LT or LS??? Which engine should go in my SS?

[jimmyjam]

Originally Posted by 1FAST94

Coil packs do not take the opti out of the equation. You do know that, right?

Originally Posted by streetcar2try

Just FYI for the OP, only if using LTCC, it still retain the opti for a signal. If you go 24x, Opti is gone.

right, i had a 24x kit on order before i did my ls swap. luckily they were out of stock and by the time they had them i came to my senses. never even considered the ltcc. its a kludge
However my comment was in regards to and LS engine being less dependable than an LT. its like the local hillbillies down here that say carbs are the best and EFI is junk. i turn into steve buscemi in fargo yelling "I'm not going to debate with you!" its nonsense

[GreenHornet]

Originally Posted by GA95DCMSS

I know I'm comparing apples to apples in my case, but I'm just saying lol.

My Impala is apples to apples too.

Both are 5.7ltr, t56 cars with 3.73's. with 285 tires out back. ah chit. Ive got 275's out back of the cadi

The cadi will never almost lift the drivers side front on a redline powershift from 1st to 2nd like my SS will.

I know the ls motors are suppose to be so great but I dont see the hype in them over replacing the LT. Unless your going for crazy HP Just build a mean lt1 and enjoy it

[GA95DCMSS]

Originally Posted by GreenHornet

My Impala is apples to apples too.

Both are 5.7ltr, t56 cars with 3.73's. with 285 tires out back. ah chit. Ive got 275's out back of the cadi

The cadi will never almost lift the drivers side front on a redline powershift from 1st to 2nd like my SS will.

I know the ls motors are suppose to be so great but I dont see the hype in them over replacing the LT. Unless your going for crazy HP Just build a mean lt1 and enjoy it

Solid Axle vs IRS is probably why...oh and unibody vs body on frame. Just my opinion though. I've seen its pretty hard to cut a decent 60-foot with the cadi, where in the Impala, it's ALOT easier to cut sub 1.7s. Again another one of those my opinion things lol.

[GreenHornet]

I know what your saying GA95DCMSS Im kinda scared to shatter the irs diff, so i dont abuse first all that much.

I love both cars for different reasons. Ive seen you on the other forums. Im Shadowstalker on cadiforums and tpagreenhornet on ls1tech.

maybe ill hit you up for that fast intake if i ever send my heads out to tea.

[Beertestr]

Originally Posted by MUSBEJB

Cool. Thanks. I know buying an LS engine is already expensive and THEN doing mods. And they aren't as dependable as the good ole LT1.

You are so sadly mistaken.
Sorry.
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[The Bolt-On Terror]

Originally Posted by MUSBEJB

Cool. Thanks. I know buying an LS engine is already expensive and THEN doing mods. And they aren't as dependable as the good ole LT1.

Unless you're very resourceful like the BEERTESTR, then yes, a conversion is your most expensive route to horsepower.
Dependability....well again that all depends on how well the conversion is done. On average, leaving it as close to factory as possible is going to work out best for you.

[Beertestr]

Originally Posted by The Bolt-On Terror

Unless you're very resourceful like the BEERTESTR, then yes, a conversion is your most expensive route to horsepower.
Dependability....well again that all depends on how well the conversion is done. On average, leaving it as close to factory as possible is going to work out best for you.

Hey, who you callin'..

I just think that if you are going to start pouring money into making power , start with the better design. If all you are looking at is to get to 350/350 hp/torque you can certainly get there cheaper with the LT1.

What about 400/400? What about 450HP? I'm making well over that with a smaller cam than an equivalent(ish) LT4 hot cam in my iron 6.0. On carburetor. What about 500hp and 7000rpm? What kind of aftermarket parts do you have to start throwing at an LT1 to get there?

Lets start this way. Given similar displacements, which engine family makes more stock hp/cubic inch. Stock 5.7L lt1-260 hp.. I'll tikt the scales and say stock LT1 corvette even though it starts at aluminum heads and say 300 hp is the lt1 baseline. LS1 345 HP. Toss a stock cam and better heads on both. Make your LT1 an LT4. 330,HP. Stock heads and cam and LS1 and make it an LS6. It's just heads cam and intake like the LT1-4... but the LS6 makes 405HP.

Stronger block, better oil pump, less leak prone seals, better valve angle, better valvetrain parts, stronger crank, better rods, taller deck, better intake, better ecm/pcm.

Pat.... if you started all over again, would you build an LT or an LS?

I'm on a mission to make the LS conversion less costly, less daunting. It's not as scary as you think.

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[The Bolt-On Terror]

Michael,
If there's some rule limiting me to stock GM parts, then sure I'll stuff a late model 400 hp LS engine into it.
If I had to do it over again? ...No hesitation whatsoever; I'd stay LT1. For no conversion hassles, I have 525 hp on the cheap. What kind of aftermarket parts? .......just heads, cam, and ARP rod bolts. Now if you're at the mercy of someone who doesn't know how to rebuild an engine properly, then yes, you have a point--just rely on an engine that GM put together with the power you require...ie. LS. You either pay more for a later model that has the power, or you swap cams and upgrade the valvetrain in an earlier one to get the power to make the conversion worthwhile.
I still see the LS conversion as a "uniqueness" attraction for most. Unless they're guys like you and Gerry who can do it and dial it in themselves, most will get in over their head and have unimpressive results.
Don't get me wrong, I love seeing the different routes people take with their cars. It's why this hobby is so interesting compared to all the racing series that outlaw ingenuity. But, when somebody asks me what's the best power per dollar route, depending on the resources and skills they have, I'm likely to be a realist and tell them to stick with the platform that their car came with