Im currently planning the build for my TBSS and cant decide on displacement. Are the sleeves on an LQ9 the same length as all other LS blocks? I dont want premature skirt wear from the stroke pulling the piston too far out of the cylinder and need to decide on stroke. The truck is going to either get a blower or 480 so itll definately see power and want it to live a long life.

 

Long life with power = stock block with either mod of your choice.

Save yourself the money and just slap whatever you want on it. It'll handle 700+ whp with that engine on the stock bottom end.

This is how I would do it. Spend the money you save by running the stock motor on something else, like a built transmission or a rear end upgrade or for other better quality parts (injectors, fuel pumps, waste gates or whatever).

 

The truck already has a trans, converter, and fuel taken care of and now its the motors turn.

 

What are your hp goals?

 

I want something that has no problem living at 650-700 rwhp with the ability to hold more if I want to turn it up in the future. Id like a bottom end that will handle some miles also because I know Ill end up driving it a bunch for the first few weeks.

 

Stock LQ9 does that just fine, just throw a decent set of heads on it with some decent MLS head gaskets and you're good to go.

If you're looking to drop some coin, buy a forged 408 built for boost with some decent heads.

I just got done building an LQ4 427 stroker and for the same or less $$ and a whole lot less time I could have bought a 408 shortblock. My dumb a$$ had to "build" the engine because I thought it was cool at the time.

 

Thanks for the info. I know stock will handle it but I'm looking to do a rebuild anyway so I'm going to put a forged assembly in it