Building a modern ZL-1

[VintageMusclecar]

Jesse;

If your target is 500+ HP at the flywheel, there's no real need for the more expensive 7115 crank, nor the roller cam. You can make 500+ easily with a mild flat tappet cam and the 6223 crank, and the engine should be about as reliable as an anvil.

FWIW, solid rollers can be a somewhat risky proposition on a street build. Most solid rollers are predominantly oiled by splash lubrication, and the normal sustained low-rpm operation of a street engine doesn't provide much in the way of splash oiling.

If you have your heart set on a roller cam, there are a couple of options which can give you a little "insurance", namely either Crower roller lifters with the "HPPO" option ("high pressure pin oiling"), or the Isky "Red Zone" lifters, both of which have pressurized oiling to the roller wheels & needle bearings. The main difference between the 2 is the Iskys can be sent back and rebuilt, while the Crowers can not.

While some people may shy away from a flat tappet cam in light of so many recent cam failures, that issue can basically be eliminated by using EDM lifters, removing the inner valve springs for cam break-in, and using an engine oil that still has a decent zinc content such as Rotella.

Just throwing a few options out to consider.

Eric