during the pandemic i scored a pair of 4 bolt 350's for $50 a pop. Got an Olds 455 with headers, a cast iron 442 intake and an Engle cam for $150 from a kid going LS...and so on. its a great time to hot rod :)
@@yamahaguy1732 If there's one thing watching car vids on youtube has shown me, is that we all hot rod what we grew up with. I know there were flathead guys who loved to run their fullshithouse A-v8's against muscle cars to show off the power-to-weight ratio. The LS has a lot of neat features, and the kid who is just as old as one who plucks a junkyard version and does nothing more than pokes in a cam and bolts on a turbo, is the same as the Gasser dude in the 1960's who pulled an Olds 394 or a Lincoln 430 and stuck in an Isky cam and bolted on a GMC blower and went to the race track with no more prep than that. But I'm not that guy. I want to take an engine apart, do the little tricks that add up and enjoy an "old school classic", like maybe gold anodized Moroso valve covers, nice wire looms, a cleaned up high riser intake sporting a carb that looked like it actually got cleaned. Most LS swaps I see are pretty dingy with no "jewelry" anyplace. Just a grey lump, no pride. It may be the fastest in a small town, the slowest in a big town. But I'm not trying to compete to be the Big Dawg, there's not enough room on the roads anymore and as the reality TV shows reveal, its all just luck anyway. Today you win, next week you redlight. Right now I just love picking this stuff up for dirt cheap every other week and getting it together. There's less traffic on the road with the pandemic right now, and taking a car out on the off hours and just enjoying what i did to make it faster without breaking the piggy bank...that's fun to me.
@@carsmusicandclothing7066 right now i'm getting snowed in :) but this pandemic summer its been a 1968 Olds 4-4-2 someone else built but sold for a mere $4500. I'm chasing his issues and figuring them out, like cooling and a q jet overflowing. After that it'll be a pair of rusty Mustangs and then finding an old rusty Chevy pickup to put on a 2007 Colorado frame so i can have a part chaser...that'll use up some of the "garage art" like a 283 chevy or a 4 bolt 350 and a disassembled Corvette 4speed and other stuff that was too cheap to pass up...
There have been thousands, if not millions of sbc's built with over 550 hp, and still running. The small block can't be to bad as it took GM over 50 years to come up with something better. The small block was, is, and will always be a great engine especially for a design that was made back in 1955.
No doubt, Ive had one in my camaro since high school and its never once left me stranded. And it was my daily driver for 9 years! My main draw for the LS tho is the aluminum block and 100lb weight savings. : )
@@shadowopsairman1583 My aluminum block ls3 with a procharger makes 900 rwhp and never over heats driving the streets or at the drag strip. LS engines have made well over 1000 rwhp with stock internals so probably 1200+ at the crank on stock block, rods, pistons, crank, heads, etc. All stock except a cam and valve springs with some boost of course LOL
I was really hoping this was a joke. Sounds like someone read about 1/3 of the history of the sbc gen1 (the LS1 is a gen 3 sbc.) And half of the LS history. Its like he left the last 25 years of the gen 1 off lmao. Being gm used them till 2002. But the late model gen ones have the same crankshaft and rod material.some of The earlier gen 1 crankshaft that we all called steel crankshaft (forged) are a lot stronger the skirted block and oil pan sounds good until you need oil to the oil pump. As far as less moving parts what till cam or crankshaft Sensor go bad are the reluctant will bicycle had to rebuild the motor I'd much rather put a new distributor in. The heads yes they are better. And the have a gen 1/2 vs a gen3 ls is no where near a 100 hp different. Gm rated the 5.3 at what a gen 1/2 and 5.7 (ls1) at 20hp more. If you want to compare apples to apples than take the LS 5.7 with its 15 degree heads and a gen 1/2 with a set of 15 degree heads on it there maybe 100 hp difference but it want be from the LS.
actually incorrect. the LS is an updated ford motor. the water flow through the block is straight off the 351c, but the heads are without the canted valves on the mundane version (I think the race versions may have canted)
@@xxxmikeyjock Actually, that is false. The LS does not have anything in common. And to note, we could go back and say that the Windsor is a copy of the first Sbc, because GM created the OHV design.
@@xxxmikeyjock So you're saying it took Chevy to make the Ford motor worth having? And wonder what the Cleveland and Lima motors were copied from? *cough*BigBlockChevy*cough* Yet if you want a 429/460 to hold up under any power, the first thing you do is put BBC rods in it, lol, and loads of other mods. Whereas with a BBC you just use the stock components and you're good to go up to about 700hp.
