Torque! Rocket power vs LS power

[olds307 and 403]

That's impressive! I hadn't seen that build of his. I thought the Engine Power 350 was pretty weak with all the trick parts they used, but it's been years since I've seen the episode and I bet CutlassEFI would've spec'd a way better cam than some off the shelf Comp or Edelbrock Performer unit they selected.

I bet the reason the Gen 5 felt so much stronger than the Gen 3 is because the Gen 5 has Variable Cam timing (the Gen 4s do as well). The Gen 5 is definitely superior in a power production standpoint as well but Variable Cam timing really helps maximize the low speed torque and high RPM power, that's probably the single greatest factor affecting driving feel. The only real problem with the Gen 4 & 5 is AFM issues which can be as minor as heavy oil burning or worst case failed lifters.

I used EFILive and a dongle USB to OBDII to collect data on my laptop and then sent that off to Blackbear tuning (they will loan you a dongle) and they developed the tune for my truck, but a Dyno Session with an experienced GM tuner would be even better. It made my truck feel like a completely different truck and with the Shift Improvement kit I have no complaints with how my truck drives, (even just a corvette servo and no tuning or shift kit can really help firm up shifts in the 4L60e, I actually had to pull it out of mine after the shift kit and increased line pressures of the tune caused it'd bark the tires on the 1/2 and 2/3 upshifts) it has instant downshifts and any part throttle hesitation that it had before the tune is gone. I was honestly about ready to sell my truck before the tune because I thought it was such a dog after driving some newer trucks, it didn't bring it up to level of a 6.2 in a Denali or Escalade but it was the best $350 I've spent on the truck by far and saved me thousands by not buying a newer truck.

Do you do much towing with the 4L60E? I had two fail on me, one towing a light load, bye bye 3/4 clutch pack. The other was a GM reman with the weak reverse. By the look its fluid, a lot of clutch material in the pan, the rest wasn't far behind. It did do some cattle trailer towing.

 

[Jakefromstatefarm]

 

[rogue_ryder]

Do you do much towing with the 4L60E? I had two fail on me, one towing a light load, bye bye 3/4 clutch pack. The other was a GM reman with the weak reverse. By the look its fluid, a lot of clutch material in the pan, the rest wasn't far behind. It did do some cattle trailer towing.

I'm on my 2nd 4L60e the first lasted 160K stock and I'm on my 2nd now (I'm the 2nd owner and it's possible the truck was babied on the plains for the first 100K). I don't tow often but I think towing a 7,000# travel trailer down to Mesa Verde over Wolf Creek pass did in my first one combined with beating the truck up and down the mountain I live on and not changing the fluid enough 😆 . For the last 50K with a $400 junkyard one with the shift improvement kit in it and still hammering it up and down the mountain, snow plowing and putting 2,000# of Gravel or Wood Pellets in the bed it's still working great. I really don't tow regularly but I have towed a few box trailers, car trailers and the 1 large travel trailer. From the research I've done swapping out the check balls from steel to phenolic with the shift improvement kit should keep the trans alive forever as long as you're still doing fluid & filter changes and not totally beating on it. One of the big causes of the poor shifting in higher mileage 4L60Es supposedly is the steel check balls hammer into the valve body separator plate deforming the hole. There's some good articles on the Sonnax page on improving the 4L60e for performance and reliability.

Someone made a video of toughest part of my commute:

(mine ends at the 12min mark) I think beating my truck up and down that many times overloaded and always speeding is a pretty good torture test for most vehicles (6 years with this truck so far and maybe 90,000 or so miles).

 

[64nailhead]

4L60 , hmmm.............

 

[olds307 and 403]

I can hardly wait for the new Edelbrock Olds 350 heads.

More testing today on the small block heads.
What if I were to tell you that 450hp+ on 91 pump gas would be very doable and streetable with a 350 and off the shelf pieces?

 

[olds307 and 403]

Not done yet but this head will be a bonafide game changer for even the average small block guy. Torque would be 425+ at the very least.

 

[ck1984]

Almost every dyno starts at 3000 rpm. I have just been disappointed driving these trucks for work over the years. I am not tempted to own one, especially the 4L60E years. I expected more from both 2011 trucks, not really better than the earlier ones. Honestly a 5.7 Hemi in a 3/4 ton preformed just as well as this 6L in a 3/4. Apparently a 6.2 is the truck to get, too bad very few are equipped with them. The rest are a dog fest. Again, not talking about the 2014 and up direct injection motors, way better.

maybe your disapointment with those trucks stems more from the TQ management thats probly hidden in the tune to keep the transmission and all the driveline alive until warranty is over? or was that just a myth?
My step dad has a 2013 5.3L supercab truck with posi 3.42 rear. i dont abuse it but im betting it couldnt even chirp the tires straight off the line.

It was same thing with my 2003 5.7 L hemi, short box reg cab. it had 3.55 rear gear no posi and its 345 hp hemi engine couldnt even chirp the tires either. once that hemi got moving tho and the engine was over 3000 rpm it was like a switch was flicked on and it came alive. STILL, Quite a disappointment considering it was 1st time i owned brand new truck for $35000

Same thing on my 2011 harley davidson ford f150 320 hp not sure the gears but it was a dog off the line and it only seem to get worse when i installed a 3 inch magnaflow system and tuner. Very disappointing $48000 truck

 

[olds307 and 403]

Yeah, it has to be the torque management. I haven't drove the early Hemi, supposedly the same as these LS. The 2011 3/4 ton long box 4x4 Dodge with the 5.7 Hemi was pretty decent. The modular Ford motors were OK but not particularly good at anything, mostly drove the early ones.

 

[olds307 and 403]

Oh and the Crane cam being used in the dyno mule Olds 350 has LS roller lobes, slightly more aggressive than my cam, same pistons and rods, N iron crank vs my 330 steel. It is 222/228 .555/.555 with a 1.6 rocker arm on a 110 LSA.

 

[ck1984]

Yeah, it has to be the torque management. I haven't drove the early Hemi, supposedly the same as these LS. The 2011 3/4 ton long box 4x4 Dodge with the 5.7 Hemi was pretty decent. The modular Ford motors were OK but not particularly good at anything, mostly drove the early ones.

by that time 2011 hemi was about 375 hp and i bet that truck had a 3.92 in the rear. i tesdrove another hemi with that rearend and it was WAY PEPPIER than the one i bought with 3.55 gears, I actually almost lost control of it and almost hit a curb on the testdrive, lol