GM LS1 for marine use

Discussion in 'DIY Marinizing' started by daniel2, Nov 23, 2005.

  1. matthewfnorbert
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    matthewfnorbert Junior Member

    .

    this is a LS1 post and these motors are not free (yet:D but i think they give fords away as boat anchors)

    so if you want the best, and that makes some feel happy! go see someone like wasp... http://www.waspaust.co.nz/ email them and ask for graeme, he is a great source of wealth and appears to be very sincere. I have driven a boat with the Ls1 6.0 and it is just awesome... and if in the usa you will not pay 12.5% tax in nz and reap the 60 cents in the dollar exchange.. now thats cheap! shipping is cheap too compared to savings...

    I like the best, that makes me happy:D I am looking at marinising the LS2, will source motor from australia and have it marinised (marinated:p ) in new zealand along with the boat construction. And its all relative, what is $1200 to you may be like a couple of bucks to others who then have a different perspective an average sized peckers!
     
  2. saeble
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    saeble Junior Member

    oops...

    wrong thread, sry ..:p

    I was talking about the V-6 conversions that Wasp also do. There's a thread here somewhere about me and my much maligned 'shadetree' boat building solutions. :~)

    Ls1's are good donks. As I've probably previously said, good motors, but they suffer from quality control issues. If you get a badly assembled one... they drink oil, but... in a rebuild situation, like the majority of marinations ( :~P), this problem dissapears.
     
  3. stonebreaker
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    stonebreaker Senior Member

    Another vote for ditching the O2 sensors and running a speed density system. Saves needing to install a MAF, as well.

    Big blocks weigh about 250 lbs more than smallblocks, so add that to the already lighter LS1 and you get about 700 lbs in weight savings.

    Here's a suggestion: run LS2's instead of LS1's and learn how to fiddle with the Displacement on Demand feature. For those of you unfamiliar with this, the new LS2 engine can disable 4 cylinders at cruise to save on gas. I wonder if it's possible to use LS1 Edit or something similar to trigger the DoD when you want? Could you trigger the DoD with an electric signal, the way you do by installing a switch to lock the torque converter after the eighth?

    Of course, if it were me, I'd re-transom for one engine, drop an iron block LQ9 in it, drop the compression ratio to 8:1, and run a KB twin screw with about 20 pounds of boost. You could build a hell of a motor for the price of two LS1's, and a liquid to air intercooler would work incredibly well in this app.
     
  4. matthewfnorbert
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    matthewfnorbert Junior Member

    ls2

    I have now got a LS2 from the Holden HSV GTO, same as your C6 motor or our GTO (pontiac) exported to the USA. It will run the Ls1 computer with mech throttle body (94mm), knock sensors,maf. when its in the boat and running i will post later. expecting wide open throttle on jet unit to be around 5500rpm.
     

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  5. marshmat
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    marshmat Senior Member

    I suspect you're right that the DoD could be controlled this way... the question is exactly what to trigger. In the car this is controlled by the engine computer; perhaps there's some way of either tricking the computer into recognizing a manual input, or building a circuit to emulate the signal the computer provides to the DoD relays and solenoids. I think you'd want purely manual control, not automatic. In any case, it wouldn't do much good on plane, but would certainly make trolling and low-speed cruising a lot nicer.
     
  6. stonebreaker
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    stonebreaker Senior Member

    I agree completely. However, I'm not familiar enough with the LS2 to know how to trigger it. If it's anything like locking the torque converter, when the computer feels the converter needs to lock up, it sends a signal to the converter lockup solenoid, which actually initiates lockup.

    With the DoD, you have several components - turning off the injectors and turning off the oil to the lifters so the valves cease to open. I would also assume the computer turns off the coils to the affected cylinders, although I don't know that for sure.

    In any case, it seems like a doable mod, and well worthwhile for low speed operation.
     
  7. marshmat
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    marshmat Senior Member

    Challenging, for sure. I'm not quite sure though on just how the computer senses the need for the transition. If you could hack a switch into whatever sensor input circuit tells the computer to lock DoD, I think that would be the way to go.
     
  8. stonebreaker
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    stonebreaker Senior Member

    Hmm, after reading this article, I'm kind of thinking now that simply modifying the programming in the computer so it functions within the parameters of your individual boat might be the best way to go.
     
  9. matthewfnorbert
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    matthewfnorbert Junior Member

    .

    my motor does not have dod so i dont have those issues, but a friend has just bought 20 LH6's to put into boats.. I am sure he could supply you a full loom and ecu programmed ready to run. if you are seriously interested email me at 'matthew at nzjetboating.com'
     
  10. stonebreaker
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    stonebreaker Senior Member

    Dang, the Kiwis are way ahead of us!
     
  11. speedboats
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    speedboats Senior Member

    We've run alot of the LS1 and are now starting to use the LS2 for our jet applications. We use the Delphi computer with a modified program for the marine use.

    Running without the O2 sensor isn't really to much of an issue. The O2 in a car only makes very small adjustments for fuel (narrow band) without them it will run slightly more fuel (perfect for jetboat).

    If you want the ultimate then an aftermarket computer is the way to go.

    The O2 in a car makes small changes for load, but the load on a jet unit never changes....Its always the same eg,....at 2500rpm the motor will always be loaded the same, where as in a car that will change depending on weather the car is on the flat crusing or climbing a hill...

    What needs to be remembered is that the new generation of engines need to spin a little faster. If you bog them down and keep them reving slow under load, then the internal parts come under more load (pistons, O rods, bearings, crank etc..) and are prone to premature failure. Spin them a little faster (remember that the engine has a red line in the corvette of about 5600) and you get the same energy but less load on the internals.

    This is like biking up a hill in a hard gear, it is difficult and can hurt your knees and ankles, but choose an easier gear, then it's easier to turn the pedals and go forward. Now you must remember that you will burn the same calories in either gear to cover the same distance. Same principal can be allocated to the piston in the LS series of engines.
     
  12. speedboats
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    speedboats Senior Member

    Oh dear, I've just seen that Mathewf has beaten me to this board!
     
  13. matthewfnorbert
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    matthewfnorbert Junior Member

    touche perron:D :D
     
  14. julius750
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    julius750 Junior Member

    If you are still considering the LS1 conversion, I can supply stainless steel watercooled headers with o2 sensor ports which work as required. Manifolds have zinc anodes so no electrolysis issue.
     

  15. speedboats
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    speedboats Senior Member

    can you post some pics?
     
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