QUOTE(byndbad914 @ Oct 26 2006, 02:43 PM)

QUOTE(Brett W @ Oct 26 2006, 02:21 PM)

I think I can get 500+ out of it with minimal work. Notice the comparison with an American V8. Look how flimsy it is compared to the Lexus engine.
That looks like a late model 5.0L block to me - very weak. 450HP may even split that.
BUT, have you seen the Ford mod-motor stuff now??? I have heard they are up to 1700HP on a stock block!! Troy (my old boss) has a car out there at 1400HP turbo'd with a stock 5.4L block (IIRC), maybe a 4.6L block. Anyway, same kinda look with 6-bolt caps and so forth. All the internals of course are aftermarket at 1400HP but the block is stock. Blows me away. LS Chevies are the same way too.
I am very impressed with the blocks the two are producing these days. Lots of room for growth.
I had a guy walk into FPS one time and hand me the main webbing from #2 main journal up to the cam from his 5.0L hyd roller block - went lean while on the juice. The top valley between the lifters was split front to rear. Stock engine with a 400 dual stage shot. Went lean on the big end and apparently fireballed it pretty good.
Yeah I had a 5.0 block on a stand with no oil pan on it so I used it. The 4.6 I have in the shop is on a dolly, not a stand right now so I couldn't take good pictures of it. I have seen several 5.0 engines split right in half. The only thing holding the halves together was the oil pan and intake. Yay Ford.
Yes the Americans have caught on almost 10years after this Lexus engine came on the market. The LS and Mod motors are better example of the American design. The LS is a great motor. There is so much potential. It makes a great street motor. The mod motor is a hunk of shit. You can't get any power out of them in NA trim. The engine is too small. Way undersquare. You can't get enough bore to allow the engine to breathe at higher RPM. Plus the heads are HUGE. Way to big to package in many cars.
Compare an LSX to a mod motor. Stock engine with a cam headers and tune will make an easy 450. I had a mod motor in my shop a few months ago with a Modular Performance sleeve kit, Cobra DOHC heads, aviator intake, GT500R cams and the best he could come up with is close to 425. If you did that kinda work to a n LSX you could make close to 600 and change. Ford really dropped the ball on that one.
Now boosted motors are a whole different game. If you turbo a built V8 and can't make at least 1000HP you should bow out of the game.
The Lexus engine ain't the best engine in the world but it is very high in the running. It is small, strong and relatively light. The stock crank and block is good for 1000+ HP. The Lexus boys think the stock rods are too weak for 500HP, but I want to prove that wrong. Its all in the tune. If I can come up with some reasonably priced cams I think this engine would be a little cheaper option.
The Starter is mounted on the engine block so you can use many different transaxles with it. I will have to figure out what clutch to use to make some sort of bolt on solution. For my application a simple button with a 7.25 clutch and the stock flexplate should work great.