Big block vs 6.0 ls torque

[bottledbird68]

Ok, random thinking here. Just mapping out this fall/next years project and I'm going back and forth on the engine choice.
Yeah, it's not an f body but it's automotive so let's talk. For my 83 ramcharger. Years ago my father rebuilt it and put it on a 3/4 ton chevy frame, put 35" tires on it, and powered it with a healthy olds 455.
Well, been sitting for years and I'm finally going to revive it since I basically have a chassis I can't refuse falling into my lap.
It's going to keep a 3/4 ton axles and have a 6" lift and something between 35"-38" tires on it. Right now the chassis is coming with a 4 speed manual that I may keep, or, may sell to go auto. Not sure there yet either.

Anyhow, reason for the post. I'm torn on a motor choice. I want modern fuel injection. I've had it with carb's. I think I'm down to an 8.1 big block or a 6.0. Horsepower wise they're close but obviously stock for stock the big block beats it for torque. However, with basically a cam I know the torque peaks can match up pretty close and the ls motor wins for economy hands down.
Yes, I realize no matter what it's gonna be a hog. I'm just thinking for parts availability, ease of modding, and again longer range, the ls motor is on my list. But, I know the peaks can match up, how far apart are they across the whole curve? Does a modded 6.0 have a decent flat torque curve or are they peaky?
So yeah, long story short, I know peaks can match up close but how does the entire torque curve compare between an 8.1 and a 6.0?
And, are there even cams and such for the modern vortec big blocks?
Or should I just say screw it and go with a turbo'd 6.0 lol?

[c4boom]

there is a reason that they dont make the 8.1 any more that motor was a pig with like no after market you would be better off running some thing like a old school 454 stroked out and then set it up for EFI

[Slowhawk]

8.1L H/C setup,cheap -$6000 for parts

They should have never made that shitty 8.1L. It makes about 20-30ft/lbs more torque than the 6.0L but the 6.0 makes 100 more hp.

[bottledbird68]

there is a reason that they dont make the 8.1 any more that motor was a pig with like no after market you would be better off running some thing like a old school 454 stroked out and then set it up for EFI

Whichever way I go I just want to get a complete pull out from the junk yard. Any of the aftermarket efi set ups get way to pricey and aren't worth it when there are so many decent factory options available.

[bottledbird68]

8.1L H/C setup,cheap -$6000 for parts

They should have never made that shitty 8.1L. It makes about 20-30ft/lbs more torque than the 6.0L but the 6.0 makes 100 more hp.
Just the person I was hoping would answer.

Yeah I knew the peaks were close, I was just wondering how the whole curves compared. If it's only 20-30 over the whole range then 6.0 it is, but if down low the 8.1 makes say 100 or more ft lbs then I may go with the huge iron chunk.

[c4boom]

down real low the 8.1 will have a little more but thats what gears are for

[Suicidal racing]

go 6.0 def bigger after market..

the saying is true though no replacement for displacement..but seeing you want junk yard pulls and efi and them are your only 2 picks def go 6.0..now you think about a duramax? goobs of tq and would run threw any off road shit you would want untill you burried your axles..


After my stang is done im moving onto doing a mud/trail style truck..2.5 rockwells 50" tractor tires and a old 80s step side if i can find a clean one..It will def have a 468 bbc in it though with some juice.probley have iron oval port heads..make around 700-750 on pump gas with out the jug.
pretty much a twin to this truck
http://www.youtube.com/user/z71on46s#p/f/28/TLNp5DvxD44

[Batman]

I think you will be happier with the 6.0 in the long run, it is flat out a better engine. With light modding it makes as much or more power then an 8.1 and also has a nice broad torque curve. Parts are also much much easier to get. In fact if you decide to do it I have almost a complete 6.0 longblock here I can give ya a good deal on.

[bottledbird68]

That was my only concern was if the 6.0 could come close in the torque curve to the 8.1 or if the big block blew it away down low.
I there isn't much difference I'll most likely go with the 6.0.

I'd love a duramax but the initial cost is about 4 times the other two options and I can do a lot to an ls motor with an extra 3 grand lol.

[bottledbird68]

After my stang is done im moving onto doing a mud/trail style truck..2.5 rockwells 50" tractor tires and a old 80s step side if i can find a clean one..It will def have a 468 bbc in it though with some juice.probley have iron oval port heads..make around 700-750 on pump gas with out the jug.
pretty much a twin to this truck
http://www.youtube.com/user/z71on46s#p/f/28/TLNp5DvxD44

while I agree that that is badass it's fairly useless on the trails around here. We don't have much open swamp land like Florida ;)

[Suicidal racing]

i aint been off roading up here since i was 7 or 8..been many many yrs ago now..but i do know alot of the 4x4 guys in the north and stuff run 46s an such claws or big ass super swampers..

What would be the down fall of it for being a trail truck besides the leaf..i would do coil over more then likely if i build one.

