General Motors LS-based small-block engine: Difference between revisions

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The "LS" nomenclature originally came from the [[Regular Production Option]] (RPO) code LS1, assigned to the first engine in the Gen III engine series. The LS nickname has since been used to refer generally to all Gen III and IV engines,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Garbe |first=Eric |date=2022-01-21 |title=A Guide to LS Cylinder Heads |url=http://www.enginebuildermag.com/2022/01/a-guide-to-ls-cylinder-heads/ |access-date=2023-03-20 |website=Engine Builder Magazine |language=en-US |archive-date=March 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320224245/https://www.enginebuildermag.com/2022/01/a-guide-to-ls-cylinder-heads/ |url-status=live }}</ref> but that practice can be misleading, since not all engine RPO codes in those generations begin with LS.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Garbe |first=Eric |date=2022-01-21 |title=A Guide to LS Cylinder Heads |url=http://www.enginebuildermag.com/2022/01/a-guide-to-ls-cylinder-heads/ |access-date=2023-03-18 |website=Engine Builder Magazine |language=en-US |archive-date=March 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320224245/https://www.enginebuildermag.com/2022/01/a-guide-to-ls-cylinder-heads/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Likewise, although Gen V engines are generally referred to as "LT" small-blocks after the RPO LT1 first version, GM also used other two-letter RPO codes in the Gen V series.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Everything You Want To Know About The GM Gen V / LT Engine |url=https://www.holley.com/blog/post/everything_you_want_to_know_about_the_gm_gen_v_lt_engine/ |access-date=2023-03-18 |work=[[Holley Performance Products]] |language=en |archive-date=September 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240924064328/https://www.holley.com/blog/post/everything_you_want_to_know_about_the_gm_gen_v_lt_engine/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Panait |first=Mircea |date=2021-08-28 |title=General Motors LT Small-Block V8 Engine Guide |url=https://www.autoevolution.com/news/general-motors-lt-small-block-v8-engine-guide-168253.html |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=autoevolution |language=en}}</ref>

The LS1 was first fitted in the [[Chevrolet Corvette (C5)]],<ref name="leg">{{Cite magazine|title=The Legendary Small-Block Chevy V-8: A Look Back at Its Highlights and Evolution|url=https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/small-block-chevy-engine-history/|access-date=2023-03-20|magazine=[[MotorTrend]]|language=en|date=February 27, 2023|first1=Steven|last1=Rupp|first2=Jason|last2=Udy|archive-date=March 24, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324190900/https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/small-block-chevy-engine-history/|url-status=live}}</ref> and LS or LT engines have powered every generation of the Corvette since (with the exception of the Z06 variantand ZR1 variants of the [[Chevrolet Corvette (C8)|eighth generation Corvette]], which isare powered by the unrelated [[Chevrolet Gemini small-block engine]]).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sherman |first=Don |date=2022-02-21 |title=LT6 Breakdown: The Z06's 670-hp V-8 is a landmark achievement |url=https://www.hagerty.com/media/maintenance-and-tech/lt6-breakdown-the-z06s-670-hp-v-8-is-a-landmark-achievement/ |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=Hagerty Media |language=en-US |archive-date=March 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321051914/https://www.hagerty.com/media/maintenance-and-tech/lt6-breakdown-the-z06s-670-hp-v-8-is-a-landmark-achievement/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Various other General Motors automobiles have been powered by LS- and LT-based engines, including sports cars such as the [[Chevrolet Camaro]]/[[Pontiac Firebird]] and [[Holden Commodore]], trucks such as the [[Chevrolet Silverado]], and SUVs such as the [[Cadillac Escalade]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2021/01/19/gm-built-a-blue-million-ls-series-v-8s-heres-your-guide-to-keeping-them-all-straight|title=The definitive Hemmings guide to the GM/Chevy LS-series V-8s|first=Daniel|last=Strohl|access-date=2023-03-19|work=[[Hemmings Motor News]]|date=January 19, 2021|archive-date=March 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308150949/https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2021/01/19/gm-built-a-blue-million-ls-series-v-8s-heres-your-guide-to-keeping-them-all-straight|url-status=live}}</ref>

A clean-sheet design, the only shared components between the Gen III engines and the first two generations of the [[Chevrolet small-block engine (first- and second-generation)|Chevrolet small-block engine]] are the [[connecting rod]] bearings and [[valve lifter]]s.<ref name=":3" /> However, the Gen III and Gen IV engines were designed with modularity in mind, and several engines of the two generations share a large number of interchangeable parts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=LS Gen III vs Gen IV Swap Guide |url=https://www.ictbillet.com/swap-guide/ls-swap-guide/ls-gen-iii-vs-gen-iv-swap-guide.html |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=www.ictbillet.com |archive-date=September 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240924064327/https://www.ictbillet.com/swap-guide/ls-swap-guide/ls-gen-iii-vs-gen-iv-swap-guide.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Gen V engines do not share as much with the previous two, although the [[engine block]] is carried over, along with the connecting rods.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Jeff |date=December 14, 2020 |title=Everything You Want To Know About The GM Gen V / LT Engine |url=https://www.holley.com/blog/post/everything_you_want_to_know_about_the_gm_gen_v_lt_engine/ |access-date=2023-03-19 |work=[[Holley Performance Products]] |language=en |archive-date=September 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240924064328/https://www.holley.com/blog/post/everything_you_want_to_know_about_the_gm_gen_v_lt_engine/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The serviceability and parts availability for various Gen III and Gen IV engines have made them a popular choice for [[engine swap]]s in the car enthusiast and [[hot rodding]] community; this is known colloquially as an [[LS swap]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-03-26 |title=9 Popular Engine Swaps - Choose Wisely |url=https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/1404-popular-engine-swaps/ |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=MotorTrend |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Garbe |first=Eric |date=2021-08-12 |title=Popular Engine Swaps |url=https://www.enginebuildermag.com/2021/08/popular-engine-swaps/ |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=Engine Builder Magazine |language=en-US |archive-date=September 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240924064328/https://www.enginebuildermag.com/2021/08/popular-engine-swaps/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=hr>{{Cite web|title=Everything You Need to Know About LS, LSX, and Vortec Engines: Specs, History, Swaps, and More|url=https://www.hotrod.com/how-to/chevy-ls-lsx-lsa-engine-history/|access-date=2023-03-21|magazine=[[Hot Rod (magazine)|Hot Rod]]|first=Steven|last=Rupp|language=en|date=Jan 22, 2022|archive-date=January 19, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250119160822/https://www.hotrod.com/how-to/chevy-ls-lsx-lsa-engine-history/|url-status=live}}</ref> These engines also enjoy a high degree of aftermarket support due to their popularity and affordability.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Guide to LS engine swaps |url=https://www.whichcar.com.au/features/guide-to-ls-conversions |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=WhichCar |date=May 25, 2018 |language=en |first=Iain |last=Kelly |archive-date=June 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210622205409/https://www.whichcar.com.au/features/guide-to-ls-conversions |url-status=live }}</ref>