Loving this build...and the thought of that big block half ton with a large snail on it...damn I can't wait for the dyno results! That said there are those that have commented on gapping the rings...you seem open to suggestion and honestly, if you want this engine to live a long healthy power added life...please do it! You got the skills and ability man and the peace of mind that'll come from it....worth it!
i totally understand the importance of gapping the rings, but as you can imagine, its a ton of work. (pull the engine, disassemble, file rings, put all back together) and even after all that work and proper ring gaps, its said the stock stock pistons will only hold up to 550-600hp (if you believe the internet). Because I plan on building the engine with forged pistons and rods soon after i get the bugs worked out with the turbo kit, I would be doing the same amount work all over again (pull the engine, disassemble, build, etc...). When I get the turbo together at first, I'll just limit boost and HP to that mid 500hp range, and when I build the engine properly, I'll turn it up
@@LawrenceTolman so pistons are the power ceiling at 550-600 whp or crank? Any idea of beef on rods or block? I assume crank is overbuilt but could be wrong.
I think your professional tv experience helps with the Chanel growing. There are plenty of knowledgeable people that aren’t good at making videos and that is important. I do like that unlike on tv you have to wait for parts like the rest of us.
LT, the 8.1 I have is from a Workhorse RV chassis, and it has the A/C compressor on the top, vs bottom of the engine. Check that out. If you want I can send some photos of the brackets...it's sitting on a pallet. Need your contact data to do that.
I did think of that actually, but in the end, a from scratch manifold will be a better solution all around, mainly because i can place the turbo exactly where I want it, a little further back
Richard Holdener is a turbo master. Maybe you could consult him on your power goals. He has a channel under his name. He has done thousands of runs on an engine dyno for magazines over the years.. He has had a 6.0L LS make over 1500hp on the stock short block. He made a big bang series to test several engines to see at what point they fail. Maybe he can tell you more about the 8.1L. From his videos, I'd say the only limiting factor is how much the turbo can flow. A stock engine can make as much power as the turbo will support. It will just have to do it at a higher boost level. I think a cam upgrade is all you'll need. That will help push your powerband higher in the rpm range. I think this engine will handle much more than 500hp because you see the LS platform making so much more than that. I hope GM didn't flub this big block by adding an underengineered part. Ultimately, the super high torque is what kills the rods. If you kill some of the brutal low end torque with a bigger cam, you can shift the torque to a higher point and make your horsepower number multiply faster. I think think 1000hp will be an absolute monster with the low end torque of a big block and none of the turbo lag of a smaller engine. It's refreshing to see an aluminum intake manifold. I'm more of an old school guy. This build looks great. It's frustrating that a modified stock manifold won't work out, but I'd love to see whatever you come up with. Keep up the good work! I love this series. I know I'm a few days late to the party.. I didn't get to see this video right away because I have been working nights and I've been spending my waking hours with my 2 young kiddos.
Some tips for welding cast. Preheat, throw the manifolds in the oven about 400 for a while. Use a rod for cast. Expensive, but it's worth it. Finally when welding weld both sides of the joint seperately don't cross the gap. Then when you have both sides welded come back and join the two sides together. That tends to keep the cooling weld from having the split in the middle. Finally, let it cool slowly. I've been doing it for years as a maintenance welder for a heavy equipment manufacturer for years.
You are going to have an awesome setup LT. Your craftsmanship is spot on. I like how your videos are to the point and precise. You put a ton of valuable info out there and its conveyed clearly and to the point. Can't wait to see the next video bc I know it will be spot on and you won't leave one detail out on the build. Great job LT keep it coming man!
Gap the rings and send it, I have a hard time believing that the bottom end comes apart at 500, Richard Holdener pushes those gen 6 vortecs past 1k all the time
@LF X lasted 2 years with me beating on it almost every weekend. Sometimes going through 30lbs of nitrous a weekend. Lack of ring gap finally took out #5 piston.
@LF X Rods don't see power, they see cylinder pressure. I think if he just boosts it on the stock cam he could pop it pretty easy. But if he cams it and moves that power band up I could see eclipsing 500whp sbe no problem. That's just my figuring and bullshitting though.
if it wasnt so much work to just gap the rings I probably would, but I'll be pulling the engine again to put in forged pistons, so I would be making 2x the work
Been reading through comments I see you’re no longer on Truck Tech. Looking forward to seeing your projects on here. To be honest I was getting tired every new season trying to find where and when the show moved. Great Job LT!
I really like your style of vids it reminds me of watching HP tv when I was younger. Recently your videos at this new location have seemed more natural I really enjoy that . Hope to see ugly truck doin fat burnnies soon!
Log manifold for turbos. Headers are just cool to look at. The back pressure of the turbo negates the scavenging benefit the tube headers give on an N/A motor.
Definitely going to be watching this! I've been wanting to pick up a C50/60/65 and put in a built engine. Just enough so even while towing I can somewhat keep up with traffic and unloaded, mess with some sporty vehicles. Bouncing back n forth from BBC, LS, and a DT466.
This isn't Trucks!, you can talk to us like regular people. This is a really cool build. The 8.1 is so underrated, I can't wait to see what you make with a turbo. If you're doing the manifolds out of weld el's, why not stainless?
