Building a Drift Spec LS3

For an intake, we used a FAST high HP runner intake manifold part number 146104B.  The high HP version of the FAST intake manifold has a bigger plenum volume and larger diameter runners.  The FAST intake manifold is made of an advanced polymer material that doesn’t conduct heat very well.  This helps keep the intake charge cool as well as being lighter than cast aluminum. The manifold also has integrated nitrous bungs and molded-in bolt locations and vacuum ports to work with all of the factory accessories. Best of all, the FAST intake manifold is 50 state legal with a CARB EO number. Another cool feature is that the FAST manifold is a modular design with intake runners that are removable.  There are 3 optional length and diameter runners available so you can tune the manifold for your engine’s desired powerband. The removable runners can be easily ported and customized if you desire as well.

 

We will be running Radium high volume fuel rails part number 20-0232. Our NA engine will be running E85 which greatly increases fuel demand, these will help reduce the chance of any fuel starvation caused by fuel system resonance.

With better flowing heads and a bigger cam, we think this motor will make a lot better power than the one we built for Falken a few months ago.  Stay tuned, we will be assembling the motor next and we will be running it on the dyno.

Sources

Eagle Rods

CP Pistons

King Bearings

ARP

Melling

Mast Motorsport

Sikky

Fluidampr

FAST

AFR

Engine Pro

Morel

PAC

Crower

Radium Engineering

31 comments

  1. Mike, great information! I was wondering to build this engine as you did on your channel but running off regular premium gas, what modifications would I need to make? How much power loss could I expect as a result? I’m eager to get similar horsepower at the rear wheels. But I’m sure the current setup wouldn’t allow for premium gas.

    1. Price out all the parts including the block and every peice needed to have a plug and play motor. Multiply that number by 2.5 and it will be close.to actual cost.

      1. Actually, it’s a lot less than that. The parts are expensive. Labor and machining are about $4000, WPC of most parts is about $2700

        1. Price out all the parts including the block and every peice needed to have a plug and play motor. Multiply that number by 2.5 and it will be close.to actual cost.

          Mike has $4000 plus $2700 parts = $6700

          Pete’s rule of thumb parts [$2700] x 2.5 = $6750
          Not too far off .
          then there’s all the other stuff needed to have a runnin motor….Like Fuel ,Ign systems , ETC

          1. There is no way the parts on this motor are only $2700! That is just the cost to WPC treat them.

  2. hi mike, love your videos and information. can you please tell me the make and part # of the wrist pins you used in this build. thank you for your time.

    1. Mike said the labor, machining and WPC of most parts was $6700. That doesn’t include the cost of any of the parts. I would bet another $15000 in parts, my guess is $22000 to make it plug and play.

      1. We notice some blocks are very thin on one side due to this. Some blocks are OK. Its just a cuation for people buying new blocks to do builds like this.

  3. hello mike i am from holland and i want to build this engine for my volvo amazon 1966 project car
    can i run this engine with 98 octane pump gas without race gas
    or do i need to use another compresion ratio for that
    i am planing to use it for street and strip use
    hope you can help me

  4. Hi Mike. Love the content just one simple Question, Did you have the 6.2 Ls Bored over to a 6.8 liter for The Stroker kit or the stroker kit gave it the displacement to a 414 cubic inch?

    1. It’s done with stroke, aluminum LS blocks can’t be bored out much, we said exactly what we are doing in the third paragraph, don’t be lazy, read!

  5. Hi Mike. What oil weight do you recommend for drift ls3 with tight bearing clearances. Is 15w50 will be good choice or its too heavy ?
    Thank you

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