High HP on stock headgasket

[PowerKraut]

Yeah, but the price tag on a stock 200k miles S38 is insane, let alone a rebuilt one with a proper 1000hp turbo setup. "Easy" in terms of throwing money on it to make it go fast, yes, i think there is lots of potential in a S38. But is it reasonable to throw 10k+ on an S38 when you get LS engines all over the US for the price of a beer case.. guess not.

[someguy2800]

I have no doubt it would be easy to make the power with an s38 but I just can’t afford it. My racing budget is like a 3 or 4k a year. A stock used up s38 would be a whole year of my budget and I would spend that much again to build it. They are not easy to find either so I would have to have two of them because if I blow one up and trash the crank and head I’m out for the season. With an LS if I blow it up I’ll go get another $400 core from the junkyard, swap whatever parts I can over and rock on. If you trash a crank or piston or cam you can get whatever you need for it in 3 days. Even a bone stock 6 liter with the ring gaps opened up would get me in the 8’s with this car since it’s so light and it 60 foots.

[someguy2800]

It all goes along with my theory of racing. You have to be willing to blow it up but smart enough not to do it very often.

[Robocop]

as a reader / observer another ls1 power xxx would be a let down because they're so ez to make power it gets boring.
BUT obviously the next step you need to take for the power to money ratio.
on that topic i'm going to try to get mine powered by a k24 after the m30 blows for all the hate points!

[someguy2800]

as a reader / observer another ls1 power xxx would be a let down because they're so ez to make power it gets boring.
BUT obviously the next step you need to take for the power to money ratio.
on that topic i'm going to try to get mine powered by a k24 after the m30 blows for all the hate points!

If boring means running low 8's and not breaking stuff count me in! With two kids, other hobbies, and being about to turn 31, I'm getting tired of always trying to do things the hard way. Seriously I just want to race and not have to work on the car so much anymore. I'm getting too old to work on cars at 3 am when I have to be dad at 8 and then work all day.

[3literheater]

Was your inline 6 that unreliable?

I thought you said with cheap stock parts you can easily make 800whp?

Just curious since I have a whole bunch of money tied up in an s52 build and I'm kicking myself for not just buying an LS.

[someguy2800]

No this is the first time I've severely hurt it, but all of the issues I have ever had were my own fault. My previous goal was 800 whp and if I wanted to stay at that level the M50 would be a no brainer, but the new goal is to be in the 1300 crank hp range and I don't think the M50 makes sense with that goal in mind.

[TheJuggernaut]

If boring means running low 8's and not breaking stuff count me in! With two kids, other hobbies, and being about to turn 31, I'm getting tired of always trying to do things the hard way. Seriously I just want to race and not have to work on the car so much anymore. I'm getting too old to work on cars at 3 am when I have to be dad at 8 and then work all day.

I think we just have to draw the line here between not boring and stupid. If you want 1000hp, an LS is boring and an M50 is not. If you want 2000hp, an M50 is stupid and an LS is not.

[someguy2800]

I thought you said with cheap stock parts you can easily make 800whp?

I should clarify that for people reading. With the right combination of stock parts 800 whp can be done. Not just any stock parts. It’s not going to last forever at that level but it’s cheap enough not to worry about.

[rajicase]

You are way more knowledgeable than me when it comes to this shit but I think you should stick with the m/s5x platform and build a motor. They aren't that expensive to build, and once built right they really seem to be pretty stout. You yourself said that this is the first major engine failure you have had and that it was your fault, not the engines fault.. Correct the underlying issues and a built m5x/s5x would make 150 passes no problems at the power you want. If you wanted 1500WHP it would be a different story, but 900-1000whp is nothing for a built m/s5x. (IMO).

Ive broken tons of parts related to power , the one thing I have never been able to mess up is my built motor and I have abused the hell out of it.

[someguy2800]

900 to 1000 whp is not enough. It is a "built" motor now, its back together with the old wiseco pistons that were in it and eagle rods. I have been thinking about it over the last couple days and I've always limited myself on power goals to what I wanted to do in the 1/4. The original goal was mid 9's, then I decided I wanted to go for 8.50 because the chassis cert is only good to 8.50 in the 1/4 and I do not want to go to the 7.5 chassis cert, but it occurred to me yesterday that I can do whatever I want in the 1/8th and just turn it down for the 1/4. The transmission is spec'd for 1500 hp so it only makes sense to shoot for 1500 hp and only use what I need for whatever type of racing I'm doing.

