2.7 Turbo 4 Fan Club

[customboss]

Mike thanks for sharing your experience with this tune. 
I wonder what max boost this L3B can handle before doing damage? 
Im having memory issues but I think it spec’s at 33 psi but it’s not sustained. That’s a helluva lot of stock boost if I remember correctly. Newdude may know. I’ve overboosted piston and turbine engines but had water methanol injection to remedy transient overheating. Over boosting will kill a piston engine. 

[Mike Borowski]

10 minutes ago, customboss said:

Mike thanks for sharing your experience with this tune. 
I wonder what max boost this L3B can handle before doing damage? 
Im having memory issues but I think it spec’s at 33 psi but it’s not sustained. That’s a helluva lot of stock boost if I remember correctly. Newdude may know. I’ve overboosted piston and turbine engines but had water methanol injection to remedy transient overheating. Over boosting will kill a piston engine. 

If you read up on this tuner it’s supposed to keep all the GM safety in check. So theoretically it can’t blow anything because the truck would stop it. But I’m only worried about extra wear and tear. But I really don’t get ON IT that often. 

[KARNUT]

I’m no stranger to modifying gas and diesel engines some to extreme. I wouldn’t be afraid to put a banks type modification on this engine if one is available. Having the proper safe guard is the key. Especially if there’re really built like diesels as some have said. Just a sampling. I went 12 years with 12lbs of boost on a 92 Chevy truck. My brother with a ram diesel for 10 years with a banks 6 gun. Our first modified diesel an 88 7.3 f-350. We weren’t gentle either. You just have to be mindful of the limits. 

[Mike Borowski]

25 minutes ago, KARNUT said:

I’m no stranger to modifying gas and diesel engines some to extreme. I wouldn’t be afraid to put a banks type modification on this engine if one is available. Having the proper safe guard is the key. Especially if there’re really built like diesels as some have said. Just a sampling. I went 12 years with 12lbs of boost on a 92 Chevy truck. My brother with a ram diesel for 10 years with a banks 6 gun. Our first modified diesel an 88 7.3 f-350. We weren’t gentle either. You just have to be mindful of the limits. 

This summer I talked to a friend of a friend who was one of the lead engineers on the 2.7L he implied he wouldn’t worry about tuning it done right, the thing is built like a tank. They couldn’t take a gamble on putting a 4 cyl in a truck only to have it blowing up. 

[customboss]

2 hours ago, Mike Borowski said:

This summer I talked to a friend of a friend who was one of the lead engineers on the 2.7L he implied he wouldn’t worry about tuning it done right, the thing is built like a tank. They couldn’t take a gamble on putting a 4 cyl in a truck only to have it blowing up. 

Thanks awesome sharing then thanks. @KARNUT I know you know machinery since you made a living making it work for YOU. Thanks. 

[silveradosid]

but did GM let the cat out of the bag, if the first gen 2.7 is as tough as they say why did GM make a new reinforced block for the 2nd gen engine. to gain more boost they made a new block which might imply they know the first gen block is very limited for adding power by tuning. GM knew that it was only a matter of time before the tuners would have something for these engines. as Karnut said you have to know your limits, but as new as these engines are i dont think even the tuners know or care about limits until people the genie pigs test there product and they get feed back, which may end up positive or negative

Edited January 24, 2023 by silveradosid

[Mike Borowski]

2 hours ago, silveradosid said:

but did GM let the cat out of the bag, if the first gen 2.7 is as tough as they say why did GM make a new reinforced block for the 2nd gen engine. to gain more boost they made a new block which might imply they know the first gen block is very limited for adding power by tuning. GM knew that it was only a matter of time before the tuners would have something for these engines. as Karnut said you have to know your limits, but as new as these engines are i dont think even the tuners know or care about limits until people the genie pigs test there product and they get feed back, which may end up positive or negative

I don’t think that GM would spend money in fear of tuners. I think they knew the engine is capable of more and didn’t want the original owners to feel duped. 
 

There’s a story that when they tried to break this engine in R&D and couldn’t. It’s only 1 of 2 engines they couldn’t break. 

[Grumpy Bear]

14 hours ago, Mike Borowski said:

I don’t think that GM would spend money in fear of tuners. I think they knew the engine is capable of more and didn’t want the original owners to feel duped. 
 

There’s a story that when they tried to break this engine in R&D and couldn’t. It’s only 1 of 2 engines they couldn’t break. 

 

What was the other? 

[KARNUT]

My main driver for new vehicles over the years was more horsepower. I knew there was more I would always find it. It was never technically. Then one day it hit me like a ton of bricks driving my trailblazer ss. I had just driven my wifes Acura intagra type r. On the street it more fun driving a slow car fast. Then a fast car slow. The noise, the shifting, feeling the road. That’s where’s it’s at. The new engine vs the old. Unless you’re working it. It doesn’t matter. 

[Amcguy1970]

10 hours ago, Grumpy Bear said:

 

What was the other? 

 

It has to be none other than the lord and savior LS1...

 

Tyler

[Mike Borowski]

12 minutes ago, Amcguy1970 said:

 

It has to be none other than the lord and savior LS1...

 

Tyler

I can’t remember but that’s a safe bet. Again this is a GM engineer story. But I have no reason to think it’s not true. 

[Amcguy1970]

8 minutes ago, Mike Borowski said:

I can’t remember but that’s a safe bet. Again this is a GM engineer story. But I have no reason to think it’s not true. 

 

That or the 6.0 iron blocks. So many drag racers pick up a junk yard 6.0 from a work van, leave the long block as is, bolt some heads, hot cam and either boost and spray and run in the single digits in the 1/4. So who knows, GM has made some impressive engines over the years that are durable as all hell. 

 

Tyler

[Grumpy Bear]

21 minutes ago, Amcguy1970 said:

 

It has to be none other than the lord and savior LS1...

 

Tyler

 

Predates it actually. 1955 Gen I 265 V8. The original 'mouse' motor (Mighty Mouse). Went 1 million cycles at 100% load. History is in the Peterson Publications "How to Hot Rod the SBC". 

[Grumpy Bear]

2 minutes ago, Amcguy1970 said:

 

That or the 6.0 iron blocks. So many drag racers pick up a junk yard 6.0 from a work van, leave the long block as is, bolt some heads, hot cam and either boost and spray and run in the single digits in the 1/4. So who knows, GM has made some impressive engines over the years that are durable as all hell. 

 

Tyler

 

Buick 3800 Series III comes to mind. Sperry Engines say they have never seen one worn out. They have rebuilt a few that were run out of oil. NO.....

[newdude]

On 1/24/2023 at 6:37 AM, silveradosid said:

but did GM let the cat out of the bag, if the first gen 2.7 is as tough as they say why did GM make a new reinforced block for the 2nd gen engine. to gain more boost they made a new block which might imply they know the first gen block is very limited for adding power by tuning. GM knew that it was only a matter of time before the tuners would have something for these engines. as Karnut said you have to know your limits, but as new as these engines are i dont think even the tuners know or care about limits until people the genie pigs test there product and they get feed back, which may end up positive or negative

 

 

Technically, the 1st gen can handle more to a point.  The L3B is used in the Cadillac CT4-V model (not the Blackwing) and makes 325hp and 380tq.  Factory tuning is set for 91 octane or higher.  Whether they've gotten the reinforced block for the 2022-current model years, no idea.