I try to include this info in videos while working on engines, but it's hard to get it all in them along with the work. So I wanted to make this video covering some of the things I've learned over the years with my LS Builds to help anyone out who's taking the plunge themselves.
Great video. I just went through all of this on the 5.3 I got from LKQ to replace the 4.8 block that spun all its bearings the first time at the track. These engines are amazing as long as the oil system is worked over. Happy to see I hit every check box on your list, so I hope this engine will last a while.
Thank you man, I just threw in a 5.3 in my 87 Trans Am for hitting the track at OSW. I'm definitely buying an accusump tomorrow for it. I plan for a lot of boost eventually and I need to make sure it's well lubricated.
If you showed me this video a few years ago, I would have laughed in your face. After burning up 2 perfectly good motors (one built to the gills) I 100% agree with everything you said. If I had seen this video a few years ago AND followed the advice, I'd still be on my original motor.
I'm a mechanic at a speed shop, and one of my customers has a stock internals 6.0L, boosted to the nuts, and he's gotten the car into the 7s in the 1/4, he opens up the ring gaps, studs everything with ARP studs, and throws a $300 Chinese turbo on it. Sure the motors come apart from time to time with power levels he's running, but a couple weekends, few hundred bucks, and a trip to the wrecking yard and he's back to the races.
@@ls3_saif From what it sounds like, he's building expecting to replace. Not how I'd choose to do things but I don't know what I'm talking about and don't have the time or money to do that kinda thing so who the fuck am I?... but you'd be surprised how much you can squeeze out of an engine and how little you need to mess with it if you're not too concerned about how long it's gonna run. If you want to make a lot of power (relative to the application) AND have the engine last a long time (relative to the application) there's some stuff you're gonna have to do.. but if you're just looking to have it boogie for awhile and you don't really mind it eventually blowing up and having to replace it? Chuck a bunch of boost in it and send it. Other than oil starvation or detonation, it'll usually put up with a lot more than it was intended to... for a while.
The other overlooked oil starvation fix is to simply overfill the pan. The "LS1" style pan "full" line is at 5.5 qts. You can run 7.5 with no negative effects and oil starvation has not been an issue in my experience. Also back to back 1/4 mile runs at 5.5 and 7.5qts i saw no noticeable performance loss due to windage that every one claims is such a big issue. also adding high volume oil pumps when not needed tends to "suck the pan dry" and is completely not necessary.
Wow! Really Adam? Alright, my series "B" 5.3 in my '06 GMC 4×4, has been an amazing engine! Very happy with it. I've got 175,000 on it, one small oil leak. Any how, the oil pressure deviation, has always been on my mind, all years I have owned the truck. Back and forth from 31 to 41 lbs. Doesn't use oil, or burn oil. Thinkin' I'll try your madness...😅 Thanks!
Oh, Adam, I'm with ya on the idea lesser oil, faster times! Ha, shorten engine life! But, getting rid of the PCV system, installing a breather type oil cap, does help. Again, thanks!
Another important reason for road racing builds to use a dry sump system is the flat oil pan, which allows the engine to be installed lower in the chassis, getting the center of gravity lower, improving handling. If you're a real belt-and-suspenders man, you'll install an Accusump to kick in just in case your dry sump belt comes off or you blow one of its feed lines or whatever so as to give you time to shut down before your motor seizes. A big, bright oil pressure red idiot light where you can't possibly miss it would be a worthwhile investment as well. Excellent video.
Had this in watch later for a while and hate myself for it. I'm so glad this was a more technical video rather than one of those "change your oil, do maintenance, take care of it" typical types, stuff we all know/common sense. This actually had upgrades in it, very nice video. Thank you 👍
My Dad gave me his 05 avalanche because he’s old. Super excited to join this cult like engine following. Discovering something new is so much better dwelling on the negative aspects of the world.
Dude, I just watched this to the end. I have a very short attention span and rarely make it to the end of videos. You are generous for sharing this information so openly, and your no nonsense approach keeps people engaged. I loved that you weren't trying to be funny or adding fluff, just straight up info streaming from beginning to end. Thank you again. Awesome stuff.
Great video and you are dead right about all the issues listed. I have a few more issues that you could add: 6) AFM (DOD) lifter failure 7) LS3/ any motor that uses the LS3 style timing chain tensioner. The plastic parts of the tensioner is prone to breaking. 8) Not a real issue, but the stock valve springs can be fairly shitting and are prone to valve floating at high rpm.
These are GREAT tips. My favorite one is "leave it the F alone". I am a road racer, and I am very familiar with horsepower and what one can do with it. Because of that, I get a lot of questions around what should be done to a motor. It KILLS me when I have someone LS swapping something like an RX7, a Miata, a 240SX, whatever. They start talking about heads and intakes and what pistons they need and so on, because they want to make power because they are afraid it'll be slow. I have almost this exact talk with them. Man, that car is what, 2600#-2700# at the absolute max? If its a Miata its closer to 2300#-2400#? That 300-350 hp is going to be PLENTY. Just get the thing done, and get it running. After a few months if you think its slow, get some heads on it. But don't let that stop the project. And I can bet you won't be bored.
As fellow road racer , builder of the very cars you mention as well as A sedan Camaro, GT2 I have always addressed a couple things most dont. Proper oil, proper cooling, proper braking . I have also used Peterson dry sumps.
Very insightful and solid answer. As a Corvette owner, I try to tell my buddies to just try driving a C5/6/7 before they go crazy on any build. And a good 80-90% of people aren't going to push their cars to their limits anyway so what was the point of spending all that money? Car culture is way too obsessed with chasing higher horsepower numbers that you're almost never going to make use out of anyway
My 5.3L LM7 lost oil pressure in Ohio on a trip. Thought it was the sensor at first, no biggie. Drove it about a mile and the lifters started complaining. Had a friend come with his flat bed gooseneck trailer and tow me back to his shop in Michigan. We dropped the pan and changed the o-ring and now I'm back to 60 psi cold / 40 psi hot pressure.
You wouldn't have to worry about the pick up if your upside-down. All the oil will stay in the motor. Until it gets to the cylinder and gets pushed out the exhaust.
first thing you showed, the cam plate, is what killed my first 5.3 in my Nova. just a couple street miles and couple dyno hits, oil pressure dropping to 5psi with a hell of a noise from the cam! #5, my fav. the replacement 4.8 that went into my Nova didnt get a single bolt turned that didnt need it. slapped a cam in and good. same deal with my new project, didnt even look at the bottom end. GM knows there shit, they built like 50million of these, how many engines have you built? yeah. plus, that engine has PROVEN it self for the last 100k + miles (always claimed, its probably got 240+ lol), its driven to countless soccer/baseball/whatever games, to work every day for 10years... ITS GOOD.
In Australia they put these (GenIII Ontario built) in GM Holden Commodores and had to rebuild engines under warranty if customer complained about them being too noisy. Piston slap and excess oil usage before even before 3 years use. New pistons and rods etc. times thousands of cars .After rebuilds though, its a magic engine. Especially sought after in the 2nd hand market, if you looking for a long term purchase. One of the many GM mistakes that killed Holden.
Dustin, you crack me up!😅 Straight and to the point! Gonna drop the pan on my '06 series "B" 5.3, changing oil pump seals and I guess plugging a bolt hole...
Chris Stevens so simple I run one in my burnout car in Australia stays flat for 2 miniutes no oil pressure this guy just does seem to get it just put an oil pump on all your issues solved
Chris Stevens I've heard mixed things (mostly all good but some negative) about Mellings failing or wheter high pressure, stock volume vs high volume - high pressure. Which model do you recommend? I've been thinking about going the ported LS6 on my LS1.
