Truck-engined SLC? Engine management?

For some reason I really like the sound of this solid roller Corvette and its overrun:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsEbM77DD_U"]Z06 Corvette - 408ci solid roller - 582rwhp[/ame]
 
The little guys in my head talked to me. Be different they said, do what pretty much no one has done and it will be fun they said, do not listen to others and keep it simple with the LS376 or the V6TT you know they said, it will only take a tiny bit longer to build they said, Rev to 9000 and that will sound and feel amazing they said, 500hp is not enough and 700 is what you should have they said.

Dang voices. Anyone ever hate themselves at times for listening to their own demions. UGGGG if how I feel sometimes.

My little advice. Keep it simple, do what has been done and enjoy. The LS376/480 I got a ride in was stupid fast and I still question my sanity on a daily basis.

Aren't you the one who was doing the flat plane crank project? Don't tell me this post means you gave up!

Personally, I think the 787B is probably one of the best sounding engines ever. If someone was ambitious I think a rotary that sounded similar would be pretty awesome in an SLC.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox2wgHqrNy0"]Mazda 787b Mine Circuit (High Volume!) - YouTube[/ame]
 
I'm all for the development of the rotary engine for the SL-C. The Mazda 787B will forever be the best sounding race car. And with main line racing everywhere going to newer, quieter and 'uglier' technologies (think DeltaWing), more older school gearhead emphasis ( like us) will be on the likes of the SL-C, LM-P, and classic Le Mans C type cars. This group seems the most likely to prosper very well in the future.

Until the arrival of the new DeltaWing, I have always been a firm believer in the old 'form follows function' school of auto design. And I do understand most of the DeltaWing design improvements and acknowledge them as significant. But I also want nothing to do with it.

I think the same can soon be said of next years Formula 1 race cars, and about the silent moving Audi R18 Le Mans cars as to the SOUND of future race cars. To say the least, the future race cars will fall far far short of the seductive hi pitched whine of the 787B's rotary. And again, I think I will not be very interested in these future new race cars. Certainly NOT with the same passion that I have always had for such racing. Racing cars have always been an overpowering symphony of the senses for me. And I want my efforts with race cars to always reflect just that.

So with these less-exciting future realities providing the background,.... if I were looking for a worthy engine development project that would gain the most approval and most future use from the SL-C 's group of enthusiasts, I would definitely spend the time and money on developing a completely reliable, hi performance rotary engine setup that would work for most of Fran's wonderful creations. You would certainly have my esteem and support.
beer2.gif
 
I have a 3-rotor well underway. Should be 700+ rwhp on 91 octane. Here is a good sound clip of a turbo 20b and another of the engine I really want :)
Both are a wee bit more expensive than a truck motor though.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAuA54ynnKE"]THREE ROTOR - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZGq-q6ag0o"]PPRE 6-Rotor MONSTER - YouTube[/ame]

For some reason I really like the sound of this solid roller Corvette and its overrun:
That thing sounds like nails on a chalkboard.
 
If one wanted something different and had a Bridgeport and some spare time, you can make a V-8 based on a pair if Hayabusa bike motors. Excellent sound, 12,000 rpm, nearly 400 up naturally aspirated 3 liter or 700+ up w/ turbos.

But those peaty financial and time constraints read their ugly head and the domestic 5-6 liter crate engine making 400-500 up makes so much more sense
 
Even though I have an L92/6.2L that I'll be putting in my SLC, I might be getting a VK56VD to play with. DOHC V8 with the same bore spacing as the LS3, with variable valve timing and makes 430hp stock. It's a "truck" engine too.
 
Terrific; then we only have to adjust valve lash and whatnot every week or so :D

Never said it was practical. Another price to pay in the quest to be different. Whether you're adjusting valve lash or replacing apex seals, it's just gotta be done, right? :drunk:

Even though I have an L92/6.2L that I'll be putting in my SLC, I might be getting a VK56VD to play with. DOHC V8 with the same bore spacing as the LS3, with variable valve timing and makes 430hp stock. It's a "truck" engine too.

Now you just need a flat-plane crank.

Nissan VK45DE GTR (Honda HSV-010 in vid for comparison):
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89hwABSctl0"]MOTUL AUTECH GT-R[/ame]
 
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Aren't you the one who was doing the flat plane crank project? Don't tell me this post means you gave up!

Still doing it, voices still talking all the time telling me how wonderful and amazing it will be to feel and hear the flat plane engine they say. Someday. LS1 at 300hp goes in first.
 

PeteB

GT40s Supporter
So my question now is how difficult/expensive are engine management systems? Does it vary greatly depending on the engine? Do people just yank the computers from running cars?

One of the great things about a crate LS motor or a Coyote is the engine management system can be purchased with the engine and is designed to be stand-alone so they are fairly easy to hook up.

If you go with a "donor" engine you can pull the wiring harness and ECU out of the donor vehicle and it's up to you to figure out how to hook it up, get rid of all the unneeded wires, and most likely have to have a chip burned to tune it and disable the security features. Alternatively, you can purchase an aftermarket engine management system like FAST EFI or Haltech, but one of these systems will run you at least $3-5K total.

...or you can put a carb on it :shocked:


Pete
 
You can get a megasquirtpro3 for around $1100 with wiring harness that can pretty much control any engine. Add $60 for software and maybe $200-300 for a wideband setup to tune it. For like $1500 you should be good to go.
 
Thanks for all of the information, everyone. I love the 180 degree headers on the LSx and now that I know engine management isn't terribly expensive, I'm much more open to some unique ideas.

VW Phaeton W16 anyone??? Haha
 
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