@@dolanroufs1032 so you would make the argument that the LS design is not better than the SBC 350. That a 6 bolt main and 1,000 hp capacity is not better than a 2 or 4 bolt main and a 500 hp max capacity. You would say that a 150,000 mile lifespan is better than a 300,000 mile lifespan. That electronic fuel injection with a computer regulating its ability to self adjust for multiple weather conditions is not better than a mechanical carburetor that has to be manually adjusted every time the humidity goes up. I could go on and on and on. The LS, Mark 3 or 4, is vastly, immensely, immeasurably better than the old 350.
The main reason I prefer an old carbed SBC or BBC over an LS (and I have both) is because I dont have to go visit a tuner with a dyno to make adjustments every time you change something. Carbs are just mechanically simpler and if you know how they work a lot less troubles.
Yeah I know this would be a cool one, but its so much info and would take so long! : ( Ill move it up to my short list and look into it. But it may be a while as I have a few other videos in the pipeline.
I'm making 600hp on a 1997 1 piece rear main crank. And it's loving it. The LS is undoubtedly better. But the gap is much smaller than this video makes it sound. As of today, an LS powered stickshift drag car has yet to beat the fastest small block car.
Since when? Back in 2007, Wheel to Wheel powertrain built the first 6 second doorslammer LS powered vehicle, a 4th gen Camaro. Ran on premium gas. I'm sure that record has fallen in the 16 years since. Please provide proof of what you state. I'm just trying for facts, not trying to start bs
@Dennis Burger very good times..hands down. I was able to purchase mine from a guy on on the web that had reworked then with some pocket porting, 2.02 valves, and screw in studs. Loved them.
Dennis Burger I have done a 11:30 with a small journal 66 Nova 327. Stock heads , stock crank and rods also. I ported the double hump heads ,780 carb team g Intake and nasty roller cam. 630 lift with 12:1 pistons and 4:11 gears
@Dennis Burger Indeed. I used to run 327s in the 80's when they were easier to find. I run 318's now. Im hooked on that short stroke hit you get when you nail it. I've built long stroke Pontiacs and the power band is world's difference.
TRUTH !!! I would take a Chevy motor over any competitors motors out there Chevy has always built their engines for longevity and are some of the easiest motors to fix
Best old school motor I had was a straight six in both a Jeep and another in a Bronco. Talk about good performance, easy to work on, inexpensive parts. The only thing about "newer" stuff is that it is more complicated, especially with electronics, computers, etc. I'll stay with the old for now. I love the smell of gasoline and rubber.
I had just a whisker under 500k, on my Jeep 4.0 HO, when it finally dropped a valve. 😢😢😢 I picked up a used 4.0 (with a 5spd) for $650... It purrs like a kitten... My '72 Nova has its original #s matching 250 IL6 with a 2 spd Powerglide... Outstandingly reliable, Super Cheap to maintain or repair... It cost me a little under $50 to rebuild the starter, vs $500 for the starter on my Dodge Diesel.... F**k all this Computerized S**t...
@J 🤣🤣 you can get whatever you can pay for. you can buy every part in a kit or put togther or piece every part out yourself. just because you bought a lit that had almost every part you needed does not mean anything about the point of ls or sbc being cheaper. go back to your pouty chair and eat a couple more crayons. maybe in a couple years you will come up with a proper response until then shut your hole.
As I recall as a GM engine engineer working on both small block and, at the time, the new '97 Corvette LS engine, there was only one part that was common to both variants. Believe it or not, that one part was the connecting rod bearing ! The LS was a totally new engine at the time.
Well I run a L31 for my stock short block which was a 350 Vortec 4 bolt main came from the factory with powdered metal connecting rods and Hyperteutic Pistons and a 1053 Forged Crankshaft and I ran the BTR Delphi Roller lifters with a .580" lift bullet hydraulic roller camshaft and Performer Rpm Top End Kit and for a 350 I'm at 460hp 440ftlb I know I'll regret not going 383 but damn the short block is tough factory
@@wildestcowboy2668 well can you tell me what it is..because I'm sure the Edelbrock tech that built it had no idea what he was talking about...can you clarify what I have I mean I only bought the parts and held them in my hand before the build
Well one of the most rewarding things about building an engine is researching and picking your own parts putting your signature on it so to speak see if you can build a better mousetrap.😉
I agree with everything accept the reliability of sensors. What's going to last longer a well-oiled machine or a ceramic sensor that has wiring that has potential to be damaged
#20 No SBC mechanic in his right mind EVER used those intake end seals…. In fact, even the factory eventually stopped using them toward the end and started following the aftermarket’s suggestion of just using a bead of silicone.
yes, it has the valve angle found on Pontiac V8's and aftermarket chevy heads. Those Cathedral ports flow so well, the days of "small bore V8's can't breathe" have come to an end.