Kyle Clemmer I cant say anything about Melling failing in general. Could be people not shimming the pump correctly when installed. Or pinched oring on pick up tube. I run high volume high pressure, they come with an extra spring to reduce it to stock pressure. I see 55psi at idle and 80+ at wot. Hope that helps good luck 👍🏼
This vid makes me proud of myself. Already had majority of these tips covered when I did my first build. I did a ton of research though, before I bought the truck I knew NOTHING about LS at all
A couple of my thoughts. I ran my 5.3 all year at 7200 in my sprint car. Stock other the. A cam swap. To the people talking about high pressure and volume pumps be careful. Consider at high RPM the pump can lower your pan level to an unwanted level. Also. A little trick. Your lifter trays will hold to much oil till then fill. Drill a small hole in the tray to let the oil drain at a lower lever
The oil problem you speak of is inherent in ALL wet sumps, it's not really an ''LS'' problem. The only truly unique ''LS'' problem is the oil pick up. Apparently GM makes it easy for you to fix with an additional bolt hole. Why GM goes through the trouble of making a bolt hole and leaving it empty? Truly one of life's mysteries. Changing seals and so on, is just doing a thorough/good build. Great video though thanks for sharing.
Another benefit to dry sump is it helps the rotating assembly not having to slosh through all the oil in the pan. It helps with climbing in the rpms quicker, and frees up a little bit of power too. Of course, it might be immeasurable, but it definitely helps.
What’s up Taylor ! Big inspiration man ! I started car vlogging on my channel now! I’m currently working on s13 hatchback ! Trying to make a 180sx rep! Thank you soo much for everything! I’m almost to 200 subs ! So blessed!
Here in Australia, the LS3 is used in the Holden Caprice limo - lifter failure is very common for actual chauffeur driven vehicles. One mechanic said he thinks it's due to insufficient oil pressure at low revs. (we do a lot of low rev driving, and a lot of idling)
Thank you, thank you for pointing out the items in the video. As a dealer line tech we see things and take measures to cover our own behind, but showing the camshaft retainer plate gasket and it’s importance is to me, is never discussed. The Red Gasket maker (Loctite 518) is for two machined surfaces and in the absence or air, creates a great seal. I use a film of this carefully behind this plate on any gasket. Sac City’s bar-bell is a nice touch as we as the rocker trunnions, which can fail on high mile daily drivers. The oil accumulator is a home run in my book. Even engines that are grocery-getters, the main & rod bearings experiencing a slow death ever time (That 200k miles or more) they are started. Even with certain engine designers oiling strategy, we all know that no pressure film of oil is a fine line to a little wear and no wear. I enjoyed your choice of locations with limited real estate up front. I just wish the wear half the price they retail for considering the simplicity. The key operated valve is technically the most expensive component installed. Thanks and best of luck. Liked & Subscribed! ASE Master Tech since 1978 - Retired... Great Points!
ben's setup is so clean now. he's lucky to have had you as a test subject haha. Edit: also taylor rippppped the freedom factory. He was haulin on the oval!
One of the BEST video advice I've ever seen on any video platform. I would say, NO MATTER haw you wish to use your LS vehicle, these simple upgrades will actually make your LS engine bulletproof. I'd say a simple drysump is also a must have if you only want to care about oil changes. I know of a guy in Mannheim Germany who rodnocked his Firebird LS engine in a speedway turnpike : a long long long right turn at a speedway turnpike crossing, he took the turn just pushing a " tad little more" than he'd do, and ... bye bye LS engine.
All of this is SO true. The best advice for any track LS I've seen online. Well done Taylor. Only thing I would add is not to run a high volume pump with stock bearing clearances. It WILL suck the sump dry, even with baffles. Oh and love the Buc-ee's shirt! #breakfastburrito
I'm gonna put an LS in my '70 Corvette project and I'm very happy I came across your video. You are Excellent!!! Good Infor!!! Yes, I'm gonna leave it (my 6.2 escalade motor) alone. Just do some basic checks. Thanks!
Thank you for these 5 oil tips! I had no idea on most of these. A bad oil pickup tube o ring caused my LQ4 to have no oil pressure for about 10 seconds in the winter!!! Replaced it and instant pressure every start up. I did not know there was a 2nd bolt hold down for the tube thanks for that too!
Man thoses video are so interesting, you explain so well! Can't wait to see more of the new build, and watch you rip with an 80hp stronger engine !! You're the best keep it up man. Edit: that last scene of the video with Cleetus is still one of my favorite moment of your channel, it was 🔥🔥
My lifter turned sideways in my '12 silverado 6 months after buying it because someone had previously replaced the lifers (probably collapsed lifter) but didn't replace the $20 treys 😡. So I did a cam swap and DOD delete truck has been great ever since. Good to see I did most everything in your video.
Dude... Yet another reason to REALLY enjoy your videos. The explanation on this one was well thought out and backed up by your own experiences. Thanks!
Excellent To Do primer for LS C3 Corvette Swaps Taylor, thanks! For my "Pull N Pay" Corvette C3 crowd who are doing a scrapyard sourced LS swap I'm recommending a couple of things. I realize that alot of us are family guys that are doing the conversion on a budget & that's precisely WHY I'm making them, because you don't want to do it again & at the same time you also don't want to limit yourself from power upgrades later. You've got it out, follow Taylor's wise (cheap insurance!) council on the seals & rockers. I'd recommend a high-pressure oil pump on Any swap and on LS's I'd recommend a new set of push rods & rocker arms. 2 reasons; people love to neglect their oil changes & a High-Pressure one like a Mellings will help push oil through those potentially restricted Oil Passages from a neglected motor & Revving! Man we love a high revving V-8. Again, "cheap insurance". Change the Cam Bearings. The main bearings on these last, the cam bearings don't fare as well. So those 3 seals, cam bearings, oil pump, push rods & rocker arms and on LS3's the plastic chain tensioner. You KNOW that if you're doing a C3 Corvette LS Engine Swap-that you'll Eventually do power upgrades so a little extra investment Now means less work later so that makes the LS Cam Bearing replacement more important-Now. I'm currently collecting as much real world information as we can find for doing a C3 Corvette LS Engine & Transmission Swap using ONLY Factory Parts as we can get our hands on so this can be a simple(r) WEEKEND SWAP rather than another expensive 6 month trial & error financial burden. Which factory accessory drives work, oil pan & pick up, waterpump (the outlet actually), trans crossmember & mount, motor & frame mounts, ps & fuel lines, etc.
@G hrvyck When I see someone volunteer information like 50+ years master tech, I think of all the people who say they were navy seal marine spys. You don't have a damn clue what you're talking about because you were never there.
Agreed, this guy is full of chit. If you don't like GM then that's your business, but don't be such a hater that you spread lies on the internet. First I currently own an 88 GT, 03 Cobra, 03 Lightning, 13 Taurus along with other Fords I've owned in the past so I'm no Ford hater, but to act like an LS isn't the best motor for a Foxbody/SN95 swap is just someone being a hater because you're likely a Ford fanboy. And that's fine but own the fact that no other V8 platform can drop the lbs and be positioned as ideally in those cars (or really most any other cars) chassis as an LS can be. Then you have more options for modding big power (using boost, or a shot, or staying N/A and having a ton of dispacement options available) then any other platform within a reasonable cost to mod. I've only ever had 2 issues with LS "motors" (not LS powered cars) that I can think of. 1) I had an LS1 who's alternator went bad. I fixed it with one I bought off a wrecked 04 Yukon with like 165K miles and it was trouble free since. Another time I had the thermostat gasket shear and get into the spring on the thermostat and lock it open. It basically wouldn't let the motor come all the way up to full temperature. Easy and cheap fix. I've known many people with LS based motors that ran like tops at 250K+ miles even if the rest of the vehicle felt worn. Generally speaking your LS based motors without AFM are some of the most reliable and problem free motors there are. Can some high mileage (and more importantly "old") LS motors develop issues like leaks around the oil pan seal, etc? Sure, but overall they experience fewer common issues than most other motors.
