I wonder if anyone is interested in me posting vids on putting a turbo on my 2004 Fleetwood bounder with digital boost, the 8.1 had a 2 bent rods just finished a full rebuild thinking anything under 15 psi is pretty safe given most the parts are meant for a lot more beefed up the cooling a lot with a bigger rad and triple electric fans, only thing I can think is I might need to put an electric oil return pump on the turbo as might need to put it low but will see any interest ? I tow a 9744lbs trailer with it (basically a machine shop on wheels) its got a vortec 8100 aka 8.1 on a workhorse frame
There's a reason for big blocks. 800 lb*ft of torque at 3500 rpm is ~530 HP. That'll jerk your trailer uphill at a good clip. Why rev any higher? God created the big block Chevy because he loves us and wants us to be happy.
On the other vid i commented that the torque peak is 3500 and HP peak is 4400 on this combo, however the torque is almost the same right off idle. So it's setup perfectly for towing. This engine would really come alive with a cam that puts torque peak at or above 5200 and HP between 6000-6500 RPM.
Very reliable. It's chevy man! 😂 but seriously, it is actually very reliable. LT from Powernation has been using this in his truck for a couple years now and its fine.
@@navisingh8816 low boost, like 13lbs I think. Hes making 900lbft at the wheels and like 600 or 700 hp. I want to say he's using high octane pump gas, I don't think he's running E85.
@@sethh8892 thanks man, and he's on stock short block? I know I'll lose power and choke out at high rpm if I keep stock heads, and that's okay. 636hp is plenty🤣 I just don't want to blow up the rotating assembly
It’s cool to see the trade off of displacement and tq/rpm. You see the 7.3l able to spin a little more rpm but only makes 500 foot pounds from 1500rpm and up not the 550 you get from the 8.1 but being able to spin faster the 7.3 gets a touch over 500 hp. I really want to see what the 8.1 does with a intake and cam.
Just myself one out of a generator, turbocharged less than 400 hours on it, my 90 model k5 blazer will be hooked to a sled soon!!! Building the 203/205 doubler next week! YIPPEE
I've had a 496 Mark IV with AFR heads and a marine F2 level procharger on the street in a first gen Camaro...I lol at that torque that's what I tried to explain to people...it was INSANE and completely useless on a 275 pro Drag Radial...
Very interesting! I didn't get to catch all of the part one. This however looks very promising for big power! Keep up the good work! Maybe a big bang 8.1l???
FYI, I met a fellow on You Tube who was a fleet/plant mechanic at some big firm. He said they had MANY 8.1s on duty, I can't remember if they ran generators or irrigation pumps. He also said they all tended to suffer a catastrophic failure at around 5000 hrs, if I remember right. (It's been a year or so, sue me) I recall they were breaking connecting rods. However, other gents objected, saying things like, "I have 300k miles on my 8.1, hauling fertilizer over the Grapevine", or some such. Food for thought. I would guess that generators or pumps run close to wide open their whole life, I dunno.
Just don't try boost with a stock 4l60e. You only get to try it once. It's fun for about 20 seconds or so. After that you get to set in the driveway and listen to your awesome turbo motor.
Glad I came across this video I have the 8.1 and about to install into my 1973 chevy malibu so hopefully someone responds to because definitely have alot of questions about where to start what oil pan what motor mounts etc
Great video, have you tried a Procharger centrifical supercharger? I think the belt drive supercharger would add horsepower and more importantly for towing power alittle off idle
An idea for maybe a future video, in regard to turbo towing torque stuff. Have you ever tried lean tuning? Like intentionally running the motor past stoich, like 16:1. The EPA doesn't allow this due to NOx emissions, but for an emissions exempt rig you may be able to combine diesel efficiency with gasoline ease of build/cost. It'd be interesting to see what timing can be run past stoich on like 91oct. My understanding is that combustion temps go back down past stoich, but EGTs stay high.
@@richardholdener1727 Yeah I've heard that some JDM cars do it from the factory. I'd be curious what happens under load. It'd probably kill a cat fast, but without that it could be good for high load efficiency.
@Projects Forever - under high load running that lean doesn't kill the cats, it kills the rods/pistons. Light load/cruise conditions are fine as the cylinder pressures are relatively low, but at WOT you end up with catastrophic knock and shrapnel everywhere if it leans out. Google can get you as deep into this as you'd like if this isn't enough, or I know there are plenty of videos here on exactly how and why this is. 😀
@@Broadpaw_Fox I'm not sure that's true. As you approach stoich yes, but past that I believe knock goes back down, but again, I'm not sure which is why it'd be interesting to test. Imagine you go lean enough that you're throttling with fuel, you're literally putting less energy into that combustion chamber, which means less heat (and thus less knock).
when you "add ring gap" to a junkyard engine are you reusing the old rings? are you cleaning carbon out of the grooves? honing? putting the rings back in exactly the same place? are there any long term negative effects from doing this? thanks
Compression rings may be fine, but if the engine was ever run hot the oil control rings/tensioner will let excessive amount of oil into chamber...kills octane rating/ smokes/builds up carbon...rings are cheap
@@timc2510 The idea behind reusing the ring pack is purely to test their mechanical limit in a high power application. Many people claim you need a better ring pack just to run reliably past stock power levels while others attest by being able to reuse oem rings on countless 1000 or more fwhp combos. Rings are cheap, however, when you get into the "while your in there" mods, you can find yourself rebuilding an engine where reassembly would have been just fine.
