ls3 power cap?

[Super83Z]

The LS3 has a forged crank, hypereutectic pistons and powdered connecting rods.

They put down over 500 RWHP with just a cam, tune and bolt-ons.

[GTAHVIT]

The next time I have to delete 18 posts after I already asked you all to stay on topic, infractions will be issued to everyone involved.

Camaro guys: Don't get roped into a e-racing debate.
Mustang guys: Stop poking us in the eye.

Everyone has been warned.... again.

[Lightninquick]

ive done alot of searching on corvette forums. and i have found tons of ls3's are pushing over 700 rwhp with stock motors,,,,seems like the tranny gives up at much over 650rwhp. very promising info to me!

i was dead set on the manual 6 speed,,,,but after driving the great gt500 i think i want the automatic the 2ss has to offer. now i need to find out how much power the automatic tranny can handle,,lol.

im really hoping i like the apparance of the camaro as much in person.

by the way,,,ive always been a ford guy

[speedster]

Originally Posted by Super83Z

The LS3 has a forged crank, hypereutectic pistons and powdered connecting rods.

They put down over 500 RWHP with just a cam, tune and bolt-ons.

Agree completely with the pistons and rods you mention, but according to John Rydzewski the LS3's Assistant Chief Engineer (ACE) the crank is cast. (Nodular Iron, but cast)

"LS3's nodular iron, rolled-fillet-journal crankshaft is similar to those used in LS1 and LS6 engines except for counter weights altered to rebalance the engine for a slightly heavier piston."

Your 500 RWHP sounds great. Your car should fly with that hittin' the pavement...

[attymf]

I'd say that the ZR1 should be compared to a GT500 not a blown LS3. I don't see how GM could make a $35K sports car with forged everything and a blower on it.

From everything I have read I'd say you could bring an LS3 to about 700 hp and 625 tq. After that you need to upgrade internals. As for the tranny and rear and what they can handle I have no clue.

As for the ZR1 my friend has one that was sent to the Vette Dr's on Long Island and without a blower, turbo and laughing gas he runs low 10's of street tires. And its an old one, like 1995. Ironically, its currently in his garage in need of a tranny and rear!!! LOL

[SummoneR]

Originally Posted by Xmicro_SS

From what I have read, the Tremec Tranny of the 2SS can handle 700lbs of torque. So I imagine that the rest of the drive train is inline with a few tweeks maybe.

I thought it was 750HP?

[GTAHVIT]

Originally Posted by gtahvit

The next time I have to delete 18 posts after I already asked you all to stay on topic, infractions will be issued to everyone involved.

Camaro guys: Don't get roped into a e-racing debate.
Mustang guys: Stop poking us in the eye.

Everyone has been warned.... again.

I didn't actually delete the previous 18 posts... Did I...

Last warning.. Stay on topic...

[speedster]

Originally Posted by SummoneR

I thought it was 750HP?

If you are worried about the strenght of the Tremec Tranny, contact ProMotion Performance in Ft. Lauderdale/Miami Florida. For my Firebird with the engine in the signature, they took a TKO-600, changed to stronger, crygenically treated gears, put a tranny girdle on it and on the test rack it held 1,400 lb ft of torque. They went on say that was tried with a bone stock Tremec and the first part that failed was the threads on the input shaft. It was well over the factory rating. That says a bunch for the strength of a Tremec.

[CamaroSpike23]

Originally Posted by garagelogic

Well, the facts are, and this is not really up for debate, a stock LS3 motor can only support a certain level of power before it breaks or becomes unreliable. We can debate all day what that number might be, but you cannot debate that the stock 5.4L engine that comes in the GT500 will support much more power before it reaches a similar breaking point.

Yes, absolutely you can build a LS3 with forged internals that will support as much, if not more, than the stock 5.4L engine, but there is a cost associated with doing so. Could you have a SS Camaro making more horsepower than a GT500 with a total cost (price to get into the vehicle, parts, labor, dyno time for tuning, tune cost, etc.) than what it would cost you to buy a 2010 GT500? Sure, but I would hazard to say the difference would be much less than you think it would once everything was added up.

Fast
Cheap
Reliable.

pick two. lol

Originally Posted by gtahvit

I didn't actually delete the previous 18 posts... Did I...

until we get one to play with or check out some of the vette boards to see what kind of numbers they are pushing with a blower on the stock LS3, its all up in the air.

[vladkgb]

Ill take a stock ls3 with bolt on procharger @ a safe and reliable 5psi making over 500rwhp. My 2000 Camaro SS with a stock Ls1 and P1-SC procharger @ 5psi put down 455rwhp, got 20mpg, ran 11's, and i got over 50k reliable and enjoyable miles out of it.

[2005SilveradoSSAWD]

500-550 rwhp on an LS3 is about all I would go, if I wanted to be in the safe zone; even in this range, your going to drastically shorten your engine life. The stock LS3 simply was not designed to run a great amount of boost reliably. Sure you can pick up a LS9 for a great sum of money, or go for all forged parts in you existing LS3, and then the sky is the limit. You people saying you can run 650 rwhp reliably are in for a rude awakening. I'm sure you can make that 650 rwhp on a stock ls3, but how long will it last? In my opinion, no matter how "safe" the tune, its gonna be power by the hour. The stock components were simply not made to withstand that sort of beating at that hp level, if it was, they wouldn't have made the LS9 block, and instead just slapped a blower on the LS3.

[garagelogic]

Originally Posted by vladkgb

Ill take a stock ls3 with bolt on procharger @ a safe and reliable 5psi making over 500rwhp. My 2000 Camaro SS with a stock Ls1 and P1-SC procharger @ 5psi put down 455rwhp, got 20mpg, ran 11's, and i got over 50k reliable and enjoyable miles out of it.

In an effort NOT to continue to take the thread off topic, I will respond to your experience with your LS1/SC combo and say I agree 100% with what you say about the reliability of a low-boost blower on an LSx engine. I know plenty of people who have done the same.

[GTAHVIT]

New thread for the GT500 conversation..

Definitive GT500 Thread

[logan1080]

So with the tremec trans that is in the camaro, what would we have to do to the transmission if we want it to handle over that 700rwhp mark? or should a guy just swap transmissions completely?