GM late-model performance enthusiasts are currently living through a new golden age of performance. Like what the original Chevy small-block engine did for engine builders during the previous 50 years, so now the "LS" series is doing by providing a wealth of performance potential.
At the forefront of development is suburban Detroit's Katech Engines. In fact, Katech was tinkering with LS engines before others really knew they existed. The company has long been a racing engine builder and worked with Chevrolet on the wildly successful Corvette C5-R racing program-a relationship that continues to this day with the C6.R program.
It was only recently that Katech decided to open its doors to street-oriented enthusiasts, but it has quickly filled the pipeline with a plethora of parts, engines, and obscenely fast street cars. We've recently sampled Katech's 10-second Camaro (seen elsewhere in this issue) and blasted around the 'burbs in a 520-horse, 427-powered TrailBlazer SS.
Neither the company's lightning-fast Camaro nor its Texas customer's deceptively quick TrailBlazer would be considered inexpensive projects in most enthusiasts' books, but Katech is reaching out to the performance masses with targeted engine components and short blocks. One of its most interesting offerings is the 7L assembly dubbed the "Value Short-Block."As its name suggests, the Value Short-Block is a budget-minded 427-inch engine foundation. It includes a balanced and blueprinted aluminum cylinder block, forged crank, rods, and pistons-all preassembled and ready for final assembly with heads, a cam, intake, etc.
Katech lists the Value Short-Block at $6,950, with items such as a camshaft, heads, and a 58X crankshaft trigger available as extra-cost options. The rotating assembly components are first-class items from Cola, Callies, and Mahle.
If nearly seven large seems like a stretch to connote with "budget," consider that a bare C5-R block costs nearly as much without the rotating assembly. An LS7 block costs around $3,000. Throw in the premium rotating parts from the Katech short-block and it's almost like buying the parts and getting the assembly for free.
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The foundation for Katech's Value Short-Block is a GM 6L production aluminum cylinder block. Even with Katech's relining of the blocks with new, larger-bore sleeves, they still offer a noticeable price advantage over using an LS7 block. | 
Factory-style main caps, studs, and bolts are used on the bottom, and they'll support close to 600 hp. Extra-strength/extra-cost options include billet steel main caps that are doweled to the main webs, as well as align-boring and honing. |