Damn that thing makes power like a diesel. Would like to see it rev a little more but it's still badass...that's the turbo I have for a mopar 451 stroker. Maybe I'll eventually get it done, bout ready blow that roadrunner to kingdom come though
Richard, Looking for advice on the 496 8.1 gen 7.. I have 2 of these in my boat. Great engines. looking to rebuild them with a little more power. Mercury did a great job at marinizing them. They are "496 HO's" 425 HP. Never had any issues. Would like to make 550 575 HP and of course a lot more torque and not loose reliability.Or have valve train issues or maintenance. 5500 rpm rev limit. What would you do to achieve this? It seems a single water cooled turbo with ball bearing center section would be idea. once forged pistons, rods and crank procured. Looking for your input.
horrible. absolutely vile, disgusting awful and terrible mileage. 13mpg stock babied on a good day cruising on the highway. Sub 10 with any sort of tune or mild upgrades
@@JohnnyAnderson1 If you're Burning Rubber, mile per gallons drops like a rock out a window! You simply don't travel too far when smoking the tires mercilessly!
I bought an P.S.I. 8.1 generator motor, turbocharged with less than 400 hours for 1,500$ !!!!, thanks Facebook marketplace!!! It'll be in my 1990 k5 with nv4500 5 speed and a 203/205 doubler soon! YIPPEE
Mr. Holdener, great information! Did you add ring gap to this engine? You didn't mention it in the video. And on the engines you do add ring gap to, are you adding it to BOTH compression rings, or only the top compression ring? Thanks in advance for the info, and for what you do!
You will gain back pressure versus boost at higher and higher RPM because same turbo with an engine spinning and gobbling intake air more and more will lead to same turbo turbine being overwhelmed, yes?
Hey Richard, I am planning on adding a turbo for more towing power to my Stock 5.3L L83 Sierra as I will be towing my travel trailer more often. I was wondering whether I should just look for a complete turbo kit, and do it all at once,(once I have saved up for it) or upgrade my engine a bit at a time. Such as adding a CAI, beefier injectors, larger exhaust, and upgrading my torque converter and rear gears. A suggested parts list would be greatly appreciated. BTW, love the videos and information. Thanks.
Supercharger would be easier and cleaner install. Factor in tuning cost AND wait time to get tune done. Suppose you could remote tune if you absolutely had to
@@crazygrandpame4946 turbo setup is gonna get outta control fast. The turbo is the easy to factor cost of the build. Fuel setup, IC piping, intercooler, fuel system, custom manifolds...not to mention fabrication. Being able to drop a Magnuson (or equiv) in place of the intake manifold would be similar price to a "quality" turbo setup.
I think you could buy an LT5 takeoff supercharger and be alot cheaper than the actual Magnuson. Someone on UA-cam has one, 500rwhp I think it was on the 5.3
This stuff is all cool 😎! I would like to see it with 2 of those turbos & see where she goes 😜😜😜😜! Anyway how about you & maybe Brule make a video about how you are wearing his dyno out 😂😂😂😂! It seems those dynos get run all the time?? With low to med horsepower! Under 2000hp! So I’m wondering 💭 how often he breaks load cell eyelets? Or how often you eat up the aluminum rotor/s in the water brake? Dynos in my area get used a lot! Some every day, but usually on all N/A stuff! Guys around here rarely do anything more than breakin boosted engines N/A! Then once they have a basic idea on fuel flow in LBS per hour & what kind of volumetric efficiency it has, basic ideas on what it likes for timing & that everything is good! Then they put it in the vehicle & hub dyno it after that! Sometimes we dyno blower motors, but usually we start with a single 4 intake, then stick the roots or screw on it! But those are usually small blowers on gas or E85, so it’s not like they make big power like turbo stuff! Anyway just wondering 💭 about how much attention they need & how often? I’m surprised that nothing happened when you broke the eyelet on the load cell??? I know a very very old loadcell broke on a old dyno with a large cube turbo engine on it 🙄🙄🙄🙄, it tore some shit up 🤬🤬🤬🤬! The whole pump spun & tore the water 💦 pipes out & everything 🙄🙄🙄🙄😳😳😳😳! Like I said a BF mess 🤬🤬🤬🤬!
Would a twin turbo set up be good for this motor? Im building a mega mud truck and have an 8.1. Need advise on cam and what other mods to accompany a turbo setup wether it be a single or twin setup.
Hi maddog from north dakota have u flowed stock 8.1 heads trying to find the perfect cam upgrade putting this monster in a 98 Silverado repower from a 6.5 diesel
So... I found a big block turbo set up but its a t3/t4 (seen u said t3 no good for this big motor)twin set up. Comes with it all but.... its a bay set up think its a good starting point?
