Building A Naturally Aspirated 6.0L LS Iron Block

(Pat)>> You're watching Powernation!

(Pat)>> So what are we gonna do?

(Frankie)>> We can do a 5.3 or a 6.0, or we just flip for it.

(Pat)>> Let's flip for it.

(Frankie)>> Okay heads 5.3, tails 6.0. [ MUSIC ] Okay never mind we're do a 6.0.

(Pat)>> Of course we are. [ MUSIC ]

(Frankie)>> Recently we've been doing a lot of projects for the other shops in the building. This means we got to do some really cool stuff all the way from a 258 inline six, to an aluminum headed AMC 304, to a high tech supercharged Coyote that made 1,000 horse on the dyno. This project is no different. Before we can start building the engine we need to know what it's for. So we met up with the guys from Carcass to check it out. That's pretty sweet!

(Pat)>> That's actually clean!

(Frankie)>> Sweet ride huh?

(Pat)>> I'll tell you what. That's not bad at all.

(Jeremy)>> It'll be a Chevy.

(Pat)>> That is in nice shape.

(Frankie)>> Pop that hood.

(Pat)>> This is the important part right here cause I already know what's under there.

(Jeremy)>> The big bad t-b-i.

(Pat)>> This has even custom wiring, but if it runs and it came in here under its own power that's a huge deal.

(Frankie)>> You drove it in, not pushed it.

(Jeremy)>> We drove it here about 200 miles right Jimmy?

(Jimmy)>> It's impressive actually. So this is gonna be a pro touring truck. That's kinda the hot thing right now it seems like. There's a lot of outlets that you can go to compete, and we want to make this thing stick to the ground and go as fast as it can doing it.

(Jeremy)>> And again it's gonna be a driver too. The plan is to drive it where we go.

(Frankie)>> So you're talking autocross stuff?

(Jimmy)>> Yeah, hammer on it.

(Frankie)>> You want to use this?

(Jeremy)>> No that's where you guys come in.

(Frankie)>> What do you want to use then?

(Jeremy)>> We've talked about this a lot and the easiest route for us to go and the easiest way I think for us to build some power is just put an LS in it.

(Frankie)>> How much you guys trying to make?

(Jeremy)>> We really haven't talked too much about that have we?

(Jimmy)>> No, I think 500 to 600 range would be pretty much.

(Pat)>> I don't think that's a problem. We can make that happen. I'm just impressed at how nice this thing is. The LS platform is the new standard of high performance for us gearheads. So that's why we will be using an iron block six liter for our foundation because you can't go wrong. Four bolt mains that are cross bolted, which will get ARP studs. Also the block has a four inch bore and it is so rigid that it'll take just about any power we want to throw at it, and because of its popularity Summit Racing Equipment has gone the extra mile and created a whole series of parts just for it called their Pro LS Series, and we will be using a lot of the stuff in this build, and not only because it makes great power because it is great value. Things like pistons, cam shafts, lifters, and even external parts like oil pans and valley covers. Also we will be stepping on it hard on the induction side with a set of Trick Flow Gen-X 255 cylinder heads. Now we know how much power they want to make and these will more than be adequate for our application. To top it all off we will be using a stand alone sequential port e-f-i system that we'll show you later but for right now let's get started on this.

(Frankie)>> In case the guys in Carcass want to use a power adder later on we're gapping the rings a little wider to 22 thousandths on both the top and second rings. We check the gap using a Summit Racing piston ring squaring tool and a feeler gauge. ♪♪ We'll number all the rods and caps to make sure they don't get mixed up. Later they'll get a final cleaning in the Jet Washer to remove any metal shavings. One of the reasons among many that the LS will make such good power in stock form is because of the design of the cylinder head. This is a 317 casting, which is common on truck stuff like an LQ-4 or an LQ-9. It has roughly a 210cc intake runner and it has a two inch intake valve. What is interesting is this cylinder head will flow as much as an old school aftermarket Chevy head back in the day, and if you wanted to make good power back then you needed flow. Well these are good enough where they will make good power without doing much to the rest of the engine. We are not gonna use these for our application but I wanted to throw them up on the Superflow SF 750 to show you how they flow. We checked the flow in 100 thousandths increment of lift and at 28 inches of water to see how many cubic feet per minute the port flows. Even though this is a stock cylinder head it has the potential to make great power in budget friendly street builds. Lift is increased until either head stops flowing air or we run out of lift travel. Even at 800 thousandths lift this stock 317 casting didn't go turbulent or level off, flowing 262 c-f-m. Now the Trick Flow Gen-X 255 gets bolted down and ran through its paces. It has a 2.165 intake valve and a 255cc port. The benefits of a purpose built fully c-n-c'ed cylinder head are immediately evident with the increased flow. At 700 thousandths lift the heads flow an astounding 385 c-f-m.