@G hrvyck no one cares about your "motors or engines" knowledge. I have an idea. Let's just start grammar checking one another to try and make my argument look more intelligent than the next guys. That's what you're doing. All motors (I mean engines) have certain flaws. Do we really need to start comparing the flaws between old SB's and BB's from all the manufacturers and why the SBC and BBC are cheaper and more popular to hot rod than the SBF and BBF? (Let's not even start on old Chrysler) How about you go get you a mass produced old 302/351 ci SBF or a 4.6L/5.4L Modular (and I'm not talking about some handbuilt/forged SVT motor) and a 4.8L/5.3L/6.0L/6.2L/7.0L LS based motor and start adding power and see who's limits you find first. You'll likely vent a stock Modulars block at about a LS7's stock power. And mod for mod even a 4.8L would kill the HP returns that a SOHC 4.6L/5.4L gives you, all while being more reliable while doing so.
I'm sure these videos don't get the kind of views because its more of a niche thing but got'damn do I love a good shop video. Especially when its regarding shit i'm not too familiar with.
I'm more of an electrical/performance guy than an mechanical rebuild guy so naturally I forget which GM LS/LT engine comes with what as far as the top end goes other than the AFM crap they finally decided to slowly back away from in the new models. This is a pretty damn good video for DIY'ers and seasoned techs to view. My hat goes off to you.
Great video. Very detailed and to-the-point. Thanks for showing the difference on the GEN 4 lifters. Thanks for describing oiling options and related costs. The accusump described as a band-aid is like saying an accumulator on a hydro-boost braking system is a band-aid. I agree with your assertion - its a solution. BTW - cool Miatas. Looks fun!
Good looking out on the barbell. Never had one of those out before. I've changed the pickup tube seals and cam retainer before, but I didn't even know that guy exsisted.
When I build my e46 chassis into a drift car, Taylor’s gonna be the reason it’s gonna have to LS in it haha. I think it’s gonna be fun making videos tearing apart an LS 😋
I loved this video! Its the fact that you clearly specify this isnt 100% fact like you're some kind of "god of engines". Its the fact you based this entire video off of your personal experience. Not your predetermined personal opinion.
Fastball Films I feel like quanbeck is one of those guys who transitioned from bmx to cars without caring to learn much about them and just does the popular thing and pays someone to do it. Nothing wrong with that, but when you start talking like you know shit when you don’t, that’s when the problems start
Quanbeck is a cool dude, but every car he's ever built has been overly complicated and could never afford to drive it. That's why I love Taylor's videos so much, he keeps his builds pretty realistic and very simple.
I've watched all your videos on LS's and you still always teach me something new. Thank you for making good informative videos about things like this, they are very good. I have been sending most of them to my grandfather who has become a big fan of yours and your car.
I was gonna say, how to make an LS reliable? I dunno, start the fuckin thing and drive it? I'm a mechanic at a speed shop, and one of my customers has a stock internals 6.0L boosted to the nuts, and he put it in the 7s in the 1/4 mile. And when that one finally does let go, he's going to grab another one from the wrecker for $300 and boost the fuck out of that one.
My LS2 crate engine with CNC ported LS3 heads with a cam matching springs upgraded timing gears and chain LS7 lifters with hardened pushrods and a SFI harmonic balancer with a GM single plane intake and holley hp 850 carburetor has a basically stock shortblock stock crank rods pistons it's been in my 1984 Monte Carlo SS since 2008 has seen very many 7200rpm rips in 1st 2nd and 3rd gears and still running as good or better than when first put in car 12 years ago it also has a stock 1998-2002 camaro oil pan that is stock with a stock oil pump it does get fresh royal purple HPS 5w-30 and a Wix oil filter every 6 months every 400 to 600 miles and l put 800-1000 miles or so on it a year street driving it on nice weekends
You had me at everything til' the last tip. Bearings don't last forever (especially Cam bearings)! Rings don't seal forever! Oil pumps don't pump forever! You're not wrong that GM knew what they were doing putting the engine together, but none of that R&D matters if the rings don't seal, oil pump doesn't pump (as much as it should) and bearings are worn. If you spend $3000 on a dry sump along with everything else to make the engine run with good power, why would you NOT spend an extra couple hours and a couple hundred dollars to put some bearings, rings and an oil pump in it to make the engine essentially brand new?
@@crettybocker Exactly, I did an 11:1 wiseco dome piston and scat rods on my 6.0 build. And its really not expensive to do forged bottom end (reuse crank), have machine shop balance it and toss everything else back together yourself with new bearings/rings, like $15-1600 all said and done. Theres no other engine that's that inexpensive.
What about using a catch can setup ? I run a gen 3 ls1 5.7 with 300.000km un-opened engine. I use a catch can between the valley and the intake manifold. 🔧👍🏁
Your point on the belt is the one big thing that hit me and made me go a wet sump. All the things that happen on a daily ride or while being driven and if that belt is gone, boom no oil pressure. I'll be going an accusump in the future once the build passes engineering to be road legal (Straya).
I was going to do the extra bracket on the oil pickup while I was changing out the pickup itself (new oring) but couldnt get the bolt in without removing the front cover, so will leave that one for another time. Also went a barbell just because accessibility and any improvement in oiling is a plus in my book. Canton sump already on there so hope that holds up for autokhana/drag until the above happens.
Have you looked into improving oil drain back, especially from the heads, in LS engines? Seems like the routes back to the pan are a bit small and complicated.
Drainback isn't an issue on LS series engines. The head design/drainback design of the LS allows very little oil to "pool" at the bottom of the valve cover/head sealing surface before draining to the valley. Buick/Olds/Pontiac 455 and Cadillac 500 engines on the other hand....those are a nightmare for drainback.
You won't have any issues of oil drain back into the pan. If you are building the heads, just a simple chamfer to remove corner flashing is all you should need to do, but that goes without saying. As long as you're not running 20w-50 you are perfectly fine in 90% of all your scenarios.
"It doesn't make the car faster, it doesn't make the car *better* , it just makes it essentially more *reliable* ." In my opinion, "more reliable" absolutely equals "better".
BUC-EE’S!!!!! I adore that place. Ive been to a couple while trucking around the U.S.. I have a 2002 Avalanche with the 5.3L Vortec. People have been telling me its a LS motor. Im planning on fully restoring the engine. Making sure everything in there is looking good. Replacing gaskets and all that good stuff that you mentioned.
Man you are a GOD. Did an aussie style burnout in the btr2cammed g8gt for a road work crew.... Loud taps when I got home and the cam lope sounds off. The tapping has happened TWICE and went away the next morning .... THIS TIME its louder and the cam chopchop was off at idle. I'm hoping itll be back to normal when i start it in the morning.... after hearing the cam lastnight, i doubt it's going to be a good morning startup lol
@@MonroeMafia yea as dumb as it may sound, my dad and I figured out the hard way that beating crank pulleys on isn’t the correct way to put them on.... 😬🤷🏼♂️
Probably the best LS advise video on UA-cam right now. LEAVE THE BOTTOM END ALONE and don't F*** with it... so true- they get 300k miles for a reason. Honestly if you're not pulling hard G's and you're a street car exclusively even the oil system is fine. However- if you race it- your advise on the oil system is priceless- ask Hoovie how he blew up his $10k LS swapped Porsche after just one track day and was shocked... Super good video- I'm subbed!