@richardholdener1727 what I read is the turbos are .57 compressor wheel,3"inlet 2"outlet, .50a/r comp housing .63 a/r turbine housing t3/t4 hybrid. Thank you for the help by the way
I just found an 8.1 in a scrap yard, 500 bucks. Should I grab the engine harness and computers? Or can I drop it in my 67 Beaumont without the pump? Thanks
Do u have the exact build and list on what turbo kit u used? I just bought a 02 single cab dually with a 8.1 and 120k miles on it, super clean and wanting to add that package as well as replacing the stock exhaust manifolds and replacing with arp studs
So I was thinking about why this thing did so poorly with headers. But smaller engines with worse heads do better. Pretty sure someone mentioned a 128 LSA and almost no overlap. I bet the duration was even under 200 degrees. Without overlap the scavenging effect which helps fill the cyllinder of long tubes is removed. This is one of those situations that a camshaft can release 100HP and then the long tubes will add their 25 to 50hp. The camshaft ( which must be "small" with short duration, wide lsa ) is certainly the responsibility for most torque available off idle to around 3500 RPM then falling off.
It's nowhere near 128. Maybe 116-118. It's VERY short duration. But the intake behind the throttle body is such a restriction that headers don't help a ton. Pull the intake, cut the bottom off, and start porting. When the intake manifold will accept a mounting plate for a minimum 100MM throttle body, you've made progress. Then headers help.
Hi Richard, I have a very healthy NA 358ci 2V Clevo (solid roller, studded, girdled, etc) and I was looking at turbocharging the combo and have since moved to a larger CC head to aid in lowering the compression to 9.5:1. I'm not looking to max out the hp, rather I'm interested in faster response, more mid range power. Is there a turbo you would recommend to suit this application or would you need more info. to make that decision? Cheers Rob.
Hi Robert, if you are looking at buying a name brand turbo it might be good to reach out to the manufacturer and ask! They are usually pretty helpful to size turbos for your application :) If you aren't going name brand, I'm sure Richard or someone else could chime in with their experience.
@@TheBCninja thanks for the reply mate, I've previously reached out to manufacturers before with mixed results. Having spent $$$$ on combo's over the years, I want to keep costs down so I'm doing all the work myself this time around. So yeah, I guess I am looking at cheaper alternatives, I think they've come along way from what used to be available, I do however run a PT 6466 gen2 on my barra though. Lol
@@TheBCninja all good mate, comes with the territory. Cheers, yeah definitely looking forward to finalising everything and getting it pieced together and put in some seat time.
Do you think the dart intake with holley sniper efi would be much of a difference over the stock setup hp and tq wise? If I remember correctly it also has MSD Distributor and uses the 502 camshaft to correct timing.
@@richardholdener1727 im excited to see as putting the motor in my project is a not for a bit. But would love to see what parts I have that I should keep and what parts I can let go of to fund my project. As I have quite the stock pile of parts atm lol
i WAS SURPRISED BY THE BACK PRESSURE ONLY BEING 2 PSI HIGHER THAN BOOST AND ONLY IN THE UPPER HALF OF THE REV RANGE CONSIDERING THE ENGINE DISPLACEMENT AND ONLY A SINGLE TURBO. IS THIS COMPARABLE TO OTHER SINGLE TURBO COMBOS YOU'VE RUN?
@@richardholdener1727 yeah and Larry at Raylar says it's not . What's the truth ? Somewhere in the middle ? I wanted to move my 1.6l from my vortec 7.4 with some custom brackets onto an 8.1 but I really don't want to blow it up ... I could build a nice 454 just for the cost of aftermarket heads and rotating assembly for a 8.1 . The 496 book Larry helped write even says the bottom end is really only good for like 600hp .
How difficult would it be to put a 2012 hemi into an 2005 Ram? Has a bad 3.7 so figured it was the perfect time to put in a hemi. Haven’t been able to find an early hemi yet but did find the 2012.
What size of turbo can you used for a street application if you go to around 10psi on stock bottom end whit a mild cam around 230° duration idle to 6000rpm
I would guess that its just really really efficient at that boost level as it is seeing a 50.4% increase in Hp and a 53% increase in torque with only a 47% increase in atmosphere (at 7psi) Maybe this is due to a slightly lower compression ratio that this engine has making it less efficient when naturally aspirated?
@richardholdener1727 I'm going to watch more videos but I think I can figure it out. Just need to figure out a turbo to go with. Goals are to get it going!!!
@@richardholdener1727 its appears to be a stock bottom end 1979 c3 corvette with performance package top end kit. So whatever it came from factory plus some wear?
Love to see the 8.1 vs lq4 power curves. I almost bought a 8.1 truck vs the 03 6.0 that i still have. But i knew 10-12 mpg was all i could ever hope for out of the 8.1. Atleast the 6.0 can get near 15 and power is still decent...especially after some bolt ons. Still love the 8.1 tho.
I built a 9.3:1 496 big block with a wide lsa roller cam ls firing order and mercruiser boat intake that made 15 mpg highway (55 mph) in a 6000lb 94 dually using 3.73 gears from a diesel and nv4500 5 speed.
glad to see another boosted 8.1! I can vouch for the "tire spinning" torque, mine makes just over 900 ft.lbs. at the tire on 13 psi.
i followed your build, really enjoyed it.