I think this is possible. Your cut being vertical on that manifold means it won't work and you'd need another to start over. Here's what I did with an LS manifold. I cut the flange way back. This left me with an oval opening. I welded a v-band in the oval and closed what the v-band didn't cover with plate. If you make your cut at a downward or outward angle you may get the clearance you need with a tight radius 90.
You should also check out Mitchell Stapleton’ twin turbo lsxcalade, his turbo placement is really nice because he has a built 427 and has AC and all the other stock accessories.
you can weld cast iron with 6011 stick welding rods, its just a long process. like making tack welds but only for a 1/4 second every 5 seconds to 10 seconds.
Hey LT, i just watched you on power Nation on truck tech doing the 89 chevy blazer blue color build!! I knew you were on yt, lol. I recognized you! Sweet video!
Hey LT! I just finished up watching the Project Redtide series and I had a thought that I wanted to get some input on (I feel like since you came up with that wild idea, I won't receive hate from you, just genuine advice and input). I've got a 79 K5 that I am going to swap a LY6 6.0 into. No major mods, just plan on putting a mild cam in it and dressing up the intake to resemble the old school setup (you've probably heard of or seen it (DELS3)) Here's my wild-hair thought: I am going to swap a gearstar 4l80 into it, and right now it just has a NP203 part-time Tcase. My initial thought was to build a 203/205 doubler or just swap in a NP205, but after seeing the AWD Tcase swap and the front end mods on Redtide it got me thinking, could something like that be done with a solid axle? The hubs and axle shafts may not be able to handle that much load but I figured I'd ask you since you would likely be the only person to provide actual input rather than just complaining to me about why I shouldn't do it. I appreciate any help! (Also I should add that I don't plan on doing any off-roading) P.S. I've also got a 96 GMC C1500 (my first truck) and I too have a lot of love for the OBS!
I see no reason why it wouldn't work in theory if you used the NV149 T case, but there will a few complications in practice. You would have to keep the hubs locked all the time because the viscous coupler in the transfer case needs to have equal load on either end, or instead use a drive flange instead of a locking hubs, to keep it locked in all the time. In terms of strength of the parts I would think you'd be OK because the AWD transfer case will take out any of the binding normally associated with a 4wd on pavement, but I don't know how the universal joints in the front axle would like the constant high speed operation, especially while turning. The K5 uses a passenger side drop front differential and the NV149 only came in a drivers side drop, so you'd have to find a drivers side drop solid front axle. Lastly, the slip yoke in the front output of the transfer case isn't designed to work with a solid front axle that articulates a lot, on a solid axle front, usually there is a fixed yoke on the output of the transfer case and the slip happens in the driveshaft. I'm not aware of a slip yoke eliminator for a NV149 front output, but maybe some factory parts could be swapped from a similar case, like a NP241. Finally, you'd have to get the 32 spline input shaft for the NV149 if you plan on using it with a 4L80. All that being said, if I wanted an AWD K5 blazer, I might look into swapping the entire chassis from a GMT800 reg cab short box 4wd pickup, so you have modern brakes, suspension, steering, and more. Then, the AWD conversion would be a simple as finding an SS front diff and T case. Thats my two cents...
@@LawrenceTolman thanks for all of the input! There are definitely a few things that you mentioned here that I didn’t consider, but who knows, I may end up feeling stubborn enough to get it all to work on the original chassis.
Hey LT happy to see new content on this build. If I can make a suggestion - a gimbal on your camera may help stability as I find the handheld shots are a little jittery.
The manifold is a low grade cast steel. Perfectly fine for what your doing. But the manifolds are gonna create a massive flow restriction and make major heat over about say 600hp due to air flow. Granted these fo flow good for stock these will be the biggest restriction so be ready for that.
yeah, it isn't as ideal as a turbo header, but the new manifold I'm building will have 2" primaries and a 3" log which is pretty big compared to some other log manifold builds i've seen. I will be monitoring drive pressure and EGT to make sure things don't get out of hand tho...
Oh man, this gonna be even more awesome than i thought. Too bad you gotta start from scratch on the manifold, but at least this way you build it exactly how you want it instead of having to make the log manifolds fit. This thing is gonna be ridiculous when it’s done
When I was looking at doing the same thing for my truck I was going to keep both of the exhaust manifolds and the factory Y pipe, just closing off the part of the Y that goes back to the factory cat, then I was just going to cut the bottom of the factory passenger side manifold and replace it with the schedule 40 3” or bigger pipe, then put the turn up for the turbo right at the first exhaust port, not farther forward. Not ideal, but that’s what I had for packaging. I went with a supercharged 540 in my Firebird instead.
Are you going to be building this L18 in anyway? I saw in a reply to a previous comment your going to be putting pistons in it, but are you going to do anything else? If so where are you getting your parts from?
Love the build but we need a guy like you to put the manifold mod to rest and show us some dyno numbers with a factory intake vs a modified factory intake with 90mm and a dart manifold!!
@@LawrenceTolman You did mention (possibly) doing the entire rotating assembly anyway, but there is a rather "budget friendly" option with the Dart L18 block, which, if I recall correctly, can work with Manley's rotating assemblies that will get you up to 598ci. At that displacement, you won't really need a turbo anymore to get that 1,000hp you want, but there are definitely options. P.S. I'm super glad to see this series, because I have been looking to find a good chassis for an L18 build of my own.
