416" Longevity

[naws]

Who here has a 4" stroked LS3 and how long has the engine lasted like that? Or when did it let go? Boosted or NA? HP Level?

I've had a few people tell me a 4" stroke on a supercharged LS3 will greatly reduce it's life verse a stock 3.622" stroke because the sleeves aren't long enough and looking to hear real world opinions.

[Synner]

They're thinking of a 427 with stock sleeves. 416 is fine.

[Bo White]

Correct

[naws]

Originally Posted by Synner

They're thinking of a 427 with stock sleeves. 416 is fine.

I clarified with both 4" stroke, 416ci. One of the companies was SME so it's not like they are unfamiliar with LS engines and would be confused.

Have you guys ran 416's? How long have they lived?

[Pro-tuned]

I am running a stroker (408 iron block though). I have a friend running a 416 with a 4ltr whipple he just tore down the engine for a refresh. I saw his piston skirts which had wear. I didn’t take pics but I will see how far along he is.

[naws]

Originally Posted by Pro-tuned

I am running a (408 iron block though). I have a friend running a 416 with a 4ltr whipple he just tore down the engine for a refresh. I saw his piston skirts which had wear. I didn’t take pics but I will see how far along he is.

I'm curious how many miles before it needed the refresh. How much have you put on the 408 so far?

[Pro-tuned]

His car is a straight drift car LS3 so it sees a lot of action. My setup LQ9 is fully forged 2.9 overdrive, 7000 miles since new and no issues. All in a 2014 vert. A very stable combo.

[SSE 4 2SS]

Originally Posted by naws

I'm curious how many miles before it needed the refresh. How much have you put on the 408 so far?

This is a wide open question. I run a 417 cubic inch aluminum motor with ductile iron sleeves. The problem with this question is power levels, driving style, oil quality, and how hard the motor is pushed and these are not all inclusive...

My Motor... Longer sleeves, less piston wobble. This motor makes well over 2,300 HP. We push the hell out of it every time we run it... It sees 9,000 rpm often... We seldom drive it on the street... we change the oil every event or more if needed... We fully warm it up prior to flatting the pedal on the floor... This motor has just been refreshed after breaking a piston and destroying two heads... from a bad O2 sensor at 9K rpm and 200 mph... This was after about 200 miles on the motor... dyno time, pit driving and mile passes....

Then there are relatively stock motors at 416, 417 cubic inches that will last the life of the vehicle... How often do you change oil, and how often are you flat footing it... Who built the motor and to what tolerances...Was it built for boost or for a N/A configuration.... Its' a loaded question as mentioned... Offer more information and we can help... But.... THERE are no guarantees....

[Pro-tuned]

For street use the only way I would stroke an LS3

[GONIF]

A NA 416 built right will live a long time if you don't over rev it all the time. Should give you lots of low end torque . There is this guy in Scottsdale running a forged 416 with a pro charger in his 2012 Camaro ss that has 30000 miles since he installed it and it still runs strong .

[naws]

Originally Posted by SSE 4 2SS

This is a wide open question. I run a 417 cubic inch aluminum motor with ductile iron sleeves. The problem with this question is power levels, driving style, oil quality, and how hard the motor is pushed and these are not all inclusive...

My Motor... Longer sleeves, less piston wobble. This motor makes well over 2,300 HP. We push the hell out of it every time we run it... It sees 9,000 rpm often... We seldom drive it on the street... we change the oil every event or more if needed... We fully warm it up prior to flatting the pedal on the floor... This motor has just been refreshed after breaking a piston and destroying two heads... from a bad O2 sensor at 9K rpm and 200 mph... This was after about 200 miles on the motor... dyno time, pit driving and mile passes....

Then there are relatively stock motors at 416, 417 cubic inches that will last the life of the vehicle... How often do you change oil, and how often are you flat footing it... Who built the motor and to what tolerances...Was it built for boost or for a N/A configuration.... Its' a loaded question as mentioned... Offer more information and we can help... But.... THERE are no guarantees....

Is that 2,300HP with an aftermarket block as well as sleeves?

The car only get about 3,000km's a year (the summer) and i change the oil every spring so that it's fresh for the summer. I could change it more often if that would make a difference. The car isn't daily driven so when it is driven it is generally pretty hard but it isn't constant 1/4 mile passes. A street car driven with enthusiasm, the odd Mexico races and 1/4 mile track once or twice a year.

The motor isn't built yet so I can't speak as to tolerances. I do have confidence in this area. Rings will be gapped for boost and I'll be running a blower on it (leaning towards a Whipple right now)

[Rhino79]

My NA 417 was 12:1 compression, I shifted at 7900 rpm and it was great for over 2 years of non stop abuse.

The 417 is versatile, offers some nice mid range. The durability of a 4"stroke setup in a LS3 block is stronger than the actual block itself.

[SSE 4 2SS]

Originally Posted by naws

Is that 2,300HP with an aftermarket block as well as sleeves?

The car only get about 3,000km's a year (the summer) and i change the oil every spring so that it's fresh for the summer. I could change it more often if that would make a difference. The car isn't daily driven so when it is driven it is generally pretty hard but it isn't constant 1/4 mile passes. A street car driven with enthusiasm, the odd Mexico races and 1/4 mile track once or twice a year.

The motor isn't built yet so I can't speak as to tolerances. I do have confidence in this area. Rings will be gapped for boost and I'll be running a blower on it (leaning towards a Whipple right now)

Yes, it's a fully built block with wet sleeves. Essentially the company that built it put an LS block in a CNC machine and removed all the gussets, cylinders, water passages etc... Then they go back in and add gussets and cross braces, girdles and the sleeves. In my case, the block is also half filled.

My build is a one off motor designed as a collaborative effort of five different companies.

The best way to approach this is find a reputable builder, discuss desires, make a budget and then allow for 2.5 times that much... The decide on company to build the motor and go from there... If a tuner says there is only one way to do something, run far and fast.. Most turners don't build motors, most builders don't tune... So, allow for variables to fit your desires.

Another thing to consider is smaller cubes and higher RPM's as an option... We spin my motor to 9,000 RPM. RPM's = HP...

[Pro-tuned]

I was able to stop in and check on the build. The engine was still un-assembled sorry I didn’t have a bore gauge to check the bore but based on what I saw you draw your own conclusion. I am seeing enough evidence of rocking. The below pics show both sides of the same piston.