(Frankie)>> Coming up, forged internals, high flowing heads, and sequential port fuel injection give our engine what it needs to succeed in the dyno cell.

(Pat)>> Before you start building your dream engine there are a few things that you need to figure out about it, and that will involve some calculations, and that can be very intimidating if you've never done it before. Summit Racing has some great online calculators for us d-i-y'ers that will help you get started. They have an excellent calculator and tool section on their website that will help you figure out some critical things, like your compression ratio, parts for stroker combination, even gear selection, or if it gets really technical cam shafts. In their "On All Cylinder" blog there is a library of technical articles and questions that have been answered by Summit's technical experts. Or if you like to still go old school there is a great selection of engine building d-v-d's, tuning d-v-d's, and books to check out. With all that technical resource available you will have everything you need to get your project off the ground. [ MUSIC ] I really elevator jokes.

(Frankie)>> You have any good ones?

(Pat)>> You know why? The work on so many different levels. The build begins with a Summit Racing Pro LS crank shaft. It's a forged 43-40 piece with a four inch stroke and a welded 58 tooth reluctor wheel. It was balanced by our favorite go to machine shop in Nashville, Shacklett Automotive Machine. The main caps are tapped into place and the ARP fasteners are torqued in sequence to 60 pound feet on the inner studs, 50 on the outer, and 20 pound feet on the cross bolts.

(Frankie)>> The cam shaft is also part of the Summit Racing Pro LS line. It's a hydraulic roller with 234 degrees of duration at 50 thousandths lift on the intake and 248 degrees on the exhaust. Lobe separation angle is 114 degrees. Lift at the valve with a 1.7 ratio rocker will be 625 thousandths on the intake and 605 thousandths on the exhaust. The stock retainer plate is bolted down with ARP fasteners. Next we'll install a Summit Racing billet double roller timing set. It's temporarily cinched down so we can degree the cam.

(Pat)>> We chose Summit Racing's 40-32 forged pistons. They have a 1.5, 1.5, 3 millimeter ring pack and a flat top with 3.3cc valve reliefs. These are a quality forging with coated skits and incredible value, under $400 dollars for a set. [ MUSIC ] Once the pistons are hung we install a Total Seal gas ported ring set. The top ring is machined to allow combustion gases to force the ring outwards, which improves ring seal. After installing the number one piston the cam is degreed. We put the intake center line on 114.75 degrees.

(Frankie)>> Now the rest of the rod and piston assemblies drop in using a total seal adjustable ring compressor. [ aerosol can hissing ]

(Frankie)>> Once the short block is completed we'll lay down a base coat of gloss black followed by our customer's choice, universal gold. [ aerosol can hissing ]

(Pat)>> With our 406 short block all wrapped up it's time to focus on the top side of it. After we put in a brand new set of hydraulic roller lifters we're gonna bolt up our Trick Flow Gen-X 255 heads. Now you've seen how much they flow on the flow bench. Big flow means big power, and here are a few more details about them. They have a 2.165 intake valve, 1.600 exhaust, and they are housed in a fully c-n-c'ed 69cc chamber. They are setup with titanium retainers and hydraulic roller springs for our application. Now everything combined with the piston six thousandths out of the hole and a 51 thousandths thick gasket we have a calculated compression ratio of 11.16 to one.

(Frankie)>> Before the heads go on we'll install new Summit Racing hydraulic roller lifters. The gaskets are an m-l-s style with a 4.055 bore and a 51 thousandths compressed thickness. [ MUSIC ] The ARP head bolts received Ultra Torque lube. Then they are torqued in sequence to 80 pound feet on the 11 millimeter bolts and 25 pound feet on the eight millimeter bolts.