@@TheRealFobican ...but it's not like the rest. The L18 is not like the other BBCs in so many ways. Granted, people like LT and the companies who are developing aftermarket parts, like aluminum heads, redesigned intake manifolds, and entire new engine blocks (the blocks are considered weak) will slowly redefine the limits of these engines - plus, understanding what these limits are allow us to refine other aspects to make a great all-around engine.
I can confirm drilling cast iron the chips are more like powder, very noticeable difference between mild steel chips and cast iron chips. Tapping cast iron seems more difficult as well
yup you got to make it so the runners come straight out, i think 3.5 straight out gives you clearance for spark plug boots etc. my first one i made 3 inch straight and had some issues
You could use a street rod block hugger header on one side. Rods bend and pistons break because of bad tuning and no ring gap. Last thing...look up the DPS Turbonator VGT hot side. That will help spool up that biggin and reduce the drive pressures.
Somewhat of a random question, but knowing what you know now, would a body lift help with having more room at all? I'm wanting to do an 8.1 swap and lift my truck, but I'm debating a 6" suspension, or 2" body with 4" suspension to help give more room for the swap.
Could us use a band saw with a guide and cut the flanges off the manifold then bolt the flanges to the head and put the manifold on the flanges up side down like u would on an ls then weld em back on
The LS manifolds ARE iron also the sparks look exactly like what you got. Every pair i've turned into turbo manifolds has been, and they all work out fine. I think the cast steel myth came from some of the corvette or f-body manifolds.
i read that the Ford modular 4.6 letter over head cam engine was repetitively said to be able to run up to 400hp with few problems... "gas consumption". tho most of the 4.6 OHC engines are not able to output much more then 185hp. in other words the turbo chargers for Fords 3.5 letter ecoboost engines can push enough air into the motor to make it catastrophically fail. those are vary small turbos tho the OEM retail on them was around $2'000... they can make 500hp on the 3.5 tho if they are bolted to a 4.6 that was in time to be rebuilt anyways and got the updated modular engine parts. It's vary nice how some things just work.
Cool build! Loved my 02 suburban with the 8.1! The heads on that 8.1 are the real power killer. Check out Raylar performance on youtube, they build killer aftermarket heads for the 8.1. They are pricey (last time I looked, over 3k for a set of heads) but if you dont want to poney up the $$ for those, at least port the heads when you tear it apart to beef up the internals...you'll make way more power with less boost if those heads can breathe. I agree a custom made turbo manifold will be the best but I do know that any BBC exhaust manifold will bolt directly to the 8.1. (About the only thing common from the older BBC's to the 8.1)
heads are on my wish list for sure, and will be important to making a lot of power. I looked around at off the shelf BBC turbo stuff, and didnt find anything that I thought would work for this application
Custom making the manifold definitely more work but also nice to get exact fit leaving more space. Basically like making a Cummins manifold for it could make the pedestal come out in center of of manifold facing up.
And I appreciate seeing the fabrication on this but I'm sure there's shorty headers out there and mod them to save from haveing to make a custom manifold
honestly, not a lot that I have seen. on the LS stuff you can easily flip a manifold upside down, but not on a big block. there are some universal up and forward twin turbo headders, but I wanted to run a single.
Hi LT, I really like your project , I have the same engine on 1997 Tahoe & I am planing to bore it to 4.310 and keep everything stock , can you help me with that?
I find it unfortunate that these engines didn't get the aftermarket attention they deserved. The beginning of the diesel craze drowned these engines out of existence.
im wondering if it might be easier to run 2 small turbos and you might have more room that way and you probably wont build as much back pressure and you wont have to run as much boost with the twins to get to your goal
@@LawrenceTolman yeah i understand keep up the good work and are you gonna send the boost through the stock intake or are you gonna do a blow through carb? and maybe junkyard intercooler off of a wrecked diesel pickup maybe?
Lt, make your log manifold then you really should pull that engine and gap the rings in it. You stand a good chance of grenadeIng the engine other wise
Not sure on the 8.1 but the LS engines get boost thrown at the stock gap all the time. Having said that the stock ring gaps rang from .018 to .022 top to .020 to .025 bottom. They last all day in most but its still a gamble. He clearly said he is going to run low boost just to get the bugs worked out on the turbo setup it'll be fine.
@@colebud670 yea some people get lucky, I’m on my third ls engine. Everyone says they’ll only run “low boost” but that doesn’t last long and the controller gets cranked up lol
Wait a minute, v8 engines at 8+L are still being produced even to this day without being an aftermarket stroker kit or from a semi truck? I thought huge engines at this size in personal vehicles had died out since the end of the muscle car era from the 70's because of downsizing and gas pricing.
they are (to an extent). this 8.1 liter V8 was made between 2000 and 2008, and today Ford now makes a 7.3 liter gas V8, and GM now has a 6.6 liter gas V8 as well as the Duramax 6.6 diesel.
Cool build! BUT , ive seen and worked on alot of 1 ton and topkicks that had the 8.1 kick a rod 100% stock. The last one threw #2 rod and took out #1 in the process. If you beat on it at all or load it up on a hard pull she will let go. Upgrade the rods and pistons and itd be ready for 1000+ if you go with forged.
