The Dark Side just got darker.....

[750hp]

You Chevy guys will love the results from the Summernats dyno comp. www.capa.com.au had this to say on their website :

CAPA Performance, the major sponsors of the horsepower heroes at the Summernats, achieved the year long task of producing a vehicle with over 1000 rear wheel horsepower. The CAPA Crewman produced 1022 horsepower on the dyno, this conservatively equates to over 1185 horsepower at the engine. This makes the CAPA Crewman the most powerful LS-1 road driven car in Australia, possibly the world. We are also happy to report that the CAPA Crewman returned 13.2 Litres per 100km fuel economy on it's 1000km journey to Canberra.

[marcocsx3121]

Back in October, Cartek (Garfield, NJ), the guys that built the 427 LS6 engine for my "Vette, achieved 1005 RWHP with a twin turbo 346 cubic inch LS6. Boost was around 28 psig.

[Aussie Mike]

The amazing thing is that the motor it self is not that wild a combo. I believe it's a regular aluminium block that's been bored and stroked to 408 cubic inch. Factory heads that have seen a some port work, new cam, bigger injectors, F.A.S.T manifold with a 90mm TB and uprated fuel and exhaust system.

I think the LS1 is proving to be one of those motors that responds very well to forced induction.

Cheers

[GAV MILDURA]

You want to hear that crewman sing while doing dohnuts on top of Mount Panarama.
The note combined with some amazing amounts of revs were awsome.
The driver at one point missed a gear, and the motor free revved like a pro stocker.
Coming to think of it, it probably is a fuel injected small block pro stocker!!

[boxhead]

Hey there Craig, did you ever think that just maybe the darkside isnt getting darker, but instead some of you other guys are starting to see the light?

[marcocsx3121]

You Aussies have come a long way since the boomerang was leading edge technology.

You're right about the LS1 family and blowers. I've seen over 550 RWHP from a stock LS6 running a Procharger at 8-9 psig.

[750hp]

Mike - I've yet to see CAPA build a budget combination for anyone. Their own demo vehicle would surely have the best of everything they offer. It would be interesting to see the retail price for everything on the Crewman. Certainly not taking anything away from it. I'm blown away by such massive horsepower in a late-model car, but I'd bet it's a LOT wilder than a basic old stroker with a cam and bolt-ons

Box - Haha, no you're wrong ! While the mentality of many of the "lowered Commodore with mags" guys in Queensland might give me good reason to not like the LS1s powering their vehicles, I do like the design of the motor. That being said, my ultimate small block Chev wouldn't actually be based around a Chev block. I can see myself down the track in a Lola T70 Mk3b powered by a 434" SBC with an Oldsmobile Rocket block and some SB2 heads. MMMMmmmmmm........

[NASSTY]

G'day Craig,

Here's the moden day equilivent. GM's new LS7 - 7.0 ltrs and 500 hp stock to appear in the 2006 vette. Hmmm I wonder if HSV's new GTS will be powered by this?

When will ford wake up!

LS7 Details
------------------------------------------------------------------------



* 500 horsepower / 475 lb.-ft. torque
* Racing technology transfer takes production engine performance to new heights
* Racing-derived CNC-ported aluminum cylinder heads


DETROIT – From its inception 50 years ago, GM’s small-block V-8 has been a mainstay and favorite of the performance world. Nothing, however, in the production history of this respected eight-cylinder icon comes close to matching the performance of the all-new, 500-horsepower LS7 small-block.

GM Powertrain, using valuable data gleaned from the factory-sponsored Corvette C5R racing program, developed the LS7 with many competition-derived components and design features. It takes production small-block performance to an unprecedented level while demonstrating the continuing adaptability of the engine’s compact, cam-in-block design. It is, quite simply, the largest, most powerful production small-block V-8 GM has ever produced.

The LS7 displaces 7.0 liters – 427 cubic inches – and is standard equipment in the 2006 Corvette Z06. It is identified by red engine covers and is based on the new Gen IV small-block architecture.

