Trial And Error: Robert Taylor’s 1,993 HP Fifth-Gen Camaro

 

ERL_PERFORMANCE2

The road to high-horsepower is not an easy one by any means. There are a great deal of variables that must be taken into account, and a tremendous amount of trial and error to find the perfect balance between performance, efficiency, and reliability.

If anyone can attest to that statement, it’s Robert Taylor; the owner of this 1,993 rear-wheel horsepower twin-turbocharged fifth-gen Camaro SS. With the help of some friends at ERL Performance and Henderson Performance Technologies; they’re looking to break world records in the upcoming Texas Mile event in April of this year, but it wasn’t easy getting to this point.

Corey Henderson of Henderson Performance Technologies out of New Braunfels, Texas knows what a badass engine from ERL is all about. He and his team built Robert’s Camaro dubbed Brandi from the ground up. The latest iteration, which is nearly 2,000 horsepower, is quite the norm for the guys.

In The Beginning

Subsequent to purchasing his fifth-gen Camaro, Robert let the better part of a year pass before beginning the journey to where it sits today.

After striking a conversation with his brother Tom Taylor, a 45-year short-track stock-car racing veteran; Robert began exchanging emails with Corey, and the two eventually met in person to execute a plan for Robert’s goals for the Camaro.

“Our first iteration ended up being 793 rear-wheel horsepower and 825 lb-ft of torque,” says Robert. “One weekend I heard from a friend that the Texas Mile was going on. I drove to Beeville, Texas and spent a day watching cars, motorcycles, and trucks go down the track. I watched in the start area, half track, and at the finish line viewing area. Yup, this is what I want to do. Corey and I discussed this and six months later, we were there as participants. We had added some modifications; a 9-inch with 3.07 rear-gears, and had increased the boost substantially. We were in the 1,100 rear-wheel horsepower range.”

After Robert had performed a few licensing passes (with the final run an extremely impressive 197 mph), the limits of the factory LS3 cylinder heads began to make themselves apparent.

The Transformation

Say hello to the new ERL Turbo Extreme Race Long Block Package. 417 cubic-inches of LS goodness.

Say hello to the new ERL Turbo Extreme Race Long Block Package: 417 cubic-inches of LS goodness.

He eventually replaced the factory LS3 heads with a set of more robust LSA heads, but soon discovered during a mile event almost six months later that the wear on the drivetrain was going to take it’s toll.

ERL Turbo Extreme Race Long Block Package (417 cubic-inches)

  • Block: ERL Superdeck six-bolt aluminum LS block
  • Pistons: Custom Ross Pistons 4.125-inches bore
  • Compression Ratio: 9.7:1
  • Rods: ERL/Callies Ultra Billet I-Beam 2.200-inches BBC Rod Journals
  • Crank: ERL/Callies 3.900-inches/Stroke 2.200-inches BBC Rod Journals
  • Also includes: Coated main and rod bearings, DLC coated trend wrist pins, total seal ring pack
  • Heads: All-Pro LSW12-4 cylinder heads
  • Rockers: Jesel Rocker Kit
  • PN M5-LS-417-M-LC-PA
Six months later after destroying two turbochargers at another mile event, Robert and Corey made the move to a set of Precision 76/75 twin turbochargers. This is where ERL Performance came into the picture. Robert says, “After several attempts at the mile and a small trail of broken parts, Corey and I made the decision that if we were going to do this, and try for world record passes for a fifth-gen Camaro, and then for a Camaro regardless of the generation (and still be street legal), we needed something different. We contacted ERL and they built us a custom long-block.”

The foundation of this engine package uses an OEM 5.3-liter aluminum block, which is modified using ERL Performance’s Superdeck 6-bolt system. “The motor was spec’d by ERL,” says Andres Vivanco from ERL Performance. “We spec out each motor depending on the application. This setup was built for a streetable 1,000 horsepower car that can also handle big boost and about 1,800 horsepower at the mile. We build each motor to suit the use; a big thing that sets us apart from other engine builders. Our parts selection and clearances maximize the performance and goals of the customer.” He also recommends moving to the stronger Superdeck around 900-1000 horsepower, depending on the power adder and cylinder bore desired.

Andres says that the company’s Superdeck six-bolt system plays an extremely important role in the structure and the performance of the engine, especially since Robert’s engine uses some additional upgrades.

