Musi/Lutz 540ci Twin Turbo Has Its Differences

Pat Musi and Jeff Lutz both say they took slightly different approaches when building their share of this sturdy 540ci Pro Street engine that EngineLabs found on display in Lutz’ ’69 Camaro at the recent PRI Show.

Musi, who just moved his shop to North Carolina, was in the charge of the long block. He started with a hard-to-find Trick Flow aluminum block and machined new lifter bores to match up the heads, then opened up the cam tunnel for a 2.125-inch roller-bearing stick. He followed up with a Callies crank, GRP rods, Diamond pistons, Bullet camshaft and Jesel drive. 

Musi needed an 11:1 compression ratio but didn’t order dish-style pistons. Instead he went with a shorter connecting rod.

“We did it like a nitrous engine,” says Musi. “I don’t believe in a dish and having the quench tied to the deck. We just lower the whole combination down in the cylinder to lower the compression. It’s a really solid foundation for what Jeff wanted to do with the engine.”

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The Pro-Filer 12-degree cylinder heads are equipped with Manley valves and T&D rocker arms.

Lutz added the pair of Precision 88mm turbos and Big Stuff 3 fuel injection system that features 225- and 550-pound injectors for each cylinder. 

“Everyone else was doing bullhorns and we wanted to do something a little different,” explains Lutz. “We exit out the back of the manifold, and the turbos are down low and pointed backwards.”

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Lutz also fabricated the headers using Stainless Works tubes and the air pipes that lead to the Hogan sheet-metal manifold. Spark is provided by an MSD distributor, and PTP Racing helps with the tuning.

“It’s a pretty reliable motor,” says Lutz, who ran a best 6.04 at 243mph last year in NMCA Pro Street and estimates the horsepower around 3,000. “It’s been in the car all year with 40-some passes. Even has the same valve springs and runs six-ohs all day long!”