(Pat)>> The billet aluminum valley cover from Summit Racing is torqued to 30 pound feet. [ MUSIC ] The Summit Racing timing cover is next, followed by their s-f-i approved bracket racer harmonic damper. Finishing off the bottom end is a Summit Racing Pro LS cast aluminum oil pan kit. [ MUSIC ] The Trick Flow cylinder heads come with a specific rocker stand that must be used with these heads. Our Trick Flow 7.750 long push rods can slide in, followed by the stock design rockers with upgraded trunnions. They are a 1.7 ratio and are torqued to 25 pound feet. [ MUSIC ] To protect everything on start-up we'll use Comp Cams' valvetrain assembly spray. To top it off cast aluminum valve covers in gold of course. [ MUSIC ] Up next, a plug and play e-f-i system gets our engine running smooth in no time flat.

(Frankie)>> When it comes to fuel injection on an LS swap there's simply no reason to mess around finding a stock e-c-u and cutting up a harness in order to make it work. We've ran FiTech systems before with great results, and their Ultimate LS master kits have pretty much everything you need to get your LS running with sequential port fuel injection. These kits come in many different configurations depending on your application with different power levels and port styles available. Our kit has a fabricated sheet metal intake for an LS-3, a matching 102 millimeter throttle body, a complete wiring harness including two oxygen sensors, 55 pound injectors, and a full set of FiTech's LS Smart Coils, and for when it gets installed in the vehicle the kit also comes with a 340 liter per hour universal in tank fuel pump and a 30 to 70 p-s-i pressure regulator. The best part about these kits is that the e-c-u is self tuning, and any tune up changes can be made on the fly with a touch screen controller. This intake comes with a nice, black protective finish but for our engine we want gold. [ snapping ]

(Pat)>> Want some help with that?

(Frankie)>> What the heck! [ MUSIC ]

(Pat)>> The FiTech e-f-i Smart Coils bolt right on the valve covers. Next a hardline steam vent kit we got from Summit Racing. [ MUSIC ] Before installation we fully assemble the intake with the throttle body, fuel rails, and injectors. The bolts are torqued in sequence to 106 pound inches. [ torque wrench clicking ]

(Pat)>> The Carcass guys plan to run shorty headers on their truck. So we'll run them on the dyno cell as well. These have a one and seven-eighths tube and a three inch collector. Watch out for your hose. [ drill humming ] [ MUSIC ]

(Frankie)>> The FiTech wiring harness is plug and play. After a few simple connections we are ready for engine setup. [ MUSIC ] So one of the last things we need to do before we fire up our LS is go into the hand held and we're gonna go to write cal to e-c-u, and this will basically tell the e-c-u what kind of engine it's working with. So we're gonna choose a 58 tooth LS and the transmission doesn't matter as much for us because obviously we're on the dyno. So we're gonna send that to the e-c-u. We can go into initial setup, go to engine setup, and then we'll put in the parameters for our engine. So we have 55 pound an hour injectors and we can cycle through or we can just type in the value. And we're gonna hit okay after each selection to make sure that it is sent to the e-c-u. Once that's done we're ready for our initial fire up. [ engine starting ]

(Pat)>> We ran through a little bit of warm ups just cycling it, getting it up to temperature. Everything settles down. It starts to do exactly what it's targeted to do for air/fuel ratio, and timing, and all that good stuff. Okay so now where do we start? This is pump gas engine, 93 octane pump gas in the tank.

(Frankie)>> 11.16 to one.

(Pat)>> Static is 11.16 to one. The cam is in actually three quarters of a degree late. Here's something that we don't normally do. People are always talking about why don't you make pulls at very low r-p-m? Well how often do you go to wide open throttle at 1,500 or 2,000?

(Frankie)>> And you have to understand what's going on there is you're at 2,000 r-p-m, and that's like having a trailer that weighs enough on your truck or car to hold you back at that r-p-m and you're just wide open throttle. That's hard, especially low r-p-m kind of stuff.

