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Competitive Motor Engine Build - 1,029HP, 440CI, N/A LSXA rare peek inside a competitive LSX all motor engine build by Pro Line Racing From the August, 2012 issue of GM High-Tech Performance By Justin “One-Wheel Peel” Cesler Photography by The Author
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Our initial negotiations were quite tense, to say the least. When we arrived on site, the short-block was almost complete and practically every question was met with a sly smile and a "something like that" type of response. We hadn't even unloaded the camera equipment yet and still the papers were being covered, the parts being quietly stowed away. In all honesty, it wasn't very surprising to be met with this kind of apprehension. We were, after all, there to document the assembly of a naturally aspirated, 1,000-plus horsepower, 440 cubic-inch LSX engine, which was destined to compete in the insanely competitive NMCA LSX Challenge Series All Motor class. To say that information on an engine of this caliber is scarce would be an understatement. Truth be told, breaking the 1,000hp barrier with nothing more than raw atmospheric pressure and some gasoline is an almost impossible task for even the best LSX engine builders, which makes extracting information out of those that can do such a thing quite difficult. Luckily, however, we were not exactly strangers in this place and after some apprehensive moments, the brain trust at Pro Line Racing opened the floodgates. What happened next was overwhelming. We know engine tricks here at GMHTP, but not on this level. Need a couple hundred horsepower increase with a stroker motor? We can handle that. Looking to bolt a blower on and tune it? That's easy stuff. Wondering what it takes to build a naturally aspirated race motor capable of producing over 2.3 hp per cubic-inch while still going rounds and lasting through races? You're going to have to call in the big guns. In case you're wondering, at 440 inches and 1,029 hp, this motor makes exactly 2.33 hp per cube, which is amazing considering a stock LS1 engine rated at 350 makes just 1.01 hp per cubic-inch. With no boost or nitrous, just the same atmospheric pressure and a throttle body, we're talking about an engine that is more than 2.3 times as efficient. Just think about that for a second while we start breaking out the parts list. It all starts with an iron Chevrolet Performance LSX block, which was machined by Pro Line Racing to house eight 4.185-inch cylinder bores, billet main caps, a Jesel beltdrive, and a 4-inch Callies crankshaft. Special machining was also done to the lifter bores to allow for a set of keyed .937-inch solid roller lifters, along with massive 9/16-inch double taper pushrods. Inside, it's all about rotating weight, with the crankshaft cut down, lightweight BME aluminum 6.250-inch connecting rods, and specially designed Diamond pistons wrapped in ultra lightweight, super thin Total Seal rings. Up top, it's all about airflow, with Chevrolet Performance LSX-DR cylinder heads and a matching LSX-DR intake manifold. With 430 cfm of flow right out of the box, these heads can make some steam and the custom Pro Line Racing solid roller camshaft makes sure all the valve events happen exactly when they are needed. If you're looking for cam specs, you can forget it, although we will say it may or may not have over an inch of lift. As we said, this is serious business and if you are at all interested in high-end engine building with attention paid to every detail, we recommend you stick around a while and read through the rest of the story. Like the rulebook, we recommend you read between the lines in some spots...  1 Pro Line Racing waits for...  1 Pro Line Racing waits for no man, and with the clock ticking to get this engine ready for competition, we arrived on scene after the short-block was already together. You’re looking at 440 cubic-inches of meticulous assembly and high-level engineering, all stuffed inside an LSX iron block from Chevrolet Performance.  2 Bobby Lashley, the owner...  2 Bobby Lashley, the owner of this engine, is no stranger to All Motor LSX racing and has been as fast as 8.29 at 163 miles an hour using a 427 cubic-inch C5R based engine. While this build is practically all new, Bobby and Pro Line chose to reuse the Callies crankshaft, which features 4 inches of stroke…  3a …Along with some custom...  3a …Along with some custom machining by the crew at Pro Line.  3b Thanks to the ultra lightweight...  3b Thanks to the ultra lightweight rotating assembly, Pro Line was able to dig deep into the crankshaft, removing weight where they could to help reduce rotating mass and keep the bottom end in balance all the way up to, well, let’s just say over 9,000 rpm.  4 Lightweight parts don’t...  4 Lightweight parts don’t come easy, and when you’re looking for every advantage, aluminum connecting rods are the way to go. Unlike a traditional 6.125-inch LSX connecting rod, these BME aluminum beauties spec in at 6.250 inches, which helps optimize the rod:stroke ratio for maximum performance.  5 Atop the BME aluminum rods...  5 Atop the BME aluminum rods are a set of custom pistons from Diamond Racing, which were designed specifically for this application and matched perfectly to the cylinder heads’ combustion chambers. With final compression north of 14.5:1, the tolerance for a mistake here is quite small. Note the modifications done to the dome to help promote flame propagation and spark plug clearance.  6 These are the most expensive...  6 These are the most expensive set of piston rings we’ve ever featured in the magazine and we’ll just leave it at that. Ultra thin, super lightweight, and built specifically for this engine combination, these Total Seal rings reduce drag and control blow-by, both of which help contribute to the bottom line.  7 With the rings installed...  