Unlike the previous Corvette Z06 engine, the LS7 has a separate and distinct engine block casting and reciprocating assembly than the base Corvette engine. And when compared to the LS2, it has a different front cover, oil pan, exhaust manifolds and cylinder heads. The unique block accommodates large-displacement cylinders, while other components make use of racing-derived lightweight components to help boost horsepower and rpm capability.

The LS7’s specifications are significant for a production engine:

* 500 horsepower @ 6200 rpm
* 475 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4800 rpm
* 7000-rpm redline
* Unique engine block with larger 104.8-mm (4.125-inch) bores and pressed-in cylinder liners
* Forged steel crankshaft with 101.6-mm (4-inch) stroke
* Titanium connecting rods
* Cast aluminum flat-top pistons
* Racing-derived CNC-ported aluminum cylinder heads with titanium intake valves and sodium-filled exhaust valves
* Dry-sump oiling system
* 11.0:1 compression ratio
* Camshaft with 15-mm (.591-inch) lift
* Hydroformed exhaust headers with unique “quad flow” collector flanges.

All LS7 engines are assembled by hand at GM’s new Performance Build Center in Wixom , Mich. The exacting standards to which they are built include deck-plate boring and honing of the cylinders and even crank line-boring of the block with the deck plates and side bolts installed – procedures normally associated with the building of racing engines and almost unheard of in a production-vehicle engine.

“In many ways, the LS7 is a racing engine in a street car,” said Dave Muscaro, assistant chief engineer of small-block V-8 for passenger cars. “We’ve taken much of what we’ve learned over the years from the 7.0-liter C5R racing program and instilled it here. There really has been nothing else like it offered in a GM production vehicle.”

Indeed, the LS7’s engineers spent as much time at racetracks as they did at engine dynamometers. Everything from the cylinder heads to the unique dry-sump oiling system has a direct line back to the racing program. But while the LS7 has racing roots, it delivers its performance with uncompromising smoothness and tractability – qualities that make the Corvette Z06 a daily-driveable supercar.

Cylinder Block & Reciprocating Assembly

The LS7’s competition-proven construction is exemplified in the cylinder block and reciprocating assembly, where an all-new aluminum block casting is used to provide room for its large, 104.8-mm-diameter (4.125-inch) cylinder bores. Inside the cylinders, aluminum flat-top pistons deliver an 11.0:1 compression ratio. They’re connected to a precision-balanced forged steel crankshaft with a 101.6-mm (4-inch) stroke via lightweight titanium connecting rods.

The titanium rods weigh just 480 grams apiece – almost 30 percent less than the rods in the LS2 V-8. Besides being lightweight, which enhances high-rpm performance and rpm range, titanium makes the rods extremely durable. And as with features like deck-plate honing, the use of premium titanium connecting rods typically is seen only in all-out racing engines.

Other details of the cylinder block assembly include pressed-in cylinder sleeves and forged steel main bearing caps. Pressed-in cylinder sleeves are used to allow the large 104.8-mm bore while the six-bolt, doweled-in-place CNC-machined forged steel main caps offer the superior strength required at the LS7’s power level. The smaller-displacement LS2 engine (101.6-mm bore x 92-mm stroke) has cast-in cylinder sleeves and powder metal main caps.

[NASSTY]

continued.....

Dry Sump Oiling System

The LS7 has a dry-sump oiling system designed to keep the engine properly lubricated during the high cornering loads the Corvette Z06 is capable of producing. An engine compartment-mounted 8-quart reservoir delivers oil to the engine oil pump under the demanding conditions of cornering loads in excess of 1 g.

Oil circulates through the engine and down to the oil pan, where it is sent back to the reservoir via a scavenge pump. The large-capacity reservoir, combined with a high-efficiency air-to-oil cooler, provides necessary engine oil cooling under the demands of the engine’s power output. With the dry-sump system, oil is added to the engine via the reservoir tank – which includes the oil level dipstick.

The LS7’s dry-sump system was developed and tested on racetracks in the United States and Europe , including Germany ’s famed Nürburgring. And while common in racing cars, the Corvette Z06 is one of just a handful of production vehicles – and the only production Corvette – to ever incorporate such a high-performance oiling system.