68 years old now, and I grew up working on SBC's from my teen years. The gaskets really brought back memories (nightmares), especially the front timing gear/oil pan interface, along with having to drop the oil pan to get the timing cover off to do a cam change. Things really are better now.
The old 1960's engines were usually stronger than the 1980's. They had thicker cylinder head castings and if it were a performance application they had screw in studs, balanced floating pin rods that were magnafluxed and shotpeened and forged pistons and cranks. Even the 2 bolt main small journal engines often had forged pistons, early ones had forged cranks and late ones had thicker cylinder walls. The lt1 engines of the 1990s were fairly good but the port volumes were small. They employed a trick to make the cast cranks tougher using an undercut instead of a radius since the cast material was better under compression than tension, this undercut actually avoided tension cracks where the radius of the pins usually was. But generally it was the higher end versions of the 1960's engines that had the quality parts. The 305 was generally better than a small journal engine in my opinion because these engines probably didn't need the strong parts and the 305 heads were often better. But lots of 1980's and 1990's small blocks had all sorts of limitations aside from the lower quality rotating parts. The introduction of positive seals with the old fashioned rotators and retainers meant a lack of valve lift clearance. Only the aluminum heads of the lt1 got screw in studs while this had once been available to performance versions of the small block. And cylinder head flow didn't really improve until the vortec was introduced. The lt1 was okay but not great, the fuelly heads were still the king of the hill in factory heads untill that point but the vortec heads were likely to pull rocker studs and needed the retainers upgraded or valve guides shortened for high lift camshafts. It might have been a chalange to get 400 hp in the 1960's but it wasnt because the 1980's had stronger engines, it was because you needed a big camshaft or a power adder but those things were more readily available in the 1990's than they were in the 1960's. The tech in the 1990's lt1 allowed even a slightly weaker abc to shine with the addition of big injectors and a centrifugal supercharger. But the upgrades needed for most 1980's engines to catch up to the "fuelly" engines of the 1960's make any updates and upgrades moot in the wider sense. I would say for smaller engines the 305 was a better balance of cheap parts with better design vs a 283 or ,307. Many 283 had strong parts but if you wanted air flow you had to lose compression or get aftermarket domed pistons. The 305 heads were often just better than powerpack heads and those small engines didn't really need strong parts. 305ho or vortec 5.0 heads are probably a sensible upgrade for an old impala or malibu with a 283 or 307. The ls is better but i feel like the sbc never got it's chance to really shine. If we had a better factory fuel injection other than the lt1, something like used on mercruisers or ramjet crate engines combined with the rotating assemblies of the 1960's and none of the valve lift clearance issues of the 1980's and 1990's all in one place and it was wide spread i think wed still be searching junk yards for gen 1 engines. Fun fact, buick roadmasters had lt1 engines in them. You get the best of the sbc and the cover of looking like a grandfather in a wood paneled station wagon. Maybe there can still be life in the sbc after all!
The availability is definitely there now. I picked up an entire van for $700 that had the 4.8L in it with a 4L80E, but it had over 500K miles on it. I drove it from Virginia to New Jersey. When I finally get around to it, I'll be yanking all that out, freshen up the engine and transmission for my S10
Great stuff and thanks for your hard work! Us older dudes (I'm 52) used to know all this about car/bike engines back in the day but it is tough to keep up. One thing I noticed about the LS vs Smalblock when the LS1 came out was the area under the curve. The LS was making 50/50 more than a small block from 2500rpm on up. Even the older mod Fords didn't have the LS power curve till more recently. (and I love those 99 to 04 supercharged 5.4's too) Yes, if it were not for the small block to pave the way there would be no LS. We had plenty of great times with smallblocks.
Steve Morris doesn’t like the side bolts on the main bearings of the ls , he has a modified version on his engines , great videos for us old timers .. I enjoy your detail and the facts you have dug up. Well done sir ,
Nice. The LS is just impressive all around. First- I am pretty much an old-school purist. Meaning I much prefer to see an original engine rebuilt, ported, polished, blueprinted, balanced, strengthened, maybe turboed or supercharged motor.... but....Dang, the LS is just SO much bang for the buck. You throw a cam in one and get 400hp. And they're so flippin cheap and plentiful. I was hemming and hawing as to where to go with my old farm truck, but in the end, I could throw a pile of cash at it and maybe get 250hp, or I could find a wrecked Escalade, pop that motor in with a decent cam and get 400hp or more. The LS is just a beast. A cheap beast. My 94 toyota pickup went to the LS swap guy. I may have lost a good chunk of cool-factor (I mean, a built supercharged sidedraft 22re would have been awesome), but the LS is just vastly more bang for the buck. (And have you seen that Edelbrock cross ram dual throttle body LS intake? That mutha looks like something off the Batmobile) Time will tell if I made the right choice, but right now it looks like LS ftw.
