What is the deal with LS engines.

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rex1927

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 23, 2009
Messages
868
Location
Murrells Inlet,South Carolina
I have been wondering about something for years and know I can ask on here without getting insulted.
Question. What is so great about LS engines?
I hear about LS1 LS2,etc right on up to LS9 and LSX.
I am just wondering why someone would remove a 396,etc Carb engine and stick something in there with a million wires?
I am old school and guess I just can`t wrap my head around it.
Got my first 350 with one piece rear main seal last fall and almost had heart attack when I was told it needed a weighted flywheel.
The LS engines will sure make power ,I am not putting them down.:)
But man the wires,money and computers it must take to get them going makes my head spin.
Guess this old timer is scared of change.[S
Anyway,that is what makes car hobby so great.
Build your car your way.
 
I'm with ya Rex. I'm a Ford guy, but no way I'd ever put a new Ford motor in a older car, too much computer crap. And the new engines are ugly IMHO. So ugly that they hide them under a plastic cover! Give me an old small or big block with a carb and a points dizzy and I will make it work.
 
Well the nice thing about the computers is the ability to tune them constantly for different situations while on the fly. For example, my 04 cummins, I can gain a stupid amount of power by the push of a button, when I'm done shutting up the rice rocket kid I can turn it right back to economy mode and get 18mpg. Yes the electronics are a pain but they are nice in certain situations. One other thing is the diagnosis of things. My programmer tells me tons of info instantly, fuel pressure at the rail, boost level, trans temp, trans or clutch slippage, battery voltage, current and average mpg, and tons of other stuff.
 
The basic LS motor incorporates features that just a few years earlier would have been found only on high end, full race small blocks. ...aluminum heads with 15* valve angle, raised ports, decent sized valves, roller cam.

If you step up to one of the higher end LS motors, you get an aluminum block, 11* valve angle, and huge intake ports....and dry sump oiling in the corvette motors.

....and they still perform like street engines when you don't need the power.

A friend of mine has a 4.8 LS motor in his 1948-ish GMC. He claims to have gotten 28 miles per gallon when he drove to the Hot Rod Reunion last week!!!!
 
They're relatively inexpensive, reliable, and they can make gobs of power easily while getting much better fuel mileage that would ever be possible from a carbureted engine with comparable power. Even if you stick a carburetor on an LS, you still can make lots of power easily.

A guy I know put a 2004 5.3 in a 63 Ford longbed half ton. He was getting 28 mpg and had right around 300HP. Pretty awesome for something that you just turn the key and go.
 
I love LS motors! My LS3 (carb - 625hp) is a torque monster with power avail from idle to the 6600 redline. The 6-bolt lower end is very strong & can take power adders easily. Timing is taken from the crank so timing issues are rare. The high flow heads are CNC'd from the factory & have huge valves. Aluminum blocks & heads keep the weight down & they come with roller cams & rockers. Mine has very good manners in traffic but when you hit the go petal... it's all business! There are a ton of LS motors in the junk yards now that can be had on the cheap. The electronics can be a problem but if you hook up with someone who knows the score that can be straightened out easily.

Also swapped an LS1 in my panel truck with the OD tranny from a 2001 Camaro & that big brick got 25 mpg highway! Paid $2500 for that motor & tranny!

BoB
 
It's like anything else, once you understand the systems, it isn't that complicated. In defense of computer controlled efi, as soon as those systems came out on cars they went from being on borrowed time after 100,000 miles to easily clocking double that. And look at performance, a Mustang GT can trounce an old 428 Cobra-Jet, get 20 mpg, be driven in any traffic and out last the old timer many times over.
I do agree engines aren't as attractive now, too busy. But they don't have to be, there's never been a better looking engine than this Coyote.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p22E_TBm50
 
They are probably the least expensive way to get serious HP these days. With very few mods they crank out unGodly HP.

They are so good that my Son Dan was considering putting one in the drag/street Mustang he is building. His Brother has one in his Z06 Vette and it is very impressive.


Don
 
In all truth it comes down to money, if you're like me money is a big factor in building a Hot Rod or any car for that matter. I have done all the work on my cars that I possibly can do. I know my car inside out, which helps when something goes wrong, seldom happens but happens. the guys that have money falling out their butts can afford to hire specialest and hi-tech shops and top of the line parts can't in all honestly say "I Built That" Their cars are nice and I mean no offence.
I enjoy remembering the times when at the local car shows there are people 2 deep around my 6 banger Rat Rod, and 30' away is a $100.000.+ car with nobody around it (actually happened more than once) and I can say "I Built That":D
 
The LS engine is 1 of the best designed engines that was ever made. Strong bottom end, easy to work on, and don't take much to see HP gains. I'm old school also, but they just flat out perform. You can put a carb on them, and the MSD set up to fire it. Simple to set up and you don't have to have a lap top to make it perform. I've seen them in heavy cars running 10's with a ebay $250 turbo.
 
You can put a carb on them, and the MSD set up to fire it. Simple to set up and you don't have to have a lap top to make it perform.

That's what I did! MSD box & coil packs, 850cfm carb, headers & 3" exhaust really woke it up! Yes... it eats premium fuel!

I've seen them in heavy cars running 10's with a ebay $250 turbo.

That's what a lot of peeps are doing... using a LS motor with around 75K miles so the compression is a lil lower & throwing on a cheapie turbo & makin' krazzzzy HP!

BoB
 
My LS3-LSA conversion and I can say I paid for it! Should see >600hp at the rear wheels.






I'm so jealous! [dr

Those LSA engines are pretty impressive, I really want one to stick in a ratty old fat-fendered beasty where nobody would expect that much power and the exhaust note wouldn't really give it away either [ddd

Even from stock with new pulleys and a few other minor changes you can pull almost 700HP from that LSA, that's why I want one haha.

What is it going in?
 
I'm so jealous! [dr

Those LSA engines are pretty impressive, I really want one to stick in a ratty old fat-fendered beasty where nobody would expect that much power and the exhaust note wouldn't really give it away either [ddd

Even from stock with new pulleys and a few other minor changes you can pull almost 700HP from that LSA, that's why I want one haha.

What is it going in?

It's going back in my 2014 Camaro SS 6M.
 

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