Xcomunic8d

Hey welcome and awesome job! I did this. Got a gen 4 and deleted LOMA, DOD, and went closed cooling on it. My goal was to have BBC numbers in a Small block

most important thing off the bat, exhaust. Make sure you get that and the height figured out. I had to custom fab some aluminum risers. I decided as many parts as possible would be aluminum or plastic. Avoiding the weight of iron as much as possible. I got the engine for free or I would’ve gone aluminum there too. I’ll warn you now, I think the LS is the future and makes amazing power and has parts like crazy.

But the cost and headaches can make you think twice at the end. It would’ve been cheaper for me to to probably build a BBC or a stroked 396 and been money ahead with the frustration of exhaust etc. but as you stated 6 bolt mains, efi, etc are the future. Hopefully the cost for marine guys will come down.

VP, Marine Power, crusader, marine engine, and ilmor have setups just to name a few

hit me up lots of lessons learned and happy to share what I did so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. I have all the parts I used and vendors. Make sure to use upgraded everything for the prolonged rpm the engine will see. You’re building a tow truck mot a corvette.

boostbros

the good ol big block is not dead new technology has revived the platforn and gave us reliability in boosted or high hp natural configurations the new increased bore spacing water cooled and hard anodized billet blocks are amazing ck out some of this new 1000hp 555ci there is a whole new world now becoming available to us.....

boostbros

here is the insides https://www.enginelabs.com/engine-te...-trophy-truck/

Wally

That was awesome watching it on a big screen with good speakers! That puts a tingle in the berries!

c0ncEpT

An LS would not have close to same same reliability as a BBC at those power levels.

1,500hp+ would require 30psi+ in an LS. That's asking a LOT for even an aftermarket block 6 bolt/cyl set up to hold a gasket in a marine application where you would be running 6,000rpm+ sustained.

LakeBoat4

The 30psi at 1500hp is correct for an LS. It is unrealistic as there are NO drives, even Mercury that can take that power level for long before rebuilds. My LS 1325hp is at 22psi boost.

The only way to go more HP is Turbos and 30-45psi on Alcohol or C116 Plus. Those engines are out there but where I don't really know.

Reliability is what compared to rebuilding a Mercury 1350 or above or a 1000hp plus BBC at 100 hours? Not Bashing BBC's got 5 of them now. 4 need rebuilt. The 1400's going into the Magic have 70 hours on them. One is bad the other one is right there as well. Got them as Cores for rebuild not New at $120k each. Heads need welded, blocks bored, etc. The 825's have close to 200 hours on them and need rebuild as well. One had an overheating issue.

My LS is pushing the limits on 91. After 1350hp Race Gas is required. Who can afford $15-20 a gallon. To go out for the day and use 160 gallons that is $$. Just getting three 55 gallon drums for a day outing and hailing, pumping it, dealing with the drums, it is not going to happen for just about anyone. All for the extra 200hp you can't use for more than a minute or two at a time anyway. But have a lot to talk about. Once past 130MPH it is a tense ride especially for any passenger and have to be on your game 100% as Captain. So how fast is fast enough and be safe? A lot happens after 130mph and use that 1500hp on Race Gas.

This is just like Hot Rodding, a lot of bech/dock talk. Then someone has to take and do it and want to keep the rest informed, that is me. Hope to have great informative posts!

Tartilla

Lakeboat4

Really happy that you've posted with some good LS focused power.

The sport needs new tech and reliable high perf engines into the next few decades.

For me, with transmissions in the hull, my accessory belts are right up against the firewall with BBCs.

As Dan mentioned, the o'ring gasket LS system is great to quick tear downs on high stress perf engines...just to make health checks. There is a lot to like on the LS platform.

My plan was always to yank the BBCs and replace with LS. But now that I'm in the Matrix, it's harder to do that for my 700hp goal.

Before the LT8 block came out, most LS skirts were not long enough to run 4" strokes. + the factory forged LT8 crank.
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This is likely the apex point where LS will become more accepted for the higher HP mills.

Time will telli if they have the beef to support sustained high output peak rpm running.

ICDEDPPL

Personally I think in a BBC the crap gas we get is only good for about 1100HP .

Also no need for race gas, plenty of gas stations have E85, that and a GM flex fuel sensor/Holley off you go .

Brad Christy

Dan,

While I'm not a fan of buying gas at marinas, it was suggested previously to "aim" for fuel that can be bought on the water. I cannot specifically recall seeing E85 at any of the marinas I've been forced to buy from. In fact, I've only seen the opposite, NON-ethanol Rec90, other than standard "unleaded" in whatever grade(s) they offer. Are you able to? Just curious.

Thanks. Brad.

87MirageIntruder

I don't want to derail this great thread but just wanted to mention how different our world could be right now.

History lesson: In the late 90s when GM was releasing the first LS engines, they were also developing a big block LS. The now "white elephant" Gen 7 BBC was going to be an LS also. At the last minute they scrapped the idea and went with the classic style BBC heads, although with a couple more head bolts and different intake port spacing. Fast forward to around 2008 or so, and GM stops production of the big block Gen 7, and sells the rights to PSI engines. PSI uses the Gen 7 for industrial applications etc in low HP set ups as an 8.8L. When PSI got the rights from GM, they also got the LS style Gen 7 heads that never made it to production by GM! So, PSI produced both standard and LS versions of the BBC. So you have LS heads, oring gaskets, revised firing order, coil near plugs, cam and crank sensors, forged crank, stronger 6.7 rods, stronger block etc with a PSI.

Guys are just now figuring out the 8.8L and how to modify it for HP. They are buying PSI cores for a couple grand and going from there.

My point here is, can you imagine what our world would be like right now had GM actually put the LS Gen 7 into production in vehicles? The 496HO would have been an LS. The aftermarket would have taken off for this platform I bet just like the small block version. Far different than it is now, where the Gen 7 BBC is a white elephant nobody wants for performance builds.