How Much Does an LS Engine Build Cost?

[@seanwiebe9611]

Am I ever building an LS motor, probably not, did I just watch a full hour detailed explanation on which parts I should use and why. Yes, yes I did. If I ever was building a motor I would want it done by these guys, there’s a passion for engineering that is apparent here.

[@gt40f]

I'm building an LC9 5.3 for endurance road racing, it's two 7hr races on a weekend. It's a refreshed salvage yard engine with a cam, ported heads, LS2 intake, HP tuners, and an accusump. About 400 HP and $4000. The series is limited by street tires and 24 gallon fuel cell. Barely 1% of drivers can even use 400 hp to its full capacity on a road course. A friend of mine built a similar 5.3 and did 12 races over 2 years without a problem.

[@satyarpm]

As a material science student, I was really happy when he started talking about grain refinement and near-net shaped forging. Top tier content as always, guys!

[@motoiq]

Thank you!

[@satyarpm]

Would love to see this sort of break down video for an S85 v10. I know they're not that common of an engine to swap or something that's used in competition, but they are quite unreliable. Would be great to see your take on how to make that engine work reliably and the general challenges that engine poses for builders. Once again, thanks for all the great work, Mike!

[@motoiq]

We have an S65 that we are eventually going to get to.

[@1ute]

Navi Fan???

[@geoffm3031]

Giving up the building secrets and cost to run an LSX. Almost proprietary knowledge on building a solid durable LS motor. Until the late 90's only a handful of tuners would divulge this knowledge without financial compensation. I watch the entire video and I want to build a 418 by these guys!

[@mikaelstalnacke3613]

I must say that Mike is so skilful engineer, and he is so nice to listen to. He don’t scream and talk too fast so even I can keep up with everything he says. he is always smiling and calm and so talent and experienced mechanic. Keep up the good work. 💪🏻

[@evokid379]

Mike is literally my favorite guy doing this kind of work. So many people out there suck, he doesn’t. I might ship my engine to MotoIQ from the east coast, thats how much I like you guys 🤣

[@motoiq]

Glad you like it, so many shops just throw an engine together without checking anything, we fix those for people.

[@johnnyhotrod]

I’m with you,I’m In NY and I’m gonna call them this week.Called Shafiroff here in NY and didn’t feel comfortable with them,didn’t like the responses I got. These guys make me comfortable

[@whodahellru8124]

Same. I’m in NC and want to build a mildly spicy 5.3 that will perform and stay together. I’ve built engines before but it’s the machining and clearances that makes all the difference!

[@TheTexican05]

Consider the following: Very few engine builders have this attention to detail. And MotoIQ is sharing a LOT of the tech secrets with the masses to help the community. Love and gratitude from an LS man for 22yrs. 👏 🍺 ❤️

[@motoiq]

Thanks for sharing

[@rafaelbuelna3630]

Tom Nelson from nelson's racing engines is also on the same boat, full of knowledge on engine builds

[@Eqium]

don't know about that my engine guy pays more attention to detail so much so he gets annoying at times, but he has set more national records than anyone else in my country he won't work on street engines he does drag racing pro stock or group 2, speedway sprint cars, I have watched him on his flow bench for hours with his piece of string watching how the head flow change he doesn't do CNC heads he does the porting to suit the build. I have learnt a lot from him and teached me the ethics of winning the more work you do the more you win

[@jobber260]

The budget build costs around $14,000, while the high-performance build can reach up to $28,000.

[@Clobercow1]

Sounds very reasonable.

[@SkylerBrown-g4m]

I guess maybe if you're formula racing lol but hell if you're drag racing you can build plenty enough engine for like 5 lol

[@Lowclef]

That’s ridiculous. You could build two fantastic engines for that price.

[@nuckels188]

@@Clobercow1 miata + LS > hellcat

[@richardrohr5106]

I have a suggestion. Do a 100% stock LS build with all the factory parts cryotreated and wpc treated. Show us the performance and cost. Thanks guys. Love your content.

[@motoiq]

The trouble is no one wants to build an engine like that.

[@getawayperformance]

@@motoiq that is basically what i want to build, stock but fully treated.

[@sparrowdactyl9632]

I love how thorough Mike is, I could listen to him for hours!

