is doable in NA form. Probably a bit late now, but just build the engine properly, these things can be very modified reliably. Every engine has its problems, just build the LS7.
stock ls7 is too expensive
built ls3 is going to devalue
choose
its a great engine, just replace the heads, or retrofit the different valves that will make it last...keep these cars as stock as possible because thats what makes them awesome, anyone can slap a turbo LS into that car, but it will kill the essence of wht it is.
Ls7 modified. Keep it na. After market clutch and carbon fiber.
Ls7 with bigger displacement And fix the valves
Put that $$$ in a 8 month CD earning 5.15% & trade vette in for a Kia ( highest ranking mass market vehicle for dependability). Or buy a cheap go cart ( even more thrilling)
454 LSX or really just use the ls7 and get better heads
Destroked lS2 or lS7 ;)
Liquid piston
I know that if you are going to do anything to an LS7 Mast Motorsports are your guys.
hci 427
5.2 voodoo + supercharger
I say put a lawnmower engine in it
Gt500 5.8 engine (like the first one that went into neighbor.) the world will be on fire.
Just don't put the same (faulty) engine back in. Go old school... Older engine with carburetor and take out all the electronics.
That would be a step backwards.
I don't know why people are stuck in the past saying to put a big Block or get rid of all the electronics,the ecm control ALOT ON THESE Z06 VETTES
Most of the people on here don't even own a c6 z06 and are giving advice on a cr theme never driven with an ls7,let alone all the tech that in the Z.
@@Tigerchevelle77 I have been working on cars OVER 30 years. I can tell you with 100% certified knowledge, my stepfather has a corvette, old school, it can eat a current vette and crap out a few chevy Cruze as a result. Drop a valve? Nope. Rev limits? No. Head gasket problems? No way. Solid big block with 2 carburetors. Can fix it with minimum tools and a timing light. Engine isn't a knuckle buster and easy as hell to modify, but not needed, it is a monster as is. New vette are plastic, inside and outside. Too many things can AND DO go wrong with them. Try to boost them? Warranty void. Muffler delete, no bueno. Your never gonna convince me that a new technology ANYTHING can compete with old school muscle. EMP pulse? Your PCM is fried. New battery & alternator, back on the road immediately. We are 1 Coronal Mass Ejection away from the stone age. My 78 trans am 6.6 V8 did NJ to Ohio in 5 hours. Cannon Ball Run and out ran 2 PA state cops. 😝👌
@@jasonpocaro2730 BTW those PA state patrol cars are not fast.
@@Tigerchevelle77 The first car I out ran, called ahead to a second unit, out ran THAT one too. Faster than 2 pigs and a radio signal. A "new" Corvette with valve failure or "technology problems"? I can out run with my 1999 Ranger with 182K miles and a 48 foot trailer on the ball. Unless you can fix the current BAD VISIBLE LITANY OF PROBLEMS... CORVETTE will cease to exist, in the next 5 to 10 years.
@@jasonpocaro2730 EVERYONE, TROLL ALERT!
CLAIMING HE CAN BEAT A Z06 PULLING A TRAILER WITH A RANGER!
Let me guess,the ranger and the trailer belong to your stepdad!.
If your turned off about the LS7 why even watch or comment 🤡?
Throw a coyote in it to mess with EVERYONE.
Just put a ls9 in 😂
Why did we only talk about chevy motors? Throw a beefy cummins in that thing and it will rip all day long
om606 turbo
Cosworth
LT6
230 cubic inch in line chevy 6 1bbl carb, 140 hp. thats all you fools should be allowed to have so you do not hurt yourself.
who hurt you?
I’m still saying 2JZ swap
Alfadan .
If the LS7 heads are good put them on a LS3 and notch the cylinder for valves.
Achetes
Ford godzilla motor
Commer knocker