With more than two dozen variants of the LS engine platform already in existence, choosing the right one for your stroker build can seem quite daunting. The Gen III/IV family covers the gamut, from plebian 4.8L truck motors to the beastly 638-hp supercharged LS9. Each has its pros and cons when asked to serve as […]

Displacement is king. Whether it’s in NASCAR Sprint Cup, NHRA Pro Stock, or Formula One, professional race teams always build the biggest motors that their respective rule books allow. This universal quest for maximizing displacement is hardly a coincidence. Internal-combustion engines are nothing more than glorified air pumps, and, as such, the engine that moves […]

Not long after its debut in the 1997 Corvette, General Motor’s LS-series V-8 established itself as the gold standard of performance. Sure, other engine platforms can be built to match it in terms of sheer horsepower output, but none of them offer the LS small-block’s balance of performance, simplicity, low mass, durability, compact size, affordability, […]

The internal-combustion process is downright brutal, and the pistons are quite literally on the front lines of the battlefield. The nature of converting reciprocating energy into rotating force means that the four-stroke process tries to eject the pistons out of the block deck and blow them out through the oil pan in brutal succession. At […]

Back in the stone age of building stroker motors, which was only about 15 years ago, hot rodders had to settle for miniscule displacement gains through primitive means, such as offset grinding production crankshafts. Fortunately, that’s no longer the case. Due to the rise of affordable aftermarket stroker crankshafts in the past decade, cubic inches […]

Maximizing the performance of a supercharged or turbocharged vehicle includes more than the power adder itself. A number of supporting components in the powertrain and chassis require upgrades or attention to not only realize the full horsepower potential of the forced-induction system, but to ensure long-term durability by supporting the greater load imposed by the […]

With a stout short-block filled with an all-forged rotating assembly, the remainder of a boost-ready engine assembly includes the cylinder heads and crucially important camshaft. All LS engines benefit from excellent cylinder-head airflow—some more than others—but it is the camshaft that is the key not only to optimal power but drivability characteristics.   This tech […]

Builders seeking performance beyond the realm of bolt-on supercharger and turbocharger kits— exceeding about 10 pounds of boost, or so—likely need to consider the construction of a custom engine assembly designed specifically for forced induction. In the simplest terms, that means replacing the factory cast rotating parts with premium, forged components; ensuring greater head-clamping power […]

In the most basic terms, electronically controlled engines must be carefully calibrated to take advantage of engine modifications that affect airflow and fuel delivery requirements. That is more imperative for forced-induction engines, which process significantly more air than a comparable, naturally aspirated engine—and do it under positive manifold pressure.   This tech tip is from […]

Unlike most bolt-on supercharger systems, which can easily adapt to a variety of vehicles, turbo kits present unique challenges. There is more to contend with in the routing of inlet and outlet tubing between the exhaust manifolds, turbocharger(s), and engine intake. At the minimum, major changes are required of the exhaust system. Of course, all […]