Great video! Just would like to add that the 350 Chevy did have fuel injector in the later years, it was throttle body fuel injection (TBI) and had many of the same (sensors) as port fuel injection which the LS motors have. Also I will add that the LS has ( coil by plug ) not ( coil on plug ) which would be directly on top of the spark plug. The LS has a little plug wire and the coil is just by the plug. Great video 👍🏽
I know there are tons of haters (great vid tho), but my stock 327ci will be happy to disprove #21. I am not trying to be "that guy" . I grew up with a father that spent his off time in the 60's at the track beside guys like Bill Jenkins. The LS is amazing and should be loved. Keep up the good work.
Me too we are guaranteed to get a motor that was built with love and passion along with confidence and loyalty I don’t want to forget respect as long as you respect the motor it will respect you back and give you years of fun
Great technical information. Very informative and entertaining. As long as you're making technical videos, it really stands out when you claim at 3:00 in that pistons are made with silicone. That's an RTV caulk that you seal your bathtub with. The pistons correctly contain silicon. It's an element on the periodic table that is used as a semi conductor material in the ECM and also an alloy component in the pistons. Keep making great videos.
Lots of bias in this video , I've had both and many of these engines , ls does have quite a few advantages , however , depending what your goals are , I have a 434 ci smallblock engine in my g body , 10/1 compression, roller cam afr heads , street engine , I've broken too many ls guys hearts and souls with this engine from a dead stop , you'll have to build one hell of an ls to match the the low end torque this thing belts out , 500 lbs already at 3000 rpm maxing at 590 at 4400 , 568 hp at 6300 , with a relatively small roller cam and 200 cc intake port , idk perhaps I'm a little biased
I am currently debating going that route for my chevelle, I'm kinda between going LS or going big cube small block like a 427. As someone who says you've had experience with both, what do you like better on a sweet car? And is there a mileage difference if they're both hot rodded out?
Tassilap the ls is a sweet engine and makes incredible power , but the sbc can make it without all the extra electronics , and super expensive parts , price a sbc stroker kit , vs an ls stroker kit , btw the sbc can outmuscle an ls , at low rpms
My dad and I built an SB 5.7 and put it in his '81 GMC and it roared to life! BarOOOMM, BarOOM! I felt like freakin Dr.Frankenstein! No LS has ever given me that thrill with its weee weee sound. My two pennies.
The thing is though is that SBCs are still cheaper and are generally plenty good enough for most reasonable street builds. A good dirt cheap Vortec 350 based build making 300-350HP is all a good highway cruiser really needs.
@@dantesixx1155not quite that much out of a 5.3 a 6.0 or 6.2 yeah but they are a lot harder to find and much more money ..but your right a stock 5.3 is at least a 100 hp better than any 70s or 80s normal 350 say in a square body or an old impala or something thats a big bamg for cheap
The factory sbc blocks took way more than 360hp. That's just hilarious to me. Made 800hp+ multiple times with nitrous and superchargers. Obviously it doesn't compare to the ls block. The only time you'll have a problem with a factory block is if you leave the factory cast crank in it. The major reason the ls is so popular is the air the factory heads will move and the strength of the bottom end from the factory. I would hope after many decades chevy would come out with something much better. It wouldn't be worth it otherwise. When it gets into fully built motors. There's nothing stopping a sbc from making a ton of power. Ron Rhodes in X275 has been 4.20s in the 1/8 mile with a 23 degree head and nitrous. Again the reason the Ls makes more is because of the head. The factory heads on the sbc just don't move air. Certainly not compared to an ls. Specially when you get into the ls3 etc. 300cfm+ stock. If you can get your hands on a (new version) LT4 or LT5 from a wreck. You can make some big power with a supercharger upgrade or turbo. Not a bad video bro. Much better than many I've seen. I'm usually just shaking my head.
Based on lots of research that is what I found. From multiple reputable magazine articles. The number is for maximum horsepower from a stock block while retaining reliability.
From 1955 until the early 2000's sbc powered everything from corvettes to dump trucks and did it economically and reliably. With about 100 million produced no other engine even comes close. LS is a great engine but small block is a legend.
I recall the 6-bolt main bearing caps in a deep-skirt block were previously used in the NASCAR 426 Hemi for Dodge and Plymouth, and also the Ford 427FE in the Shelby Daytona's. Both were race engines. The engineer who headed up the team that designed the LS architecture was an old-school hot-rodder, and a member of the NHRA.