I LOVE YOUR 8.1L VIDS-GREAT STUFF-THEY ARE MEGA TORQUE MACHINES
I wonder if anyone is interested in me posting vids on putting a turbo on my 2004 Fleetwood bounder with digital boost, the 8.1 had a 2 bent rods just finished a full rebuild thinking anything under 15 psi is pretty safe given most the parts are meant for a lot more
beefed up the cooling a lot with a bigger rad and triple electric fans, only thing I can think is I might need to put an electric oil return pump on the turbo as might need to put it low but will see any interest ? I tow a 9744lbs trailer with it (basically a machine shop on wheels) its got a vortec 8100 aka 8.1 on a workhorse frame
Shouts to LT for sure on stirring up the 8.1 again 🙏🏾
That inspired me to build one, thanks guys!!
There's a reason for big blocks. 800 lb*ft of torque at 3500 rpm is ~530 HP. That'll jerk your trailer uphill at a good clip. Why rev any higher?
God created the big block Chevy because he loves us and wants us to be happy.
On the other vid i commented that the torque peak is 3500 and HP peak is 4400 on this combo, however the torque is almost the same right off idle. So it's setup perfectly for towing. This engine would really come alive with a cam that puts torque peak at or above 5200 and HP between 6000-6500 RPM.
Amen!
Amen!
Second-hand 8.1 V8 engines will now have the "youtube tax", LOL. 😛
Holdener Tax 25%
The truth
Please dont.
No wonder parts are so hard to find...
Just pulled the 6.0l out of my 02 2500hd 4x4 4.10 and put in a stock 8.1 (out of an 03 Avalanche) with a Black Bear tune , uh yeah , I'm liking it !
I have a factory silverado with 8.1. This tune has my interest
@6:04 "and that's what happens when we add more boost"
- The G.O.A.T. -
Love an engine with so much torque it breaks the dyno!
Those torque numbers are unbelievable. Wild! I would be concerned about the low-mid range tq and the connecting rods
Wish I could find a gen6 or 7 big block
This seems like a great combo for someone who wants diesel power without a diesel,just wonder how reliable it would be.
Very reliable. It's chevy man! 😂 but seriously, it is actually very reliable. LT from Powernation has been using this in his truck for a couple years now and its fine.
@@sethh8892 how much boost has he been running for the past couple years? And is he on E or pump? I'm starting his videos now but there are dozens
@@navisingh8816 low boost, like 13lbs I think. Hes making 900lbft at the wheels and like 600 or 700 hp. I want to say he's using high octane pump gas, I don't think he's running E85.
@@sethh8892 thanks man, and he's on stock short block? I know I'll lose power and choke out at high rpm if I keep stock heads, and that's okay. 636hp is plenty🤣 I just don't want to blow up the rotating assembly
Probably more reliable than a modern diesel. Certainly cheaper to fix.
It’s cool to see the trade off of displacement and tq/rpm. You see the 7.3l able to spin a little more rpm but only makes 500 foot pounds from 1500rpm and up not the 550 you get from the 8.1 but being able to spin faster the 7.3 gets a touch over 500 hp. I really want to see what the 8.1 does with a intake and cam.
My 8.1 works good with raylar cam
Just myself one out of a generator, turbocharged less than 400 hours on it, my 90 model k5 blazer will be hooked to a sled soon!!! Building the 203/205 doubler next week! YIPPEE
We need more 8.1 videos
Thank you for making these videos. I am excited to see what the cam or head upgrades do in power. I have 3 of these engines and love the torque
I've had a 496 Mark IV with AFR heads and a marine F2 level procharger on the street in a first gen Camaro...I lol at that torque that's what I tried to explain to people...it was INSANE and completely useless on a 275 pro Drag Radial...
The stockish 5.3 in my C10 will spin the tires on the street, I can’t imagine having 800+ ft lbs on the street…
i use 345/40r17s on my stockish 4.6L 2v 09 P71 with 3.27 rear end but going 3.73s hopefully soon enough, you def need more tire, man..lol
The 8.1L in my '02 Avalanche is just begging to be unlocked with some tuning! A turbo would be awesome
Hell I threw a like on this before the video even started 👍🏼👍🏼
yes
I’ve wanted to build one of these engines for years. Now I’m going to find one
good luck after this series of videos lol
@@JohnnyAnderson1 true, salvage yards are always trying to get atleast 1500 out of them around here
Very interesting! I didn't get to catch all of the part one. This however looks very promising for big power! Keep up the good work! Maybe a big bang 8.1l???
FYI, I met a fellow on You Tube who was a fleet/plant mechanic at some big firm. He said they had MANY 8.1s on duty, I can't remember if they ran generators or irrigation pumps. He also said they all tended to suffer a catastrophic failure at around 5000 hrs, if I remember right. (It's been a year or so, sue me) I recall they were breaking connecting rods. However, other gents objected, saying things like, "I have 300k miles on my 8.1, hauling fertilizer over the Grapevine", or some such. Food for thought. I would guess that generators or pumps run close to wide open their whole life, I dunno.
Industrial engines are under constant load
Hell yeah!! I have one I’m either dropping in my 03 Tahoe or 86 iroc z… I wonder which one I should put it in 🤔
Looks like we both have iroc z
Probably the Tahoe. Lol
@@jessewait2931 Naa, the IROC-Z plz, that car will put a smile on his face just thinking about it..lol
Wonder if there is a way to swap 496 ho mercruiser parts or a whole 502.
This just in, 8.1L shortage due to new UA-cam video.
The Holdener Tax live in action!