[Robocop]

we just want u to stick to the m50 because this is an m50 forum :P
The LS is the correct choice

[Kevin325i]

Let's just get down to it. Will you still be friends with us if you put an LS in there? Or are you gonna leave us behind like a used up sex purveyor?

[someguy2800]

A pimp never forgets his girls.

- - - Updated - - -

Long live the bavarian mighty mouse

[Hova]

LS time dude...

Let's be realistic. You want to make reliable passes at the 1000hp level. You'll be straining the little i6 far too much for that, and any small issue you run into is going to be a complete rebuild.

For around $300-500 you can pick up a iron block LS with harness and ecu, new pistons, rods, cam, intake, head, you're already be around 500hp. Add in boost (which is ironically cheaper than these BMW's), and you'll be making 1000hp all day long. Plus, your T56 bolts right up to the block.

[someguy2800]

Stock ecu, no thanks. The T56 is long gone, it has a TH400 in it now and an ms3 ultimate. I even left an extra 2 fuel and spark outputs open in the harness already. I’ll be going with an LS within the next year. Probably a 5.3 with rod/pistons, an 80mm Borg Warner and ported stock heads. Start around 1200 hp and then I can upgrade that incrementaly and save up for an LSX block to get up in the 1500+ hp range.

[somebody5788]

So what makes you think you can get the reliability you are looking for with an LS that has 4 bolt heads? Just watching Leroy they were saying that for those numbers lifting a head was a common potential issue? It did actually happen to them too.

[someguy2800]

Well I've personally seen it done for starters but changing a head gasket is like a 2 hour problem. I will make a fixture and retap it to 1/2" studs right from the start and when I outgrow the stock block and head I will get a dart block and heads to match. There is a long way to go to get to that point though.

[JOutterbridge]

You've done great work with the S366. Why not step up to a precision 70mm at the same boost level? You'll likely make around 1100whp more efficiently. Unless you're limited by your trans bit seeing your 60ft makes me think you don't even need an LS to reach your goal.

[someguy2800]

You've done great work with the S366. Why not step up to a precision 70mm at the same boost level? You'll likely make around 1100whp more efficiently. Unless you're limited by your trans bit seeing your 60ft makes me think you don't even need an LS to reach your goal.

My signsture is outdated, I’m waiting to finish the car to update it. The car has an S472sxe on it now and a TH400 trans. After changing a couple parts last minute the trans is rated for 1800 hp, so definitely not limited by drivetrain. Honestly I don’t think you guys understand where I want to go with this. You guys are still thinking like 160 mph in the 1/4, and I’m thinking like 150 mph in the 1/8th.

Like this class of car

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=leGFoidYDOg#

[NOTORIOUS VR]

My signsture is outdated, I’m waiting to finish the car to update it. The car has an S472sxe on it now and a TH400 trans. After changing a couple parts last minute the trans is rated for 1800 hp, so definitely not limited by drivetrain. Honestly I don’t think you guys understand where I want to go with this. You guys are still thinking like 160 mph in the 1/4, and I’m thinking like 150 mph in the 1/8th.

Like this class of car

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=leGFoidYDOg#

You mean like this "e36" powered by M50 based motor in the 6's (4.4 in the 1/8th)?

I think you should stick to the 6 cyl personally... we believe in you!

[someguy2800]

Thats pretty sweet, never seen that car before. Without knowing more about the motor it doesn't mean that much though. For all I know its a filled block run on methanol with a billet crank.

[NOTORIOUS VR]

Thats pretty sweet, never seen that car before. Without knowing more about the motor it doesn't mean that much though. For all I know its a filled block run on methanol with a billet crank.

I think the block is filled (shows some block filler at the end)... and most def. runs methanol (as most fast race cars do) I'd say.

You should def. change to methanol IMO and let that new turbo sing

[someguy2800]

I think the block is filled (shows some block filler at the end)... and most def. runs methanol (as most fast race cars do) I'd say.

You should def. change to methanol IMO and let that new turbo sing

Nope, I drive to the track. It has to survive drag week as well. We will see what direction I go. Another platform I'm interested in is the I6 atlas engine in the chevy trailblazers.

[Laimis]

1300 crank HP is very realistic with S54 and quite reliable.