Raylar Engineering heads and manifold will get you 600 easy. With boost you can get to 1300hp on a full bore/stroke to a 9.0 The 8.1 is so underrated it is silly, but offshore boat guys know how to make them breath.
Very cool LT. I just ran across your channel. Right up my alley. I'm in the middle of a build myself - wiring, wiring, and more wiring. Are you still hosting Truck Tech? From Utah?
thanks for subscribing! its a fun swap for sure. No, I am not hosting Truck Tech anymore, we made the official announcement about a week ago... just making. content on youtube for now
I was just wondering do you know anything about the Allisons 8.1s came with because can get my hands on a engine and transmission combo would the Allison be as snappy and the 4l80 in a truck with 4.56 gears
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Loving this build...and the thought of that big block half ton with a large snail on it...damn I can't wait for the dyno results! That said there are those that have commented on gapping the rings...you seem open to suggestion and honestly, if you want this engine to live a long healthy power added life...please do it! You got the skills and ability man and the peace of mind that'll come from it....worth it!
i totally understand the importance of gapping the rings, but as you can imagine, its a ton of work. (pull the engine, disassemble, file rings, put all back together) and even after all that work and proper ring gaps, its said the stock stock pistons will only hold up to 550-600hp (if you believe the internet). Because I plan on building the engine with forged pistons and rods soon after i get the bugs worked out with the turbo kit, I would be doing the same amount work all over again (pull the engine, disassemble, build, etc...). When I get the turbo together at first, I'll just limit boost and HP to that mid 500hp range, and when I build the engine properly, I'll turn it up
@@LawrenceTolman so pistons are the power ceiling at 550-600 whp or crank? Any idea of beef on rods or block? I assume crank is overbuilt but could be wrong.
This truck is gonna be killer with that turbo.
so excited to drive it
I’m ready to see how this thing is gonna run with that turbo set up!
that makes two of us!
@@LawrenceTolman 3
I think your professional tv experience helps with the Chanel growing. There are plenty of knowledgeable people that aren’t good at making videos and that is important. I do like that unlike on tv you have to wait for parts like the rest of us.
yeah, I gotta wait for the man in brown just like everyone lol
I cannot tell you how excited to finally see this stage of the build!
me too!
LT, the 8.1 I have is from a Workhorse RV chassis, and it has the A/C compressor on the top, vs bottom of the engine. Check that out. If you want I can send some photos of the brackets...it's sitting on a pallet. Need your contact data to do that.
I did think of that actually, but in the end, a from scratch manifold will be a better solution all around, mainly because i can place the turbo exactly where I want it, a little further back
@@LawrenceTolman I walked by it today and had a look.....compressor is up high on the driver side....could give you even more room to work with.
Great stuff. Really glad you have this channel. Always enjoyed watching the Truck Tech show and the work you have done on there.
much appreciated! thanks for watching both here and on Truck Tech
Go get it for the 8.1 crowd.According to Dealer info material the 04 manifolds
Are listed as stainless steel.
good to know
Enjoying your content a lot more than on truck tech.
thanks for watching both Truck Tech and on here!
Richard Holdener is a turbo master. Maybe you could consult him on your power goals. He has a channel under his name. He has done thousands of runs on an engine dyno for magazines over the years.. He has had a 6.0L LS make over 1500hp on the stock short block. He made a big bang series to test several engines to see at what point they fail. Maybe he can tell you more about the 8.1L. From his videos, I'd say the only limiting factor is how much the turbo can flow. A stock engine can make as much power as the turbo will support. It will just have to do it at a higher boost level. I think a cam upgrade is all you'll need. That will help push your powerband higher in the rpm range. I think this engine will handle much more than 500hp because you see the LS platform making so much more than that. I hope GM didn't flub this big block by adding an underengineered part. Ultimately, the super high torque is what kills the rods. If you kill some of the brutal low end torque with a bigger cam, you can shift the torque to a higher point and make your horsepower number multiply faster. I think think 1000hp will be an absolute monster with the low end torque of a big block and none of the turbo lag of a smaller engine.
It's refreshing to see an aluminum intake manifold. I'm more of an old school guy. This build looks great. It's frustrating that a modified stock manifold won't work out, but I'd love to see whatever you come up with.
Keep up the good work! I love this series. I know I'm a few days late to the party.. I didn't get to see this video right away because I have been working nights and I've been spending my waking hours with my 2 young kiddos.
I have seen Richards videos, and I do enjoy them, I know a bunch of 8.1 guys have been begging him to work on a gen VII, and maybe one day he will.
Some tips for welding cast. Preheat, throw the manifolds in the oven about 400 for a while. Use a rod for cast. Expensive, but it's worth it. Finally when welding weld both sides of the joint seperately don't cross the gap. Then when you have both sides welded come back and join the two sides together. That tends to keep the cooling weld from having the split in the middle. Finally, let it cool slowly. I've been doing it for years as a maintenance welder for a heavy equipment manufacturer for years.
good idea! now I Just need to convince the wife I need to use the oven...
Glad to see somebody do a build with an 8.1. Good motor but not a lot of content out there on them.
no, there is not a lot of content for sure. Its hard finding info at times
Great video L.T. All the trials and tribulations!
