I am going to go look at a 1985 camaro tomorrow, the guys says it is a 4bbl HO, but i am kinda sceptical, so how does one tell if it is one or not? I am fairly knowledgable, but a expert by no means, so try to explain it carefully so this idiot can understand thanx!

 

also, are there any reliability issues with the L69 that i should be worried about if the engine is a L69? thanx

 

the 8th digit in the vin should be a g for the l69 engine, also it should have a electric fan and 4 bolt cat converter if orignal....

 

if ythe air filter is the same one from the factory it will say 5.0 HO on it and will have dual out lets lg4 were rated at 150 hp stock and the l69 were rated at 190 stock.

other then that i here nuthing but good things about the ho engine reliability wise.

i think the main difference between the 2 engines was the l69 got a better cam, higher compression pistons, and i think an intake that was a little better then teh lg4. so they werent realy different then the lg4 they both had the same head block and such just pretty much breathed better.

 

whoa, thanx a lot guys, you have really made it easier. I guess my last question is what is the performance of a L69 with a 5 speed (stock), and what about a LG4 with a 5 speed? just so i know what to kinda expect...and thanx again, you guys are awesome!

 

The HO 5speed cars ran mid to high 15's. LG4 5-speeds aren't as embarassing as LG4/autos, but they still run somewhere in the 16's. I had an '87 Formula with an LG4/T5. It was my first car so when i first got it I thought it was fast, but i quickly learned otherwise....I think the "reliability" in question with BOTH motors is the computer carburetor setup and the associated mess of emissions hoses and so fourth.

 

All the L69 engines had aluminum intakes, as well as most LG4 motors, but lots of LG4 motors got an iron intake manifold. If its got an iron intake, its an LG4, but if its aluminum, it could still be an LG4, but possibly an L69 too.

I think the regular 4bbl cars also had a crank driven fan too, whereas the HO cars had an electric fan, but im not 100% on that.

 

The HO cars were also quite a bit faster than the LG4 cars, even though they were no fire breathers. The HO cars also got a much improved exhaust system over the normal cars, as well as what was said above about the cam, etc. The factory redline for the L69 was 6000 rpm too, but the factory left the tack redline at 5500 rpm.

I think all L69 cars got 3.73 rear end gears too. I know my '83 HO has them.

Look on the rear bumper, there should some black letter stickers that say:

"5.0L H.O."

That would be a major giveaway right there.

 

LG4's are slowwwww....

Pete

 

Wive's tales. Nothing to it except for those unwilling to live in the present.

US LG4's got aluminum intakes (Canadian LG4's didn't have computer controlled carb/intake, typically, and got the iron intake). There were never any differences between LG4 and L69 aluminum intakes. Carbs were calibrated differently, PROMs were different. '85-higher LG4's got the same compression as L69, and also electric radiator fan.

By all means look at the VIN, 8th character; "H" is LG4, "G" is L69. Air cleaner a big give-away, too. LG4 tach will be yellow at 4500, red at 5000; L69 tach will be yellow at 5000, red at 5500. In '85, the only Camaro model that got the L69 was the IROC-Z (but IROC-Z's also came with LG4's).

 

See the pic in one of my replies for what the L69 looks like.

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hreadid=164913

 

Oh yeah, mine.

 

clean engine Confuzed1!

 

Thanks!

It's lookin a little dirtier now though, that pic was from shortly after the rebuild.

 

GSMC RET. Huh. GSM2 NON RET. San Diego, CA. Where were you stationed chief?

Anyway back to the technical stuff. Didn't the L69 have a bigger carb also? The E4ME. The L69 has a knock sensor and timing retard where the LG4 does not.