Turbos and superchargers have made extra power almost easy to come by. Thanks to them, even tiny four-cylinders can make the type of numbers that used to be reserved for big-displacement engines. That’s why forced induction is the preferred route for so many, though there are still some left who want to keep their projects all-motor. It’s tougher, no doubt, especially if you also rule out spray like nitrous. Thankfully, dyno guru and YouTuber Richard Holdener can show you how to get the job done with an inexpensive junkyard Chevy LS V8 and some upgraded hardware.
First things first: Go and find yourself a 5.3-liter LS with flat-top pistons. Only certain iterations have them, such as the L33, but they’re essential components in maximizing power with this formula. And since adding flat-top pistons is much more work and money, it’s more economical to find a junkyard engine that already has ’em. If you can source one, you only need to modify the top end to make an additional 200 horsepower from a stock block 5.3.
Holdener took a stock, flat-top 5.3-liter LS and put it on an engine dyno to find a baseline power rating. The results were as predicted: 342 peak horsepower and 379 lb-ft of torque. Obviously, that power rating will vary based on the engine’s condition, but you get the idea.
Onto the initial round of mods.
An upgraded camshaft is the single biggest help in making more power from a naturally aspirated LS. For his first test, Holdener used a cam with a .552 lift, 212/22x-degree duration, and a 107-degree lobe separation angle here but mentions there are a ton of great aftermarket cams you can find that have the potential to bump power by 65-70 hp. This one added 80 hp, lifting the junkyard, flat-top 5.3-liter from 342 hp all the way up to 422 hp. Taking it one step further, Holdener added new ported heads and an upgraded intake manifold, which increased output to 484 hp. For those keeping score, that’s up 142 hp from the stock V8 simply by adding off-the-shelf parts.
You can make even more power without boost or spray if you want to keep going. Holdener added custom ported and milled heads as well as a better intake manifold, which helped the junkyard engine pump out 510 hp. He didn’t stop there, either, as he kept those Trick Flow heads but added an even beefier Brian Tooley Racing Stage 4 LS3 cam and BTR Trinity intake manifold with a 102-millimeter throttle body. This finally brought it up to 542 hp, hitting that magic 200 hp mark.
Now, none of this is exactly cheap. But if you can find one for next to nothing at a junkyard, then it becomes far more cost-effective. If you want to keep the signature naturally aspirated sound, throttle response, and power delivery of an LS V8 while making more power, this seems like the way to do it.
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