staffcurtis

iTrader: (-1)

I had a vortech'd mustang, and I'm just not too fond of the wine at idle. At full power, I didn't mind, but at stoplights it was irritating. I was looking at an STS with L92/L76 setup on the 408. The 4L80E would have to be included to prevent the inevitable. How much hp would the stock fuel system hold?

Spoolin

iTrader: (8)

Not enough for what your looking for. I'm runnning 44# inj's with a booster pump and I'm at it's limit right now around 500hp. Your gonna need to upgrade pumps ingectors...the whole lot.

2004SSS

iTrader: (25)

the 03 fuel systems are pretty good, they can support more power than the 04(returnless systems) . id say the 03's can support close to 600-650 hp with a new fuel pump , possibly dual pumps and some 60 lb injectors
The s trim vortech i have (one with the stock kit) can push 10 psi on a 370. YOu would never even know it was there until you pop the hood. but like i said the t trim(upgraded blower) is louder. its because the have different style impellars. an sts isnt very stealth. i was just mentioning it because you said you wanted something that sounded stock. but keep us up to date on how your doing the 4l80e , i know i may have to do it before long.

dhpro

iTrader: (3)

I'm doing the 370 as well with the new Mag MP122 blower, all hardened internals and 4L80...ur price point without blower and tranny is about right, but include those items and install and $20k comes into focus fast . Ull need a new in tank fuel pump as well as a boost-a-pump, but depending on the blower that shud be included. U can get away with alot on ur stock 6L motor as well. They can handle quite a bit, but if u simply change cam, heads and put the MP 122 u can get into the lo 400rwhps without too much trouble, and then u can just go with an FLT level 5 tranny upgrade. If u really wanna push it u can put hardened internals in ur 6L and push the boost up to 10-12lbs as well, but by the time u do that u might as well bore it out 5 thou and build a 370. Strokers are great power adders for heavy pigs like ours, but not convinced its a daily driver that'll last 10's of thousands without plenty of regular tinkering...if u wanna make it ur hobby, go stroker or 12lb boost 370, if u wanna upgrade and forget, change cams and heads, add the blower, shift kit and servos in ur tranny, upgrade brakes, headers, cats, muffler, tranny cooler and u can get away for <$15k. R/

staffcurtis

iTrader: (-1)

Thanks guy for all your help. From what I'm hearing, if I want to go well over 400rwhp (which is what I want), I will need forged internals, high output blower or turbo, dual pump fuel system with injectors, and 4l80e conversion. Here is my plan:

Forged 408 with L76/L92 intake and heads first with mild cam. I would like to break the motor in properly, and have it tuned for it's best performance without other mods being factors.
The next step I will upgrade the fuel system to probably the dual pump setup.The 4L80e tranny upgrade with mild shift kit will be my third upgrade, and the last step will be the forced induction.

Please guys, give me your opinions about this upgrade path.

dhpro

iTrader: (3)

remember that ur compression ratio needs to be max 9:1 if u plan on FI motor. That means ur heads, pistons and cam combination will be diff than for NA...I agree its a tough nut to swallow and I'm feeling the weight of the tranny and blower cost myself. I've tried to look at all the alternatives for the tranny, but north of 450rwhp, ur on borrowed time with the 4L60/65...ann FLT level 5 4L65 will do ya for 400-450rwhp, but even then if u stomp on it, it'll eventually catch up to ya. Even still, ur gonna want to do the exhasut from headers back no matter what u decide, as well as brakes. U can go with rotors, hawk pads and braided lines to save some cash, or get an complete kit if ur gonna have larger than 18" wheels...I have yet to find a decent 4 or 6 piston caliper that fits inside that size wheel. R/

staffcurtis

iTrader: (-1)

Yep...I do have the compression in mind. The installer already knows I will either boost with a turbo or sc. Is there really any disadvantages going with the 408 vs keeping a 6L?

staffcurtis

iTrader: (-1)

I actually spoke with blownchevy about the radix, and he said I should see the numbers I'm looking for with 370 cu in and the 122 SC combo. He spoke about how mileage suffers, and reliability with oil consumption is a concern on the 408. I also should have very few tuning issues with that setup. Since this is a daily driver, I may lean toward this solution. I want good power with whatever I choose, but I don't have tons of time for tweaking and adjustments.

Anyone in defense for the longer stroke?

dhpro

iTrader: (3)

I originally looked at a stroker 383 or larger, and decided against it out of personal concerns that it wudn't be well suited to an everyday driver, with cold starts, shorts rides to and from commutes...etc. I looked at the SLP 402 as well, but in general u end up with short pistons and often wrist pins up in the rings, thus greater risk of blow by. They are also typically oil burners - some more than others. I guess I'm old school as it just doesn't feel right to have to add oil even occassionally. I don't think there's really anything other than personal preference, but I do believe its more regular maintainance and upkeep than non stroked. I'd look at each based on how much tinkering u want or are willing to do...none will likely be start and forget initially, but the stroker might require a little more TLC over the life of the motor, and that life might be typically shorter - but I invite all opinions to the contrary as I really don't have personal experience with a stroker. P.S. Turbo wud be my choice if I cuda stomached the extra cost!

staffcurtis

iTrader: (-1)

Well I tell you, I'm totally on the fence now because adding a little oil every now and then is no big deal. As long as it's not a quart a month or more, and I don't drop to 8 mpg, I can live under those terms for a stroker. I could appreciate the extra torque too I want to get started on this forged project, so please chime in if you feel one way or the other.