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There was also an extremely long delay waiting for a new set of ICE Engine Works modeling bends for this 1-7/8" primary size. After months of waiting we finally punted and used our 1-3/4" (orange) bends to simulate the layout of the tube for the larger tubing size. It slowed things by a bit but Ryan got through the driver's side header.
During one of the extended waits for more bends the custom steering column was completed with this firewall mounted steering shaft bearing. The somewhat large factory hole for the OEM column was closed up, then a new hole was drilled to fit the bolt pattern of the firewall bushing.
While he was working on the firewall, Ryan made a template (above left) then an aluminum panel with a 3D shape (above right) to cover holes in the firewall for the brake booster/master cylinder and a wiring harness. This panel was then covered in DEI reflective gold foil. With that area sorted out, the final section of the header on the driver's side could be built - if we only had supplies.
A couple of months later we finally had enough matching bends - and the driver's side header is complete. This past week Ryan was on the passenger side header, which will be wrapped up soon.
HPR 7.7L LS7 V8 DELIVERED!
We ordered a 442" stroker engine for this project last year, before engine builder Erik Koeing moved to a new shop in McKinney, Texas. While instructing for at the School of Automotive Machinists (SAM Tech) he started his own engine shop 2 decades ago. Koeing and I have been friends for 30 years and another business owner friend of mine and I partnered with him to bring his shop to the Dallas area, which we relaunched as HorsePower-Research (HPR). He has been working with LS engines since they were introduced, and the standard deck aluminum block 468" is one of his popular creations. After he was setup in the new shop we changed the 442" build to a 468", changed the cylinder head choice to an LS7 style, and this pump gas fueled, naturally aspirated 7.7L beast was the result.
This engine started with a dry sleeved, aluminum OEM block with a 4.250" stroke and honed to a 4.185" bore. The forged crank uses HPR's propriety forged rods and pistons, coupled with some block clearancing, to make it all fit. Koenig has built dozens of these 468s for street, drag race and road racing applications - the biggest displacement anyone has safely built inside an OEM LS block.
The blueprinted shortblock was assembled with CNC ported, LS7 style cylinder heads made by Texas Speed. A high lift hydraulic roller camshaft was built to Koenig's specs for this pump gas, road course setup. A similar 468" was recently built for an Optima competitor and made 604 whp - with smaller heads, smaller cam, and smaller headers (
described here). We're hoping to see 650 whp from this on 93 octane, with the intake manifold we have started with.
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