He was also an NHRA record holder, or champion, can't remember which. Think his name is Tom something or other. I love the old SBC. I do believe it does still have a couple of advantages over the LS platform, priority main oiling for one example. But anyone who says the LS platform isn't a forward step from the old SBC needs an eye, and head, examination.......
Im a Ford guy 100%. But, if you think an SBC can only handle 3-500 hp you're crazy. They can hold around 1000. Same for the cranks. Even a 305 crank can hold around 800 or more without worrying. Look up Darrell Waltrip talking about pulling junkyard motors out on Friday, cleaning it up with degreaser, doing a head and cam swap and running the short block in the daytona 500 on Sunday.
I do agree the LS cylinder heads are fare superior, that’s were the power comes from , the big cam core is incredibly superior to the Sbc. I’m not trying to be disrespectful here. The Y block design with a six bolt main may look incredibly strong. But that’s exactly what’s wrong with the engine it creates massive windage and oil control problems. that’s why aftermarket LS blacks get rid of the six bolt cross bolt design and they go with a splayed four bolt main to open up the crank case to help with the oiling problem. The gen 1 sbc uses 7 gallons of internal oil leakage per minute of internal oil leakage at 6500 rpm , a top fuel dragster uses about 4 gallons per minute at 6500 RPM, the LS Uses 18 gallons of internal oil leakage at 6500 RPM. This means along with a closed off Bay to bay crankcase with the cross bolt main cap design causes massive windage problems. And now the crank shaft ,,, The block is shorter then the gen 1 sbc. This created a problem where they had to remove Center counterweights off the crank shift which causes deflection in the crankshaft at higher RPM witch wipes out bearings. i’m not completely slamming this motor. They make great budget builds 5 to 600 hp reliably which is very impressive beyond that I would go with an aftermarket block and crank. I guess the point I’m trying to get across the engines not the best thing since sliced bread. No disrespect to LS lovers out there. And to correct what he says about the gen 1 sbc the older blocks are the stronger ones. Ive put north of 800 hp into an old stock sbc block. I’ve seen others put even more.
Brandon Shirey I recently built agen1 sbc dart shp 427 that makes 682 hp n/a and that’s with the budget dart as cast shp heads and Idols in gear at 900 RPM. It does 10:80 in a Monte Carlo ss. been driving on the street all the time. I’m very happy with the motor
I built a lt1 95 z28. Full lunatic rotating assembly cam aluminum heads full exhaust etc! 580 hp 600 fp tourqe! 6 speed car extremely fast!! I do love these ls! I have owned several LS cars . At the end of the day how much money do you got and fast do you want to go!!! Bow tie baby!!
Good video. However, even though the Aluminum LS is 75 lbs lighter than a SBC try finding one. Chevy stopped making LS1 and LS2 blocks years ago. Most LS are iron blocks. Also, you left out the most important part about the cylinder heads. LS heads have a 15 deg valve angle as opposed to the SBC's 23 deg valve angle.
The L33 5.3L is also aluminum, as well as the LS3, L99, and L92 6.2L (and the L76 6L). Yes, most LS are iron blocks, but it's not like aluminum blocks are extremely rare.
@@stlchuckoThank you. Me being a Gm guy from kid age 14 , 1st car Eva was a 85 z28 H.O 305 to 7 more 3-5th Gen Ls. You are rt idn we're or who told him that about Gm Ls base motors
The LS engine you just described could have been the Ford FE 427 Side Oiler. The Ford FE 427 went on to win Lemans in 1966 and 1967 until Lemans banned it. I am a Chevy fan, but Ford totally had us. Even today, the 427 FE Side Oiler has a better oiling system with priority main oiling. The 427 FE even had aluminum heads for Lemans. The 427 FE was dyno tested at race conditions for 48 hours straight. That is why Shelby Cobras and Ford Lemans cars are so valued today. Ford spared no expense on the 427 FE Side Oiler engine and it payed off
I'm old school myself, I think the SBC is a better engine not only in looks but I like the 5 head bolts per cylinder versus 4 on the LS. I wonder if the LS will be around and rebuildable as long as the SBC? Only time will tell.
LS uses better cylinder head gasket sealing technology than SBC's used, which is now available for SBC's but overall seal just as good. one less bolt doesnt hurt the sealing capabilities, the newer MLS Gasket material is way better than traditional felpro or mrgasket gaskets.
Been proven better 900 wheel hp on stock head bolts on a ls .can’t say that for most old school small blocks.any iron ls can be rebuilt and bored out even the aluminum ones are rebuildable .not to mention that a 4.8 ls makes more power stock for stock then most 350 small blocks and 5.7 ls1 is on a whole other level you can’t compare to the old stuff
I will add a couple of negatives of the LS. 1: must pull the head off just to change a lifter (which seem to fail very regularly). compounded by 2: the weak arse threads fail on the alloy block when pulling the heads. After having my 3rd thread fail, I have sold my ls and gone back to a small block.
