Too many conversations about General Motors performance begin and end with the small-block V8. Across all of its generations, the small block’s ubiquity and ability to make serious power reliably has made it a favorite of hot rodders. But other possibilities exist.
Scoggin Dickey Parts Center (SDPC) has been tinkering with an LV3 4.3-liter V6, the kind that was used in GM full-size pickups from model years 2014 to 2021, adding twin turbos. In 2022, SDPC’s creation—dubbed Danny LVito—was making 644 horsepower and 730 lb-ft of torque on the dyno with 14.5 psi of boost and stock internals. Now it’s producing 1,403 hp and 1,125 lb-ft while still featuring a factory block and crankshaft.
A long list of upgraded parts made that heroic dyno result possible. The engine has SDPC’s own Wiseco pistons and Molnar rods kit, a custom ground camshaft, Johnson 2110R lifters, CHE Rocker Trunions, a Bell water-to-air intercooler, Holley hi-ram intake manifold, and a 102-mm throttle body from Motion Raceworks. The turbos are HPT 6262 units connected to modified cast exhaust manifolds from an L8T V8. The stock variable valve timing and cylinder deactivation were also eliminated as fuel economy wasn’t a top priority here.
For the max-power dyno run, SDPC used VP-Racing MS 109 fuel fed through FID 1,300cc injectors, and set the boost to 33.2 psi. If you thought only a small block could handle lots of boost, think again. And the LV3 made it into a lot of trucks before it was discontinued following the 2021 model year, along with the six-speed automatic transmission option for the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500.
It’s also hard not to think of the LB4, the turbocharged 4.3-liter V6 that powered the GMC Syclone and Typhoon. It made them among the quickest-accelerating production vehicles of the early 1990s, and even non-turbo versions from the same engine family make a good basis for tuning.
It just goes to show that, while the small block V8’s ubiquity means there often isn’t a reason to look at anything else, it isn’t the be-all and end-all of GM engines. This V6 base engine is putting out numbers that any V8 builder would be proud of.