Much appreciated. its just the cost of going your own way
Hell ya man still digging it can't wait till finished
i know, im so anxious to see it done
Me either! 8.1 is a good motor but not much out there in the way if content of somebody building one. Finally glad to see somebody doing one!
You are going to have an awesome setup LT. Your craftsmanship is spot on. I like how your videos are to the point and precise. You put a ton of valuable info out there and its conveyed clearly and to the point. Can't wait to see the next video bc I know it will be spot on and you won't leave one detail out on the build. Great job LT keep it coming man!
Wow, thanks! I appreciate the kind words
Glad I found this channel.
thanks for subscribing!
LT, you are doing this build for me. Just my style. You are doing a great job and I have enjoyed all your projects.
Awesome! Thank you!
Gap the rings and send it, I have a hard time believing that the bottom end comes apart at 500, Richard Holdener pushes those gen 6 vortecs past 1k all the time
I’ve made 500whp with stock 8.1 with cam and nitrous.
@LF X lasted 2 years with me beating on it almost every weekend. Sometimes going through 30lbs of nitrous a weekend. Lack of ring gap finally took out #5 piston.
@LF X Rods don't see power, they see cylinder pressure. I think if he just boosts it on the stock cam he could pop it pretty easy. But if he cams it and moves that power band up I could see eclipsing 500whp sbe no problem. That's just my figuring and bullshitting though.
if it wasnt so much work to just gap the rings I probably would, but I'll be pulling the engine again to put in forged pistons, so I would be making 2x the work
@@LawrenceTolman Just don't kill your project with scope creep and send it to machine shop jail for like 8 months or whatever.
Hell yeah. Can't wait to see this build
me too!
That's gonna be a torque monster
i hope so
Been reading through comments I see you’re no longer on Truck Tech. Looking forward to seeing your projects on here. To be honest I was getting tired every new season trying to find where and when the show moved. Great Job LT!
Thanks for the sub and the kind words!
Love the video this build just keeps getting better and better I hope you make it to that 1000hp mark keep up the quality content
I hope so too! and I appreciate the kind words
Its crazy how you still talk like your on TV. Im excited to see how this project turns out. Keep it up 🤙
its a force of habit I guess lol... 5 years of talking to a camera will do that to ya
@@LawrenceTolman you have a good channel keep it up
Yeah was thinking the same too. Is he getting any money from the powernation guys ?
I really like your style of vids it reminds me of watching HP tv when I was younger. Recently your videos at this new location have seemed more natural I really enjoy that . Hope to see ugly truck doin fat burnnies soon!
hey, thanks for the kind words! and believe me, it'll be doing boosted burnies before too long...
Im unbelievably excited to see what kinda power this thing makes
me too, probably lots of torque down low
Baby steps, Man 😎👍.
Take your time and plan your shit out carefully.
Looking forward to more progress. 🤘🙂
me too!
Log manifold for turbos. Headers are just cool to look at. The back pressure of the turbo negates the scavenging benefit the tube headers give on an N/A motor.
I hope so, because thats what I'm running lol
I’m eager to see more!
me too! just waiting on the manifold flange at the moment
Ear protection but no eye protection. Perfect.
Totally live the truck and engine and turbo combo. It’s going to scream brother
cant wait to take 'er for a spin and feel it spool up
I have a 8.1L 2500 HD w / Allison 5 speed
One bad ass truck
Cant wait to see part 2
check out my playlist, the turbo kit is done!
Happy to see you on TH-cam!
thanks for the subscription!
Definitely going to be watching this!
I've been wanting to pick up a C50/60/65 and put in a built engine. Just enough so even while towing I can somewhat keep up with traffic and unloaded, mess with some sporty vehicles.
Bouncing back n forth from BBC, LS, and a DT466.
Meant to note, 100% turbo'ing the gassers.
DT466 FTW!
It will be interesting to see what a stock 8.1 will handle before going ka bang. Looking forward to future video's. Sydney, Nova Scotia fan
it wont handle a lot if you believe what the internet says... thanks for watching!
This isn't Trucks!, you can talk to us like regular people.
This is a really cool build. The 8.1 is so underrated, I can't wait to see what you make with a turbo. If you're doing the manifolds out of weld el's, why not stainless?
I went with mild steel because Im attaching to a steel manifold, not stainless so I wanted the materials to match for thermal expansion
@@LawrenceTolman Aren't you scratch-building the manifolds from weld el's because the stockers don't clears the accessories?
This is going to be interesting. Cant wait to see what the outcome is.
me too!
I love your vise / trailer hitch! Great idea!
Thanks! 👍 works in a pinch, but I really need a real bench vise
I think this is possible. Your cut being vertical on that manifold means it won't work and you'd need another to start over. Here's what I did with an LS manifold. I cut the flange way back. This left me with an oval opening. I welded a v-band in the oval and closed what the v-band didn't cover with plate. If you make your cut at a downward or outward angle you may get the clearance you need with a tight radius 90.
You should also check out Mitchell Stapleton’ twin turbo lsxcalade, his turbo placement is really nice because he has a built 427 and has AC and all the other stock accessories.
I've seen his build, and its badass!
I slotted the bolt holes on a set of stock Mark 4 manifolds so I could run the manifolds upside down on a turbo build I did in the mid 1980's.
that would work as well...
Im very excited for this build :)
me too!