[@josels1292]

Gay

[@lambchopLSX87]

Man this is some great info. Great video. I think it also helps that this man looks like he just ripped a bong and is just cheesing with every word. A man who smiles when he talks truly loves what he does

[@DreamInVader360]

The most knowledgeable videos I've ever seen come from you folks at MotoIQ. I am super impressed with how thorough you are. Hats off to you 👏

[@motoiq]

Thank you!

[@killintime1311]

Nothing new with these guys. True Professionals

[@Scott9181970]

Mike is way too humble for his own good. If I recall correctly, the man has been in high level racing as an engineer since like, the 80s, and has put his hands on some of the craziest race cars any of us could ever dream of. Respect the yam.

[@scottmartinetti4875]

I love it when a person knows so much about someone and are passionate about it, that they can ramble on and on. This guy can't stop smiling. 😂

[@Force1Com]

I've done this a lot, put long rods into shirt skirts. I like it...

[@Force1Com]

Sometimes... the rods are too long, and that creates some problems

[@Force1Com]

It's good to get your engine nice and hot before you shut it off and lubrication is really cool

[@angelrocha6505]

Idk about y’all, but I cannot work on an engine unless it’s clean first! You guys are a great example of working and staying clean, attention to detail is superb.

[@motoiq]

Thanks 👍

[@bigmiketamayo2668]

I’m here for Mike, I dig his attention to detail along with strait experience, guys like this don’t exist to tell his level in the craft of engine building.

[@raul1203ful]

I don't coment on videos ever, until today. I love your videos they're very informative and technical. The additional information gives a great understanding.

[@hapyharyhard0n581]

This just reminds me of why i miss Sport Compact Car... between mike and Dave, learned a TON!

[@LittleLadyLidbetter]

"We build our stuff to hold up" Keep doing great work!

[@motoiq]

Yes! Thank you!

[@Dks-q6t]

Love the flow on your program…..even if it’s above my pay grade I feel I can follow.. thanks for sharing your experience

[@BigBoyWoogie]

I can tell you an apprenticeship working with these guys would be invaluable.

[@jaredchampagne2752]

Pretty much what I’ve taken from this video, is that to race anything competitively, or have full as engine builds done relatively frequently, you better make 300-400k per year or be close to a millionaire. Why do I have such an expensive passion.

[@SkylerBrown-g4m]

Nah man you drag race the 7 class even the 6s very competivly with 5k engine in a good chassis it'll have to be a mustang or something smaller

[@DC5Brandon]

You read my mind. I was curious on prices when compated to a K motor for a potential engine swap for a Cayman with a blown motor.

[@hotshtsr20]

Make sure to post the swap on all the Porsche forums for maximum outrage. :)

[@DC5Brandon]

@@hotshtsr20 😂 Oh, I still have the flat 6 and love it, but it doesn't hurt to plan on contingencies when a new stock replacement flat 6 costs $25k+ 😵

[@motoiq]

An LS goes in there pretty good! They make swap kits too!

[@hotshtsr20]

@@DC5Brandon well, if you’re bored, you could always post questions about it and watch the rage. :)

[@DC5Brandon]

@@hotshtsr20 LOL. My Cayman's already modified. Surely I'm cancelled somewhere.

[@blackmanops3749]

Thank you for sharing this comprehensive cost overview and putting it all in perspective.

[@402SHO]

Thank you for the breakdown on the ultra series pistons makes me feel better seeing someone explain the features

[@motoiq]

You are welcome.

[@GregoryBrettin]

You guys basically proved why doing an LS build WELL isn't cheap. I've done an extensive stock block LC9 build and spent a fair amount of coin getting it done right so that I can have reliability and longevity for my twin turbo LS swap in my 370z. I'll direct people to this video on why things cost what they do.

[@motoiq]

Good idea!

[@basedlibertyprime]

I finding this out first hand lol. I wanted to use most of the stock components of the dirty lq4 that I bought for $300CAD and oh boy did I ever get what I paid for the damn thing never seen a oil change so I’m basically replacing everything and boring the cylinders out because two of them were oval. I’m into it for about $4000USD at this point and I’m still not done buying shit for it.

[@motoiq]

Good thing you can bore those over a lot! LQ's have a ton of potential.

