Gen IV LS3 build elements

[Sieg]

So if a guy wanted to build a Gen IV LS3 starting with a late model Camaro salvage motor with a goal of high reliability 500-525 crank hp range or more if realistically obtainable. What modifications and critical components need to happen?

Motor could be subject to occasional or daily driving in town, a few 500-1000 mile road trips, and handle a few 'recreational' track days during the year.

Bottom end

Valve train

Oiling

Tunable EFI

Cooling/venting

Clutch

Machining tips/tricks

I ask because a friend just had a longtime local performance motor shop dropped in his lap. This shop had never done LS motors. Old school GM, Ford, Mopar V8's for drag racing, boats, sprint cars, and performance street cars was the focus.

The new owner knows they need to embrace the LS platform to survive and wants to get a Gen IV to analyze and experiment with.

I want to get him pointed in the right direction with solid fundamentals and advice from those with experience.

Thanks

[rustomatic]

HP Tuners software for the stock PCM or the Holley hp/Dominator setups are probably the best place to start. There's some decent time learning right there--I might get to it myself in a few years, as I just stuck a Gen IV LS in my Falcon. Tons of power seems to come just from cam swaps and tuning in these motors, so there's a lot of homework to do right there.

I'll be keeping the VVT and cylinder deactivation stuff on mine (along with the DBW throttle), because I'm all about efficiency . . .

I'll look forward to any info dumps that happen here.

[Flash68]

Scared me for a minute there Sieg...

[Sieg]

Originally Posted by Flash68

Scared me for a minute there Sieg...

The offer was made to use Norwood as the recipient.......but I haven't seen an engine cover that looks better to me than my Gen 1 SBC motor and everyone knows I don't have the talent to handle any more horsepower.

I did find him a really nice C10 shortwide today that would be a good donor/shop truck.

[PTAddict]

All an LS3 needs to make that kind of crank HP is a cam (and a mild cam at that). I had an LS3 in my previous car (71 Camaro), completely stock internally other than a 227/235 113 LSA Comp LSr cam. Headers too, of course. It made ~465 HP and 430 TQ at the rear wheels. It survived about 20 track days without a hiccup. It idled and drove almost like a stock late model Vette.

[Sieg]

Originally Posted by PTAddict

All an LS3 needs to make that kind of crank HP is a cam (and a mild cam at that). I had an LS3 in my previous car (71 Camaro), completely stock internally other than a 227/235 113 LSA Comp LSr cam. Headers too, of course. It made ~465 HP and 430 TQ at the rear wheels. It survived about 20 track days without a hiccup. It idled and drove almost like a stock late model Vette.

So 550 - 575 at the crank is a reasonably safe target?

What are the LS3's common stress related failures?

[Sieg]

Originally Posted by rustomatic

Tons of power seems to come just from cam swaps and tuning in these motors, so there's a lot of homework to do right there.

Yes there is.