Hey I live out here by you saw u driving!
U ever need help hit me up
i was driving responsibly and at the legal speed limit i'm sure haha
Nope because I wasn't either!!!
I cannot wait to hear that big block blowing boost out the exhaust.
and hear it as well
you can weld cast iron with 6011 stick welding rods, its just a long process. like making tack welds but only for a 1/4 second every 5 seconds to 10 seconds.
Hey LT, i just watched you on power Nation on truck tech doing the 89 chevy blazer blue color build!! I knew you were on yt, lol. I recognized you! Sweet video!
Thanks for the sub! I loved that Blazer, the big block was so cool, and part of the reason I wanted to do a bigblock in the new suburban.
@@LawrenceTolman now i understand why you do those cool builds on YT. Like the ugly truck and others.
Pre-heat and post-heat brother. You can use sand after post-heat to safely and slowly bring down the heat.
ive heard of that... never tried it
@@LawrenceTolman when I weld intricate cast pieces I have a little sandbox I use. Never had a crack even repairing cracks from others.
Keep up the great work! Reminds me of the old power block. I haven’t since all of the changes a couple years ago.
Thanks!
Hey LT!
I just finished up watching the Project Redtide series and I had a thought that I wanted to get some input on (I feel like since you came up with that wild idea, I won't receive hate from you, just genuine advice and input). I've got a 79 K5 that I am going to swap a LY6 6.0 into. No major mods, just plan on putting a mild cam in it and dressing up the intake to resemble the old school setup (you've probably heard of or seen it (DELS3)) Here's my wild-hair thought: I am going to swap a gearstar 4l80 into it, and right now it just has a NP203 part-time Tcase. My initial thought was to build a 203/205 doubler or just swap in a NP205, but after seeing the AWD Tcase swap and the front end mods on Redtide it got me thinking, could something like that be done with a solid axle? The hubs and axle shafts may not be able to handle that much load but I figured I'd ask you since you would likely be the only person to provide actual input rather than just complaining to me about why I shouldn't do it. I appreciate any help! (Also I should add that I don't plan on doing any off-roading)
P.S. I've also got a 96 GMC C1500 (my first truck) and I too have a lot of love for the OBS!
I see no reason why it wouldn't work in theory if you used the NV149 T case, but there will a few complications in practice. You would have to keep the hubs locked all the time because the viscous coupler in the transfer case needs to have equal load on either end, or instead use a drive flange instead of a locking hubs, to keep it locked in all the time. In terms of strength of the parts I would think you'd be OK because the AWD transfer case will take out any of the binding normally associated with a 4wd on pavement, but I don't know how the universal joints in the front axle would like the constant high speed operation, especially while turning. The K5 uses a passenger side drop front differential and the NV149 only came in a drivers side drop, so you'd have to find a drivers side drop solid front axle. Lastly, the slip yoke in the front output of the transfer case isn't designed to work with a solid front axle that articulates a lot, on a solid axle front, usually there is a fixed yoke on the output of the transfer case and the slip happens in the driveshaft. I'm not aware of a slip yoke eliminator for a NV149 front output, but maybe some factory parts could be swapped from a similar case, like a NP241. Finally, you'd have to get the 32 spline input shaft for the NV149 if you plan on using it with a 4L80.
All that being said, if I wanted an AWD K5 blazer, I might look into swapping the entire chassis from a GMT800 reg cab short box 4wd pickup, so you have modern brakes, suspension, steering, and more. Then, the AWD conversion would be a simple as finding an SS front diff and T case.
Thats my two cents...
@@LawrenceTolman thanks for all of the input! There are definitely a few things that you mentioned here that I didn’t consider, but who knows, I may end up feeling stubborn enough to get it all to work on the original chassis.
Hey LT happy to see new content on this build. If I can make a suggestion - a gimbal on your camera may help stability as I find the handheld shots are a little jittery.
yeah, I do notice that. I meant to fix a few in editing, but missed that step... and yeah, a gimbal is on the wish list
The manifold is a low grade cast steel. Perfectly fine for what your doing. But the manifolds are gonna create a massive flow restriction and make major heat over about say 600hp due to air flow. Granted these fo flow good for stock these will be the biggest restriction so be ready for that.
yeah, it isn't as ideal as a turbo header, but the new manifold I'm building will have 2" primaries and a 3" log which is pretty big compared to some other log manifold builds i've seen. I will be monitoring drive pressure and EGT to make sure things don't get out of hand tho...
Oh man, this gonna be even more awesome than i thought. Too bad you gotta start from scratch on the manifold, but at least this way you build it exactly how you want it instead of having to make the log manifolds fit. This thing is gonna be ridiculous when it’s done
yeah, as I was disappointed the "easy" way wouldnt work, I know I'll be much happier with the finished result
Alot more work than I would of thought. Very interesting steps. Love the videos. Keep up the great work LT. #lovebigblocks
thanks for watching!
you may be able to cut the runners a littler higher or cut the front off the runners so the log will fit higher up.
I was thinking about that for a minute, but if I was going to do that much work, it would almost be easier to start 100% from scratch
When I was looking at doing the same thing for my truck I was going to keep both of the exhaust manifolds and the factory Y pipe, just closing off the part of the Y that goes back to the factory cat, then I was just going to cut the bottom of the factory passenger side manifold and replace it with the schedule 40 3” or bigger pipe, then put the turn up for the turbo right at the first exhaust port, not farther forward. Not ideal, but that’s what I had for packaging. I went with a supercharged 540 in my Firebird instead.
sounds badass!