Just don't try boost with a stock 4l60e. You only get to try it once. It's fun for about 20 seconds or so. After that you get to set in the driveway and listen to your awesome turbo motor.
BUT YOU GET ALL THOSE EXTRA NEUTRALS
@@richardholdener1727 🤣
@@richardholdener1727 True dat.
Just thing of the savings in gas
Good thing most 8.1 liter trucks came with the Allison transmission
Glad I came across this video I have the 8.1 and about to install into my 1973 chevy malibu so hopefully someone responds to because definitely have alot of questions about where to start what oil pan what motor mounts etc
What do you think would support more power? A t72 with a .96 AR or a t76 with a .68 AR, both T4 turbos.
A 76
8.1 Vortec Big Bang? It would be interesting to see what this engine can really take.
I would love to see a Dyno run on a 8.1 with a cam, roller rocker arms and headers.
Me too , also with that dart carb intake with a 850 carb
Great video, have you tried a Procharger centrifical supercharger? I think the belt drive supercharger would add horsepower and more importantly for towing power alittle off idle
many times, a centrifugal supercharger design (procharger, vortech, paxton etc...) adds very little boost and power down low
So much torque that you are breaking load cells. That's awesome. How do you guys calibrate the load cells ?
Pair of spoolies and coolers would be sweet in a motorhome. ..
An idea for maybe a future video, in regard to turbo towing torque stuff. Have you ever tried lean tuning? Like intentionally running the motor past stoich, like 16:1. The EPA doesn't allow this due to NOx emissions, but for an emissions exempt rig you may be able to combine diesel efficiency with gasoline ease of build/cost. It'd be interesting to see what timing can be run past stoich on like 91oct. My understanding is that combustion temps go back down past stoich, but EGTs stay high.
that can be done under cruise conditions-my Civic VX ran lean burn (19:1)
Interesting!
@@richardholdener1727 Yeah I've heard that some JDM cars do it from the factory. I'd be curious what happens under load. It'd probably kill a cat fast, but without that it could be good for high load efficiency.
@Projects Forever - under high load running that lean doesn't kill the cats, it kills the rods/pistons. Light load/cruise conditions are fine as the cylinder pressures are relatively low, but at WOT you end up with catastrophic knock and shrapnel everywhere if it leans out.
Google can get you as deep into this as you'd like if this isn't enough, or I know there are plenty of videos here on exactly how and why this is. 😀
@@Broadpaw_Fox I'm not sure that's true. As you approach stoich yes, but past that I believe knock goes back down, but again, I'm not sure which is why it'd be interesting to test. Imagine you go lean enough that you're throttling with fuel, you're literally putting less energy into that combustion chamber, which means less heat (and thus less knock).
when you "add ring gap" to a junkyard engine are you reusing the old rings? are you cleaning carbon out of the grooves? honing? putting the rings back in exactly the same place? are there any long term negative effects from doing this? thanks
reuse stock rings, clean carbon, usually (not always) put rings back with same piston,
Compression rings may be fine, but if the engine was ever run hot the oil control rings/tensioner will let excessive amount of oil into chamber...kills octane rating/ smokes/builds up carbon...rings are cheap
@@timc2510 The idea behind reusing the ring pack is purely to test their mechanical limit in a high power application. Many people claim you need a better ring pack just to run reliably past stock power levels while others attest by being able to reuse oem rings on countless 1000 or more fwhp combos. Rings are cheap, however, when you get into the "while your in there" mods, you can find yourself rebuilding an engine where reassembly would have been just fine.
Who needs a diesel for torque? Stock 8.1 liter with a little boost gives you all the torque you'll need in your dually.
BC diesels make max tq at like half the rpm of this 8.1, 900tq at 1800rpm is pretty damn nice when towing 15k
@@bigandlittlecountryDid you see the graph at 6:34? 800 Ftlbs at 2600 rpm!
Moar please!!
Thank you this is the motor I wanted you to get into!
Curious to see how reliable they will hold boost while being used for towing on a 6psi setup..
they work great-a viewer has a turbo 8.1 used for towing that has 100K plus miles
Love it, keep up the great work.
so is the turbo setup for a trail/mud truck better than the $$$$ supercharger???😊
Damn that thing makes power like a diesel. Would like to see it rev a little more but it's still badass...that's the turbo I have for a mopar 451 stroker. Maybe I'll eventually get it done, bout ready blow that roadrunner to kingdom come though
Murder nova on street outlaws has a 540 witch looks to be very similar to this one twin turbo that makes 3600hp but he went procharger now
Which turbo kit did you use for this? Or is there a list of parts you used to make this work?
made my own
Richard, Looking for advice on the 496 8.1 gen 7.. I have 2 of these in my boat. Great engines. looking to rebuild them with a little more power. Mercury did a great job at marinizing them. They are "496 HO's" 425 HP. Never had any issues. Would like to make 550 575 HP and of course a lot more torque and not loose reliability.Or have valve train issues or maintenance. 5500 rpm rev limit. What would you do to achieve this? It seems a single water cooled turbo with ball bearing center section would be idea. once forged pistons, rods and crank procured. Looking for your input.
ported heads, cam and more displacement
Mike, the only place that I know of that specializes in the 8.1 engine is Raylar Engineering. Look them up for all kinds of parts for the 496.