Well my 1979 chevy 350 gave me over 400,000 miles never had a issue my 2004 5.3 LS at 260,000 miles started leaking everywhere seals gaskets and I drove both the same way.LS maybe a better but dont seem to lasting as long
My carb engines are burning oil by 100k miles where efi ls usually are in better shape come 250k or more. Plus, I can make really good power with just injectors, cam and springs. To get the same 500 hp out of a sbc would take some money. Like $8k
Very True about the powdered metal connecting rods. Also the Heart Shape Combustion Chambers first appeared on the the Gen II LT1 and then GM immediately copied the Iron LT1 versions onto the (essentialy Gen 1) Vortec L31 350 with updated timing cover. The LS (which I do not consider a small block Chevy but the prelude to a corporate GM V8) only carried over the shape of the combustion chamber from the previous engines minus the cathedral port on the cylinder head and cylinder head bolt arrangement. It may make more horsepower BLAH BLAH yadda yadda but will never be a small block Chevy. LS guys never consider the fact of other GM engines that have existed long ago that made more torque from the factory. They have eventually gone extinct by cancellation due to (quite frankly)... embarrassment on behalf of the Chevrolet division getting their arse handed to them first by Pontiac and Later Buick which outperformed their flagship Corvette.
@@AutoGuild CR, overlap, and exhaust, to be precise. CR is the one most forget. its what gives an exhaust that hard snappy sound too it, "blat-blat-blat" vs "puff-puff-puff". overlap gives you that uneven "blada-bluda-bla-BLAP-bluh-bluh-bluh-BLAH-bluh" type "lopey" idle. exhaust can make almost any engine sound like anything - except make a rice burner sound like a big block. for the "baddest" exhaust note, you want CR, overlap, and open headers. straight tubes is next, probably followed by straight-through glasspacks or similar, then Thrustmasters (which is what you want to stay out of trouble on the streets).
VVT also keeps the vacuum up to the task of running brakes and hvac unlike the big lumpy overlapped cams that we all love the sound of.Thats the one thing they do good is sound mean.
Ironically, someone who already runs an sbc can use aftermarket parts to mostly level up with the ls. Cop is available but not vvt iirc. Re merit of vvt, it's unnecessary because savvy engine builders talk customers out of high duration, torque-robbing cams. That said, cars that need a swap would benefit from ls oem features. Great video.
@@nigelbreazeale5541 pretty decent video but i figure when it comes to engines people should know the nit picky details. Especially if someone is learning about engines strictly from the internet (like i do)
It's amazing there are still so many folks who think the SBC is the better engine. The LS is SO much better in every way. There is a reason it's the most popular engine in the world. There are 800hp NA engines now you can drive every day that idle moderate. The aftermarket support and parts is the largest of any engine in the world too. Some people just won't get with the times.
Tell me about it, I get comments every day about that, and people telling me their old small block used to rev to 8000rpm back in the day. : ) Video is not to say one is better, its just to show how the LS has evolved to be more powerful, more efficient, stronger, and lighter.
Exactly! Mad max fury road was a documentary! Hail the V8 ! May you ride shiney and chrome on the roads to Valhalla eternal! Hail imortan Joe! Hail the SBC V8 🙋 you can also run a SBC on wood gas like a gasifier!
He said 'the aluminum block dissipates heat quicker than an iron block' True. Aluminum also absorbs heat alot quicker than iron, it also WARPS and weakens a hell of alot quicker than iron as well. Which means when (not if) bad engine problems arise, the ol iron block will hold up alot longer than the weaker aluminum! Let's not get things twisted, they started using aluminum blocks more cause ITS CHEAPER for them in manufacturing (not safer or cheaper for you to buy).
I boughy a brand new " Bow Tie" block feom Skip Whites. Bullit custom 4/7 solid roller, pro system carb, callies bottom end, JE and AFR 227 ported to 245 on a 421 sbc. I loved it and still have it. Went 5.42 on on 1 kit ...2600 Chevy Luv , all steel..minus hood, factory glass. Man, i love that engine. Now i have seen what Ls motors can do...im sold. Not worried about looks but want to build the engine , tune it ( no laptop) . Im 45 and still have a 427 tall deck im gonna build next year. I guess its a gear head thing. Happy Hot Rodding !!
Well it is a lot less expensive and easier to do. With modern components a traditional small block can still be a great choice. For me I like the weight savings of 100lbs and the reliability of the fuel injection of the LS. Whats it going in?
