LS1 Powered S14 by SicBastard

6 minute(s) of a 390 minute read

The lube tube rods showed up from oliver the other day!

And some news from Ohlins... but first I thought that I'd introduce my lastest distraction

A whipple charged and intercooled 95 miata with 220whp! It's a lot of fun. The second pic is not from mine, just what the kit looks like on a pre '94 with out an intercooler.

Ohlins informed me that they have lost my front shocks, including the tein camber plates, and tender springs. And the custom wooden crate that I spent an entire day making and requested be reused. 

Feeling trapped and without a lot of options I asked what they planned to do about it and was informed that they would ship me a new set for $1500 which is supposedly below their cost. I asked if they had the newer DFV valving available and was informed... no. Also something that I have mixed feelings on is that they are steel, not Aluminum. I realize that the retail on these things is $3200, but honestly I don't exactly feel taken care of (at $1500) after a year of being dicked around, and not even getting my parts back.

Am I being unreasonable?

What would you guys do?

1/11/09

Ohlins & Cam Update:

There's a new guy at the North Carolina shop Joey, that's actually been calling me back when he says he will. He told me that he recently found my front shocks, but that the tenders, springs and camber plates weren't there (in a storage closet). He called to tell me that my new set is in from Japan finally and he'll try and find the rest of the parts. I told him I want everything back, so he's going to do his best. He's holding firm on the $1500 ($3200 is retail) stating that is below their cost. I have trouble believing that, but I'm not going to call him a liar. 

So every thing should be back in my hands by February!

And I'll be putting my original Ohlins up for sale with full disclosure to what ever brave soul wants 'em for $500, when I get 'em.

I've been farting around looking at the most popular LS7 cams and comparing them to what I've been spec'n. Here's what I've gathered about the QM600 & Katech's Torquer:

QM600 

Specs:113+X 23X/25X 6XX/6XX (14-24.5 overlap @ .050â€Â)

Carlos from Vette-Air, “QM600 cam have made everyone pretty happy. With bolt-ons and tuning you are looking at 545 to 565 and with ported heads 575to 600 on pump gas!!!â€Â

Peaks at 6500 with very little taper

600.3 RWHP / 534.2 Torque (RPM ported heads) 

598 HP / 529 TQ (WCCH ported heads and bolt ons)

564RWHP / 501RWTQ bolt ons

Stock Dyno: 432 rwhp /419 rwtq 

Bolt Ons & Tune: 490 / 462

QM600: 555.6 / 485.5

542rwhp and 485 ft-lbs (with only 24 peak timing)

542RWHP 482RWTQ w bolt ons 91 oct (baseline stock was 448 hp though)

Katech Torquer LS7 cam

Specs: 220/244 .615.648 110lsa (usually +4)

(12 overlap @ .050â€Â) From 0 to 4 degrees advance: It increases torque about 6 lb-ft and sacrifices about 4hp

very drivable at 1500rpm in 6th peaks at 6500 rpm. Katech considers it a trade-off for drivability for a loss of power above 6000 rpm. Peaks at ~6400

06 Z06 makes about 500rwhp on a Mustang. 

Depending on whose chassis dyno, we have seen 508-557rwhp

And exactly 600hp / 570 lb-ft of torque on an engine dyno.

In judging the aggressiveness of a cam I often look at the overlap first, and the qm600 definitely carries more overlap than the Torquer, despite the wider LSA. It's surprising to me that the qm600 doesn't seem to produce much more upstairs if any!? With both of these cams, it appears no one's made >565 whp without porting the heads on a 427cc LS7.

The cam I'm spec'n right now changes weekly, but for comparisons sake here's what I like today: 236/244 110 +4

If you use David Vizard's chart to determine LSA based on a ratio of discplacement to intake valve area, he states that the ideal LSA of an LS7 would be 108. I think that the LS7 can probably get away with a little bit wider of an LSA due to it's exceptional flow qualities, especially compared to the SBC heads that I believe David's chart was intended for.

Let's compare LSAs:

Vizard's Chart: 108

Mine:110

Katech:110

qm600:113

stock LS7: 120.5

Also from Vizard's Article:

Level 4 is considered the "street/strip" range of overlap given in "advertised" duration (~0.006" of lift). But once again, I think that for the LS7, these values need to be shifted a little more conservatively.

Let's compare the overlaps @ .050" lift

mine: 20 (69 @ 0.006)

qm600: 14-24.5

torquer: 12

stock LS7: -20

Per Vizard's chart (via overlap alone) my cam is so mild that it doesn't even qualify as a street strip cam! And the Torquer (and probably the qm600) is/are even more mild still. Katech has some videos on you tube of a c6 lugging along on the freeway at 52 mph in 6th gear @ ~1500 rpm. This mild overlap is probably part of the reason these cams are touted as being so "driveable".

Let's compare IVC ABDC @ .050" lift

mine:44 (68.5 @ 0.006)

qm600: ~44- ~52.5

torquer: 36-40

stock LS7: 42 (~66.5 @ 0.006)

I'm used to looking at LS1/LS2 cam numbers, and when I first sat down to spec out my own cam I thought that I had an extremely late IVC. For reference: Patrick G once said IVC no later than 46 (maybe 48?) on a 346 w/ 241 heads. I also presumed that the stock LS7 cam would never have a late IVC with its smallish 211 intake duration. But, interestingly, it's massive LSA of 120.5 pushes the IVC within 2 degrees of my cam! Even more interesting, you'll notice that Katech's cam has an IVC even earlier than the stock LS7 cam! So that's why they call it the TORQUER! Installing that cam, has the same effect upon your dynamic compression ratio, as milling the heads!

Re: future changes?

Before this is over, I may add a touch more exhaust duration, and reduce the advance. I don't know, we'll see!

One more thing I just noticed:

Katech's torquer cam raised the LS7s DCR from 8.5 to 9.1!

And this is still on pump gas! Wow. That goes a long way towards illustrating how good the quench and heat dissapating properties of the LS7 are engineered. A lot of the engine masters challenge engines seem to run with a DCR of right about 8.5. Very few people claim to run around on pump gas on the street with a DCR >9.0:1.