I know my carb, exhaust and HEI are killing my power. I'm just running this to break in the engine. This winter I'm going with a Holley chokeless main body, an MSD 6AL box, and full-length headers. I plan on bracket-racing the car next spring. I think the engine should be around 400 hp and run mid-to-high 12s in the quarter. Any input would be helpful.Kyle PhillipsVia e-mail
A When do they go boom?! Well, that is a very tough question. It comes down to the components of the build and the maximum piston speed at a peak rpm. If you use average piston speed as a gauge, engines using cast cranks and pistons with stock rods will live under 3,500 feet-per-minute (fpm) piston speed. Engines built with forged cranks, forged pistons, and prepped rods with good bolts will live in the 4,000-fpm range. Now for purpose-built drag-racing engines that use very lightweight pistons, forged or billet crankshafts, aluminum or titanium rods will live in the 5,000-fpm range!
What does this mean to your 350 small-block? The formula for calculating average piston speed is: stroke x rpm 6. Your 350 with its 3.48-inch stroke at 7,000 rpm works out to: 3.48 x 7,000 6 = 4,060 fpm. This is pushing the components you've built up. If you went with a more conservative 6,500 rpm, the piston speed falls in at 3,770 fpm. If you kept your shift points at 6,500 rpm and ran it out in High gear you could see a problem.
With your list of components I believe it would make peak power in the 7,000-rpm range and produce somewhere in the 450hp range! This is a little higher than you had projected, but that is quite a camshaft you have there. Watch the engine speed and how long it's there and you shouldn't have a problem. The Scat crank is a nice unit and is much more durable over the factory piece. The Keith Black hypereutectic pistons are very strong, but quite brittle. The crank and pistons will not tolerate detonation, so stay conservative on the spark advance and keep your engine fed with good gas. Good luck and enjoy your bracket toy.
Mount UpQ I have the opportunity to purchase an '01 LS1 crate engine and was wondering how difficult it would be to install this into my '67 RS/SS Camaro? The crate engine has no intake or coil packs. Are there any manuals or a kit available for this swap?Ted SuralisRiverview, FL
A The third-gen small-blocks are becoming very plentiful either from scrapped Camaros or from GM in crate-engine form. The engine has been around since '97 in Corvettes and '98 in Camaros and are very hard to beat for performance per dollar.
To swap an LS-based engine into your Camaro, check out Turn Key Engine Supply for any needed engine-based hardware. Be sure to check out Brewers Restoration and Performance, which offers LS-based engine swap kits for first- and second-generation Camaros, '62-67 Chevy II/Novas, '78-88 G-bodies, '64-67 A-bodies, '68-72 A-bodies, and '55-57 Chevys. Brewers has engine mounts, and transmission crossmembers for both T56 six-speeds and four-speed OD automatics.
For simple plug-and-play computer and wiring harnesses for your LS1, look to Painless Performance, which has several systems out for the LS-based engines. Its Perfect Engine Management (PN 65106) system is a Delco MEFI 4 computer and wiring harness to control all engine functions. It's very simple to install and wire. If you want to step up the performance check out the Perfect Hi-RPM. This system consists of a street-performance camshaft and a controller and harness that have been programmed for peak performance with its camshaft. These packages pick up 35-40 hp over the stock LS1 engine.
Be brave and pick up these components for your LS1 crate engine and drop it into your Camaro. You'll love the added power and drivability of the EFI LS1.