I have a question.

I've been reading on here for a while about boosting my engine via supercharger or turbo. The general concensus is that unless I rebuild it with a forged bottom end it won't last.

What about the GM Supercharged V6 in the Pontiac Grand Prix GTP??? Does it come from the factory with a forged bottom end?? I was under the impression that it was basically the regular 3800 V6 with a blower??

Is the regular 3800 V6 stronger than our LS1's??

I also checked on the 03 Cobra and their website says forged steel crank but nothing about forged pistons etc.

Anyways thanks for any info.

 

The '03 Cobra's motor has an iron block, was built specifically to handle high boost and I've heard it can stand up to 1,000 HP.

The GTP, Impalas, Park Avenues, etc. with superchargers don't run high boost, just enough to give them a little more umph than most cars.

I've heard you can have forced induction on LS1s, but when you start to up the boost over like 8 psi, you might have problems.

 

Well i wasn't planning on going crazy with boost, i know that's bad LOL

I was just looking at the kits by ATI and Vortech and they run 5-7 PSI. That's all I'd need on a street car anyways.

 

Anything more than 5-7 psi and those pistons are gonna have to come out (or a head with more volume has gotta go in) or she'll never run on pump gas. I dont know who, but someone has to make a girdle for these motors, at this point. Without going insane i would imagine that should be enough.

 

Well I don't want to put new piston/heads in yet. I figured those 6 PSI kits would make my baby awfully mean on the streets as well as on the track

 

The problem is that the LS1 engine is already running 10:1 compression, designed for natural aspiration. Most turbo/ supercharger engines are designed with a lower compression ratio to prevent detonation under boost (which is what will trash the bottom-end of your engine.) The 03 Cobra is 9.0:1 I believe and the Neon SRT-4 is only 8.1:1.
Adding an aftercooler will reduce the intake charge temperature and will allow running boost safer in a stock LS1 engine, because the cooler intake charge reduces the chance of detonation.
I had looked at supercharging my old LT1 before selling it for my current setup. The info I found was that the engine life will be diminished from the boost. Among other things, the gaskets aren't designed for the added pressure. So, I would personally have $$ set aside to rebuild the engine if you add the supercharger/ turbo.

Schantin
2002 Camaro Z28 M6

 

or ya could get a Lingenfelter SC setup done and have it warrantied. hehe

Thats the route I want to do..

 

I didn't think Lingenfelter did SC for the f body. Their site only shows for corvettes and trucks cause they use a roots style which won't fit under out hoods.

I may be wrong though.

 

I just don't buy that anything more than 6 PSI on the stock engine will blow it up. I've ran 8PSI for over a year now (ATI Procharger D-1SC), tuned to 91 octane fuel. This car has never so much as hiccuped or missed a beat. I wouldn't suggest more, and I know 8 is pushing it just a bit. But I still think the secret is in the tuning, and properly taking care of the car while minimizing frequent abuse.

Mike M

 

Lingenfelter does to f-bodies, go check their site.. its on there....

cory

 

High boost+high compression+crappy pistons=boom.

It's not that you can't run boost in a stock LS1, you can. It's just that most people will pulley the thing for 6-7 PSI and run around for a while and be ok. Then, the old "bigger is better" logic kicks in and new pullies for 9+ PSI go in and the pistons go out.

 

The ls1 shortblock can take a good amount off boost. Tune it right and intercool it. When you want to have real fun buy a tank of race gas. If your only going 6lbs your fine. Check out ls1tech and see what the guys over there do. In Gm high tech magazine there are plenty of guys running 6-8lbs with heads and cam.