6 Reasons Why The General Motors LS V8 Is So Popular #blogpost

It’s an open secret that the GM LS V8 has taken the car tuning scene by storm. For some people, they might not really know why this Chevy small block is so popular. Here are some reasons why that might be the case…

Dat Incredible Chadkake

Updated: 10 Apr 2017

6 Reasons Why The General Motors LS V8 Is So Popular #blogpost

One: You Can Find Engines And Speed Parts Just About Everywhere

This statement’s truthfulness will vary depending on which corner of the Earth you live on, but this is especially true for Americans and Canadians. Plenty of late model GM trucks have LS engines nestled underneath their hoods. However the engine blocks might be cast iron instead of aluminum and the camshaft and intake profile will be built for torque, not horsepower.

Two: They Aren’t Too Pricey

Because LS engines are so popular, speed parts and the engines themselves won’t break the bank. For example, a Thumpr camshaft from Comp Cams for an LS engine will run you about $450. On the other hand, the same camshaft kit would cost 3 times as much if you were to get it for a 5.0 Coyote motor instead.

Three: They’re Compact For Their Engine Displacement

Because the LS engine still uses pushrods, it’s one of the smallest 6.2 and 7.0 liter V8’s being produced today. A Coyote 5.0 liter V8 is actually physically bigger due to it’s DOHC design.

Four: The Cylinder Heads, Intake Manifold And Engine Block Are Lightweight

While modern Hemi V8’s found in Chrysler vehicles still use an iron engine block, the LS V8’s engine block is made out of aluminum. So, for those of you that are concerned about weight distribution in your car, the LS is a better option.

Five: Engine Swap Kits For LS Engines Are Common

Chances are nearly every JDM car made since 1970 has an LS swap kit made for it. Rather than having to fabricate custom engine mounts, you can just buy them on eBay. This ease of installation means that you’ll be seeing more LS engines than Gen 3 Hemis under the hoods of RX-7’s.

Six: They Can Last Forever

Jalopnik recently posted an article of the vehicles most likely to go over 200,000 miles and a good percentage of the cars on that list were General Motors full sized trucks and SUV’s. Those GM trucks and SUV’s are more than likely powered by LS small blocks, proving their long term reliability.

Comments

Seven: They are awesome

I JUST HAD A THOUGH
LS7 SWAP A CROWN VIC!!!

LS motors are extremely robust. Junkyard LQ4 engines, even with 300,000+km of mileage, can have a turbo slapped on them and make 900-1300 horsepower on STOCK INTERNALS. It’s basically a discount 2JZ that is both lighter and smaller in size.

Isn’t the 2jz lighter?

8: Compared to some other tuner engines, it’s statistically better. I’m looking at the RB26DETT and 2JZ-GTE, here. Maybe its because they both had overhead cams?

What’s with all the downvotes?

Inline engines without overhead cams aren’t in use the 1970s at least. The sole reason as to why the RB26 and the 2JZ are relatively heavy is because they are cast iron designs.

I’m sure your last point would be wrong if those tuner engines had the same displacement AND DOHC. Of course, physically speaking in regards to the real engines at hand, there’s no way a 3.0L could combust as much fuel as a 6.2L in one full cycle.

I always wanted someone to make a post about this!
You are great, sir!
Great post too!

Also a question, why it is called a small block even if it is a 7.0 litre engine?

because the engine block itself is relatively small

It’s called small block because, well, the engine block is physically very small for its displacement. It’s incredibly compact for a 7 litre engine indeed. Big block engines historically had considerably larger engine blocks, allowing a much larger bore.
Just for comparision, the last General Motors big block had a massive 8.1 litres of displacement.