L98 6.0L Engine Upgrade Guide: Expert Advice for L98 Mods to Maximize Performance

[Editor’s Note: This L98 engine upgrade guide is part of a series of LS engine upgrade guides assembled by a team of LS experts at Summit Racing. The L98 engine is a Gen IV, 6.0L aluminum-block V8 car engine that first appeared in the 2006 Holden SS Thunder Ute, Statesman/Caprice and VE Commodore. For a primer on the LS engine universe, read LS Engines 101: An Introductory Overview of the Gen III/IV LS Engine Family.]

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The L98 is a Gen IV, 6.0L, aluminum block, car engine which came under the hoods of Holden’s performance sedans and Ute between 2006 and 2010. In some ways, it bridged the gap between the LS2 and the LS3. It used the same block as the LS2, but had rectangle port heads similar to the LS3. In this trim, it made 355 horsepower and 384 ft.-lbs. of torque.

Without the VVT system, it had true flat top pistons which resulted in a higher compression ratio of 10.4:1.

How to Tell the Difference Between L98 and Other Engines

Unlike the L76 that was equipped with AFM and had a ribbed valley cover, the L98 cover was smooth.

The aluminum block is cast with 6.0 on the back right-hand side and it has a casting number 12568952. The cylinder heads will have either the 5364 or 823 casting numbers.

If you have an L98 and are on the hunt for the best mods, you’re in the right place. Here’s the road map to upgrading your L98 power plant to achieve maximum performance.

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[Every engine spec you’ll need for an L98 project can be found here: L98 Car Engine Specs: Performance, Bore & Stroke, Cylinder Heads, Cam Specs & More.]

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Intro to L98 Car Engine Upgrades

For many people, upgrading the L98 starts off with a cold air intake kit.

The factory tune was conservative. We recommend that you talk with your local chassis dyno tuner to choose a computer programmer. Here are some of the benefits:

• Correct the fuel and ignition timing tables.
• Raising the factory redline will keep your vehicle in the meat of the powerband longer.
• Raise shift points and firmness.
• Shut off torque limiting.

Getting a tune makes it easier to dial in a bigger cam and injectors later. Before going to the tuner, we recommend installing a colder thermostat to open up the tuning window.

Below are other upgrades you can make to improve the performance of an L98 engine.

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[Trying to find an LS engine for a swap or build? Check out Part 1 and Part 2 of our LS Spotter’s Guide.]

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Upgrading the L98 Car Engine’s Camshaft and Valvetrain

If you’re still driving daily, cams in the 215-220 degree intake-duration range can be tuned to idle nearly stock and still provide good mileage.

Cams in the 220-226 range are a little more serious, but are still easy to tune, and driveability is still good.

What are the limitations to going bigger?

Piston to valve clearance with a L98 is tight. There are specific cams in the 230-234 range with intake valve events specially designed to clear the piston without flycutting.

What if you already have a power adder?

Generally, supercharger cams and nitrous cams will have slightly more lobe separation and longer exhaust duration. Turbo cams reduce overlap with less exhaust duration split in relation to the intake.

Spring kits are available for typical 0.600 in. lift cam upgrades. Titanium retainers are another upgrade that will reduce valve float.

The stock rockers are good up to 175 lbs. of seat pressure and 450 lbs. open. You will want to install a trunnion kit for added reliability.

Tech Tip: When you’re pulling the cam, switch out the spring-loaded timing chain tensioner for the more reliable wedge-style (early) LS2 damper.

Here are a few parts commonly used for an L98 cam swap: LS2 timing chain, LS7 spec lifters, LS2 timing chain damper, and thick-wall chromoly pushrods.

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Adding an L98 Supercharger or Nitrous Oxide System

L98 engines are a popular choice for people who want to keep their engine naturally aspirated, but if you do decide to boost, here are a couple of things to address:

• A 4-corner steam kit reduces hot spots that can cause the rings to butt and snap the piston’s ring lands.
• The 42 lb. fuel injectors will support around 525 whp which is where most power-adders are just getting started. We’ve addressed those in the next section on fuel system upgrades.

Okay, here’s the fun stuff:

• A nitrous kit (at low settings) is great for street driving with stock internals. Up to a 200-shot is common. Keep in mind the tight piston ring gap is the limiting factor beyond that. If you’re wanting to get serious, a single-plane intake is less prone to break from a nitrous backfire. A plate system has better distribution than the original intake, but an eight-nozzle fogger system is even better. Running higher octane fuel is advised.
• Turbo kits are everywhere. The least-expensive kits start with the factory exhaust manifolds feeding twins in the trans tunnel area. From there you will find tubular manifold kits with the turbo’s placed in the front upper corners of the engine bay. Horsepower increases start at 600 whp and goes up from there. Common street kits are capable of 1000+ whp with the right fueling and well-built engine.
• A Roots-style supercharger is dependable and makes great torque in the low- and mid-rpm range. It’s so good that GM used one on their own LSA-powered ZL1. Horsepower ranges from 520-700 whp with higher levels of boost.
• A centrifugal-style supercharger is lightweight and makes more power at high rpm. This is partially due to a larger intercooler mounted in front of the radiator. They don’t have quite the curb appeal of a Roots, but make great power.

Upgrading the L98 Fuel System and Tuning

The L98 came with 42-lb. injectors that can support roughly 525 whp. The most common upgrade is the LSA/LS9 injector. It bolts in and flows close to 30 percent more fuel. Fuel injector characterization info is widely available, but you’ll still want to talk to your tuner about it before the swap.