Anyone else having issues watching this video? I’ve tried for two days. I’ve tried fast forwarding. It stops and says something went wrong. No problem on any other UA-cam video just this one. Frustrated.
I was having issues too and like stated below I had to double tap. I hit retry and while it was loading I double tapped to fast forward and it work for a few minutes then messes up again so I guess I just keep refreshing and double tapping.
thank u for making this video in not a drifter but u provided alot of knowledge im just street racing and and u answered some very important questions i dont have to spend unnecessary money now...
Dude ls engines are reliable as hell stock I have a 2004 tahoe with over 350000 miles completely stock no problems so far besides neutral control switch
I have found most LS blocks with 100k plus miles the cam bearings are all shot, that's a definite must replace item if it's a used High mileage block.. be careful some gen3 bearings are narrow, gen4 are wide for the cam phaser to work correctly you install the wrong ones it will kill your pressure... (been there done that....) Great video...
Great video, have to disagree with what you said about not touching the bottom end and guys making 1000hp. Yes, you can do it, the factory pistons and rods and crank are all capable of that. What gets you is the ring gap. GM built these engines to be reliable towing a trailer up a hill making 250-300hp, not to take the heat of 3-4 times their stock power levels with a turbo. When the rings get hot they expand and the gap between the ends of the rings begins to shrink. When they touch the only place left to expand is outward, they jam in the bore. They want to stop and the piston wants to keep going. The ring lands of the piston break. This is the weird reason why the especially high mileage engines take boost better than a nice low mileage engine, the rings are more worn. Check videos by Sloppy Mechanics, great source of info on how to build stock bottom end LS engines to stupid power levels and how to avoid breaking them. You'll see this with Richard Holdener's videos too. Check Engine Masters videos by David Freiburger, Steve Dulcich and Steve Brule. You leave the crank in, pull the pistons and rods out, put the rings in one at a time by themselves into the cylinder and push them down with the piston to make sure they're square and check them with a feeler gauge. Gapped for boost they should be .026" to .030" depending on how hard you're going to send it. E85 burns cooler and needs a little less gap than gas. Make sure you match each ring to the cylinder it came out of and the position in the piston, also which side is up and which is down. This is only for a boosted or nitrous engine.
+1 for the Buccee's tee! Great video man!! I'm on the fence with swapping out my VQ35 in my Inifinit FX35 for something an gen 4 LS and trying to absorb as much info as possible. keep em coming!
A dry sump has always been an "I want", but theyr'e so costly - but I've never heard of the accusump, and that's a pretty reasonable way to prevent starvation. I like it!
Thanks for this Taylor! As someone who can work well with cars and is building my own LS Miata your insight and knowledge that you share is amazing. Again thanks man
GREAT VIDEO TAYLOR!!! I TOOK DETAILED NOTES ON YOUR VIDEO. I AGREE WITH YOU 100%. IF YOU ARE GOING TO DO IT. DO IT RIGHT. HOT RODDING IS ABOUT INNOVATION AND IMPROVEMENT. THANKS FOR SHARING. I LEARNED SO MUCH.
I haven’t watched the video yet but I’d say for reliability in mind, I like to do the truion upgrade with the Che bushings. I also always stick gen iv rods in my gen 3s. Arp main and head bolts. Multilayer head gaskets.
I just came across your channel,not much of a drift guy,but I am into ls and knowledge. You hit everything right on,especially,leave it alone!! Can't stress that enough to people.You did miss one thing,that I have always been told,another weak spot,the pushrods.Lmk if and when you would upgrade them,thanks and you have a new Sub!
I try to include this info in videos while working on engines, but it's hard to get it all in them along with the work. So I wanted to make this video covering some of the things I've learned over the years with my LS Builds to help anyone out who's taking the plunge themselves.
What did you use to relocate your oil filter?
Great video. I just went through all of this on the 5.3 I got from LKQ to replace the 4.8 block that spun all its bearings the first time at the track. These engines are amazing as long as the oil system is worked over. Happy to see I hit every check box on your list, so I hope this engine will last a while.
Just a filter relocation plate that came with my dry sump kit.
Brilliant content
Thank you man, I just threw in a 5.3 in my 87 Trans Am for hitting the track at OSW. I'm definitely buying an accusump tomorrow for it. I plan for a lot of boost eventually and I need to make sure it's well lubricated.
Short list
3:09 - Internal oil seals [cam retainer plate etc]
7:56 - lifters [gen 3 vs 4]
10:14 - rocker arm upgrades
12:24 - oiling system [preventing starvation]
21:18 - bottom end considerations
Thank god. Bro a yapper
thanks man, holy moly.
Have my kids
"How to make an LS reliable" Put gas in it.
Change fluids and make sure you have coolant.
I think he meant for racing.
Put ford parts in it
@@ricktotz4078 That was a funny joke.
@@ricktotz4078 no!
If you showed me this video a few years ago, I would have laughed in your face. After burning up 2 perfectly good motors (one built to the gills) I 100% agree with everything you said. If I had seen this video a few years ago AND followed the advice, I'd still be on my original motor.
Factory LS with cylinder deactivation is not very reliable. It's like you didn't watch the video. Cool story though.
I'm a mechanic at a speed shop, and one of my customers has a stock internals 6.0L, boosted to the nuts, and he's gotten the car into the 7s in the 1/4, he opens up the ring gaps, studs everything with ARP studs, and throws a $300 Chinese turbo on it. Sure the motors come apart from time to time with power levels he's running, but a couple weekends, few hundred bucks, and a trip to the wrecking yard and he's back to the races.
7s on stock internals what the actual fuck
@@ls3_saif From what it sounds like, he's building expecting to replace. Not how I'd choose to do things but I don't know what I'm talking about and don't have the time or money to do that kinda thing so who the fuck am I?... but you'd be surprised how much you can squeeze out of an engine and how little you need to mess with it if you're not too concerned about how long it's gonna run. If you want to make a lot of power (relative to the application) AND have the engine last a long time (relative to the application) there's some stuff you're gonna have to do.. but if you're just looking to have it boogie for awhile and you don't really mind it eventually blowing up and having to replace it? Chuck a bunch of boost in it and send it. Other than oil starvation or detonation, it'll usually put up with a lot more than it was intended to... for a while.
@Saif-gu6rk thats not that crazy. Hes probably making 600hp. Seems a lil slow considering
@@williamhargreaves1563600hp running 7s?
7.0’s 1/8 th mile not 1/4- easy to do
The other overlooked oil starvation fix is to simply overfill the pan. The "LS1" style pan "full" line is at 5.5 qts. You can run 7.5 with no negative effects and oil starvation has not been an issue in my experience. Also back to back 1/4 mile runs at 5.5 and 7.5qts i saw no noticeable performance loss due to windage that every one claims is such a big issue. also adding high volume oil pumps when not needed tends to "suck the pan dry" and is completely not necessary.
Does this work on the truck versions?
Wow! Really Adam? Alright, my series "B" 5.3 in my '06 GMC 4×4, has been an amazing engine! Very happy with it. I've got 175,000 on it, one small oil leak.
Any how, the oil pressure deviation, has always been on my mind, all years I have owned the truck. Back and forth from 31 to 41 lbs. Doesn't use oil, or burn oil. Thinkin' I'll try your madness...😅 Thanks!
Oh, Adam, I'm with ya on the idea lesser oil, faster times! Ha, shorten engine life! But, getting rid of the PCV system, installing a breather type oil cap, does help. Again, thanks!