Cylinder Heads

The LS7’s CNC-ported aluminum cylinder heads are all-new and designed to meet the high airflow demands of the engine’s 7.0-liter displacement. Airflow has increased 25 percent compared to the base Corvette’s 6.0-liter LS2 V-8.

To ensure optimal, uninterrupted airflow, the LS7 has straight, tunnel-like intake runners. Very large by production-vehicle standards, the ports are designed to maintain fast airflow velocity, providing excellent torque at low rpm and exhilarating horsepower at high rpm. Their design is yet another legacy of the Corvette C5R racing program.

The heads feature 70-cc combustion chambers that are fed by huge, 56-mm-diameter titanium intake valves. The lightweight titanium valves each weigh 21 grams less than the stainless steel valves used in the LS2, despite the valve head having 22 percent more area. They are complemented by 41-mm sodium-filled exhaust valves (vs. 39.4-mm valves in the LS2). To accommodate the large valve face diameters, the heads’ valve seats are siamesed; and, taken from experience with the engines of C5R racecars, the LS7’s valve angles are held at 12 degrees – vs. 15 degrees for the LS2 – to enhance airflow through the ports.

“The heads are simply works of mechanical art,” said Muscaro. “We left nothing on the table when it came to ensuring the best airflow through the engine.”

Complete CNC porting of each cylinder head is performed on state-of-the-art five-axis milling machines, which carve out the intake ports, exhaust ports and combustion chambers with mathematical precision. In comparison, the LS2 features cast aluminum heads that require minimal finishing operations.

Camshaft, Exhaust & Other Features

A unique hydraulic roller camshaft actuates the large valves, giving them the time needed to bring in the air/fuel mixture and clear out the exhaust from the LS7’s large air passages. Based on C5R racing experience, the LS7’s cam has an all-new profile that provides .591-inch lift (15 mm) on both the intake and exhaust valves – almost .066 inch more than the LS2’s already stout .525-inch lift specs.

To accommodate the extremely high valve lift and the large ports, 1.8:1 roller rocker arms – offset on the intake side – and raised valve spring seats are used. In contrast, the LS2 has 1.7:1 conventional roller rockers.

Like other Gen IV V-8 engines, the LS7 uses a composite, three-piece friction-welded intake manifold, although its passages are tuned to support the engine’s considerable airflow requirements. The manifold is fronted by a 90-mm-diameter single-bore, electronically controlled throttle body. Higher-capacity, five gram/sec fuel injectors also are mounted in the manifold assembly. Like the LS2, the LS7 has a returnless fuel system that enhances both power and emissions performance.

On the exhaust side, racing-style hydroformed steel tubular exhaust headers are used. The individual header tubes meet at a special quad-outlet collector flange at the very tip of the header outlet where they smoothly enter into a “wide-mouth” catalytic converter. This system design approach greatly contributes to the Z06’s backpressure. The four rectangular sections of the flange smooth the exhaust flow out of the engine.

Hydroformed exhaust headers are unique to the LS7 and are a specialty even among racing engines.

Built By Hand

Assembly of every LS7 engine is performed by hand by a dedicated team member at GM’s new Performance Build Center . The engines are pushed through approximately 15 sub-assembly stations, where only the components and tools necessary to complete the station’s task are on hand. Tools such as electric torque wrenches provide repeatable accuracy for the engine’s precise tolerances, while the eyes of the specially trained team members provide intangible attention to detail.

Team members are engine-build specialists selected from GM’s experimental engine lab, and they complete about 30 LS7 engines per day. Upon completion, each engine is balanced and subjected to a 20-minute heat test. It is then transported to the Corvette Assembly Plant in Bowling Green , Ky. , to be married with a new Corvette Z06.