Putting in my 8.1 into a 70 blazer, just need fuel rails and injectors since this came out of a LP truck
Would a 3000 or 3500 stall converter be overcome by the torque of this motor. How do you run a stall converter with a turbo?
torque increases stall speed
Hey Richard - You teased me with 8.1 vids but they have dried up. Why?
more coming
Wow the power is crazy. I wonder what kind of mpg it would crank out in a daily type scenario.
horrible. absolutely vile, disgusting awful and terrible mileage. 13mpg stock babied on a good day cruising on the highway. Sub 10 with any sort of tune or mild upgrades
@@rustysausage69 that much?
@@MrScottt28 Sounds high, I wouldn't think you would get double digits unless its in a light weight chassis.
@@JohnnyAnderson1 If you're Burning Rubber, mile per gallons drops like a rock out a window! You simply don't travel too far when smoking the tires mercilessly!
@@scotttimpany2845 lol
I bought an P.S.I. 8.1 generator motor, turbocharged with less than 400 hours for 1,500$ !!!!, thanks Facebook marketplace!!! It'll be in my 1990 k5 with nv4500 5 speed and a 203/205 doubler soon! YIPPEE
Nicely done any plans to try twins? I have a couple 60mm T4s for my 8.8, yet to try them though. Dart Intk, Dart Heads, BP206 cam. For a boat.
Mr. Holdener, great information! Did you add ring gap to this engine? You didn't mention it in the video. And on the engines you do add ring gap to, are you adding it to BOTH compression rings, or only the top compression ring? Thanks in advance for the info, and for what you do!
no gap yet on this one-I do top and 2nd ring
@@richardholdener1727 how much boost would you think would be a safe amount with no ring gap?
Mine broke the pistons on 18 lbs years ago I need to build another one
You will gain back pressure versus boost at higher and higher RPM because same turbo with an engine spinning and gobbling intake air more and more will lead to same turbo turbine being overwhelmed, yes?
ADDING BOOST ADS BACK PRESSURE, ADDING NA POWER ADDS BACK PRESSURE
Broke the Dyno!!!!
Hey Richard, I am planning on adding a turbo for more towing power to my Stock 5.3L L83 Sierra as I will be towing my travel trailer more often. I was wondering whether I should just look for a complete turbo kit, and do it all at once,(once I have saved up for it) or upgrade my engine a bit at a time. Such as adding a CAI, beefier injectors, larger exhaust, and upgrading my torque converter and rear gears. A suggested parts list would be greatly appreciated. BTW, love the videos and information. Thanks.
Don’t your waste money on a CAI of your gonna boost it as you won’t use it.
Supercharger would be easier and cleaner install. Factor in tuning cost AND wait time to get tune done. Suppose you could remote tune if you absolutely had to
I agree a supercharger would look cleaner, and would be just as beneficial, but the price tag would be way out of my budget.
@@crazygrandpame4946 turbo setup is gonna get outta control fast. The turbo is the easy to factor cost of the build. Fuel setup, IC piping, intercooler, fuel system, custom manifolds...not to mention fabrication. Being able to drop a Magnuson (or equiv) in place of the intake manifold would be similar price to a "quality" turbo setup.
I think you could buy an LT5 takeoff supercharger and be alot cheaper than the actual Magnuson. Someone on UA-cam has one, 500rwhp I think it was on the 5.3
This stuff is all cool 😎! I would like to see it with 2 of those turbos & see where she goes 😜😜😜😜! Anyway how about you & maybe Brule make a video about how you are wearing his dyno out 😂😂😂😂! It seems those dynos get run all the time?? With low to med horsepower! Under 2000hp! So I’m wondering 💭 how often he breaks load cell eyelets? Or how often you eat up the aluminum rotor/s in the water brake? Dynos in my area get used a lot! Some every day, but usually on all N/A stuff! Guys around here rarely do anything more than breakin boosted engines N/A! Then once they have a basic idea on fuel flow in LBS per hour & what kind of volumetric efficiency it has, basic ideas on what it likes for timing & that everything is good! Then they put it in the vehicle & hub dyno it after that! Sometimes we dyno blower motors, but usually we start with a single 4 intake, then stick the roots or screw on it! But those are usually small blowers on gas or E85, so it’s not like they make big power like turbo stuff! Anyway just wondering 💭 about how much attention they need & how often? I’m surprised that nothing happened when you broke the eyelet on the load cell??? I know a very very old loadcell broke on a old dyno with a large cube turbo engine on it 🙄🙄🙄🙄, it tore some shit up 🤬🤬🤬🤬! The whole pump spun & tore the water 💦 pipes out & everything 🙄🙄🙄🙄😳😳😳😳! Like I said a BF mess 🤬🤬🤬🤬!
THE EYELET JUST CRACKED-DID NOT SEPARATE-DYNO'S ARE RUN EVERY DAY
Can you suggest a cam for a turbo 8.1 or even better do a video test one? Thanks.
pick the cam for what you want it to do na
Would a twin turbo set up be good for this motor? Im building a mega mud truck and have an 8.1. Need advise on cam and what other mods to accompany a turbo setup wether it be a single or twin setup.
single or twin changes nothing (if sized for the same power)-I have a cam upgrade video on the 8.1L up already
Ok thanks. Im new to the turbo stuff.