Another important reason for road racing builds to use a dry sump system is the flat oil pan, which allows the engine to be installed lower in the chassis, getting the center of gravity lower, improving handling.
If you're a real belt-and-suspenders man, you'll install an Accusump to kick in just in case your dry sump belt comes off or you blow one of its feed lines or whatever so as to give you time to shut down before your motor seizes. A big, bright oil pressure red idiot light where you can't possibly miss it would be a worthwhile investment as well.
Excellent video.
Had this in watch later for a while and hate myself for it. I'm so glad this was a more technical video rather than one of those "change your oil, do maintenance, take care of it" typical types, stuff we all know/common sense. This actually had upgrades in it, very nice video. Thank you 👍
Ditto
My Dad gave me his 05 avalanche because he’s old. Super excited to join this cult like engine following. Discovering something new is so much better dwelling on the negative aspects of the world.
Take my advice and Listen to this man, get the Valve train and oiling system in check great LS info brother
Dude, I just watched this to the end. I have a very short attention span and rarely make it to the end of videos. You are generous for sharing this information so openly, and your no nonsense approach keeps people engaged. I loved that you weren't trying to be funny or adding fluff, just straight up info streaming from beginning to end. Thank you again. Awesome stuff.
Great video and you are dead right about all the issues listed. I have a few more issues that you could add: 6) AFM (DOD) lifter failure 7) LS3/ any motor that uses the LS3 style timing chain tensioner. The plastic parts of the tensioner is prone to breaking. 8) Not a real issue, but the stock valve springs can be fairly shitting and are prone to valve floating at high rpm.
These are GREAT tips. My favorite one is "leave it the F alone". I am a road racer, and I am very familiar with horsepower and what one can do with it. Because of that, I get a lot of questions around what should be done to a motor. It KILLS me when I have someone LS swapping something like an RX7, a Miata, a 240SX, whatever. They start talking about heads and intakes and what pistons they need and so on, because they want to make power because they are afraid it'll be slow. I have almost this exact talk with them. Man, that car is what, 2600#-2700# at the absolute max? If its a Miata its closer to 2300#-2400#? That 300-350 hp is going to be PLENTY. Just get the thing done, and get it running. After a few months if you think its slow, get some heads on it. But don't let that stop the project. And I can bet you won't be bored.
As fellow road racer , builder of the very cars you mention as well as A sedan Camaro, GT2 I have always addressed a couple things most dont. Proper oil, proper cooling, proper braking . I have also used Peterson dry sumps.
Very insightful and solid answer. As a Corvette owner, I try to tell my buddies to just try driving a C5/6/7 before they go crazy on any build. And a good 80-90% of people aren't going to push their cars to their limits anyway so what was the point of spending all that money? Car culture is way too obsessed with chasing higher horsepower numbers that you're almost never going to make use out of anyway
@@ledzeppelin27 that's exactly right. Spend time with it first, drive it first. You might just find that it scares the *&$! Out of you as it sits.
My 5.3L LM7 lost oil pressure in Ohio on a trip. Thought it was the sensor at first, no biggie. Drove it about a mile and the lifters started complaining. Had a friend come with his flat bed gooseneck trailer and tow me back to his shop in Michigan. We dropped the pan and changed the o-ring and now I'm back to 60 psi cold / 40 psi hot pressure.
I'm doing an ls swap in my 77 El Camino, prevention up front beats doing it over.
Thanks for sharing your time and knowledge.
Taylor: it can't slosh away from pickup
Me: flips car
nick Metal art works I thought it but wasn’t gonna say anything 😂
You wouldn't have to worry about the pick up if your upside-down. All the oil will stay in the motor. Until it gets to the cylinder and gets pushed out the exhaust.
first thing you showed, the cam plate, is what killed my first 5.3 in my Nova. just a couple street miles and couple dyno hits, oil pressure dropping to 5psi with a hell of a noise from the cam!
#5, my fav. the replacement 4.8 that went into my Nova didnt get a single bolt turned that didnt need it. slapped a cam in and good. same deal with my new project, didnt even look at the bottom end. GM knows there shit, they built like 50million of these, how many engines have you built? yeah. plus, that engine has PROVEN it self for the last 100k + miles (always claimed, its probably got 240+ lol), its driven to countless soccer/baseball/whatever games, to work every day for 10years... ITS GOOD.
Exactly my sentiments on #5! People get caught up in the while you're there's and it never ends well
In Australia they put these (GenIII Ontario built) in GM Holden Commodores and had to rebuild engines under warranty if customer complained about them being too noisy. Piston slap and excess oil usage before even before 3 years use. New pistons and rods etc. times thousands of cars .After rebuilds though, its a magic engine. Especially sought after in the 2nd hand market, if you looking for a long term purchase. One of the many GM mistakes that killed Holden.
@@kaneo6162 What do you mean one of Gm's mistakes and Holden killed it..???
Dustin, you crack me up!😅 Straight and to the point! Gonna drop the pan on my '06 series "B" 5.3, changing oil pump seals and I guess plugging a bolt hole...
@@kaneo6162...using flat top pistons.
Melling high volume/pressure oil pump and a good baffled pan. That is the secret to a reliable LS engine without dry sump.
Chris Stevens so simple I run one in my burnout car in Australia stays flat for 2 miniutes no oil pressure this guy just does seem to get it just put an oil pump on all your issues solved
Chris Stevens I've heard mixed things (mostly all good but some negative) about Mellings failing or wheter high pressure, stock volume vs high volume - high pressure. Which model do you recommend? I've been thinking about going the ported LS6 on my LS1.
Kyle Clemmer I cant say anything about Melling failing in general. Could be people not shimming the pump correctly when installed. Or pinched oring on pick up tube. I run high volume high pressure, they come with an extra spring to reduce it to stock pressure. I see 55psi at idle and 80+ at wot. Hope that helps good luck 👍🏼
Jdm Hilux yeah he’s a brilliant dude, learned a lot from his videos but I always recommend changing to high pressure deal when pulling the pan off.
Melling 10296 Pump?
This vid makes me proud of myself. Already had majority of these tips covered when I did my first build. I did a ton of research though, before I bought the truck I knew NOTHING about LS at all
Pre-Watch Prediction:
#1 = DO NOT look at the cam bearings
HAHAHA
EDIT: This list is bullshit.
Great content Tay. Stoke to see you rip the Miata 6.2
@@ChuckThree Haha #5 is basically not to touch the bottom end. So you still right.
Ahhh yes the tried and true sloppy mechanics method, I love it
When I built my 6.0, ALL 5 of the cam bearings came out by hand. Lol
The capacitor for the car stereo was a nice touch..right on man.explains it
I'm slowly getting into working on cars as my hobby and this hands down is one of the best videos I come across about LS motors TY.
A couple of my thoughts. I ran my 5.3 all year at 7200 in my sprint car. Stock other the. A cam swap. To the people talking about high pressure and volume pumps be careful. Consider at high RPM the pump can lower your pan level to an unwanted level. Also. A little trick. Your lifter trays will hold to much oil till then fill. Drill a small hole in the tray to let the oil drain at a lower lever
The oil problem you speak of is inherent in ALL wet sumps, it's not really an ''LS'' problem. The only truly unique ''LS'' problem is the oil pick up. Apparently GM makes it easy for you to fix with an additional bolt hole. Why GM goes through the trouble of making a bolt hole and leaving it empty? Truly one of life's mysteries. Changing seals and so on, is just doing a thorough/good build. Great video though thanks for sharing.