7 With the rings installed on the pistons and everything in the block, you can really visualize just how aggressive the compression ratio is on this 440. Those big bores measure at 4.185 inches and were machined by the group at Pro Line from a standard deck LSX block.  8 Along with the Chevrolet...  8 Along with the Chevrolet Performance block, Pro Line and Bobby chose to outfit the new All Motor mill with a set of CP’s LSX-DR cylinder heads. Without a doubt the highest-flowing head ever produced by Chevrolet Performance, the LSX-DR flows 430 cfm at .800-inch lift and features 316cc intake runners matched to 116cc exhaust ports.  9 Large heads require large...  9 Large heads require large valves and the LSX-DR units ship with massive 2.250-inch intake and 1.625-inch exhaust pieces. Cut with a 50-degree seat angle, these large valves help the flow characteristics of the cylinder head and match up well with the 50cc combustion chambers. Of course, these beauties aren’t exactly out of the box stock… Kuntz and Company may or may not have spent countless hours on them before we arrived.  10 NMCA rules allow a 100-pound...  10 NMCA rules allow a 100-pound weight break for entries running cast single-plane intake manifolds and Pro Line chose to exploit that weight break by running a Chevrolet Performance LSX-DR specific intake manifold. Built for the “high-RPM airflow needs of racing,” the LSX-DR intake features a single-plane design, large port-matched intake runners, and a single 4500-style mounting pad.  11 The stock LSX-DR intake...  11 The stock LSX-DR intake is great, no doubt, but it definitely does not look like this when it arrives. What you’re looking at here is hours worth of meticulous port work by the masters at Wilson Manifolds, who took the time to hand port the entire intake manifold and match it perfectly to the LSX-DR cylinder heads.  12 At this level, you don’t...  12 At this level, you don’t simply call up your local parts store and order up a couple of gaskets. Oh no, you’re all on your own. Luckily for Pro Line, this is a very simple operation and they managed to knock out a set of gaskets in no time, along with a spare set incase of an emergency. Remember, in racing, something always goes wrong.  13 Moving back to the short-block,...  13 Moving back to the short-block, it was time to outfit it with a set of ARP head studs and Chevrolet Performance 4.200-inch bore MLS gaskets. Prior to this, the deck was checked one final time, using the four-corner method to verify everything was cut straight and in the right place.  14 Time to slide the gigantic...  14 Time to slide the gigantic LSX-DR heads in place, which fit snugly over the bores and clamp down over the 6-bolt provisions of the LSX block. To achieve maximum performance the quench area is quite tight, with the .051-inch gasket thickness, rod stretch and deck height all factoring into the final piston to valve clearance, overall compression, and quench.  15 In a build of this caliber,...  15 In a build of this caliber, every step is crucial and nothing goes unnoticed. Here you can see the intake manifold to cylinder head alignment being checked, along with the gasket to port clearance. Any overhang, restriction, or alignment problem would cost horsepower, which is something Pro Line just can’t afford to give up.  16  17 Yes, those are regulation-sized...  17 Yes, those are regulation-sized baseballs and this is considered a “single” throttle body, which gets a 50-pound advantage on track over a twin throttle body or twin carburetor entry. We’re not even going to venture a guess as to the flow of this massive throttle body, but we’re going to state that it probably isn’t a restriction. Batter up…  18 With a camshaft capable...  18 With a camshaft capable of “more than an inch of lift,” you need a serious valvetrain. Pro Line worked with Jesel to provide the correct shaft-mount rockers, which actuate a set of PAC dual valvesprings capable of handling “north of four bills” worth of spring pressure. We couldn’t photograph the pushrods but can report that they are dual tapered 9⁄16-inch units. Translation: money.  19 If you’re thinking that...  19 If you’re thinking that dual springs seem a little “light duty” for a race application like this that spins past 9 grand with massive seat pressure, you’re on to something. But in the competitive world of All Motor racing, shedding weight (in grams) is critical to achieving maximum power. The PAC springs offer reliability and weight savings, which is why Pro Line chose to run them.  20 Sorry friends, you’re...  20 Sorry friends, you’re not getting any real camshaft information here, so you’re going to have to settle for a shot of the MSD belt-driven distributor and Jesel beltdrive system instead. As these went on, we knew we were getting close to the end, which meant it was almost time to hit the dyno and see what the 440 could do.  21 Taking a step back, it’s...  21 Taking a step back, it’s obvious that this is a serious engine combination making a significant amount of horsepower. With Pro Line at the helm, you can rest assured that every single detail of the build was considered and completed accordingly. When you’re trying to win the NMCA LSX Challenge Series All Motor class, that’s just what it takes.  22 The results are impressive,...  22 The results are impressive, with the 440 cubic-inch naturally aspirated Pro Line mill cranking out 1,029 hp at 8,500 rpm and over 672 lb-ft of torque at 7,400. Even more impressive is the curve, with over 800 hp available from 6500 to 9200, where the engine is still laying down over 950 hp. That’s 2.33 hp per cubic-inch at peak power, making this engine essentially 2.3 times more efficient than a stock LS1!
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1999 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am - Street Heat
Almost no other GM model pulls off the aggressive look quite like the fourth-gen Trans Am, and when you modify one like Nathan Turjillo from Las Vegas has, well; you end up with a real showstopper....
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