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Anyone in the UK done an LS conversion yet?


deank93

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Okay, here's my summary:

 

Why do a LS swap.

 

Easy simple power in OEM format

Tune-able and can produce silly power without spending a complete and utter fortune to get there

Sounds epic

 

Comparing like for like, slapping a SC on a stock VQ you are held back by limitations. The LS, you have greater scope to increase power. The VQ needs a wealth of supporting modifications and there's a lot more to maintain.

 

Forge the VQ, you are opening yourself up to potential issues. The builder, the parts, the tune are 3 elements in which you trust will continue to run safely. Add to this the additional add-ons to make all this work, you're looking at a heavy 5 figure sum, including the SC. These also need a lot of care, and you're likely to be listening out for the slightest whistle, knock, bang or anything. Ask all forged/FI'd car owners on here if they are on the lookout for that tell tale knock or bang.

 

LS - Forged, and running immense power, because now you're winding up the Turbo or SC and you're looking at 800bhp+ that's not far from 3 times that of the VQ and just double that of the LS.

 

If you're looking for silly power, LS all the way.

 

If you're looking for an element of less risk the LS all the way.

 

I've run NOS and was about to hit the SC route, but put off by the amount of cars I've seen on OE blocks dealing with little issues here and there. High intake temps, belts snapping, this doesn't work, or that doesn't work. It put me off. You've then also got only a small handful of tuners for the VQ and one of them would never see me at their establishment to tune my SC, or build me a forged block.

 

So hitting the ground running the most enjoyable route, IMO and for ME is the LS route. Fit's my needs, and will be exciting to develop my car to the next level.

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Sorry mate, forgot you were the expert, Ive only been SXOC Chairman for 3 years and owned and run 10 different SR/CA engines, 3 of which were built from scratch.

 

They were 3 modded CA's, not forged (although the 3rd was as it happens, built by a known builder but still broke), the point is that it can and does happen. Out of interest, who are the guys with the forged CA's that have done 25K?

 

As for "Also you say upping the power will put strain on etc etc etc, well isnt that the point?" - no it isnt, not when you can buy a totally unstressed engine for less money that will give you the same return.

Oh, and your engine builder from Liverpool will be charging you £100+ per hour if he works to that level of tolerance, making your built engine even more expensive than the crate LS.

 

An LS will be a less expensive and more reliable way of getting 450hp when compared to a boosted VQ. You are perfectly entitled to your opinion but if you disagree with that then you arent living in the real world.

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Steve, I like you man but I sometimes get the feeling you are arguing for the sake of it, the MPSS thing springs to mind as well.

 

I didnt say forged engines anywhere, I was talking about modified engines - the fact that they are forged doesnt make any difference to anything outside of the rods and pistons, they still fall into the "modified" category and they are still less reliable than OE. Sure, you can still use existing engine mounts and stuff but most of the cost of building a sweet engine is time, as I said much earlier on Ive costed both and the V8 install is less expensive than the forged build and thats before something goes wrong and you need to replace it. Think about it - an LS can be run on OE management with the simplest loom in the world, the management and mapping for an FI engine would be £2K or more alone ............

 

Wassos got it nailed, I dont think theres anything to add to that TBH. If you think differently then more power to you, go build a forged engine, have it eat itself at some point and then 10 years down the line you can come back and tell me I was right after all :lol:

 

EDIT: And engines? I had 2 S12's, 4 S13's, 2 PS13's and an S14 and drifted for the last 8 or 9 years, not every engine I used blew up either. Id call that good experience rather than take the ****.

Edited by docwra
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So all forged owners are driving ticking time bombs?

 

Just to add, the original debate wasn't about costs vs reliability or cost vs power

Was down to someone saying V8 was safer than FI'ing a VQ.

 

I would just personally feel more comfortable with a Forged Built engine built by a reputable retailer over a shipped V8. (Don't get me wrong, I'd choose the V8 over FI, I'm just saying in terms of ME feeling safer)

Edited by grundy225
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Brand new crate V8 > anything modified. It always will be. Ok, a V8 with 100,000 miles will be less reliable, but an engine running standard power will be more reliable than an engine tuned to the limit. Regardless of forged internals etc pushing a vq to 500bhp will be more risky than leaving a 500bhp engine alone. This is part of what bizz was saying the night before trax.

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Brand new crate V8 > anything modified. It always will be. Ok, a V8 with 100,000 miles will be less reliable, but an engine running standard power will be more reliable than an engine tuned to the limit. Regardless of forged internals etc pushing a vq to 500bhp will be more risky than leaving a 500bhp engine alone. This is part of what bizz was saying the night before trax.

 

back-medium_new.jpg

 

Knife_FO3.png

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So all forged owners are driving ticking time bombs?

 

As I thought you would be the first to realise, all engines are ticking time bombs. Ones that have been opened, parts replaced and are running more powers just have shorter fuses ;)

True, as what I said to the guy who started this, the same thing that happened to me could easily happen to the V8.

However if I had a baffled sump, I may still be here right now :lol: At the end of the day it all comes down to the owner and how they look after their car.

 

 

Question then (No digs at anyone or aimed at docwra) So with the 'opened engines have shorter fuses etc' - by that standard it would be safer to just FI a stock VQ?

 

Another question for people -

 

If there were 2 engines up for grabs for free - which would you choose? Forged VQ or a untouched VQ? (And don't say Forged to then sell and make money :lol: ) because going by the current answers, most would choose the Untouched VQ as it would be a safer option?

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Prime example is formula drift. The guys who run around like blue arsed flies with engines being replaced over the weekends are the ones running 2JZ's, VQ's, SR20's. the V8 guys may have problems, but way less of them, until they start throwing nitrous and chargers on engines which didn't have them from factory

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