Another benefit to dry sump is it helps the rotating assembly not having to slosh through all the oil in the pan. It helps with climbing in the rpms quicker, and frees up a little bit of power too. Of course, it might be immeasurable, but it definitely helps.
What’s up Taylor ! Big inspiration man ! I started car vlogging on my channel now! I’m currently working on s13 hatchback ! Trying to make a 180sx rep! Thank you soo much for everything! I’m almost to 200 subs ! So blessed!
Here in Australia, the LS3 is used in the Holden Caprice limo - lifter failure is very common for actual chauffeur driven vehicles. One mechanic said he thinks it's due to insufficient oil pressure at low revs. (we do a lot of low rev driving, and a lot of idling)
It's just a crappy lifter design. Try Johnson or morel lifters. They are worlds apart from the junk given at the factory
@@swappedoutZ71 got a Q7 now - probably a whole set of new & wonderful problems 🤣
Thank you, thank you for pointing out the items in the video. As a dealer line tech we see things and take measures to cover our own behind, but showing the camshaft retainer plate gasket and it’s importance is to me, is never discussed. The Red Gasket maker (Loctite 518) is for two machined surfaces and in the absence or air, creates a great seal. I use a film of this carefully behind this plate on any gasket. Sac City’s bar-bell is a nice touch as we as the rocker trunnions, which can fail on high mile daily drivers.
The oil accumulator is a home run in my book. Even engines that are grocery-getters, the main & rod bearings experiencing a slow death ever time (That 200k miles or more) they are started. Even with certain engine designers oiling strategy, we all know that no pressure film of oil is a fine line to a little wear and no wear. I enjoyed your choice of locations with limited real estate up front. I just wish the wear half the price they retail for considering the simplicity. The key operated valve is technically the most expensive component installed. Thanks and best of luck. Liked & Subscribed! ASE Master Tech since 1978 - Retired... Great Points!
ben's setup is so clean now. he's lucky to have had you as a test subject haha. Edit: also taylor rippppped the freedom factory. He was haulin on the oval!
That was osw not the ff
@@clutchkickpj693 he's talking about Taylor rippin in the ff promo video
@@zl_390
n ppl
One of the BEST video advice I've ever seen on any video platform.
I would say, NO MATTER haw you wish to use your LS vehicle, these simple upgrades will actually make your LS engine bulletproof. I'd say a simple drysump is also a must have if you only want to care about oil changes.
I know of a guy in Mannheim Germany who rodnocked his Firebird LS engine in a speedway turnpike : a long long long right turn at a speedway turnpike crossing, he took the turn just pushing a " tad little more" than he'd do, and ... bye bye LS engine.
All of this is SO true. The best advice for any track LS I've seen online. Well done Taylor. Only thing I would add is not to run a high volume pump with stock bearing clearances. It WILL suck the sump dry, even with baffles. Oh and love the Buc-ee's shirt! #breakfastburrito
I'm gonna put an LS in my '70 Corvette project and I'm very happy I came across your video. You are Excellent!!! Good Infor!!! Yes, I'm gonna leave it (my 6.2 escalade motor) alone. Just do some basic checks. Thanks!
💯
Easily one of the best vids on LS engines I've ever seen!
Thank you for these 5 oil tips! I had no idea on most of these. A bad oil pickup tube o ring caused my LQ4 to have no oil pressure for about 10 seconds in the winter!!! Replaced it and instant pressure every start up. I did not know there was a 2nd bolt hold down for the tube thanks for that too!
Man thoses video are so interesting, you explain so well! Can't wait to see more of the new build, and watch you rip with an 80hp stronger engine !! You're the best keep it up man.
Edit: that last scene of the video with Cleetus is still one of my favorite moment of your channel, it was 🔥🔥
My lifter turned sideways in my '12 silverado 6 months after buying it because someone had previously replaced the lifers (probably collapsed lifter) but didn't replace the $20 treys 😡. So I did a cam swap and DOD delete truck has been great ever since. Good to see I did most everything in your video.
Dude... Yet another reason to REALLY enjoy your videos. The explanation on this one was well thought out and backed up by your own experiences. Thanks!
Excellent To Do primer for LS C3 Corvette Swaps Taylor, thanks!
For my "Pull N Pay" Corvette C3 crowd who are doing a scrapyard sourced LS swap I'm recommending a couple of things. I realize that alot of us are family guys that are doing the conversion on a budget & that's precisely WHY I'm making them, because you don't want to do it again & at the same time you also don't want to limit yourself from power upgrades later. You've got it out, follow Taylor's wise (cheap insurance!) council on the seals & rockers. I'd recommend a high-pressure oil pump on Any swap and on LS's I'd recommend a new set of push rods & rocker arms. 2 reasons; people love to neglect their oil changes & a High-Pressure one like a Mellings will help push oil through those potentially restricted Oil Passages from a neglected motor & Revving! Man we love a high revving V-8. Again, "cheap insurance". Change the Cam Bearings. The main bearings on these last, the cam bearings don't fare as well. So those 3 seals, cam bearings, oil pump, push rods & rocker arms and on LS3's the plastic chain tensioner.
You KNOW that if you're doing a C3 Corvette LS Engine Swap-that you'll Eventually do power upgrades so a little extra investment Now means less work later so that makes the LS Cam Bearing replacement more important-Now.
I'm currently collecting as much real world information as we can find for doing a C3 Corvette LS Engine & Transmission Swap using ONLY Factory Parts as we can get our hands on so this can be a simple(r) WEEKEND SWAP rather than another expensive 6 month trial & error financial burden. Which factory accessory drives work, oil pan & pick up, waterpump (the outlet actually), trans crossmember & mount, motor & frame mounts, ps & fuel lines, etc.
Step one: put oil in Step two: don’t keep it above 7k its whole life step three: enjoy your ls motor for hundreds of thousands of miles
@G hrvyck I've never seen one NOT make it to 100k miles absent it being beat on or poorly maintained.
@G hrvyck ....lmfao...you sound crazy...every ls I've owned was over 200k....lol...
@G hrvyck When I see someone volunteer information like 50+ years master tech, I think of all the people who say they were navy seal marine spys.
You don't have a damn clue what you're talking about because you were never there.
Agreed, this guy is full of chit. If you don't like GM then that's your business, but don't be such a hater that you spread lies on the internet. First I currently own an 88 GT, 03 Cobra, 03 Lightning, 13 Taurus along with other Fords I've owned in the past so I'm no Ford hater, but to act like an LS isn't the best motor for a Foxbody/SN95 swap is just someone being a hater because you're likely a Ford fanboy. And that's fine but own the fact that no other V8 platform can drop the lbs and be positioned as ideally in those cars (or really most any other cars) chassis as an LS can be. Then you have more options for modding big power (using boost, or a shot, or staying N/A and having a ton of dispacement options available) then any other platform within a reasonable cost to mod.
I've only ever had 2 issues with LS "motors" (not LS powered cars) that I can think of. 1) I had an LS1 who's alternator went bad. I fixed it with one I bought off a wrecked 04 Yukon with like 165K miles and it was trouble free since. Another time I had the thermostat gasket shear and get into the spring on the thermostat and lock it open. It basically wouldn't let the motor come all the way up to full temperature. Easy and cheap fix. I've known many people with LS based motors that ran like tops at 250K+ miles even if the rest of the vehicle felt worn. Generally speaking your LS based motors without AFM are some of the most reliable and problem free motors there are. Can some high mileage (and more importantly "old") LS motors develop issues like leaks around the oil pan seal, etc? Sure, but overall they experience fewer common issues than most other motors.
@G hrvyck no one cares about your "motors or engines" knowledge. I have an idea. Let's just start grammar checking one another to try and make my argument look more intelligent than the next guys. That's what you're doing.