[@GregoryBrettin]

@@basedlibertyprime Yeah man. I had something similar. I bought a "low milage" engine. The cylinders were out of round (slightly) and the cylinder walls were pitted from water. I was planning on taking it to the machine shop anyway... but I paid a premium for the whole engine, that made me salty.

[@midnight347]

But but but the internet said you can do ls swap for 500-1000 bucks come on man don't lie we know the truth! Lmao jk. I sure hope my sarcasm shows through.

[@FrequSpectra]

I can't help but feel the energy the guy on the right is trying to not laugh and it makes me 😆. Awesome content and props for sharing your hard-earned expertise 🙏

[@DEADINSID3.]

Bro i swear😂 dude has to be baked out of his mind.

[@jaredchampagne2752]

I’m sure that these guys are absolutely top notch engine builders and they make serious power and serious reliability, but I don’t think anyone who’s truly on a budget has $15-20k to drop on just a basic engine build, if they have they kind of budget they are probably just going to go full send.

[@christophermix6845]

I'm putting the same piston in my stroker, man JE makes a great piston! Love your videos! very thorough and informative.

[@motoiq]

Thank you!

[@JayHue-u1t]

Currently rebuilding seized 4.8 v8 LR4/LS. So far total cost not counting tools or any machining that may/not be needed is $600.00. Reusing block, heads, crankshaft, camshaft, valves, valve springs, piston rods and heads. Replacing everything else with new. Cheapest everything I can find.

[@motoiq]

Thats great if you have no expectations on performance and possibly reliability.

[@Rad_Triumph_765_RS]

A remedy that I did with my LQ9 was I over filled my oil by almost 2 quarts when I used the AFM Melling oil pump. I did a ghetto sight glass in my block and used a GoPro to watch it when I ran. I judged where the oil sat with a drawn sharpie line on my oil pan with the elevation of my oil pickup tube.

[@motoiq]

That can work!

[@nickc7318]

Yall cover it all.. so much knowledge and experience from the passion for power and quality. This content is so thorough and i feel lucky to stumble upon yall. Diamond in the rough, love yall, keep killing it. Im sure everyone appreciates the sharing of this lifetime aquired experience in a calm and genuine manor, easy to listen to, very intruiging... i cant praise you guys enough. 🎉👊👍🤟

[@TheMostSmokeCrew]

Love you guys and appreciate all the knowledge you share ❤

[@motoiq]

Thank you!

[@bobbywalter9993]

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!. cant wait for my son to watch this....there will be a test before I fund anything.

[@zslemp]

Have you guys at motoiq ever used extrusion honing on any engine parts like a intake or exhaust or heads?

[@omardsm2323]

Exactly what I’m wondering too

[@motoiq]

Yes we have. It works pretty good on OEM intake manifolds and turbo turbine housings.

[@zslemp]

@@motoiq awesome. I have been thinking about getting my exhaust manifold and turbine housing done for a while now. I guess I just need to do it.

[@Twobarpsi]

My favorite tuner channel on KZbin!!

[@motoiq]

Thank You!

[@flybygaming9678]

Owner of a 05 CTSV here. Just wondering what site or company y'all would recommend for valve cover, head and lower intake manifold gaskets. I believe I have a slight leak in one of those causing white smoke and some over temp issues. Thank you and God bless.

[@motoiq]

If it has a stockish valvetrain without shaft rockers, etc, we like Holley because, well we like how they look. There are many good ones on the market though. Just look for ones that have sturdy rails where the gasket goes and a baffle plate for the PVC. for gaskets, OEM is very good and lacking that Fel-Pro is also good.

[@daren9721]

Man he smiles alot! If I had his knowledge I would be smiling like that too lol!

[@TMZtOO]

Would you consider talking about the details of building a LS 327 4.0 bore x 3.26 stroke (6.0L pistons & 4.8L crank & rods )? I've a 67 Nova and this is the engine I"ll be building as a tribute to the L79...

[@motoiq]

It will rev well

[@Comestomind]

I thoroughly enjoy listening to the fellow on the right going into great detail on each aspect of the engine and processes. The guy on the left comes off like a sale's guy who thinks that the other guy is going on too much and that we wouldn't be interested in what he's telling us. Hey baldy, the only reason I'm watching this video is because your colleague has my attention. I'm not too interested in what you have to say and you should be grateful for the opportunity to be in the same video with this passionate builder.

