Mailbag: Rejuvenating an Old 454 Big Block Chevy
Q: I have a 1973 454 big block Chevy. It has a 8.5:1 compression, stock oval port cylinder heads, a Crane PowerMax camshaft, and Edelbrock Performer intake, and a Holley 750 cfm carburetor. The engine needs an overhaul but I would like to retain the stock cylinder heads and intake. What would I need to
LT4 6.2L Engine Specs: Performance, Bore & Stroke, Cylinder Heads, Cam Specs & More
This is an engine specification guide for General Motors’ fifth-generation supercharged LT4 engine that launched in 2015. GM has built two different engines designated as the LT4: 1996–1997 LT4 – Gen II, 5.7L, small block 2015–Present LT4 – Gen V, 6.2L, supercharged small block The high-performance 6.2L, supercharged Gen 5 LT4 debuted in the 2015 Chevy Corvette Z06. LT4
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: Talking HP, Boost & Compression in an E85 427 c.i.d. Engine
I have a question. I am building a 427 cubic inch Dart motor with LS3 heads and a Kenne Bell 4.2L blower. I am looking for maximum horsepower out of this motor. What compression would you recommend? The blower is capable of 32 pounds of boost and it will run on E85. Thanks. – T.B. Wow,
LS Tech: How to Delete Variable Valve Timing (VVT) on an LS Engine
Variable Valve Timing (VVT) is a system that automatically adjusts valve timing. GM used VVT on the following engines within the LS family. (Summit Racing’s Paul Spurlock and Brian Nutter contributed to this article.) How Does VVT Work? The computer senses engine load. It also monitors valve timing through the camshaft position sensor. It then uses
Mailbag: Building a Potent, Pump-Gas Pontiac on a Budget
Q: : I have a 1967 Pontiac GTO with a 400-cubic-inch engine that originally came from a 1968 Grand Prix. The 10.75:1 compression engine is rated at 340 horsepower. The car has an M-20 four-speed transmission and 3.55 rear-end gears, and curb weight is about 3,500 pounds. What I really want is a strong, daily-driven
Stock Eliminator LS7: How SAM Tech Got 825 Horses from a Naturally Aspirated, NHRA-Legal LS7
Anyone can slap a supercharger on a stock 505-horse LS7 and pick up an extra 200 horsepower. And thanks to the incredible untapped potential of GM’s factory LS7 cylinder heads, gaining huge chunks of horsepower through natural aspiration is fairly easy, too. All it takes is some head work, long-tube headers, and a big hydraulic roller cam. However,
Mailbag: Could Your Engine’s Power Loss Be a Sign of a Poor Cooling System?
Q: I own a 1966 Chevy Biscayne with a 468-cubic-inch big block Chevy engine. It has 12:1 compression, Crane 298-degree duration cam, oval port cylinder heads, 926 cfm Holley double pumper on a Holley Strip Dominator intake, and an HEI distributor with an MSD ignition. The transmission is a Turbo 400 with a 3,500 stall TCI
Video: How to Choose the Right Crate Engine
If you’ve decided to go with a crate engine instead of the original engine or a used engine on your vehicle build, there are several choices you’ll need to make. You will first need to choose which style of crate engine you want. Your choices are: Short blocks, Long blocks, and Fully dressed engines. Watch the
Detonation Elimination: 9 Ways to Prevent Engine Detonation
Detonation is a great thing if you’re taking in a fireworks show or maybe watching MacGyver. Inside your engine? Not so much. In fact, it’s probably best if you avoid detonation at all costs where your engine is concerned. Detonation occurs when excessive heat and pressure in the combustion chamber causes the air/fuel mixture to ignite on
Mailbag: Diagnosing Engine Flooding and Hesitation
Got questions? We’ve got the answers—the Summit Racing tech department tackles your automotive-related conundrums. This week, we’re talking about engine flooding and hesitation. T.M. Marietta, GA Q: I have a 1983 Chevy K-10 truck with a four-speed manual transmission and 3.08 rear axle gears. It originally had a 305, but the engine was replaced with a crate 350
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