what can a stock block handle

[red93camaro]

what can the stock block handle in horsepower anyone know???????? thanks

[97rs4life]

hmm, might wanna search this using the search feature.

The amount of power it can take depends on the block itself and what "kind" of power is being thrown at it along with how the car is driven. All blocks vary and some can handle a lot more than others.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally posted by 97rs4life:
hmm, might wanna search this using the search feature.

The amount of power it can take depends on the block itself and what "kind" of power is being thrown at it along with how the car is driven. All blocks vary and some can handle a lot more than others.

What would be an average?

[Muttled]

Well I don't think it is an absolute number for the engine itself as much as it is an exponential increase in price to go up. The stock transmission is only good to somewhere between 400-600 horsepower I believe, depending on where it is coming from and how you're handling it (dumping the clutch isn't very good at 600hp). At a certain point you have to upgrade suspension, and engine internals have to be upgraded to keep pace with your modifications. It just all comes down to price. I'm sure you could probably do something like have a titanium block (well, I don't know if that's possible or not, but...) and replace all the internals of the engine, and handle a lot of horsepower, but at that point it's not really your old 3800 engine anymore.

What I'm saying is, your main limit is funding, as you can do just about anything you want with the engine, but eventually you're not going to have much of the old engine left once you upgrade it all, and some of the parts become more expensive than the power gain is worth.

[Muttled]

But to answer your question slightly more like how you wanted it answered: [img]smile.gif[/img]

If you look around in here, there's not too many people going past 350-400rwhp. I think that's about the ceiling people are hitting without having to spend many times over what the car is worth.

[38fury]

Well our block itself is actually very strong their just isn't the internals to support the kind of power to break it, technically they have 4bolt mains, with cross-bolted mains, and the skirts are real nice and thick, also there is plenty of meat in the cylinder walls, in a technical sense they are actually stronger than GN blocks, if there were internals to support it these engines should be able to handle 600-700 horsepower without any big problems, you'd probably have oiling issues at that kind of power, but with a built oil pump that would no longer be a problem.

[98Camaro3.8]

Originally posted by 38fury:
Well our block itself is actually very strong their just isn't the internals to support the kind of power to break it, technically they have 4bolt mains, with cross-bolted mains, and the skirts are real nice and thick, also there is plenty of meat in the cylinder walls, in a technical sense they are actually stronger than GN blocks, if there were internals to support it these engines should be able to handle 600-700 horsepower without any big problems, you'd probably have oiling issues at that kind of power, but with a built oil pump that would no longer be a problem.

His username says 93, so I assume he's talking about a 3.4. ;)

[1998silverbird]

My motor is good to 600 hp with the internals I have.. The stock block is iron and has 4 bolt mains so it can hold some power..

[1998silverbird]

Originally posted by Muttled:
Well I don't think it is an absolute number for the engine itself as much as it is an exponential increase in price to go up. The stock transmission is only good to somewhere between 400-600 horsepower I believe, depending on where it is coming from and how you're handling it (dumping the clutch isn't very good at 600hp). At a certain point you have to upgrade suspension, and engine internals have to be upgraded to keep pace with your modifications. It just all comes down to price. I'm sure you could probably do something like have a titanium block (well, I don't know if that's possible or not, but...) and replace all the internals of the engine, and handle a lot of horsepower, but at that point it's not really your old 3800 engine anymore.

What I'm saying is, your main limit is funding, as you can do just about anything you want with the engine, but eventually you're not going to have much of the old engine left once you upgrade it all, and some of the parts become more expensive than the power gain is worth.

If you are referring to the T5 then it is only good to around 300 rwhp..

[Tru2Chevy]

There are some guys pushing serious power with the 60* blocks - check out www.60degreev6.com

- Justin

[Muttled]

Originally posted by 1998silverbird:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Muttled:
Well I don't think it is an absolute number for the engine itself as much as it is an exponential increase in price to go up. The stock transmission is only good to somewhere between 400-600 horsepower I believe, depending on where it is coming from and how you're handling it (dumping the clutch isn't very good at 600hp). At a certain point you have to upgrade suspension, and engine internals have to be upgraded to keep pace with your modifications. It just all comes down to price. I'm sure you could probably do something like have a titanium block (well, I don't know if that's possible or not, but...) and replace all the internals of the engine, and handle a lot of horsepower, but at that point it's not really your old 3800 engine anymore.

What I'm saying is, your main limit is funding, as you can do just about anything you want with the engine, but eventually you're not going to have much of the old engine left once you upgrade it all, and some of the parts become more expensive than the power gain is worth.

If you are referring to the T5 then it is only good to around 300 rwhp.. </font>[/QUOTE]I stand corrected [img]graemlins/bowdown.gif[/img] :D

[38fury]

Originally posted by 98Camaro3.8:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by 38fury:
Well our block itself is actually very strong their just isn't the internals to support the kind of power to break it, technically they have 4bolt mains, with cross-bolted mains, and the skirts are real nice and thick, also there is plenty of meat in the cylinder walls, in a technical sense they are actually stronger than GN blocks, if there were internals to support it these engines should be able to handle 600-700 horsepower without any big problems, you'd probably have oiling issues at that kind of power, but with a built oil pump that would no longer be a problem.

His username says 93, so I assume he's talking about a 3.4. ;) </font>[/QUOTE]Meh . . . i don't pay attention to details ;)

[1998silverbird]

Originally posted by Muttled:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by 1998silverbird:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Muttled:
Well I don't think it is an absolute number for the engine itself as much as it is an exponential increase in price to go up. The stock transmission is only good to somewhere between 400-600 horsepower I believe, depending on where it is coming from and how you're handling it (dumping the clutch isn't very good at 600hp). At a certain point you have to upgrade suspension, and engine internals have to be upgraded to keep pace with your modifications. It just all comes down to price. I'm sure you could probably do something like have a titanium block (well, I don't know if that's possible or not, but...) and replace all the internals of the engine, and handle a lot of horsepower, but at that point it's not really your old 3800 engine anymore.

What I'm saying is, your main limit is funding, as you can do just about anything you want with the engine, but eventually you're not going to have much of the old engine left once you upgrade it all, and some of the parts become more expensive than the power gain is worth.

If you are referring to the T5 then it is only good to around 300 rwhp.. </font>[/QUOTE]I stand corrected [img]graemlins/bowdown.gif[/img] :D </font>[/QUOTE]The reason I know that is because I have broke 2 of them already.. [img]graemlins/banana.gif[/img]

[Dizturbed One]

Yeah... The T-5's are total garbage when it comes to handling power.

That's my only complaint about the V8 swap... Having to do the engine AND tranny at the same time. I'm too lazy for this crap, lol.

Mine was in nice condition when I got it, 5K miles of beating it around corners, roasting through first and chirping into second has already broken a trans mount (TRY finding a mount for a 91 to 92 T-5 behind a 3.1, it is not easy, they're funny looking things) and roughed up the 1-2 slider and 1st gear servo pretty bad. It'll start getting clunky pretty quick I'm guessing (but who cares, I want that V8, lol)


I know the bottom end itself is rated for 7,000 RPM straight from GM. But we all know they are probably talking about sparingly and only with the lowly 160 horses or so that the cars came with from the factory.

I personally know a guy with a custom fabbed turbo setup on his 3.1 with an all stock bottom end though... He has beefy injectors, custom burned chip, headers & exhaust, did some headwork on it and whatnot... He's pushing 340 something RWHP... THAT is a pretty nice V6 if you ask me...

I don't know how much boost he's running though, if you'd like to know I can get back to you.