[@motoiq]

Haha, Baldy is a very important member of our team, he organizes everything and keeps the workflow moving efficiently. He also works with suppliers and vendors to keep everything on schedule. Without him our place would run half as well.

[@mithyc2948]

Great explanation on the costs of two different builds and I could listen to you both all day!! The "budget build" is spot on with what I've been calculating on my c6 GS with the stroker setup in mind and just one question. Why did you choose 418CID instead of 416CID? In my research just doing a hone on the cylinder walls was recommended as to not remove too much material from the sleeves but I'm still new to all this stuff as well. I'd like to make 650 crank hp reliably like what you guys talked about for a fun street/track weekend car.

[@motoiq]

The bores on this engine were thrashed!

[@SoftiesTruck]

AWESOME CAMERA MAN! I love how he zooms on you show you all the details he's talking about : )

[@b0ngd0nkey]

Cheers to all the people behind the scenes that make these videos 🥂

[@jeffreymoore4132]

Love your vids! Thank you for the transparency and detail involved in this kind of build.

[@motoiq]

Glad you like them!

[@firstielasty1162]

I'm curious about the power gained by reduced frictional losses in the valve train. Any power lost to friction shows up as heat, 745.7 watts worth of it for each hp lost. That 20-30 hp lost with a stock valvetrain turns into 15-20,000 watts worth of heat. That's a lot. It's hard to believe it doesn't result in localized overheating of the parts causing the friction...it's even pretty significant when compared to the whole cooling system capacity. I've read or heard similar numbers from a few places, I guess I believe it's about right, but it seems like an awful lot of heat for a few lifters and rocker arm pivots, even with the oil flow. Maybe the temp is climbing constantly at high rpm and everything only survives due to the short, intermittent time spent like this? Any insight on that?

[@motoiq]

The valve springs get really hot, red hot sometimes, its why for some racing like oval track and road racing, you need oil sprayers.

[@firstielasty1162]

I thought you meant that the gains were due to reduced frictional losses...the valve springs are there and have to deal with heat due to hysteresis no matter what type of rockers open them...heating of valve springs and heat due to rocker arm pivot friction are somewhat independent. If 20-30 hp is lost due to rocker friction, it has to be making that much heat at the point of friction, which just sounds awfully high. Hard to believe. That's 10 or 15 toaster ovens worth! Every watt goes somewhere, can't "disappear".

[@motoiq]

A lot of that heat is dissipated by the oil flow and the rockers have a lot. The sliding trunnions have a lot of point load. Sometimes you can see bluing of these parts which is pretty amazing due to the oil flow these get. I also think a lot of the power is due to improved valve motion due to more direct translation of motion from the cam. I have never logged oil temp in an A to B comparison, it would be interesting to do so.

[@RandomlnternetGuy]

AN HOUR LONG VIDEO?!?! YESSS

[@SkylerBrown-g4m]

I mean if im only looking to get about 500 or 600 hp on nitrous at the drag strip in my sn95 Are these special blocks and miss matched berrings necessary? Or is there a standard clearance type of berrimg amd stuff for that hp

[@motoiq]

That is not an LS. A 100 shot is pretty safe, more than that needs engine and tuning integration and some knowledge of engines to be safe.

[@lazyhoundracing9621]

I learned a lot. Thank you for your time.

[@motoiq]

Glad it was helpful!

[@umakemerandy3669]

Funny watching them explain to each other why to use a long rod lol they both know why. Love it

[@Rad_Triumph_765_RS]

The Mast Motorsports Mozez head is another all out racing head. I believe they have been on an 1,100hp NA 416ci

[@motoiq]

Mast has good stuff!

[@Rad_Triumph_765_RS]

@@motoiq I may be wrong but I believe SAM, School of Automotive Machinists, built an all out NA 4th Gen Camaro drag car with some insanely exotic cylinder heads.

[@maxfieldenterprise3160]

I'm aiming to build up a 3.8 engine in my 97 sn mustang any videos or ideas to add more positive and keep that factory look

[@motoiq]

So far there has been zero interest in that engine and little aftermarket support. Recommend you sell the car and buy a V8 one, its easier and cheaper in the long run with tons more options.