I’ll give you the one reason old school hot rodders don’t give a shit how many reasons you can name. The LS is fugly and ruins the underhood look of a good hot rod.
@@danmyers9372 cant tell the difference between a retro style LS and a regular small block. you can put SBC Valve covers on an ls with an adaptor, you can hide the coils. you can get a carbureted intake manifold with either an EFI Unit or a carb. if anything, the only tell would be the exhaust ports. and even then, you can put BBC Valve covers and hide coil packs under them.
I will be the first to admit having worked for GM dealers for quite a few years that the ls is one hell of an engine. It takes an already fantastic engine to new levels. When Ed Cole designed that engine in 1954 he had to use 1954 technology. Screaming horsepower was not a major requirement then. He also had four months to design and build that engine. For design that went from drawing board to production in 4 months and remained in production until the very beginning of the 21st century is quite an accomplishment. You also have to take into account that until recently Chevrolet was the lowest price of GM's cars it was the working man's car, so there wasn't a lot of budget for a super fantabulous engine. Considering the fact the original small block completely displaced Ford's flathead V8 which until 1955 was the engine for Hot rodding, it was again no small feat. The LS is an awesome engine just like the original small block Chevrolet. It is a worthy replacement for a still very Worthy and awesome V8.
I liked the video, but you missed one very important improvement: The performance difference by having individual ignition coils as opposed to one coil limited by dwell angle. Dwell angle is the number of degrees the distributor turns in one firing cycle, which in turn is the amount of time the coil has to build another electronic charge after firing . With 8 cylinders you typically had 45 degrees per cylinder with 30 degrees of point closure and 15 degrees open. The coil recharges during the closure period of the dwell angle. This was determined by point gap and the degrees total divided by the number of cylinders. 45 degrees for 8 cylinders, 60 degrees for 6 cylinders. You could gain some dwell angle by reducing the point gap, but the breaker block would soon wear down and the points would close, leaving you stranded until you opened up the points. The best way was with 2 sets of points offset a few degrees that would allow you to overlap the point timing and gain 8 to 10 degrees of dwell angle and maintain a reasonable point gap. It takes measurable time for a coil to recharge its voltage capability. No need to do the math, but it isn't instantly as one might think. The individual coil packs have 360 degrees of dwell and fire only once per firing cycle, giving them much more time to build maximum charge, therefore a much higher voltage to the spark plug than was ever possible with the single coil systems that fired each of the cylinders individually and divided its dwell angle (time) by the number of cylinders. It works the same way, but with one coil, 360 / 1 is 360. Having said this, it will take me a few more years to be convinced the LS motor is a better overall engine than the late small blocks, but the ignition system is exponentially better! My father who started as a mechanic on Model T Fords in 1924 and worked his entire life as a mechanic until he retired 1987 told me many times when they figure out a way to run one coil per plug, it will be the greatest improvement since the synchromesh trasmmission! He said that many times to me, but sadly he didn't live to see it happen!
Uh…the original Ford A Model, produced from 1928-1931 had one coil per cylinder on it’s tractor-derived four cylinder engine. In fact, the original Ford T Model (produced ‘27 and prior) actually had four coils for it’s similar four cylinder engine as well.
@@michaelgreen7028 My Father started working on Model T's in 1931. He worked for the largest Ford dealership in Oklahoma until 1939, He never mentioned more than one ignition coil on any model of Ford! If what you say is true, tell me how they were timed. That has always been the problem with that type of ignition until computerized systems were developed. I think someone is selling you "oceanfront property in Arizona!""
I stand corrected regarding the number of ignition coils on the early Fords, but that is where the similarity ends. I suppose, since it has been 50 years since I had that conversation (1970's) with my Father that he was commenting that an ignition system with an induction coil and capacitor in a mechanical distributor was his point. He had a Model T coil in the top of his toolbox that he would hook up occasionally for fun. I started working as a mechanic around 1966 and have never worked on a Model A or Model T.@@michaelgreen7028
@@GeorgeGeorge-yb2sz I invite you to type into whatever search engine you prefer the following, “ how many ignition coils did the Model T have?” and read the words therein
I have a small block but when I upgrade I’ll probably go big block. Guys are stroking 454’s into 496’s and making crazy torque. How about a big block vs ls video?
I agree that the ls engine is superior to the old small block chevys as it should with time and technology on it's side but as far as drag applications i'm pretty sure carburetors still rain supreme over fuel injection.
