The LS motors work real well. They are light, both the package and the rotating assembly. They rev quick. They breath VERY VERY well.

The chambers and ports are well designed. My 11:1 TRUCK motor doesn't ping if I accidentally put 87 octance fuel in, and I've never needed or run more than 89 octane.

Workhorse Custom Chassis makes motorhome chassis. GVRW's up to 24,000 pounds.
Standard engine for many years was the Vortec 8.1.
We know this as a 496 Big Block.

Workhorse is phasing out the big blocks and going with a 6 liter LS small block.

If it will move a 38 foot motorhome, it will move a mountain.

Damned motors are still U-G-L-Y, and I hate ugly motors.

 

Its all in the cylinder heads. When you have stock factory castings that will out flow big block chevy heads right off the shelf, your gonna make sick power. With everything you can do with these motors its almost too easy to make big hp. And if you still want the cubes its possible to make a 454 with an ls. Takes more money but it can be done.

 

I have owned both and I preffer the old school big block.

If you show the car you will get more of a wow factor with the huge big block filling the engine compartement. Its also cheaper to build a big block compared to an LSX power plant. Once you start adding bore/stroke and you opt for the top dog heads ect. The biggest issue is when you go with the computor control and fuel injection. With a big block you can make changes to the combo without having to pay someone to re tune everything. I had right at $1000 in the tune alone on my last LSX powered car. I had to do a speed density tune though, the MAF was maxed out at approx 5500rpm. In this erea a dyno tune will start around 600+ and go up depending.

The complex engine management and fuel injection is the best feature of having an LSX power plant so it doesnt make sense to run a carb IMO.

 

I'm kinda biased toward the BBC.....hmm I wonder why????? It does make some horsepower.............

David F.

 

Everybody is doing LSX now. I still love the look of a properly dressed big block. You can't beat the torque either.

 

Why not get aftermarket heads for your BBC
make around 700hp (without gettin crazy with the cam) and run 9s

 

The first thing you have to decide is what you want to do. My 67 had a 427 that was 500p 535trq.I put a ls 2 in it and have not looked back. Is it faster YES is it more reliable YES .Is it a big bock chev NO. But it does get better milage ,better run-ablity,it is a joy to dive .No boiling fuel,no run on no one tank fuel runs good other tank it does not. But it still not a big chev. Wes

 

Barret my only experience with the LS series engines has been the LS1 in my wife's GTO. I understand that it's only 350 hp, so it's the starting point of the LS motors. That said I'm certainly not blown away with the performance. It is a well balanced, fun to drive car with the T56 6 speed trans coupled to it. But it certainly doesn't pin you to your seat the way some of my gen 1 SBC builds have. To be fair the LS1 at 350 hp isn't intended to be. Some of the more radical LS engines probably are more impressive. I also agree with the others who say the LS engine is one ugly motor to look at.

I will say it has good midrange power, but off idle to 2000 or so it's not very responsive. I'm sure that's due to the large intake ports and slow engine speeds. I've heard others say the LS heads aren't very good off idle. That's where your BBC will have a huge advantage with a lot more torque off idle. But that's probably the only advantage, once the LS rpms are up it's a different motor.

 

The LSX has it's place, and it aint in a classic car. There are many ways to build power with the Gen 1 SBCs and BBC's, and still have the old school cool factor. The LSX is just butt ugly, and the only way to make it half decent is to hide everthing, carb it, etc.

Nothing looks better than those big chrome valve covers under the hood!!

 

you're right about the coil packs, but once those are hidden and valve covers swapped they can look pretty cool.

Jody

 

I will drive a pig anytime. Less heat in car,better milage,smoother running. As far as it being ugly looking it works for me and still gets as many looks as the other camaros.(and we know how hard it is to find a "numbers matching" car ha ha ha !) It is right up there with a guy that told me i was a fool to take the single bale master off my big block 66 chevelle and replace with a dual line . TO each there own. :yes:

 

It is called nostalgia....There is a unique beauty to our old cars and their old outdated engines, that is getting more rare by the day. Just my opinion.

There are a lot of folks that will turn their noses up at the LSX transplants, because they don't belong there.

The younger crowd doesn't know any better, and have no idea of what it took to get where we are at today. Again, just my opinion.

 

I'm definitely not of the "younger crowd"................. I've been to several local car shows with the Chevelle, including Hot August Nights. I have not had a single person comment as to why I put an LS engine in my car. I like the older stuff too, and was quite resistant to the newer LS engines when they came out and started to be transplanted. Then I realized how good they are, and how much better the car drives with the overdrive trannies, better brakes, fuel injection, etc. I don't screw with the stock sheetmetal, and keep the interiors pretty close to stock, but I love the LS transplants into the older cars.

Jody

 

I also am not younger ,being forty. But i also am the same as Jody,i have disc all the way around ,5speed,injection,air sound deadner.etc. But what pushed me over the "EDGE" is a guy telling me i had the wrong water pump bolts on my car. My car was cloned after the Black/Red 67 yenko,so it is all stock outside till you look under the hood. But it is not a attack on the older type cars. I think the transplants make it better,because you can drive them . Just my own thoughts. Wes

 

I like the LSx motors and even put one in a 35 chevy...cost and experience is what kept a Gen I SBC in my camaro...even though it is EFI, OD tranny, four wheel disc brakes, etc, etc.

 

I say keep your BBC. My of the LS cars at the track with basic bolt ons run low 13's to high 12's. Trap speeds in the 105-110 area. Sure there are lots of heads/cam cars that run in the 11's but most at my track dont see much more than mid 11's. I would do like 67rs502 and get a nice see of heads for it. Something like the new AFR 265 Ovals.