[@utahcountypicazospage5412]

change your oil even if your car sits it is cheap insurance let an engine warm up all the way so moisture evaporates. LS is awesome

[@murdersaab8999]

I'm building and lh6 all aluminum 5.3 liter LS came with the Gen 4 rods and 3 bolt camshaft is coming together pretty good

[@zacharyamys]

i have a question that may bring some expansion fact's we all know the tq blocks important but well you punch or machine bore/hone do you guys heat your blocks and oil being we all talk about running temps and oil pressure oil flow vallys ect ive yet to see one block sitting at 180f well being blue printed and specs met to our best means possible. im just saying the heated running temp engine is expanded a little any oil/ fluid gallys would mean on warm up and running temp theres going to be slightly more expan making a ob longed bore am i wrong or no? i'm not saying the engine ould last last longer if its bored well hot but i feel your the pro and why not try.

[@motoiq]

That would be the best way but no one in our area does that.

[@ralphcruz8484]

How do you feel about titanium rods and Epcot treat them , what would that cost be

[@motoiq]

Don't normally use them. people don't want to pay for them.

[@juliusryland8597]

These guys are awesome. So much knowledge. 😂😂😂 I can’t help but laugh when I fast forward through mikes talking it sounds normal 😂. All love mike. Thanks for the moto iq!

[@jerico5660]

How do you guys feel about 4032 Forged piston for strength and longevity? How power levels would you expect? What about the wear of a stroker vs stock (piston speed)?

[@motoiq]

4032 is ok for an NA motor, forced induction 2618 is the way to go. All of the top piston manufactures have learned a lot about how to make 2618 piston quieter and less slappy over the last few years so the popularity of 4032 has declined.

[@markdonovan9247]

Great Video lots of great info Do you guys Dyno the engines after you build them?

[@motoiq]

No we don't, we have a chassis dyno but not many people would pay to run there engine on an engine dyno, need a dyno adaptor, wire harness, ECU, a tuner. A few thousand worth of stuff. We don't have adaptors and harnesses with ECU's for every single potential engine.

[@markdonovan9247]

@@motoiq thank you for your reply. Excellent channel.

[@davebarron5939]

This was interesting, very glad I got to see it. One question that I dont believe you covered, for a street application the only "problem area" I have found is cam bearings, is there anything you folks do to address that? Will coated bearings help there? I have put 400k on several 6.0 Iron LS engines and tear them down and find everything fine except the cam bearings. Thanks

[@motoiq]

Wow we never had cam bearings go out yet on any of the motors we have built of all levels of build and use. With non priority mains they get a good supply of lube. What sort of oil pressure do you have?

[@zigazackwrx17]

Can you explain how putting the head on the block could distort it. My thought is if the blocks mating surface is flat and the head is flat. You're just putting two flat surfaces together. How does that create distortions in the cylinders. If something wasn't true between the two surfaces I could see the torque moving things around.

[@motoiq]

The force generated by the torque on the bolts in the block, it tweaks the bores, as much as 0.0015". Subaru's even more!

[@ernestjohnson1807]

It's an old school thought. When clearances where no where near what they are now. Now it's mostly a sales gimmick.

[@franklynpertuz7669]

You guys are great guys really break it down I've learned so much in this video I'm very grateful thank you

[@scottmartinetti4875]

I'm loving just listen to that California accent bro. 😂 And it's nice to finally hear actual price numbers on one of these videos!!

[@motoiq]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@HypocriticYT]

What’s your view on a 2002 LS engine in my 2002 Camaro SS? What’s worth upgrading for extra hp?

[@motoiq]

It's a great engine.

[@troylambert5140]

The legendary Chevy LS engine by far the greatest engine design of all time

[@Rad_Triumph_765_RS]

I’m waiting for the aftermarket to catch up with the current OEMs. I’m waiting for direct injection ECMs. I know MoTec offers direct injection compatibility but that is in their m182

[@motoiq]

A few stand alones can control DI with an injector driver box.

[@fredhuston7865]

Best professionaly explained video about LS engines I have ever seen ! These gentlemen do a fantastic job and are great to listen to. What a professional and knowledgeable team/company. Worth every penny they charge and then some. Amazing job !!!

