hi i am wanting to put a 6.0 lq4 truck motor in to my 86 iroc had a friend tell me it would not performa like a car ls2 would like to know some ways to get more performance out of this motor thanks

 

hi. the LQ4 is quite the potent motor in all aspects and has very similar power to the LS2. Your best bet for a question like this would be over in the LTx/LSx section of the board, as this engine is a close relative of the LS motors.

regardless, the LQ4 is nothing to sneeze at and since they are more plentiful, can be made as powerful or moreso than than the LS2 for less money.

 

Not close relative, next of kin.

Moved to LTX and LSX Engine Swap sub-forum.

 

eh, close enough, you got me on a technicality

 

LS2 advantages - weighs 80# or so less, people recognize the term "LS2".

LQ4 advantages - a LOT easier to find, less expensive to buy, it's an iron block, so you can bore it more than .010 oversize, it'll be somewhat more suitable for boost, & probably a couple more that I'm not thinking of right now.

In all honesty, they're virtually the same flippin' thing except for the metal that the block is made of. Each can use all of the same parts, & I'd think that it would take a really finely-tuned "butt dyno" to be able to feel the difference that 80 lbs makes, so unless you're really going all-out & looking for every tiny advantage you can find, there's not a darn thing wrong with using an LQ4 rather than an LS2.

 

300hp vs 400hp.
iron vs aluminum
Yeah I can see why your friend might say that.
You mod it like any other engine made.
better cam, better heads, better intake, better exhaust.

I get the feeling you haven't researched this at all.

 

throw ls2 heads, cam, and intake on there and you wont know the difference. well your wallet will know the difference for sure. weight is really the only difference. as said the iron black can be bored and will handle more than an aluminum block

 

Shave the 317 heads and you'll have LS2 heads (assuming the LQ4 isn't an earlier version and has the 317 casting aluminum heads).

 

with regard to power - the biggest differences between the lq4 and ls2..

lq4 has DISHED pistons (6.5-6.7 dish), whereas the LQ9 does not (flat-top)
lq4 317 heads offered on lq4/9 engines have 72cc chambers, whereas the ls2 heads (243) are smaller and utilize 64.5ishcc chambers, i believe

in all reality, the price difference is heavily in the LQ series' favor. the engines are plentiful, cheap, and interchangeability is almost unmatched. buy an lq4, mill the heads, add a cam and single plane (retain efi of course) and you'll make power. add a 200 shot perimeter plate setup to that and you'll have all kinds of fun. simple, yet effective.