Additional Upgrades To Block

  • Race Style six-bolt Bosses
  • 10.5:1 compression ratio
  • ERL LS billet main girdle
  • Solid bronze lifter nushings
  • ½-inch head studs from ARP
  • ERL Partial fill to the block.
  • ERL O-ring system to block and heads. Using copper head gasket.
  • Block was set-up for a Dailey’s dry-sump system
  • ERL custom vented valley cover.
  • Block upgrades can be found here.
According to Andres, because the company incorporates the use of aluminum LS blocks, these engines are 130-145 pounds lighter than iron options; and that ERL SD blocks are not limited to bore size like the LQ4 and LQ9 options. He says, “The block incorporates extended cylinder length to maintain piston stability on longer strokes, which uses an ERL 5.800-inches sleeve length. This sleeve length helps with the piston at bottom-dead-center so that it won’t rock as much. It will also avoid oil consumption, blow-by issues, and will even gain some horsepower in the process. In comparison to aftermarket blocks the company’s blocks allow everything to bolt-on as before, and that you don’t need a lot of aftermarket components to work with the block.”

ERL2GRHe continues saying, “The patented Truss design stiffens the entire block, as well as maintains a stable deck surface. Wet Sleeve with the Truss design allows for thick upper cylinder wall sleeves without the issue of block/sleeve shift. Our sleeves are about three times stronger that OEM liners, so we can go up to a 4.200-inches bore in a naturally-aspirated application. We like to stay at a 4.155-inches bore with power adders.”

Andres also says that there are huge cooling enhancement benefits to the Superdeck six-bolt system. You can find a detailed rundown on the Superdeck Sleeve System here.

Even with nearly 2,000 horsepower at the wheels, this fifth-gen twin-turbocharged Camaro SS still utilizes a manual transmission, and commands a certain respect while doing it.

The Results Of Hard Work

Having the correct aerodynamics plays a huge role in the success of Taylor's 5th-Gen Camaro SS  during the one-mile event.

Having the correct aerodynamic modifications plays a huge role in the success of Taylor’s fifth-Gen Camaro SS during the one-mile event.

Our conversation with Corey taught us a lot about Robert’s goals for Brandi, and how they got it to where it is today.

rtaylor21GRCorey says, “Long story short, we decided to build the engine that we have now.” (referring to the current engine provided by ERL). “This is fairly next level stuff. We’re talking about a Dailey’s dry-sump, All-Pro heads, a big cam, a solid-roller engine. At 27 pounds of boost, we make 1,993 horsepower at the tires through a Ford 9-inch. It’s kind of been a labor of love. We’ve custom-built the turbo manifolds, the intercooler, all of the exhaust.It has a dual stainless-steel 3.5-inch exhaust system through 3.5-inch Magnaflow mufflers, and we made that power with air filters on the turbos and mufflers on the car.

It has not even technically been tested in what we would consider race mode. The power has a lot to do with the intake manifold I built. I built a real short runner, big plenum billet intake manifold in-house here. It makes power until about 8,100-8,200 rpm. I just haven’t had the balls to rev it higher than that!”

From the exterior, Brandi may appear to be your average fifth-gen Camaro with some minor bolt-on modifications. However, once this beast is awoken and starts it's twin-turbocharged 417 cubic-inch V8 engine, it's game over for everyone in a one-mile radius (no pun intended).

Corey continues saying, “Everything has kind of been a progression. And that’s helped in a lot of ways, because we find hard limits to everything. So in order for us to go to the next steps, we have to redesign, add-on to, or supplement whatever is necessary. Initially, it was the fuel system and the original turbochargers. We were just asking too much of the smaller turbos that were on there before the ERL engine.”

The Green Run

Image Source: Automutt Photography

Image Source: Automutt Photography

At the Texas Mile event, speed is king and horsepower is everything. Building a nearly 2,000 horsepower twin-turbocharged mile event car doesn’t happen overnight, and it sure as heck isn’t an easy job.

rtaylor15GRBut the penalty for success is always worth it, and Brandi is a testament to that. Corey says, “Anybody could throw a car together and go fast, but it’s tough. It’s interesting, and it’s fun. It’s definitely a challenge. If we see 240 miles per hour, I’ll be happy. Anything beyond that will be a gift; because aerodynamically speaking, I’m not sure what we’ll see. We don’t know what the car is going to do at those speeds. That’s something we’re not going to know how to deal with until we get there.”

The new ERL engine package post installation.

Robert closes out with, “We are scheduled to run the Texas Mile in Beville, Texas on April 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, and will be turning the boost up from spring pressure. We’ve had a lot of help along the way from ERL, Rockland Standard Gear, RPS Clutches, ProEFIPrecision Turbo and Engine, and Hendrix Engineering.”

If you’re interested in learning more on Brandi, head over to Taylor’s build thread on the Camaro5 forums. Taylor has documented over 550-plus pages worth of information on his twin-turbocharged fifth-gen Camaro.

Taylor plans to spin the new ERL engine over 8,000 rpm while on 35 pounds of boost, so long as fuel and air/fuel ratios are met.

About the author

Harrison Noble

Living in San Diego for most of his life, Harrison was exposed to a variety of cars at an early age. His passion for anything that is fast, or has a V8, brought him to Power Automedia.
Read My Articles

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