LS7 at a Glance

* Engine type cam-in-block 90-degree V-8
* Block configuration cast aluminum with pressed-in cylinder sleeves and 6-bolt, forged steel main bearing caps
* Bore x Stroke (mm / in) 104.8 x 101.6 /4.125 x 4.00
* Displacement (L / cu in) 7.0 / 427
* Crankshaft forged steel
* Connecting rods forged titanium
* Pistons cast aluminum
* Compression ratio 11.0:1
* Cylinder heads CNC-ported aluminum; 70-cc chamber volume
* Valve size, intake (mm / in) 56 / 2.20 (titanium)
* Valve size, exhaust (mm / in) 41 / 1.61 (sodium-filled)
* Camshaft hydraulic roller; 15 mm (.591 in) lift (intake and exhaust)
* Rocker arms 1.8:1; offset (intake only)
* Air intake composite manifold with 90 mm single-bore throttle body
* Fuel Premium required. 91 octane minimum
* Horsepower 500 (373 kW) @ 6200 rpm
* Torque (lb-ft) 475 (644 Nm) @ 4800 rpm
* Engine redline (rpm) 7000

[NASSTY]

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[NASSTY]

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[NASSTY]

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[750hp]

Cool stuff. That's a monster camshaft for a production motor!!! I bet it also has quite a bit of duration to ease the cylinder pressure that 11:1 comp would otherwise provide.

I bet they didn't do the dyno runs with those headers....

See, I still have to come up with some smart-ass *****y comment, even though it's a lot better motor that Ford has offered lately.

[Aussie Mike]

It possibly could make those numbers with those manifolds. From the look of them they are a 4-2 design and with the right pipes attached they would make a reasonable Tri-Y set up.

As far as the CAPA motor goes all I'm saying is that it's still factory block and heads. No need for after market items or a fancy C5R race block. They just weld up the water passages in the top of the block and bore out the original liners. Press in some new liners and deck the block and away you go. The iron truck block is even easier since it takes a reasonable size overbore.

Cheers

[marcocsx3121]

Actually, the timing numbers for the production LS7 cam are probably quite mild. My LS6 427 (C5R block) makes 528 HP at the rear wheels (around 620 at the flywheel) with heads and intake that can't flow nearly as well as the LS7 pieces. My cam is 236/242/112 LSA with .610" lift, definitely not emission friendly. I suspect that the LS7 engine can pick up 50-80 HP with a simple cam change.

[Bathrone]

Im not impressed with CAPA.

A 5.7ltr engine, with forced induction, is barely scratching the surface at 1000 rwhp. My observation of CAPA is that they are not innovators and what they do well, is to charge for the services. Or more accurately, vendoring on other companies actual products.

Keep in mind 1.5litre F1 engines put out 1300hp+ two decades ago.

A 13B turbo rotary with water injection and an actual displacement of 2.6l has been demonstrated to put out 1000hp+ on 98 ron fuel.

The 2.6 and 3.0ltr Japanese sixes have put out over 1000hp with forced induction.

[NASSTY]

I'd agree that CAPA is at the pointy end of the market but at least they're supplying a product that has (I assume) been tested properly to work with Aussie motors. There also has to be some trade off between HP v Cost v Reliability.

Those 1.5 ltr 1300 hp cost way more and only lasted for a race.

It's all horses for courses. Some want to win at the dyno only to rebuild their broken motors in the near future. Others will want a good HP v Cost v Reliability. That CAPA car drove to Camberra averaging 13 ltr/100 instead of been on a trailer.

[BevanWright]

So whats up next then - a Cobra with a blown LS7?

[Aussie Mike]

I think CAPA have done alright and achieved what they set out to do. They drove the car 1000 KM to the event, ran it on the dyno and made more than 1000 HP at the wheels and then drove it 1000 KM home. They got 13.2L/100KM on the trip and the car is reliable and drives like a stock Comodore.

Considering a stock LS1 commodore makes around 230HP at the rear wheels, they have built the motor that makes more than 4 times that.

I'd be interested to see how a 1000 HP 13B or a 1300HP F1 engine would perform under the same test. Fuel economy? Reliability? Drivability?

Cheers

[boxhead]

I agree with Nassty here, the F1 engine yes it does make alot more power but just how long does it last?
Also just how much money has been poured into it & it is also a dedicated engine block designed for its purpose, where as the capa vehicle is useing a production block.
Also as Nassty has said the Crewman was driven to and from Canberra, I dont think an F1 engine would drive any car that far.
The other engines you have mentioned where they driven around as daily use vehicles or only on tracks and limited use?