The LS Engine

The LS engine is notorious for being the engine-swap of choice for almost anyone. Anyone doing an engine swap has considered swapping an LS into their car. The LS engine is a Chevrolet motor that was put into nearly everything between 1998 and the early 2010s. Based off of the LT’s from the 80’s and 90’s, the LS became the choice for GM. It could be both reliable and powerful. They could handle nearly everything thrown at them, making them an excellent choice for a build.

The Conception

In 1992, GM was looking to develop a new engine. GM is known for making pushrod V8’s and wanted to see if they could continue with that design, or if they should switch over to a dual overhead-cam (DOHC) design. They took two C4 Corvettes, one with an updated version of their current pushrod design, and one with a DOHC design. They spent hours out at their testing track doing various things such as burnouts, donuts, racing laps. All sorts of things. 

They then discussed the data and each car felt. They felt that one Corvette pulled quicker when they put the power down. It was fast responding and more fun. The other had to be held higher in the rev-range to be going fast. Sure, it was fun, but they opted for the other. Turns out, the one they enjoyed more was of the pushrod design. So GM decided to stick with the pushrod design and base their new engine off of that.

But there was a catch. This new motor couldn’t share any components with the previous generation of engines. It also had to make a lot of power and do well with emissions and fuel economy.

The LS1

The LS1 was born. And it debuted in the C5 Corvette. It was a 5.7 Liter pushrod V8 that made 350 horsepower. The LS1 was all aluminum, making it lighter. It was able to stay cool better than the previous LT’s, and was an overall stronger engine. 

The LS1 also came in the Camaros of the era. It was a high performance engine, but Chevrolet was able to take the same design, tone it down, and start putting it in cars like the Suburban and the Silverado.

The LS6

Now you may be wondering why we’ve jumped so far and are talking about the LS6, but don’t worry. GM decided to name the second LS engine the LS6 because it came in the Corvette Z06. Now their logic makes sense, kind of, but it gets a lot crazier. 

The LS6 was very similar to the LS1, though the LS6 engine featured a bigger intake manifold, a more aggressive camshaft, and higher compression. It made about 385 horsepower, but was later bumped up to 400. 

The LS2

The LS2 was the next in line. See where the confusion comes in? The LS2 had a bigger displacement coming in at 6.0 liters rather than the 5.7 or 5.3 liter LS engines. This engine was put in the 5th generation Pontiac GTO and the Chevrolet Trailblazer SS. The LS2 made roughly 400 horsepower and about 400 lb-ft of torque. 

The LS7

The LS7 was a couple generations after the LS2. The reason for the name being LS7 is similar to why the LS6 was called the LS6. The LS7 engine had a displacement of 7.0 liters. This engine pushed 500 horsepower and 403 lb-ft of torque. In the Corvette, it had a 0-60 time of 3.5 seconds. This engine was also in the LeMans winning Corvette. 

The LSX

The LSX was the pinnacle of the LS engine. It’s a 454 cubic inch V8 pushing 627 horsepower and 586 lb-ft of torque. It can hold up to 2,500 horsepower, nearly four times the amount of power it comes from GM with. 

Speed Round

The LS3 was a 6.2 liter V8 that made 436 horsepower and 424 lb-ft of torque. It came in the C6 Corvette.

The LS9 was essentially an LS3 but with a giant supercharger on top, making 638 horsepower and 604 lb-ft of torque. It came in the Corvette ZR1.

Where We Are Now

Now, we’ve come to the current engine designs for GM. Funny enough, these new Generation 5 engines are dubbed The LT, using the same name as the engines from the 80s and 90s. It’s a little annoying, but not a huge deal. 

The biggest difference between the new LT motors and the LS motors is direct injection. Direct injection makes the new engines a lot more fuel efficient, but also way easier to tune.

LS Swapping

It’s been said throughout this blog that the LS is a top choice for engine swapping. You may be wondering why though. One of the biggest reasons is because these engines are plentiful. You can find a cheap LS from a junkyard and take it home. They can be refurbished, dropped into whatever crazy car you want to put it in, and make a ton of power, all while being fuel efficient.

Because of the pushrod design, the cylinder heads are a lot smaller, making it lighter, and able to be put in somewhat unconventional places. 

The LS has been dropped into some crazy things like Mazda RX-7’s, Nissan 240’s, Volvo 240’s, just to name a few.

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The LS engine is an overall great platform to build from. With it being a light, fuel efficient engine, it can be put in almost anything. They also can make a ton of power. Chevrolet even sells ready-to-go engines that you can order. Their website has various LS and even LT motors that you can order and drop into your car. You can even order an LS3 from Walmart! Then again, you can’t go wrong with heading to a junkyard and finding a wrecked car and pulling the motor out of that. 
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