 

"OK" I'm old too! And hey I'm an American and "Bigger is Better" not just in cubic inches but in overall size! Sorry IMO nothing looks and sounds as impresive as a big block stroker under the hood.

 

As much as I love my big block, if I decided to go with less displacement than I have now, it would be LSX. As Jody showed, they can look damn good and just make way more power than a smallblock. If I didn't intend to race the hell out of my car, I'd switch it over to fuel injection and have a little of the best of both worlds.

 

Its all preference and to me i like the old school aspirated motors in a 1st gen, but maybe a 2nd gen i could go either way. I had a chance to go LSX when i did my motor and friends were telling me to do so. But i see way to many LSX motors now in these first gens and some i do like and others just look like a big octopus.

 

I put an LS1 in my wife's dragster, the die hard dragster folks just dont appreciate it! The younger crowd sure does though. I will try and dress it up this winter but there's no place to put the coil packs so the best I can do is put covers on. Oh and it just ran an 8.70@154 with a cam and cnc ported stock heads, very impressive motor.

I have always been a fan of big blocks but now I've had a taste of the LS1 that is the only family of engines I will put in my future resto-mods. They make great and easy power and shave a bunch of weight off the nose.

Lee

 

I put an LS1 in my wife's dragster, the die hard dragster folks just dont appreciate it! The younger crowd sure does though. I will try and dress it up this winter but there's no place to put the coil packs so the best I can do is put covers on. Oh and it just ran an 8.70@154 with a cam and cnc ported stock heads, very impressive motor.

I have always been a fan of big blocks but now I've had a taste of the LS1 that is the only family of engines I will put in my future resto-mods. They make great and easy power and shave a bunch of weight off the nose.

Lee

Props to you for "daring to be different" with your choice of engine to power the dragster:thumbsup::thumbsup:. I've seen an SB2 (NASCAR smallblock) powered dragster at my local track......when he's asked "why"?....his answer is "why not"!!!!!! It's the only SB2 that I've ever seen in a dragster.

David F.

 

If it was a battle of SB's I would go with the newer LSX engines with out a doubt. Although they cost more but the start up and reliability is a huge bonus. Not to mention the fuel millage is better. They do sound good with the right cam and exhaust.

If it was a battle between the BBC and a Stroker LSX, I would do either one. I love them both. Depends on what the application was.

The BBC would cost less to build than the stroker LSX by the time it was running down the road with the expense of headers, electronics, tuning, and fuel system.

I have a big stroker LSX with a KB on it making much more HP than I can build a BBC for making the same power.

 

It all comes down to how much do you want to spend and what do you want to do. I have an LS1 in my daily driver, 99 Z28. Car starts great, gets fantastic mileage and runs very well for a stock car. My only real complaint is the weak 10 bolt the General installed is holding me back from a few mods. Torque on the LS is very impressive, even down low. After living with one, I believe good heads and fantastic engine management system are why they work so well. Aftermarket is putting together some great parts too.

That being said, I still have an "old school" 427 in my 69. Next time it gets put together it will get some AFR heads and street roller cam. Suspect it will be very competitive with LS in power but will probably not start when its cold out and eat twice as much gas.

Both will get it done nicely in a Gen I but the BBC will be a lot easier to do and should cost you less. With a package cast crank 496 rotating assembly and AFR 305 heads, you can get a solid 600+hp with not a lot of effort. Getting 600+ can be done with LS but I suspect it will cost a lot more.

 

6 bolt mains are greater than 2 and 4
400rwhp and 20+mpg is greater than 400rwhp and 8mpg
Knowing exactly what needs to be changed via computer is better than pretty much guessing using diagnostic tools.
Function over form, looks does not win races...

 

400rwhp and 20+mpg is greater than 400rwhp and 8mpg

But 400rwhp and 20+mpg isnt greater then
600+fwhp and no mpg

Can you'll tell I'm "old school"

 

As a life long Bigger is Better Big Block guy, I have become a convert. I can no longer deny the virtues of the LS engine. Below is a brand new 6.0 litre engine with only a cam and springs and made 425HP to the tires which is right at 500 at the flywheel. This complete engine with the camshaft we sell for only $6k. Buy 500 reliable horses for $6K somewhere in a big block or old school small block.

 

My vote is for BBC. I can't deny the benefits of an LS but that being said I have to imagine that in the not to distant future it'll become outdated. Look at the resto mods with LT motors, not really that desirable anymore. It may be old technology but I think the old school stuff has more staying power in 60/70's muscle cars. My 2 cents.

 

That is because the LT is outdated and harder to get parts for, meaning computers and sensors now that most sensors and electronics have changed, LT only lasted a hand full of years, sbc's have been around for decades and are not complicated which is why they are still prevalent and parts can be bought or made almost anywhere.
The Ls is the new small block, and it's not going anywhere for a while.

 

Considering the ls has already been around for what 12-13 years and gm no longer even puts gen 1s in production vehicles, ya they are here to stay. Especially considering they are a very well engineered engine. Heck you havent been able to get the 8.1 in a pickup for what 2-3 years now? And it sounds like those are coming to end possibly even in the med. duty trucks. And really other than the bone stock purists, newer technology to make our cars run and drive better has been the back bone of our hobby since it started. You don't suppose these same arguments were made when the gen 1 first came out do ya? lol

 

If you're planning 496 cubes or less, go LS. You'll make more power for not much more cash. 6.0 or 6.2L block, stroked, L92 heads and a decent cam. Carb it with the MSD box.
540 and up, stick with the big stuff. The smaller engines make great horsepower, but it takes big bore and long arm to make big torque N/A and the LS just ain't got it...yet.