Are you going to be building this L18 in anyway? I saw in a reply to a previous comment your going to be putting pistons in it, but are you going to do anything else? If so where are you getting your parts from?
it'll be getting pistons and rods, and likely a forged crank as well. I have been looking at Raylar parts
Love the build but we need a guy like you to put the manifold mod to rest and show us some dyno numbers with a factory intake vs a modified factory intake with 90mm and a dart manifold!!
that would be a good experiment
Do you have any ET goals or anything, or just shooting for a dyno number and still have a functional truck?
I'd love it to run sub 10 seconds in the 1/4
Hey Lawrence, what state are you located in? I own a 2003 Avalanche 2500 with the 8.1, and I can't find a mechanic that will touch it.
I live in Utah
Since your going to rebuild it anyway. Turn the boost up until it let's go. Then show the rebuild. Great channel btw.
ehh.... if blocks werent so much $$$ to replace when the rods chainsaw their way out, I might be convinced
Wow you responded to me... thank you so much!!
@@LawrenceTolman You did mention (possibly) doing the entire rotating assembly anyway, but there is a rather "budget friendly" option with the Dart L18 block, which, if I recall correctly, can work with Manley's rotating assemblies that will get you up to 598ci. At that displacement, you won't really need a turbo anymore to get that 1,000hp you want, but there are definitely options. P.S. I'm super glad to see this series, because I have been looking to find a good chassis for an L18 build of my own.
This engine should be able to crank out a ridiculous amount of power and definitely torque, after all it's a big block.
@@TheRealFobican ...but it's not like the rest. The L18 is not like the other BBCs in so many ways. Granted, people like LT and the companies who are developing aftermarket parts, like aluminum heads, redesigned intake manifolds, and entire new engine blocks (the blocks are considered weak) will slowly redefine the limits of these engines - plus, understanding what these limits are allow us to refine other aspects to make a great all-around engine.
Use the heavy duty truck serpentine belt setup with the ac pump mount on the top
I had actually thought about that
going to be a awesome truck with a 1000 hp ...cant wait
You and me both!
Such a sick build
thanks
I can confirm drilling cast iron the chips are more like powder, very noticeable difference between mild steel chips and cast iron chips. Tapping cast iron seems more difficult as well
Dig the instructional method. Keep being thorough and Hot Rod magazine might just hit you up.
thanks! I've read that magazine since I was a kid, its one of my favs
yup you got to make it so the runners come straight out, i think 3.5 straight out gives you clearance for spark plug boots etc. my first one i made 3 inch straight and had some issues
I picked up some 90s, 45s and straight so I have all the options
Cast steel manifold . Whole different beast . Great job btw . Subd , better than power nation by far !
much appreciated
You could use a street rod block hugger header on one side. Rods bend and pistons break because of bad tuning and no ring gap. Last thing...look up the DPS Turbonator VGT hot side. That will help spool up that biggin and reduce the drive pressures.
Ive seen those on diesels, its an interesting product for sure
Somewhat of a random question, but knowing what you know now, would a body lift help with having more room at all? I'm wanting to do an 8.1 swap and lift my truck, but I'm debating a 6" suspension, or 2" body with 4" suspension to help give more room for the swap.
Could us use a band saw with a guide and cut the flanges off the manifold then bolt the flanges to the head and put the manifold on the flanges up side down like u would on an ls then weld em back on
yeah, I suppose you could do that
The LS manifolds ARE iron also the sparks look exactly like what you got. Every pair i've turned into turbo manifolds has been, and they all work out fine. I think the cast steel myth came from some of the corvette or f-body manifolds.
huh... i wish i knew more about metallurgy
i read that the Ford modular 4.6 letter over head cam engine was repetitively said to be able to run up to 400hp with few problems... "gas consumption". tho most of the 4.6 OHC engines are not able to output much more then 185hp. in other words the turbo chargers for Fords 3.5 letter ecoboost engines can push enough air into the motor to make it catastrophically fail. those are vary small turbos tho the OEM retail on them was around $2'000... they can make 500hp on the 3.5 tho if they are bolted to a 4.6 that was in time to be rebuilt anyways and got the updated modular engine parts. It's vary nice how some things just work.
Glad to see you again!!!! Subscribed, keep the content coming brother
Thanks for the sub!
this is a really cool build keep up the good work and love the channel
Thanks a bunch!
Cool build! Loved my 02 suburban with the 8.1! The heads on that 8.1 are the real power killer. Check out Raylar performance on youtube, they build killer aftermarket heads for the 8.1. They are pricey (last time I looked, over 3k for a set of heads) but if you dont want to poney up the $$ for those, at least port the heads when you tear it apart to beef up the internals...you'll make way more power with less boost if those heads can breathe. I agree a custom made turbo manifold will be the best but I do know that any BBC exhaust manifold will bolt directly to the 8.1. (About the only thing common from the older BBC's to the 8.1)
Also the factory intake is baffled and is quite restrictive on airflow...I beleive Raylar cuts them open and removes that baffling for more airflow.
heads are on my wish list for sure, and will be important to making a lot of power. I looked around at off the shelf BBC turbo stuff, and didnt find anything that I thought would work for this application
Hey LT, what welder are you using?