(Pat)>> I can tell you this. We're not into making partial throttle pulls but what we are gonna do is let's load this thing down. We're gonna make a pull at 300 a second but we're gonna go from 2,000 r-p-m to 6,000 r-p-m. Now 6,000 r-p-m is not gonna be it's peak but just to show that this thing will load up and will go to wide open throttle and not do anything crazy we're gonna make a pull right there. [ engine revving ]

(Pat)>> Look at that, loaded right down there. [ engine revving ]

(Pat)>> That's pretty good. [ engine revving ]

(Pat)>> It broke 500 ponies. Now that's a super long pull and the chamber's really hot because we're at operating temp, but 501 pound feet and 548 horse. It made 500 pound feet at 5,200.

(Frankie)>> That's a smooth pull too. Long but really smooth.

(Pat)>> At 2,000 r-p-m we're still at 372 pound feet unloaded.

(Frankie)>> That's not bad. That's enough right there.

(Pat)>> Right there it's a screaming 141.8 horsepower. That's a true test to how good that injection is. It loaded it right there and it loaded and made good torque.

(Frankie)>> And it's holding the air/fuel targets pretty well. That's nice!

(Pat)>> We're messing around here too much. Let's make a real pull.

(Frankie)>> Up next, like the man said, we make a real pull.

(Pat)>> Let's see what she'll do for real here. For our first full r-p-m run we're going from 3,500 to 7,000 r-p-m. Good oil pressure. [ engine revving ]

(Frankie)>> Nice!

(Pat)>> Okay that's good!

(Frankie)>> 578.9, that is not bad.

(Pat)>> It made 503 pound feet at 5,300 and 578.9 at 6,600.

(Frankie)>> That's a good spread!

(Pat)>> That's 28 degrees of timing in it. We could try sneaking a little timing it to see if it did anything. I'll tell you what. Let's put a degree of timing in it right now and we'll fetzer with the full after that, but we're not gonna beat this thing to death.

(Frankie)>> Already it's a really nice engine.

(Pat)>>> I think they wanted like 500. This is good for a pump gas engine.

(Frankie)>> This is not an expensive engine either. There's crate engines out there, same kind of combinations that are a little bit more than what we have in this. This is good power for the price range.

(Pat)>> Just to say we've done it go stick a degree of timing in it.

(Frankie)>> Alright cool! [ MUSIC ]

(Pat)>> Now we know pretty much because we've done a bunch of these. We've ran that cylinder head before. We know pretty much what it's gonna want for timing. We're getting close to a threshold because these things have a flat top piston in them. It has a very good chamber it just literally doesn't take a lot of timing. [ engine revving ]

(Pat)>> A little bit on torque. 504.9 pound feet of torque and made 582.6. Kinda leveled off up top a little bit better.

(Frankie)>> But it's not diving off or nothing.

(Pat)>> Absolutely not! The only thing we could do is if you're looking at our air/fuels we're conservative on our air/fuels. Why don't you go. 13:0 is the target right now. Go like 13:3. We won't beat it to death. We're showing no signs of detonation. We're not having anything bad go on. Pull a tad bit of fuel. At worst the power will fall off a little bit, and we know we're in a safe range. What close on is tune up right now. [ MUSIC ] [ engine revving ]

(Pat)>> Okay 85, it made 505 for torque. I'm gonna shut her down. Go get those guys and we'll show them what they get to put in their truck.

(Frankie)>> They wanted it gold. So hopefully they still like it.

(Pat)>> Should I say it? I love gold!

(Frankie)>> When Jeremy and Jimmy shared the plan for their track truck they told us they wanted a dependable engine that could handle both street and track duties. They requested an LS making 500 to 600 horsepower. [ engine revving ]

(Pat)>> 84 and 11. That's the heat right there man.

(Jeremy)>> Yeah we're excited!

(Frankie)>> It's dead consistent, dead reliable, and it's ready. You guys can take it.

(Pat)>> And the best part about this. We used a lot of Summit's Pro LS stuff in it. Like the piston was very economical for a forged piston. It's got a nice crank shaft in it. It's got a bunch of nice parts in it. The nice thing about it is you can bolt these things together and make that kind of power without any problem at all.

(Frankie)>> It's just easy power.

(Jeremy)>> Good injection, good heads, good internals, then that's good horsepower.

(Pat)>> We're gonna give it the once over and make sure everything looks good. We'll have it down to you once we get it off the dyno.

(Jimmy)>> Awesome, appreciate it guys!

(Pat)>> For more information on anything you've seen today visit Powernation TV dot com.