Next question is, what about switching to carb, adding a gen 6 cam headers, porting the heads, then adding boost?
My truck needs this gear
Change the cam with just springs and try again ? How many cfm do the ports flow ? Joe home gamer probably won’t port the heads .
cam tests are coming
Hi maddog from north dakota have u flowed stock 8.1 heads trying to find the perfect cam upgrade putting this monster in a 98 Silverado repower from a 6.5 diesel
I did a cam upgrade on the 8.1L-that vid is up-and I do have flow data
Did he ever do the more power version of N/a of this engine or did this series just die out
did a cam swap and intake
@ could you do a big bang on a 8.1 vortec with the cam upgrade and intake
Hey rich is this test done with all stock internals stock injectors , cam , throttle body ect
it had a manual throttle body, bigger injectors-but otherwise stock
So... I found a big block turbo set up but its a t3/t4 (seen u said t3 no good for this big motor)twin set up. Comes with it all but.... its a bay set up think its a good starting point?
I just want to start on 4 psi
it depends on which t3 turbos they are but will likely work for low boost/power
@richardholdener1727 what I read is the turbos are .57 compressor wheel,3"inlet 2"outlet, .50a/r comp housing .63 a/r turbine housing t3/t4 hybrid. Thank you for the help by the way
Um if add turbo on it will require thicker oil over 10w30, need good quality oil or both?
no need to change oil
@@richardholdener1727 cool, what kind of octane of gas? Regular unleaded, plus or super unleaded?? To me it seem like super unleaded because it modded
I just found an 8.1 in a scrap yard, 500 bucks. Should I grab the engine harness and computers? Or can I drop it in my 67 Beaumont without the pump? Thanks
you can run it with a carb if you want
Do u have the exact build and list on what turbo kit u used? I just bought a 02 single cab dually with a 8.1 and 120k miles on it, super clean and wanting to add that package as well as replacing the stock exhaust manifolds and replacing with arp studs
sUMMIT t6 s475
any reason why people dont build these more often?
they still do
Since it has the same firing order as an LS would a msd ignition controller work ?
YES
what does it typically cost to have a shop install 6lbs boots ? parts and labor roughly
no idea
So I was thinking about why this thing did so poorly with headers. But smaller engines with worse heads do better. Pretty sure someone mentioned a 128 LSA and almost no overlap. I bet the duration was even under 200 degrees. Without overlap the scavenging effect which helps fill the cyllinder of long tubes is removed. This is one of those situations that a camshaft can release 100HP and then the long tubes will add their 25 to 50hp. The camshaft ( which must be "small" with short duration, wide lsa ) is certainly the responsibility for most torque available off idle to around 3500 RPM then falling off.
128 lsa? I think not
It's nowhere near 128. Maybe 116-118. It's VERY short duration.
But the intake behind the throttle body is such a restriction that headers don't help a ton.
Pull the intake, cut the bottom off, and start porting.
When the intake manifold will accept a mounting plate for a minimum 100MM throttle body, you've made progress. Then headers help.
Looks like you put the 8.1 heads on a flowbench. How do they compete with stock truck 4.8/5.3 heads?
they flow more than 5.3l heads
@@richardholdener1727 😂
I'd like to see what 8 psi on 93 octane looks like. Not sure where I'd put an intercooler.
Maybe change your radiator and innercooler from a duramax?
To bad you didn't put a different cam to move the hp beyond 4500
Try using the zz502 cam under boost. That be really fun
Hi Richard, I have a very healthy NA 358ci 2V Clevo (solid roller, studded, girdled, etc) and I was looking at turbocharging the combo and have since moved to a larger CC head to aid in lowering the compression to 9.5:1.
I'm not looking to max out the hp, rather I'm interested in faster response, more mid range power. Is there a turbo you would recommend to suit this application or would you need more info. to make that decision?
Cheers Rob.
Hi Robert, if you are looking at buying a name brand turbo it might be good to reach out to the manufacturer and ask! They are usually pretty helpful to size turbos for your application :)
If you aren't going name brand, I'm sure Richard or someone else could chime in with their experience.
@@TheBCninja thanks for the reply mate, I've previously reached out to manufacturers before with mixed results. Having spent $$$$ on combo's over the years, I want to keep costs down so I'm doing all the work myself this time around. So yeah, I guess I am looking at cheaper alternatives, I think they've come along way from what used to be available, I do however run a PT 6466 gen2 on my barra though. Lol
@@RoB_666_ sorry to hear about the mixed results! You have a good taste in engines. Good luck with your build, it's gonna be sweet!
@@TheBCninja all good mate, comes with the territory. Cheers, yeah definitely looking forward to finalising everything and getting it pieced together and put in some seat time.
what power level do you want?
Let’s see a Big Bang
Do you think the dart intake with holley sniper efi would be much of a difference over the stock setup hp and tq wise? If I remember correctly it also has MSD Distributor and uses the 502 camshaft to correct timing.
the dart intake won't care what firing order cam you run, we will have to see how it compares the stock long runner efi intake
@@richardholdener1727 im excited to see as putting the motor in my project is a not for a bit. But would love to see what parts I have that I should keep and what parts I can let go of to fund my project. As I have quite the stock pile of parts atm lol
How can I purchase the tune from you? I have the same exact sertup
I'm not a tuner
Awesome! Does holley terminator x work with this instead of the hp?
it should
848ft/lbs ! Goodness. You probably COULD climb a building with that.