Custom making the manifold definitely more work but also nice to get exact fit leaving more space. Basically like making a Cummins manifold for it could make the pedestal come out in center of of manifold facing up.
more work for sure, but in the end totally worth it.
Good step by step info.
Glad you liked it
Congratulations, you are in the 'creator on the rise' section
Wow, thanks
And I appreciate seeing the fabrication on this but I'm sure there's shorty headers out there and mod them to save from haveing to make a custom manifold
honestly, not a lot that I have seen. on the LS stuff you can easily flip a manifold upside down, but not on a big block. there are some universal up and forward twin turbo headders, but I wanted to run a single.
Hi LT, I really like your project , I have the same engine on 1997 Tahoe & I am planing to bore it to 4.310 and keep everything stock , can you help me with that?
Eye Protection!
yes, I should have worn it
@@LawrenceTolman Sorry, i hate myself for being "That GUY"
I find it unfortunate that these engines didn't get the aftermarket attention they deserved. The beginning of the diesel craze drowned these engines out of existence.
yeah, it did, but it seems the big engines are making a bit of a comeback. GM has the new 6.6 gas and ford has the 7.3 gas V8.
This is awesome! Keep up the good work!
Thanks!
LT, please put on some eye protection when you are grinding. Take it from someone who has had something unwanted fly into his eye. It ain't fun.
i know, I really should...
All the 8100 we have in 2001 Chevy C3500hd not silverado have the compressor on the top left of the engine.
I have seen a few of those and thought about switching it up
im wondering if it might be easier to run 2 small turbos and you might have more room that way and you probably wont build as much back pressure and you wont have to run as much boost with the twins to get to your goal
ehh... maybe, but too far down this path to go with twins for now
@@LawrenceTolman yeah i understand keep up the good work and are you gonna send the boost through the stock intake or are you gonna do a blow through carb? and maybe junkyard intercooler off of a wrecked diesel pickup maybe?
Lt, make your log manifold then you really should pull that engine and gap the rings in it. You stand a good chance of grenadeIng the engine other wise
you are right, I really should.
Not sure on the 8.1 but the LS engines get boost thrown at the stock gap all the time. Having said that the stock ring gaps rang from .018 to .022 top to .020 to .025 bottom. They last all day in most but its still a gamble. He clearly said he is going to run low boost just to get the bugs worked out on the turbo setup it'll be fine.
@@colebud670 yea some people get lucky, I’m on my third ls engine. Everyone says they’ll only run “low boost” but that doesn’t last long and the controller gets cranked up lol
Wait a minute, v8 engines at 8+L are still being produced even to this day without being an aftermarket stroker kit or from a semi truck? I thought huge engines at this size in personal vehicles had died out since the end of the muscle car era from the 70's because of downsizing and gas pricing.
they are (to an extent). this 8.1 liter V8 was made between 2000 and 2008, and today Ford now makes a 7.3 liter gas V8, and GM now has a 6.6 liter gas V8 as well as the Duramax 6.6 diesel.
Cool build! BUT , ive seen and worked on alot of 1 ton and topkicks that had the 8.1 kick a rod 100% stock. The last one threw #2 rod and took out #1 in the process. If you beat on it at all or load it up on a hard pull she will let go. Upgrade the rods and pistons and itd be ready for 1000+ if you go with forged.
gonna try and be ultra conservative while its on the stock bottom end... but it will be all forged sooner or later
Like #400 here... ugly truck its not ugly to me, good job brother
much appreciated! it is a lot cleaner looking than when I first picked it up
@@LawrenceTolman keep up the good work and stay safe
However. Is this man's go to word... However, but is a close 2nd.🤣
I thought it was "now"
Love it. Keep up the great work man
Thanks! Will do!
It's gonna be a beast.
you can bet on that
Raylar Engineering heads and manifold will get you 600 easy. With boost you can get to 1300hp on a full bore/stroke to a 9.0
The 8.1 is so underrated it is silly, but offshore boat guys know how to make them breath.
they do have some good parts, I want to get a set of their heads and rotating assembly
Man I hoped you would make a channel. Subbed and notifications on.
much appreciated!
You can weld steel to cast iron with nickel rod
never tried it, though I have heard of it
Yep; done it. Pre-heat and Ni-rod.
Torching cast for a good preheat and a post heat of a weld is good practice My $.02
Very cool LT. I just ran across your channel. Right up my alley. I'm in the middle of a build myself - wiring, wiring, and more wiring.
Are you still hosting Truck Tech? From Utah?
thanks for subscribing! its a fun swap for sure. No, I am not hosting Truck Tech anymore, we made the official announcement about a week ago... just making. content on youtube for now
@@LawrenceTolman I'm sorry to hear that LT. I really enjoyed your segments. I wish you well.
I was just wondering do you know anything about the Allisons 8.1s came with because can get my hands on a engine and transmission combo would the Allison be as snappy and the 4l80 in a truck with 4.56 gears
I was listening to your video thinking huh, he sounds professional. A lot like that guy from the power block. Looks a lot like him too. 🤔
no, that guy on there is a lot more bald than I am haha...