The fuel pump becomes an issue around 520 whp. The first option is to maintain or increase pump pressure with electronic voltage controllers and hotwire kits. From there, the ZL1 pump will drop into the factory tank and supports roughly 650 whp. When running boost, you can use a water-methanol system to supply extra fuel and lower charge air temps.

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Upgrading the L98 Intake Manifold and Throttle Body

The L98 had the same intake as the L76 and was equipped with a 90mm Silver blade throttle body up to mid-2009.  The blade rotates the same direction as the LS2, but opposite of the LS3 with its Gold throttle blade.  This intake isn’t as good as the LS3, so the LS3 is a common swap.  Up until 6000 rpm, it’s unbeatable with the exception of the Edelbrock Cross-Ram. There are some applications where other intakes make sense.

A standard runner length FAST manifold makes a few more horsepower, but some of that comes from the addition of a larger throttle body. The mid-length runner version would be a good option for serious racecars operating at 6000+ rpm at all times. It’s worth about 15-20 hp at 7000 rpm, but loses as much torque below 5500 rpm. This limits its use to serious road race cars, or pure drag cars with 5500+ stall converters.

How about a single plane intake? There are two main reasons to do this. One is a carb swap, but that would be a rarity with the L98. What would be more common is the guy that really loves his nitrous. The square bore plate style systems have better distribution to the individual cylinders than the L98 intake when equipped with a fogger system. This and the added strength would make it a good fit for this application. It will make another 20 hp at 7000 rpm, but the crossover doesn’t occur until 6500 rpm and it will consistently be down 30 ft.-lbs. of torque from idle to 5500 rpm.

Not afraid of hood scoops and 7000+ rpm? The taller Tunnel Rams will lose up to 30 ft.-lbs. torque below 5000 rpm. Horsepower matches at 6000 rpm and the Tunnel Ram will add another 25 hp by 7000 rpm.

Whichever direction you go, be sure to ask your tuner about going with a speed density tune. Doing so will remove the MAF restriction and give you more power.

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Upgrading L98 Cylinder Heads

The L98 cylinder heads are similar to the LS3 heads except they used a heavier solid stem intake valve.

• The stock heads can be CNC-ported for more airflow. Flow numbers can be as high as 373 cfm at .700 lift. Lightweight hollow-stem LS3 valves will drop right in. Between the light valves and better springs, the engines will pull cleanly to 7000 rpm. If you’re looking to boost to 800+ hp; a heavy-duty aftermarket stainless intake valve is a bit tougher and won’t tulip as quickly from the heat. Milling the heads .030 will bump compression to 10.9:1 and will increase power everywhere. Piston-to-valve clearance will be tight with cams beyond 230 at .050 in. of intake duration.
• A better option is aftermarket heads. They reduce downtime, they’re all-new, and you can usually offset the added cost by selling your original heads. Valve angles are typically laid over to 13.5 degrees for increased piston-to-valve clearance. They flow better and the cross-sections are great for naturally aspirated or boosted engines. When comparing heads, look at the .400 in. lift numbers as a general indicator of how the heads will perform. With a medium-sized cam, 500+ whp (naturally aspirated) is a goal that is easily met.

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Upgrading the L98 Rotating Assembly

On the L98 engine, pistons are the weak link and you probably already know someone who has popped one.

A set of forged pistons is a good idea and you can increase compression while you’re at it.

They have stronger wristpins, thicker ring lands, and the added valve reliefs allow you to run big cams. If you’re going over 1000 hp, or use a 300+ shot of nitrous, a set of .200 wall tool-steel pins is a good idea.

The L98’s Gen. 4 rods are stronger than the Gen. 3 rods and have full floating pins. They can handle about 800 hp and 7000 rpm in boosted applications (at least for a while). They are likely to bend before they break when subjected to real track conditions.

If you’re getting forged pistons, upgrade to forged connecting rods at the same time. Big 7/16-inch rod bolts will go a long way to keep things together over 7000 rpm.

The L98 crank was cast but strong. The main reason for a stroker crank is added cubic inches. With heads and manifolds available that breathe well above 7000 rpm, more cubes can bring the power peak back into hydraulic roller territory for more power under the curve.  More cubes helps spool bigger turbos too.

Performance rotating assemblies are available in many combinations.

A couple notes of caution when stroking the engine:

• The 6.0L aluminum blocks had slightly longer cylinder sleeves than the iron blocks (5.500 in. vs. 5.430 in. on average). When running a stroker crank, much of the piston skirt drops out of the bottom of the cylinder at BDC. The best piston manufacturers have compensated for this by eliminating skirt taper until a point well above where it meets the bottom of the cylinder sleeve at BDC. Any skirt taper at this intersection acts as a razor blade and will quickly wear out the piston. This is especially true with a 4.100 or longer stroke, and the piston design is critical to long life.
• The blueprint deck height of the block is 9.240 in. It’s best to measure deck height before ordering your rotating assembly. Thicker head gaskets or using an aftermarket 6.098-6.100 in. rod will ensure enough piston-to-head clearance.

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Upgrading the L98 Engine Block

L98 engines have a 4.000-inch bore diameter.

The cylinders can be bored to 4.030 inch. However, we recommended leaving them as thick as possible when running boost.

You can make 850 whp with a couple of simple upgrades like head studs and LS9 head gaskets. Race gas, E-85, or water-methanol injection is required.

The factory main caps aren’t doweled. It’s better to reduce ignition timing and compensate with added boost to reduce the cylinder pressure spikes that can lift heads and cause the main caps to dance.

Main studs should be added any time you’re this deep in the engine.

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NOTE: You can find engine specs and detailed engine upgrade advice for every LS and LS-based Vortec truck engine in one place: The Definitive Guide to LS Engine Specs and LS Engine Upgrades.