[@motoiq]

Wow, thank you!

[@HypocriticYT]

Lots of information, lots to consider.

[@kylechapman3547]

I have a 2002 z28 camaro m6 that needs some love engine wise.. shes been driven hard for the better part of 12 years or so ish. Oil changes have been done when they were supposed to everytime. But I’ve had a lot of issues with my ltft. Being pegged at 25. And a slew of other smaller issues most of which I’ve have completed by myself over time fuel pump fuel filter water pumps radiator starters alternators. You get it. It’s my second car and got the car around 92k miles and now she’s got 216k miles I’ve ported the tb and swapped exhaust with a slp LM1 cat back. Still has original cats I’ve also swapped the header gaskets and bolts but I do have a snapped bolt in the passanger rear. but I’m assuming the engine needs rebuilding.. just bevause miles and this and that… or at least a freshen up I’m assuming. Any chance you guys would want to take on this challenge I’ve been to every shop in the Bay Area and everyone seems to have some kinda issues or not do this or that and it’s just so hard to find a hood shop and you guys seem to actual like to do this and pay attention to detail. Where are you guys located anyway?

[@motoiq]

If you have an exhaust leak from that snapped bolt, that would wreck havoc with your LTFT.

[@kylechapman6891]

@MotoIQ yeah I kinda figured in turn that would be making me run very lean and waste a ton of gas..what else would get messed up if not fixed promptly though. I'm still learning the effects of ltft and stft.. it's also been giving me a very annoying ticking noise... not on start up when cold but only when it reaches full temp. Like I mean like clockwork. Cold start sounds fine and runs ok until it hits temp them ticking like crazy which goes up and down as you accelerate. But goes away if I increase acceleration above 3k it'll go away but will come back if I'm at a light and idle for too long. Which I'm hoping isn't anything more serious than an exhaust leak at the exhaust manifold. The rockers and everything inside the valve covers all seem tight and didn't move when inspected

[@davntelisha19]

That's why I love my 2007 caddilac escalade 6.2 LS motors strong

[@brucewilkey3535]

The guy is truthful beyond fault. Great choice for the video. The guy on the right should make build videos and talk you through each engine build as he does it. I would watch them. Guy on the left should stick to signing checks and what ever else he's good at.

[@motoiq]

Martin is pretty smart about motors too, give him some credit!

[@Mike-gf7fi]

I think you guys are great but there’s some videos on KZbin measuring bores with and without torque plates showing that they don’t work.

[@motoiq]

Actually you bore an engine with a torque plate and measure it with the torque plate off, and the bore will really be out of round. Its super easy to prove they work.

[@ragtopdeluxezl1]

Yeah man, the price points on both builds is right on, we did a budget build on our LSA engine and crank out about 720whp with 418cid stroker @12# boost, I maybe should have done more work on the heads...porting, shaft rockers and a dry sump would be awesome too. I like reliability in a road racer but given the nature of the beast (convertible) I doubt I will do much more... As per some of our past conversations I feel you are giving a straight talk on building a LS that is realistic and factual.

[@motoiq]

Thank you!

[@taylorsrus9543]

You dont want to put too much in the stock block, once you get up to 800 plus whp it is on a ticking clock to cracking a sleeve.

[@motoiq]

Head gasket seal is more of an issue at 800 plus, at about 1000 the main caps start to move.

[@taylorsrus9543]

@@motoiq Didn't have any head gasket issues on mine and 3 other friends, but all 3 cracked a sleeve. I think you said you like the stock head bolts tho. Either way the stock block is a fuse waiting to blow at upper HP levels.

[@motoiq]

Wow you cracked a sleeve at 12 psi? We generally don't see problems till more than 14 psi. Did you have good tuning? Did the broken engines show signs of detonation? I would think that the head gasket would go before you split a cylinder.

[@jacksonedward7245]

Is there any reason why you wouldn’t use Total Seal rings?

[@motoiq]

No they are good.

[@jacksonedward7245]

@@motoiq why not opt to use them? Is it a coat thing? Overkill?

[@motoiq]

We do use them sometimes.

[@richadthompson3655]

Do you guys do anything with hyundai engine? 2.0 turbo

[@motoiq]

It is basically a 4B11 engine.