All motors (I mean engines) have certain flaws. Do we really need to start comparing the flaws between old SB's and BB's from all the manufacturers and why the SBC and BBC are cheaper and more popular to hot rod than the SBF and BBF? (Let's not even start on old Chrysler) How about you go get you a mass produced old 302/351 ci SBF or a 4.6L/5.4L Modular (and I'm not talking about some handbuilt/forged SVT motor) and a 4.8L/5.3L/6.0L/6.2L/7.0L LS based motor and start adding power and see who's limits you find first. You'll likely vent a stock Modulars block at about a LS7's stock power. And mod for mod even a 4.8L would kill the HP returns that a SOHC 4.6L/5.4L gives you, all while being more reliable while doing so.
I'm sure these videos don't get the kind of views because its more of a niche thing but got'damn do I love a good shop video. Especially when its regarding shit i'm not too familiar with.
This is actually very helpful, thanks for the tips man!
I'm more of an electrical/performance guy than an mechanical rebuild guy so naturally I forget which GM LS/LT engine comes with what as far as the top end goes other than the AFM crap they finally decided to slowly back away from in the new models. This is a pretty damn good video for DIY'ers and seasoned techs to view. My hat goes off to you.
Really, really excellent job on this video man! Great reference for people who want to make their LS last.
Man im so glad i found this channel through cleetus. Ive learnt so much about my ls2
Great stuff Taylor, thanks for sharing your experiences so we all can avoid the same headaches you've been through! 👍
This by far the best LS video I've seen yet. So much valuable info in one video!
Great video. Very detailed and to-the-point. Thanks for showing the difference on the GEN 4 lifters. Thanks for describing oiling options and related costs. The accusump described as a band-aid is like saying an accumulator on a hydro-boost braking system is a band-aid. I agree with your assertion - its a solution. BTW - cool Miatas. Looks fun!
Good looking out on the barbell. Never had one of those out before. I've changed the pickup tube seals and cam retainer before, but I didn't even know that guy exsisted.
When I build my e46 chassis into a drift car, Taylor’s gonna be the reason it’s gonna have to LS in it haha. I think it’s gonna be fun making videos tearing apart an LS 😋
e46 bros
Gustavo Casas brooooooo 🤙🏻🤙🏻🤙🏻😵
I loved this video! Its the fact that you clearly specify this isnt 100% fact like you're some kind of "god of engines". Its the fact you based this entire video off of your personal experience. Not your predetermined personal opinion.
On my Z-06, Chevy says to add another quart oil on track days to reduce oil starvation but drain out once done!
No kidding. Didnt know that one!
Damn! I've been taking a quart out, you think it's ok?
Man, I still get chills every time I see that run with the FD guy and he pats his door.
im the guy who tagged taylor in a caleb quanback video where caleb was bashing the LS motors and taylor dropped some knowledge on him
Fastball Films I feel like quanbeck is one of those guys who transitioned from bmx to cars without caring to learn much about them and just does the popular thing and pays someone to do it. Nothing wrong with that, but when you start talking like you know shit when you don’t, that’s when the problems start
Whats the video link fam?
Quanbeck is a cool dude, but every car he's ever built has been overly complicated and could never afford to drive it. That's why I love Taylor's videos so much, he keeps his builds pretty realistic and very simple.
@@DiyDadFL did he actually build it or does he pay others to build it?
@@LS__812 He did a lot of it himself
I've watched all your videos on LS's and you still always teach me something new. Thank you for making good informative videos about things like this, they are very good. I have been sending most of them to my grandfather who has become a big fan of yours and your car.
Step one change the oil step 2 beat the piss out of it step 3 see step 1
l.s the world beast motors ever
You clearly haven't watched many videos on this channel, because if you did, you wouldn't say that...
IMNOTA you clearly don't know anything about engineering. Who the hell cares what these dips did to their LS
I was gonna say, how to make an LS reliable? I dunno, start the fuckin thing and drive it? I'm a mechanic at a speed shop, and one of my customers has a stock internals 6.0L boosted to the nuts, and he put it in the 7s in the 1/4 mile. And when that one finally does let go, he's going to grab another one from the wrecker for $300 and boost the fuck out of that one.
It’s impossible to make an LS reliable their junk
Best LS maintenance video I've ever seen.
21:40 is a great advertisement for GM's new 800,000 hp crate engine lol
Jesus thats alot of hp lol
Reliable LS engine. Got one right now with over 500,000 miles in a 85 Chevy Silverado. Runs like a new engine. Maintenance is the key
I would be okay with you starting every video with that clip, insane your Miata keeps up with that thing
My LS2 crate engine with CNC ported LS3 heads with a cam matching springs upgraded timing gears and chain LS7 lifters with hardened pushrods and a SFI harmonic balancer with a GM single plane intake and holley hp 850 carburetor has a basically stock shortblock stock crank rods pistons it's been in my 1984 Monte Carlo SS since 2008 has seen very many 7200rpm rips in 1st 2nd and 3rd gears and still running as good or better than when first put in car 12
years ago it also has a stock 1998-2002 camaro oil pan that is stock with a stock oil pump it does get fresh royal purple HPS 5w-30 and a Wix oil filter every 6 months every 400 to 600 miles and l put 800-1000 miles or so on it a year street driving it on nice weekends
You had me at everything til' the last tip. Bearings don't last forever (especially Cam bearings)! Rings don't seal forever! Oil pumps don't pump forever! You're not wrong that GM knew what they were doing putting the engine together, but none of that R&D matters if the rings don't seal, oil pump doesn't pump (as much as it should) and bearings are worn.
If you spend $3000 on a dry sump along with everything else to make the engine run with good power, why would you NOT spend an extra couple hours and a couple hundred dollars to put some bearings, rings and an oil pump in it to make the engine essentially brand new?
yeah man i was lost on that he said a rebuild is rocket scienceLOL seems like he has a phobia of checking clearance and spec .
@@crettybocker Truth. Its really not hard to assemble an engine correctly with the exact same parts that you took apart, especially an LS.....
@@rustysausage69 yeah i mean min balancing and barings rings so on forged pistons are well worth the $
@@crettybocker Exactly, I did an 11:1 wiseco dome piston and scat rods on my 6.0 build. And its really not expensive to do forged bottom end (reuse crank), have machine shop balance it and toss everything else back together yourself with new bearings/rings, like $15-1600 all said and done. Theres no other engine that's that inexpensive.
Good advice. If you blow up an engine, you can often pull off the upgrades and swap them onto another engine. Well worth it...
taylor started to get heated halfway through lmaoooo
Everything he talked about makes perfect sense, it’s just that very few would spend the money and time for an accusump .
What about using a catch can setup ? I run a gen 3 ls1 5.7 with 300.000km un-opened engine. I use a catch can between the valley and the intake manifold. 🔧👍🏁
Your point on the belt is the one big thing that hit me and made me go a wet sump. All the things that happen on a daily ride or while being driven and if that belt is gone, boom no oil pressure. I'll be going an accusump in the future once the build passes engineering to be road legal (Straya).
I was going to do the extra bracket on the oil pickup while I was changing out the pickup itself (new oring) but couldnt get the bolt in without removing the front cover, so will leave that one for another time. Also went a barbell just because accessibility and any improvement in oiling is a plus in my book. Canton sump already on there so hope that holds up for autokhana/drag until the above happens.
You know you’ve made it when you have a pre mullet Cleetus in your outro
"This guy!"
Sadly. Pretty sure #3 is what killed the bald eagle daily for ole Cleeter
Good job!
