Category Archive: 1320 Engine Tech, 1320 Tech Story, Apex Engine Tech, Apex Tech Stories, ENGINE, ENGINES, TECH, Tech Stories, Videos, XL Engine Tech, XL Tech Stories

600-HP BIG-BLOCK CHEVY POWER COMBOS. FROM CHEAP JUNKYARD TURBO 8.1L TO ALL-MOTOR 496 TO SUPERCHARGED 454

There are so many times that I’m at an event and someone comes up to me to talk engines and wants to know how to make a given power output. Many ask about 600 horsepower combos for their muscle car...

HOW TO MAKE CHEAP, JUNKYARD BBC 454 POWER. HOW TO MAKE A 500+ HP BIG-BLOCK CHEVY POWER COMBOS WITH PEANUT PORT HEADS.

There are so many times that I’m at an event and someone comes up to me to talk engines and wants to know how to make a given power output. Many ask about 500 horsepower combo for their cruiser...

Bolt ‘Er Up: Watch The Hagerty 4.6L Jeep Inline Six Stroker Engine Go Through Final Assembly

Admittedly, the latest Redline Rebuild from Hagerty has not been the most wildly exciting or off the beaten project ever executed on the internet, but it has a lot of value. Why? Basically because...

Engine Tech: Junkyard Big Block Battle. Gen 6 7.4L vs Gen 7 8.1L

That’s 454 vs 496 for all of you cubic inch fans out there. Yes, there is 42 cubic inches more Big Block in the 8.1 but are it’s weird LS style enhancements enough to be the best big...

CHEAP, JUNKYARD TURBO SHOOTOUT: TURBO TRUCK NORRIS 5.3L LS VS TURBO 8.1L BBC-WHICH ONE MAKES MORE POWER?

We just shared the video that Richard made about testing a junkyard 8.1L Vortec engine with a Summit Racing S475 turbo that made gobs of power and 850 lb ft of torque. And in a previous video Richard...

Happy 3/25! It Is The Day We Celebrate The 5.3L LS Engine – Yes It Measures 325ci!

For a generation of hot rodders, this IS their small block Chevy. The 5.3L, 325ci LS engine was the bread and butter of the company’s line up for more than a decade and many, many millions were...

HOW TO DIY TURBOCHARGE A JUNKYARD BIG BLOCK CHEVY-8.1L GEN 7 496 TURBO-HOW TO MAKE BIG TORQUE GAINS!

This 8.1L junkyard big block series is really intriguing to me because I am currently trying to decide what to put in my 1987 1-Ton Dually and a turbocharged big block is one of the thoughts...

Liggett Bought A Wrecked 1999 Tahoe K1500 For $600! What’s The Plan?

Sometimes the smart move is buying just the parts you need for a project, but sometimes the smarter move is buying a whole donor vehicle. The latter is riskier sometimes, and has been known to cause...

HOW TO IMPROVE 8.1L POWER. STOCK MANIFOLDS VS HEADERS. ARE SMALLER HEADERS BETTER? THE OTHER GUYS

When the 8.1L Vortec came out it was weird because while it was 496 cubic inches, a very common 454 stroker combo size, it was easy to think that this was just a bigger version of the big block we...

How to Select Spark Plugs for Your Engine: Your Guide To The Right Spark

Spark plugs create one of the three things needed for an engine to run. Air, fuel, and spark are all three needed in order to create the fire that powers the engines we know and love so much. In some...

Running Out Of Inputs And Outputs? Holley EFI’s CAN Input/Output Module Allows You To Expand Your Current ECU’s Capabilities

The current crop of EFI systems on the market are light years ahead of where we were 10 years ago. With that said, there are lots of times when someone purchases an EFI system for their ride that...

HOW TO: NA & BOOSTED LS INTAKE TEST! CARB & EFI. TRUCK VS DUAL PLANE VS SINGLE PLANE (WHO IS BEST?)

What intake should you run on your LS build? Are you going to spray it with nitrous? Pack it full of boost? Or go old school with no EFI and instead run a carburetor on it? All valid questions, and...

5.0L Ford Cam Swaps: HOW MUCH POWER IS A 5.0L CAM SWAP WORTH? WHAT IS THE BEST CAM FOR MY 5.0L 302? 5.0L FORD EFI VS CARB

Cam swaps are worth power in nearly every engine combo out there, but people sometimes question just how effective they are on small engines like the 5.0L Ford. Trust us, cubes matter, but even an...

HOW MUCH POWER ARE LONG-TUBE HEADERS WORTH? HOW DO I FIND THE MISSING 50-LB-FT OF TORQUE? 5.0L FORD!

Do headers work? Hell yes they do! We all know from decades of hopping up engines that putting a set of headers on your ride has always been one of the first upgrades. Then they came out with all...