How would you run this setup in a pickup for towing with an air to air intercooler, from like a duramax, and pump gas instead of e-85??
take a look at the live feed-I have a photo of an 8.1l 3500 with a remote turbo-runs on 91 pump
What oil and viscosity do you recommend using in the l.s.x. S.b over 1500 h.p
THAT DEPENDS ON THE CLEARANCES AND OILING SYSTEM
H.p melling oil pump .set up for racing clearances on the begs . If that makes sense.. ..good heat treated begs as well.
Thats some diesel making power!
i WAS SURPRISED BY THE BACK PRESSURE ONLY BEING 2 PSI HIGHER THAN BOOST AND ONLY IN THE UPPER HALF OF THE REV RANGE CONSIDERING THE ENGINE DISPLACEMENT AND ONLY A SINGLE TURBO. IS THIS COMPARABLE TO OTHER SINGLE TURBO COMBOS YOU'VE RUN?
this turbo is sized right for the application-including the big hot side
Can I run a 5 psi Whipple on one of these with stock bottom end on 93 octane ?
yes
@@richardholdener1727 yeah and Larry at Raylar says it's not . What's the truth ? Somewhere in the middle ? I wanted to move my 1.6l from my vortec 7.4 with some custom brackets onto an 8.1 but I really don't want to blow it up ... I could build a nice 454 just for the cost of aftermarket heads and rotating assembly for a 8.1 .
The 496 book Larry helped write even says the bottom end is really only good for like 600hp .
Soooo.....basically like 700 ft lbs plus at a fast idle
Is the 8.1L an iron block or aluminum?
Iron block, Iron heads.
@@wdcrobertl wonder how much it weighs?
770lbs
Yes
this makes me want to put a turbo on my old class A rv
i cant beleive the bottom end held up for even the first boost run, is the bottom end stock? if not what are the crank rods and pistons?
all stock 152K miles
Yo Richard .
We still await 8.1 videos 😁
😭
How difficult would it be to put a 2012 hemi into an 2005 Ram? Has a bad 3.7 so figured it was the perfect time to put in a hemi. Haven’t been able to find an early hemi yet but did find the 2012.
bolting the engine in is easy-electronics are more difficult
Make a video, putting a super charger on..
What size of turbo can you used for a street application if you go to around 10psi on stock bottom end whit a mild cam around 230° duration idle to 6000rpm
For twin turbo app not single
what power do you want
Around 800hp and 1000foot pound of torque
When you test different intake manifolds. Please modify the stock one. I'm wondering on if it's worth it or not. Any maybe a rv cam lol
I have a modified stock one
Do we have any theories on why this thing responded "better than normal" to such small amounts of boost?
I would guess that its just really really efficient at that boost level as it is seeing a 50.4% increase in Hp and a 53% increase in torque with only a 47% increase in atmosphere (at 7psi)
Maybe this is due to a slightly lower compression ratio that this engine has making it less efficient when naturally aspirated?
Big cubic inches and low (ish) stock compression.
the slight improvement over the formula is likely from the use of E85-which can add 35-40 hp by itself
E85 makes sense.
@@richardholdener1727 awesome, didnt catch that
so can you run the terminator x harness LS with a holley hp on a gen 7 big block with minimal changes?
we ran the HP so I assume it's the same
I run terminator x max on them.
Isnt the Gen 7 also an LS? I honestly dont know, just asking.
technically it's part of the BBC engine family-lots of ls cues
Do you offer a kit to do this?
no sir
@richardholdener1727 dang it. I have a 84' c10 with a 8.1 thinking a turbo is next step
easy to do yourself
@richardholdener1727 I'm going to watch more videos but I think I can figure it out. Just need to figure out a turbo to go with. Goals are to get it going!!!
Guys, 350sbc with 60k miles, how muxh boost can i run without playing with the ring gap?
do you know what the gap is?
@@richardholdener1727 its appears to be a stock bottom end 1979 c3 corvette with performance package top end kit. So whatever it came from factory plus some wear?
Right on
Love to see the 8.1 vs lq4 power curves. I almost bought a 8.1 truck vs the 03 6.0 that i still have. But i knew 10-12 mpg was all i could ever hope for out of the 8.1. Atleast the 6.0 can get near 15 and power is still decent...especially after some bolt ons. Still love the 8.1 tho.
I built a 9.3:1 496 big block with a wide lsa roller cam ls firing order and mercruiser boat intake that made 15 mpg highway (55 mph) in a 6000lb 94 dually using 3.73 gears from a diesel and nv4500 5 speed.
@@cmcbunch that's pretty good. My dads bigblocks never did that well. But he wasn't gonna drive 55😁
same here
@@HioSSilver1999 lol yeah it felt really good at 70 but then it was about 10mpg.
My 8.1 butb only gets 10 on the highway. Stock form
Can we have a 8.1 big bag episode!! Please.
BIG BAG?
Does that 8.1 need e85 at only 8psi boost?
no-it can run on 91-as shown in the live feed
Is this a boat engine
truck