[bottledbird68]

i aint been off roading up here since i was 7 or 8..been many many yrs ago now..but i do know alot of the 4x4 guys in the north and stuff run 46s an such claws or big ass super swampers..

What would be the down fall of it for being a trail truck besides the leaf..i would do coil over more then likely if i build one.

Way up north maybe but anywhere within an hour or two there's no need to go that big. It would actually be way too big for 90% of the trails around here.
Realistically 38's is about as big as you'd need to go for the majority of the terrain here and 35's would probably do just as well and still allow you to get away with actually driving to the trails without getting your balls busted. Hell, our jeep is only on 33's and it's been just fine for almost everything around here.
I agree that a 46" tired, rockwelled monster would be bad ass but it would be useless for almost ANY trail I've been on around here. Assuming of course you're looking for a useful trail truck and not a mud bog competition beast. If that's the goal then by all means have at it :)

[c4boom]

you lock up a truck on 38's and it will go just about any where as long as you dont high center any thing

[Suicidal racing]

what is the limits for trucks up here..max tire size,bumper height and such..been trying to figure that out..

florida you can run 52" tires if you want..just got to get the bumper heights right and that gos by the weight of the trucks really..2.5,4 and 5 tons all have different rules so you can go get your truck retitled and go up if you want..

An yeah i would want to do trail and mudding with my shit..like a all around beast..

[bottledbird68]

Heh, welcome to Massachusetts where lift laws really suck and there's no cheats around them.
Here it's not bumper/light height. Here they measure rocker panel height. There's two different laws on the books, one says no more than two inches up or down. But the one that most people follow is a registry formula. It's wheelbase and track width and some other arbitrary number.
Basically our tj on 33's is about 2" over the legal limit but for the most part no one notices.
On a full size truck as long as you don go crazy on lift height you can get away with 35's. Anything after that you're pushing it. There's a reason you don't see many huge trucks around here.
I've known two people who regularly drove trucks on 38's. One got lucky and got away with it. The other got his balls busted so bad he sold the truck to a friend who then got his balls busted so bad he took lift out and ran it on 35's and never got bothered again.

[Batman]

come to NY, technically changing ride height at all is illegal here, up or down. But they don't enforce it

[Suicidal racing]

oh man wtf..this state hates car guys..why the fuck are car laws so fucked up,up here..shit is b.s..i really like how if i have a rust hole in my front fender wheel well i cant pass inspection..its like ummm how is that hurting anyone..shit is size of nickle.

Im not even trying to keep the mustang semi street legal seeing i know i couldnt go 1 mile with out getting impounded..


I guess something like this is fucking way out of question then..
http://chuckstrucks.iforumer.com/images/avatars/chuckstrucks/files/dsc00722_142.jpg
http://i319.photobucket.com/albums/mm451/mudsled/utf-8BL01lZGlhIENhcmQvQmxhY2tCZX-148.jpg

I can see a loop hole in the law..seeing you could get away with a extra 2" or so if you bought your truck off the show room floor and it already had a 4" or what ever factory lift kit on it..then it came like that from stock so you could go up and get that extra 2"s or so


I noticed there aint huge trucks up here have seen a couple nice lifted ones..shit you can clear 44"s on a chevy with 4" lift an beating the shit out of the fenders..Ill be on some 38s..i guess..shit blows

ill try some 6" springs and some 38"s maybe..either that or im stuck building a off road mud truck and towing every where..

[bottledbird68]

Yup pretty much. Any of those would get yanked in a heartbeat around here. Not ony are they way too tall if your tires stick out past the fenders at all they like to bust your balls too. We get hell for it in the jeep from time to time but I hate the look of really wide flares on tj's and it's only an inch or so past, not too obnoxious.

[bottledbird68]

It gets more involved but heres the basics. If you want more detailed info let me know and I'll get the whole thing:
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu134/bottledbird68/793e3c6a.jpg

[Suicidal racing]

thanks..found a loop hole maybe..that says 4 wheel drive vehicles so there for if im not wrong if you convert a 2 wheel drive to 4 wheel then none of that could apply do to the exact wording of it...Car would still have a 2wd title and reg as that..unless the same applys for 2wd crap..


Also i like the fact how they say for tire size no more then the max tire that came on it or was optional for particular motor vehicle..So if 33 where a option then you could do 35 or 36's..Im def going to try and find a back door to it..guess you could alway use a semi frame

[Formula413]

I thought that the rule about tires not sticking out past the fenders did not apply to 4wd vehicles, at least that's a what a Jeep guy told me.

[ILuvPizzaTimes10]

applys to ALL motor vehicles on the road.

[Formula413]

He actually made a cop read it off to him to prove him wrong.

[ls6monte]

2wd vehicles are NOT allowed more than 2" up/down height from stock.

[Suicidal racing]

^damn they just all around fuck us up here..hmm maybe i should put a florida tag on it then..seeing i still have a florida mailing address..