L98, Ls1, Lt1
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From: Garibaldi Highlands, B.C., Canada
Car: '88 IROC Convertible
Engine: ZZ4 TPI
Transmission: 5 spd.
L98, Ls1, Lt1
Can somebody give me a breakdown of all the popular Chevy engines? I have a 1988 IROC convertible with a 305 tpi, what engine is this?Thanks in advance for answering this dumb-*** question; domestic cars are fairly new to me.
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From: dallas tx
small block 305-350, 23 degree valve angle, been around since jesus walked the earth. good design a little outdated now.
lt1, slightly modified fuel injected variety of the small block. main things, cam driven waterpump, opti spark ignition and reverse coolant flow (heads get coolant first)
ls1, the **** as far as design goes. hard to beat, .509 lift cam from the factory, 15degree (i think) valve angle great flowing heads, aluminum block (except trucks) powdered metal rods
basically, ls1s rock. it takes work to get a small block or an lt1 to run like an ls1, but for all out power, the lt or small block is a better choice.
adam
the_wagon_that_zigs@yahoo.com
lt1, slightly modified fuel injected variety of the small block. main things, cam driven waterpump, opti spark ignition and reverse coolant flow (heads get coolant first)
ls1, the **** as far as design goes. hard to beat, .509 lift cam from the factory, 15degree (i think) valve angle great flowing heads, aluminum block (except trucks) powdered metal rods
basically, ls1s rock. it takes work to get a small block or an lt1 to run like an ls1, but for all out power, the lt or small block is a better choice.
adam
the_wagon_that_zigs@yahoo.com
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The SBC has been built in so many configurations from 262 CI to 426 CI, with bores from 3.50" to 4.160", and strokes from 3.00" to 3.75".
There have been some really strange combinations that haven't worked well, such as the 262 (1975), 267 (1979), and the 307 (1969-71). Some other "rare" designs had decent bore/stroke ratios, but were replaced by "improved" designs, such as the 283 and 327. These had a lot of oversquare bore and weren't well suited to emissions limits in heavier cars. The 305 and 350 became the mainstays because of the decent torque production for GM's typically heavier cars, and good emissions capabilities.
They shared a lot of parts in common across the years. There were some very lame samples, and some very potent ones. Dual-pattern cams were used by the factory as early as 1973 in the L-82, so that idea isn't anything really new. Forged rods, cranks, and pistons were factory items in some of them. Solid lifters, roller lifters and cams, internally and externally balanced cranks, mechanical fuel injection, silicon aluminum case and head castings, were all available as early as the mid-1960s. Numerous head designs were/are available.
There is really nothing new about the SBC engine, which is one of its beauties. The case design is more rigid than most smaller V-8s, and it is flexible enough to allow a lot of configurations and innovation. There is almost no practical limit to the way you can assemble one. You can build a 302 that develops over 600 HP, or a 400 that makes barely 160 HP. It's all up to you.
You're essentially sitting there with a gob of clay, and can make it into anything you want.
There have been some really strange combinations that haven't worked well, such as the 262 (1975), 267 (1979), and the 307 (1969-71). Some other "rare" designs had decent bore/stroke ratios, but were replaced by "improved" designs, such as the 283 and 327. These had a lot of oversquare bore and weren't well suited to emissions limits in heavier cars. The 305 and 350 became the mainstays because of the decent torque production for GM's typically heavier cars, and good emissions capabilities.
They shared a lot of parts in common across the years. There were some very lame samples, and some very potent ones. Dual-pattern cams were used by the factory as early as 1973 in the L-82, so that idea isn't anything really new. Forged rods, cranks, and pistons were factory items in some of them. Solid lifters, roller lifters and cams, internally and externally balanced cranks, mechanical fuel injection, silicon aluminum case and head castings, were all available as early as the mid-1960s. Numerous head designs were/are available.
There is really nothing new about the SBC engine, which is one of its beauties. The case design is more rigid than most smaller V-8s, and it is flexible enough to allow a lot of configurations and innovation. There is almost no practical limit to the way you can assemble one. You can build a 302 that develops over 600 HP, or a 400 that makes barely 160 HP. It's all up to you.
You're essentially sitting there with a gob of clay, and can make it into anything you want.
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