How to Build High-Perf. Chevy LS1/LS6

by Will Handzel

Overview

In 1997 Chevrolet did the unthinkable: it re-designed the most popular and most modified engine in American history. The Chevrolet small-block V-8 made its debut in 1955, and with its arrival, Chevrolet instantly leaped to the forefront in the minds of hot rodders and performance enthusiasts alike. While the engine grew in displacement and technology over the next 30 years, its basic design remained unchanged...until 1997, when the Generation III LS1/LS6 engine design was introduced. The LS1 engine first appeared in the 1997 Corvette, and soon followed in the Camaro, Firebird, and thousands of full-size Chevy trucks and SUVs. This book is essential for the enthusiast who wants to get the most performance out of this engine design but is only familiar with the older Chevy small-blocks. Along with full-color photos, this book includes everything you need to know about these engines, including the difficult engine removal and installation, simple engine bolt-ons, electronic controls for the Generation III engine, and detailed engine builds at four different power levels.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781932494884
Publisher:	CarTech
Publication date:	10/25/2008
Series:	S-A Design
Pages:	160
Sales rank:	1,090,380
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Will grew up an automotive enthusiast in Chicago, with parents that were not enthusiasts, dreaming of working in the car business. He earned his Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana and then went to work on a small SCCA racing team. Soon after, he got a job as the Technical Editor for the racecar and tech cult-classic Circle Track magazine in the late 1980s. He worked full-time in the magazine business for the next 10 years, writing tech for Circle Track, Rod & Custom, Hot Rod, and Motor Trend’s Truck Trend magazine. In 2000 he went to work for General Motors as a Design Release Engineer in their Structures and Closures area (bodies and doors). He worked through the Engineering ranks up to Lead Design Engineer and in 2003 he became the Program Manager at the GM Performance Parts division.

Table of Contents

Dedication and Foreword

Preface, Acknowledgments, and Author’s Bio

Introduction

Chapter 1: The History of The Gen III LS1 V-8

Small Blocks: Gen I/II/III

Thumbs-Up for the Gen III

The Gen III LS1 V-8 Begins

Building an Engine From Scratch

The LS6 Story

The LQ9

The Future

Chapter 2: The Gen III LS1 V-8 Engine Basics

Gen III LS1 V-8 Usages

The Details to Make Horsepower

Engine Block

Cylinder Heads

Crankshaft

Connecting Rods

Pistons

Valvetrain

Oiling System

Intake Tract

Electronic Fuel Injection

Ignition

Exhaust

Front Accessory Drive

The LQ4 and LQ9 6.0-Liter Gen IIIs

Building a High-Performance 6.0-Liter Gen III V-8

Quality Built Engines

Vehicle and Gen III V-8 Factory Combos

Chapter 3: Production Parts for Performance

Engine Blocks

Cranks

Rods

Pistons

Valves

Valvesprings

Camshafts

Cylinder Heads

Fasteners

Intake Manifold

Coils

Oil Pans

Throttle Body

Mass Airflow (MAF) Sensors

Airbox

Chapter 4: Tips and Tricks to Remove and Reinstall the Gen III V-8

Removing a Gen III V-8 from an F-Car

Removing a Gen III V-8 from a Corvette

Removing a Gen III from a Full-Size Truck or SUV

Running a Gen III V-8 in a Pre-Gen III V-8 Vehicle

Chapter 5: Bolt-On Power

Where Does Bolt-On Power Come From?

Noise Canceling

Hot Rod Development

Airboxes

Intake Manifold

Performance Camshaft and Valvetrain Components

Supercharger

Nitrous

Chapter 6: 100 Horsepower Anybody Can Install

SLP Power

More Air

A Lift

Special Tools

Tips for Success

Why CNC Porting?

Vehicles That Respond

Dyno Results

Chapter 7: 500+ Horsepower NA Street-Racer Buildup

Power Parts

External Pump Oiling System

Simple Performance

Controlling it All

Every Last Detail

Block Prep

Ring Fitting

Bearing Clearance

Hanging the Pistons on the Rods

Installing Rings on Pistons

Installing the Crank in the Block

Installing a Camshaft

Installing the Connecting Rods/Pistons

Piston Talk

Oiling System and Water Pump

Building Cylinder Heads

Installing and Torquing the Cylinder Heads

Dyno Results

Chapter 8: Gen III Vortec Truck Engine Buildups

Simple Supercharger Install

LS6 Parts for Power

Turbo

Chapter 9: 1,200-Horsepower, 387-Cubic-Inch C5R Power

The Builders

The Engine

How to Build 1,200-Horsepower Engines

Prepping a Race Block

Cleaning Parts for Final Install

Piston and Rod Assembly

Installing the Cam

Degreeing the Cam

Building the Heads

Finishing it Off

So How Did It Do?

Chapter 10: How to Control That Gen III V-8

Slewing

EFI Computer Contents

Fuel Injectors

Mass Air, Speed-Density, and Alpha-N

Sequential, Bank Fire, and Batch Fire

Tuning the Gen III V-8 EFI

Aftermarket Controllers

Editorial Reviews

"How to Build High-Performance Chevy LS1/LS6 V-8s is worth its weight in gold, if only for the step-by-step engine removal sequences for Corvettes and the steel-bodied GM vehicles that use that same engine platform."

Corvette Fever - Scott Ross