[@StreetRacingLifeStyle]

I love the depth of explanation!

[@motoiq]

Thank You!

[@johnmorris3957]

Have you ever done a ls l33 build/video before? Love all your information your one of the best!!

[@motoiq]

Not yet! But we will probably do a 5.3 soon, you can do a lot to these engines with great results.

[@dasfahrer8187]

What can you do for engines in spec racing series (spec e46, spec miata, etc...)?

[@motoiq]

Well, you try to get the best ring and valve seal, get the most flow out of the valve seat area and get the clearances just right to get your friction low.

[@brianbaney2360]

Man this guy speaks my language 👍

[@kumakaroshi117]

What valve covers on the first couple of seconds of video.

[@motoiq]

Holley

[@BIGTROUBLE4775]

What is the total price for that Build that you just did the The over stock build?

[@motoiq]

It is in the video!

[@glenwickner1945]

Good advice for the beginners and for advanced builders .

[@motoiq]

Glad you liked it

[@Slidewithjunior]

Where did you guys learn all this 🤔? I wanna learn but dont know if theres a school or just from books ?

[@motoiq]

Degree in Mechanical Engineering and doing it for a long time. Learning from older top pros.

[@Slidewithjunior]

@@motoiq damn ok thanks for the reply much respect 🙏

[@421ssrida]

SAM in houston is a great school to go to for this knowledge

[@lionsheart9406]

MotoIQ, thank you so much! This is really good stuff, great information for us.

[@motoiq]

Our pleasure!

[@addicted4life575]

$1000 to bore and hone a block? That’s incredibly expensive, when a lot of shops will do a torque plate bore and hone for less then $300. I’d love to see a video of your machining equipment, and process.

[@motoiq]

It's experience to do it right. Everything from the torque and fasteners used on the torque plate to the cylinder wall finish. We see so many incorrectly machined blocks and there are so many engines that come out poorly. I would say if you can do it better for less than us, go ahead and build your own motor.

[@tomjones5974]

They stated $1100 for all the machining on that particular new LS3 block. Then later said 800 for bore & hone. But also said that particular block only got bore & honed and race finished. Something was lost in translation on that notepad. Anyway $800-1100 is typical price for race spec at race machine shop in Texas. Honestly probably great price for California.

[@motoiq]

That's including checking if it needs align honing.

[@jeff2932]

This is great! I think MamoMotorsports would be proud ....

[@ironmike742]

Let me ask a question. Did I hear correctly that your labor to assemble the engine is $4800 ? Also how many hours is that? That seems extremely expensive. Does that include a dyno sheet?

[@motoiq]

It's about 32 hours and machine work, we sold our engine dyno but have a chassis dyno, so we could dyno your car.

[@ironmike742]

@@motoiq I guess if you're building an all out race engine you can justify $4800. The cost of Everything has gotten way out of hand. I have been an Automotive Technician for 30 years so I know a thing or two. Actually before I made the comment I had forgotten that it's 2023. Also I'm used to doing everything myself. I currently work for Ford and everything is outrageously expensive nowadays. Also I wasn't considering all the machine work involved. What do you guys charge to assemble a short block? I had machine work done on a small block Chevy that I raced in the years 1999 or 2000 and the machine shop charged $80 to put the short block together LOL. I didn't have a place to put it together because the wife said that the kitchen was off limits LMAO. So I told my machine shop to go ahead and put it together.

[@motoiq]

You should probably build your own engines!

[@ironmike742]

@@motoiq I was trying to compare the price difference of 23 years of time. Sorry if I offended anyone. You didn't answer the question.

[@motoiq]

No one is offended, we charge about half of that. There is a big difference between charging a few hundred to put together something vs what we do. Working at a dealership you can see how expensive labor is especially nowadays. Since Biden became president everything has gone up from 25-100% too.

[@mmejia7257]

What about machine work for new LSX block to a 454?

[@motoiq]

The cost to machine is the same no matter what the displacement is.

[@mafialeventis7162]

Is there a possiblity you guys make a video on M50B28 or M52B28 Engine ?

