LS engines confusion explanations please...

toofastforyou

toofastforyou

2FAST4U
Joined
May 25, 2001
"LS1", "LS2", "LSX"...are these the same engines? :confused: I find this a little confusing, but from what I read, they seem to be gaining a lot of popularity among car enthusiasts and I would've liked a little clearing up. In which vehicles are these engines originally installed...Trucks? Camaros? Vettes? Will these eventually become the engine of choice to replace the small and big block Chevy engines?

Thanks,

Claude. :wink:
 
I thought they replaced the small/big block chevy years ago...

My friend just built a $12k big-small block but that was because it was for his retro '55.

..
 
I think anyone who wants to go fast for any longer then a few passes without melting something will want to go LS(X).
 
LS1= first gen, in camaro and firebird 5.7 ltr 346 ci i think rated between 300-320 hp? 97-04 corvette, 345-350 hp.

LS6= 01-04 Z06, rated @ 385-405 hp 5.7 ltr, 346 ci.

LS2= 2005-2007 corvette, 6.0 ltr 400hp

LS3= 2008 to present vette, camaro, 6.2 ltr, 430-436 hp?

LS7= 2006 to present Z06, 7.0 ltr, 427 ci 505 hp monster that is possibly a little hard on valve guides :(.

I believe the above to be at least moderately true, i personally love LS engines, have a LS6 currently.

I think the LS3 will possibly be the crate engine many will want to put in their projects, great engine, and i think is very close to 400 hp at the wheels, stock, if not, they are very responsive to bolt ons.
 
Thank you "PHINFAN" for this listing!...and what about the "LSX" ? Where does it fit in that list?

Claude. :cool:
 
toofastforyou said:
Thank you "PHINFAN" for this listing!...and what about the "LSX" ? Where does it fit in that list?

Claude. :cool:
Click to expand...

Claude the X can be used to denote any LS type motor or it could be specifically the LSX, which is Chevy's race version.
It has six bolts per hole, like the Stage II Blocks.
 
the Gen3/Gen4 small block Chevy is known as the "LS" engine family because they first appeared in late '96 in the all new 97 C5 Corvettes with the engine code being "LS1".. then in '98 they found their way into F bodies.. in 99 they got put the gen3 small block in the all new GM trucks- where they don't even have an "LS" designation at all- they are LO3, LQ4, etc.
there have been dozens of different versions of this engine so far that range from 250hp to well over 600hp..

the smallest production Gen3/Gen4 engine is the LR4/LR2 4.8 in the trucks, with the largest being the LS7 (427) in the Z06 Corvettes. .

the term "LSx" came about as a general way to talk about the different engines in the family, right up until GMPP came out with the LSx iron blocks a few years ago and got a copyright on the term "LSx". they offer some crate engines based on this block up to the LS454..
 
LSX is usually used to define the group of LS engines by some, LS1 LS2 LS3 LS6 LS7

LSX also denotes the GM LSX production race block. Not to be confused with others like dart the LSX is cast iron and has a huge following when wanting to build big inch LS type engine.

Hope this helps
 
John Wilde said:
Claude the X can be used to denote any LS type motor or it could be specifically the LSX, which is Chevy's race version.
It has six bolts per hole, like the Stage II Blocks.
Click to expand...
Thanks John! :wink:
machinegun said:
LSX is usually used to define the group of LS engines by some, LS1 LS2 LS3 LS6 LS7

LSX also denotes the GM LSX production race block. Not to be confused with others like dart the LSX is cast iron and has a huge following when wanting to build big inch LS type engine.

Hope this helps
Click to expand...

Thanks also! :wink:

Well it looks like the LS7 and LSX are the ones to get for serious performance!...

Claude. :)
 
ls

if I'm not mistaken all LS motors are aluminum blocks or at leasts the late model ones I has a 2006 Monte Carlo 5.3 that has the LS 4 a good Friend has a LS 1 in a camaro both are aluminum blocks.
 
hiboom said:
if I'm not mistaken all LS motors are aluminum blocks or at leasts the late model ones I has a 2006 Monte Carlo 5.3 that has the LS 4 a good Friend has a LS 1 in a camaro both are aluminum blocks.
Click to expand...

The early truck motors were iron block and the iron 6.0 lq9 and lq4 blocks are the most desirable production blocks for performance applications. Anything that came in a car or the 2008 and newer trucks i believe are all aluminum. The later heads such as the l92 and ls3 heads are big power producers. They went from a cathedral port on the early motors to a rectangle port on the later. A stock 6.0 short block with a set of l92 heads and a moderate cam will be in the 500 hp range assuming everything is up to par.
 
I have a all-alum 5.3l in my 06 chevy truck. My G8 GT is a 6.0 with the displacement on demand. but it's a L76 i think. very very close to the ls2 i think.
 
Yes the LS7 or the LSX is what you want to build big power

My current build is an LSX block with off the shelf parts building a 427 that will be turbo friendly

Hoping to build a boost friendly LS GN swap that uses mostly off the shelf hard components to run in the 8.60 or quicker range

This is of course just a project at this point but so far the direction has been well though and planned. Now only to execute it.

The LQ9 blocks with good heads crank rods and pistons are good for 1000 so they make very good hybrid go fast stuff for a good cost
 
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