ERL Superdeck II Install Update

[Doubleblank]

I like to take my car to the road track. My LS3 had been modded to produce 500rwhp/465 lbs torque. I wanted more torque so that I could enter and exit corners and not focus on being in the right gear/rpm combo for fast smooth exits. This would allow me to focus on the right lines, hit my apexes, etc. I also wanted something fairly robust that wouldn't be running on the edge all the time. So after looking at all the stroked LS3 combo's, LSX options, etc we decided to do something different. We ordered and spec'd an ERL 500 cu in block. It's a LS block bored and sleeved with a forged bottom end. We asked Comp to design a cam to produce a monster flat torque curve (versus a peak hp build for drag racing). Heads are TSP LS7 400 cfm. LSXR 102 intake and we reused my NW 102 TB. 2 inch headers to a 3 inch catless exhaust. Parts started arriving in early November but the difficulty here is in the details. The first spacer plate (from ERL) for the intake didn't align properly. And with the heads/intake/etc now sitting higher in the car, lots of custom fabbing to make everything fit. Once put together and in the car, first firings had the engine a little too noisy for us to rest easy. After going back and forth with ERL/Comp/Lunatti we settled on the pushrod preload recommended by ERL and it sounds great now. Finally had it on the dyno for the initial tuning and after six runs the clutch slave cylindar failed. Damn...so close to getting my car back. It was making 590+/590+ before we really got into maxing the tune. The real world result was that this motor makes 100 ftlbs or more torque than my old motor all across the curve and makes good numbers starting at 2500 rpm. Once we get the clutch fixed, I'll post a dyno chart and give my driving impressions out on the road track. And after we break it in, then we're going drysump. Didn't want to do that now as it's hard enough to trouble shoot a new engine w/o having to worry about an oiling system too.

Well do some cosmetic stuff like getting rid of the "mardi gras" look of red/purple/black anodized aluminum with everything black, paint the intake cover, Katech valve covers, coil relocate, and do a custom wiring harness to neaten things up.

[Falundir]

Very pretty.

Did you reuse your Mast heads or selling? =)

[BullF-16]

Nice, this is similar to my plan with my LS3 i just broke down. I plan on ERL sleeves and building a high compression NA motor to have as a spare to my current motor.

[litle88]

What compression are you running? What pistons are those?

Very nice list of parts you got there!! Congrats bud!

[Doubleblank]

I don't have the complete parts list in front of me but will post it up when I can get to it. Running 11.5 compression right now. ERL makes two different blocks at this level. 500cu in for NA and a slightly lower cu in (493 IIRC) for FI motors.

Bumping compression to 12.5 with a more aggressive cam and rwhp goes up over 100 hp according to ERL. Probably requires a custom intake too to do more than that.

As to my Mast heads.....my builder's tuner has indicated he wants to "talk me out of them".

[SPCBA]

look forward to seeing your torque curve.

[ChevyGuySS]

what valve covers are those?

[POS Dakota]

Excellent.

How cost effective is this block work vs buying an RHS Block outright?
I'm very interested since I want to make some good power, but I dont want to be bothered with Forced Induction.

Go big or go home.

[Doubleblank]

I'm not sure exactly where the valve covers came from.....they were something the shop had in the "left over" parts bin from other builds. Probably an early LS2 set of valve covers.

Go big NA or go home is my motto too (not knocking FI guys). And going with ERL is probably not the most cost effective way to do anything. The build is expensive. I could describe it but the ERL website does a better job. I went with ERL after doing my research and visiting with them. That's not a knock against RHS in anyway. After getting the shortblock from ERL, then there's the heads, custom 2in headers, 3 in exhaust, intake, throttle body, oil pump, oil pan, etc and depending upon how many bits and pieces you scavenge from your LS3, more odds and ends. The motor can be built to make over 700 rwhp without going to the edge in terms of reliability.

As it turns out, I bought the built shortblock from ERL and din't send mine to them for a rebuild. Original plan was to keep my old motor as a spare. And I may still do so by reinstalling the original intake and TB but keep the Mast heads on it. That was about a 480 rwhp motor.

[blazzin1]

The Valve Covers look like Holley 241-88 LS Valve Cover....

[POS Dakota]

Originally Posted by ChevyGuySS

what valve covers are those?

LOL

They are Holley Valve Covers.
They come in black, polished aluminum and the gray you see there.

[driyac]

Jesus this whole engine is fuqing sexy.

[Doubleblank]

We're going to stop tuning it and put about 200 to 300 break in miles on it before going back to the dyno. Here's a chart comparing the new curves to my older engine. All of that low to mid range torque is what I was after with this build.

[litle88]

Very nice