I destroyed my ls6 because of a lifter failure. 😬
And on my ls3, the rockers where starting to failed. I replaced all the rockers.
Always change the rocker bearings to captured needle bearings in any high power LS project
Have you looked into improving oil drain back, especially from the heads, in LS engines? Seems like the routes back to the pan are a bit small and complicated.
Drainback isn't an issue on LS series engines. The head design/drainback design of the LS allows very little oil to "pool" at the bottom of the valve cover/head sealing surface before draining to the valley. Buick/Olds/Pontiac 455 and Cadillac 500 engines on the other hand....those are a nightmare for drainback.
You won't have any issues of oil drain back into the pan. If you are building the heads, just a simple chamfer to remove corner flashing is all you should need to do, but that goes without saying. As long as you're not running 20w-50 you are perfectly fine in 90% of all your scenarios.
"it takes a lot for something else to go wrong in an LS if you have a good oil supply" That was my takeaway from this vid. Right on, man.
ok good to know i need the uncircumcised lifters. Thank you !
That advice about the bottom end is about the best advice I've heard about engines in a long time I so so agree with you
"It doesn't make the car faster, it doesn't make the car *better* , it just makes it essentially more *reliable* ." In my opinion, "more reliable" absolutely equals "better".
Forreal. Running a 10 is not nearly as "good" as running 10's.
BUC-EE’S!!!!! I adore that place. Ive been to a couple while trucking around the U.S.. I have a 2002 Avalanche with the 5.3L Vortec. People have been telling me its a LS motor. Im planning on fully restoring the engine. Making sure everything in there is looking good. Replacing gaskets and all that good stuff that you mentioned.
Don’t understand any of the car talk just here for the kitties
Gotta start somewhere
Chrissy came for the kitties, left being a LS1 guru lol jk
4GsRacing duh💁♀️
Man you are a GOD. Did an aussie style burnout in the btr2cammed g8gt for a road work crew....
Loud taps when I got home and the cam lope sounds off.
The tapping has happened TWICE and went away the next morning ....
THIS TIME its louder and the cam chopchop was off at idle.
I'm hoping itll be back to normal when i start it in the morning.... after hearing the cam lastnight, i doubt it's going to be a good morning startup lol
Awesome, just need to write down the part list in the description :P
Ty I completed all 5 in my LS3 engine and feel confident alls well and should be for years to come.
Cheers
James 💙🇳🇿💙
After blowing up 6 motors, I’m going to watch this video very carefully
wow lol
@@MonroeMafia yea as dumb as it may sound, my dad and I figured out the hard way that beating crank pulleys on isn’t the correct way to put them on.... 😬🤷🏼♂️
Probably the best LS advise video on UA-cam right now. LEAVE THE BOTTOM END ALONE and don't F*** with it... so true- they get 300k miles for a reason. Honestly if you're not pulling hard G's and you're a street car exclusively even the oil system is fine. However- if you race it- your advise on the oil system is priceless- ask Hoovie how he blew up his $10k LS swapped Porsche after just one track day and was shocked... Super good video- I'm subbed!
Anyone else having issues watching this video? I’ve tried for two days. I’ve tried fast forwarding. It stops and says something went wrong. No problem on any other UA-cam video just this one. Frustrated.
SSR’s Garage...try double tapping the screen to fast forward instead of scrolling the play bar.
Na.. no problems watching.
Vid stops at cam seal
Same for me.. any solution
I was having issues too and like stated below I had to double tap. I hit retry and while it was loading I double tapped to fast forward and it work for a few minutes then messes up again so I guess I just keep refreshing and double tapping.
thank u for making this video in not a drifter but u provided alot of knowledge im just street racing and and u answered some very important questions i dont have to spend unnecessary money now...
Run it stock and change the oil frequently.
Dude ls engines are reliable as hell stock I have a 2004 tahoe with over 350000 miles completely stock no problems so far besides neutral control switch
Any one else having trouble with it loading past 3:30? It gets to that point then says error try again
The encoding of the video has probably got to do with it
I have found most LS blocks with 100k plus miles the cam bearings are all shot, that's a definite must replace item if it's a used High mileage block.. be careful some gen3 bearings are narrow, gen4 are wide for the cam phaser to work correctly you install the wrong ones it will kill your pressure... (been there done that....) Great video...
all this about oil and didn't even recommend replacing the oil pump? HIgh volume and or high pressure oil pump+pan=win
415K miles on original LS1, 1998 TA. Still runs nice 😎
I can’t even watch it says something went wrong like 3 mins in every time
Jake Gorby same, tried everything still nothing
Just press play and double tap to fast forward and it will stop doing that. I had to fast forward twice and then it didn’t do it anymore.
Me too.
Same 3 days later
+1 on this
Great video, have to disagree with what you said about not touching the bottom end and guys making 1000hp. Yes, you can do it, the factory pistons and rods and crank are all capable of that. What gets you is the ring gap. GM built these engines to be reliable towing a trailer up a hill making 250-300hp, not to take the heat of 3-4 times their stock power levels with a turbo. When the rings get hot they expand and the gap between the ends of the rings begins to shrink. When they touch the only place left to expand is outward, they jam in the bore. They want to stop and the piston wants to keep going. The ring lands of the piston break. This is the weird reason why the especially high mileage engines take boost better than a nice low mileage engine, the rings are more worn. Check videos by Sloppy Mechanics, great source of info on how to build stock bottom end LS engines to stupid power levels and how to avoid breaking them. You'll see this with Richard Holdener's videos too. Check Engine Masters videos by David Freiburger, Steve Dulcich and Steve Brule. You leave the crank in, pull the pistons and rods out, put the rings in one at a time by themselves into the cylinder and push them down with the piston to make sure they're square and check them with a feeler gauge. Gapped for boost they should be .026" to .030" depending on how hard you're going to send it. E85 burns cooler and needs a little less gap than gas. Make sure you match each ring to the cylinder it came out of and the position in the piston, also which side is up and which is down. This is only for a boosted or nitrous engine.
+1 for the Buccee's tee! Great video man!! I'm on the fence with swapping out my VQ35 in my Inifinit FX35 for something an gen 4 LS and trying to absorb as much info as possible. keep em coming!
Well how is it
I’m currently making my first drift car, and doing my first engine swap and this helps so much, I love you Taylor
Wow thanks as I have started playing with LS1 doing my first build 2002 WS6 TA.
Awesome Video. This is what you never hear about an LS build!
Exactly!! Finally someone with the end goal at mind and some since!!
A dry sump has always been an "I want", but theyr'e so costly - but I've never heard of the accusump, and that's a pretty reasonable way to prevent starvation. I like it!
Thanks for this Taylor! As someone who can work well with cars and is building my own LS Miata your insight and knowledge that you share is amazing. Again thanks man
Im awaiting the day when we can buy Taylor Built Miatas!
GREAT VIDEO TAYLOR!!! I TOOK DETAILED NOTES ON YOUR VIDEO. I AGREE WITH YOU 100%. IF YOU ARE GOING TO DO IT. DO IT RIGHT. HOT RODDING IS ABOUT INNOVATION AND IMPROVEMENT. THANKS FOR SHARING. I LEARNED SO MUCH.
I haven’t watched the video yet but I’d say for reliability in mind, I like to do the truion upgrade with the Che bushings. I also always stick gen iv rods in my gen 3s. Arp main and head bolts. Multilayer head gaskets.
I just came across your channel,not much of a drift guy,but I am into ls and knowledge. You hit everything right on,especially,leave it alone!! Can't stress that enough to people.You did miss one thing,that I have always been told,another weak spot,the pushrods.Lmk if and when you would upgrade them,thanks and you have a new Sub!