[@motoiq]

You should read our 323is Project articles

[@sleepydragonzarinthal3533]

Every video ive seen, when Mike says "california 91 pump gas" he always looks down, trails off, almost loses that signature smile, like its the saddest thing in the world. Youd think he was recalling a long passed pet or friend, the way his heart aches to build an engine that runs on 91 jumps right off the screen, i hurt with him, and now i think about it every time i fill up my stock lil NA 11 mini cooper with 93. I feel for ya Mike, keep that chin up

[@motoiq]

Our gas is amazingly bad....

[@sleepydragonzarinthal3533]

@@motoiq yeah, I just did some reading on it, they make weak gas but call it environmentally friendly even though worse mpg and negative engine impact seems to be a net negative. I can't say much, here in Texas we have a lot of phony environmental laws too, but at least we have some good 93. If i ever end up K swapping the mini, I hope you guys have a mini K swap video I can follow, id probably have to do the engine build and swap myself for funding sake. I want to get around 400HP with a supercharged K24 and either make it RWD or AWD. The stock engine is a BMW 1.6L prince engine with 70k miles, so the clock is ticking fast haha

[@motoiq]

The bad thing is our gas might be worse for the environment because the mileage is worse so you burn more of it and it take more energy to refine it.

[@lukedunshea6688]

Hey mate can u send me ure details got a ls2 stock I'm after a strokes kit that can be 800hp n then in future putting on s supercharger so I need it too b able to handle that as as well

[@motoiq]

Look at our LS videos.

[@vansohren9048]

Building a customers motor out of a GM crate ls3 right now , has 200 miles on it and bearings are coming apart . We do off road racing and the spec class rules is the GM 525 crate engine recently the quality of these has been very low allot of people having very early failure in them. People think of crate engines as top quality but I can tell you your local machinist or engine builder is probably going to be doing better work than GM assembly line in my opinion.

[@motoiq]

Maybe GM changed the bearings spec. We have seen OEM bearings start to not work as well due to a global drive to reduce heavy metals in auto production so the tin and antimony percentage in OEM bearings are being reduced.

[@slfrules1]

How come one side (i wanna say passenger) is always way scummier than the other? Is that something to do with the non-priority mains? One head is just lowest priority. Thanks for the great info!

[@motoiq]

What do you mean by scummier?

[@xravenhairsexgod]

One side has a PCV valve.

[@motoiq]

That's possible if the oil doesnt get changed much.

[@slfrules1]

Well i've only had the heads off maybe 5 Ls engines while i was at GM. I noticed one head would have significantly more deposits. Heck a 20 with 26k that turned a lifter and wiped a cam lobe had a side with like-new pushrods/rockers/springs and the other with heavy varnish. 5k changes at the dealership i was at. must be priority or pcv

[@motoiq]

I would say that's likely, Race motors get the oil changed so much you don't see that.

[@whosaidthat5236]

How is it cheaper to build a Subaru then an LS lol I don’t understand

[@yassinenattah]

Less cylinder= less part

[@corylangston8764]

I’ve wanted to restore an old car ever since selling my first car out of necessity. Now I dream of building an engine without any idea of what I would even put it in. Great info here but the perfectionist in me means this hobby will always be out of my budget. Maybe ignorance truly is bliss…😢

[@dano4572]

GREAT NUMBERS! ILL USE YOU PEOPLE NEXT TIME.

[@lacboiatl]

That nissan maxima is so clean in the background

[@customzdream]

Awesome talk. Explained alot.

[@VigilanceTech]

you charged for the boring twice, once at the beginning, and once at around 40:00

[@PrismIsAPuck]

Do you guys do any of the new gen V LT stuff?

[@motoiq]

We haven't yet beyond full bolt ons but there is no reason why we couldn't build a mean one.

[@PrismIsAPuck]

@motoiq I would love to see yall get into building a mean stroker n/a LT1 setup! Would love to hear some of the knowledge Mike would have to offer about the LT platform!

[@motoiq]

Oh man, we love that engine too. With just bolt-ons, we exceeded what a stock LS7 can do. With heads and cams, we think another 60 whp easy!

[@mjbjw77]

Absolutely fantastic gents

[@chipcurrey653]

Is the guy on the left the one who's supposed to get the shop to profitability?

[@motoiq]

Yes

[@dennisupshaw7510]

Mike is the goat! Love all the videos you guys make! Thank you for all the knowledge! Keep it up!

[@motoiq]

Our pleasure!