It's a great video on why a factory LS is better than a factory SBC. Doesn't take any aftermarket into consideration though. For me I went with a SBC because everyone seems to be building LS engines and I wanted to build a modern SBC. I was able to build an 8.5:1 compression SBC for about $2000 less than an equivalent LS engine. It puts out 400hp and 400ftlbs or torque and gets 12L/100km fuel economy (highway with a T56 transmission). It's fuel injected and I have the option to run a supercharger to increase the HP to the high 5's. LS engines are great but the SBC has had decades of innovations through the aftermarket world that can make it very competitive with an LS engine and you can build them for cheaper even with utilizing high quality parts such as AFR aluminum heads, hydraulic roller lifters, hypereutectic pistons, and electronic fuel injection. I'd also have to disagree with LS engines having a more reliable ignition system. I have known more people who have to replace the ignition coils than I have people having issues with an HEI. I stayed with HEI because they have less parts and they're way more reliable.
Mighty hard to build cheaper if building an all aluminum block. A lot of this bickering fails to mention the fact that aluminum LS can be built one HELLUVA LOT CHEAPER than an aluminum gen1 SBC. Less weight is free HP
@@FELiPES101 Exactly right, you lose all the advantage of the LS with a carb. What's the point, other than you're admitting you're too dumb to deal with EFI.....and actually, if you are then you don't know how to work on a carb, either, lol
#20 - SBC gaskets had one MAJOR advantage over LS gaskets. They weren’t subjected to the gasket deteriorating chemicals of DexCool, and therefore often lasted the entire life of the engine, not just 20,000 miles like the LS gaskets. Edit: The same cannot be said for the horrible SBC valve cover gaskets. Although the force spreaders the factory added later did help a tiny bit.
He's got the HP numbers low on the SB for sure but you should see some of the numbers these vette guys are getting out of the LS. Just look up "cammed z06". An aftermarket cam wakes these engines up
@Dennis Burger all I did was port my intake add a spacer, bought afr heads 235cc and ported those as well, and bought a comp cam, and kooks long tubes straight pipe , and mines makes 450 hp, compared from what it was making, HUGE difference, the 115 hp wasn't really pretty numbers
@Dennis Burger my block for my 84 z28 is a 350, the only mods I did were heads cam, headers and ported the accessories, everything else is stock, but I want to purchase forged mahle pistons, and my carburetor is the stock carburetor that came with it when I got it out from another z28
If anything in the next coming of years small blocks will be very outdated since LS’s are going to fill junkyards more and more since it’s a motor that the yard can make a profit from
wow, it just hit me...two decades ago when the LS didn't exist and the LT1 was fighting Optispark issues...we would have been arguing if the weight of a 454 was worth using versus a stroker 350 or 400 small block and its lighter weight in the nose for acceleration. And someone would point out a destroked 400 would be better due to the revs. A decade before that, it would be the 327 versus 350. The arguing continues :)
Aluminum blocks have better heat dissipation, so they REQUIRE a smaller radiator??? Wouldn't it be more accurate to say that they don't require as big of a radiator?
The primary reason they went with multiple coil setup on the LS was to reduce ignition coil saturation. Which is the primary reason RPM was limited on factory stock SBCs; coil saturation.
My experience is this.....an "out of the box" sbc with decent compression, naturally aspirated, running on pump gas, makes a solid 350-400 depending on compression and timing. Anything over that requires MAJOR compression, which requires race gas, (expensive), or forced induction. An LS "out of the box" generally makes more hp and torque more "efficiently". Money, know how, and time decide which platform makes more power.
I am 70 years old and built and drove small and big block chevys the entire time. My 69 El Camino was a 461 big block.. I just converted my C10 pickup to a 5.3 nothing special engine. With just headers and good exhaust this thing makes 340 hp... not huge but it is instant. I don't think I even need any more hp in this truck.. plus.. to get out of California you have to drive over mountains. No black smoke. it adjusts for all that.
I like both engines and I will buy either one if I can find one for a good price. Can’t go wrong either way. It mostly depends on what you plan to do. A show car should have a small block IMO for looks and nostalgia especially if the car is older a racer should have an LS.
@@dalethomas9307 easier, really. If I need to do anything to my engine I can sit on the fender well. Can you do that with the LS. 5 min to change a fuel pump. Hours on an LS. Also, every thing is so much more expensive. My whole distributor probably cost less than one coil and I dont need to remove my coil to replace my spark plug. The only thing easier to work on than SBC is the 250 in line 6.
@@gregorystone1439 i don’t need to sit on the fender to work on my LS. Electric fuel pumps are a modern reality and more reliable than old diaphragm mechanical fuel pumps. also no vapor lock issues. my factory fuel pump in my 03 Silverado died at 140k your old 350 was likely leaking everything and had a hell of a cylinder ridge by then. On the cost of replacement parts this is negated by the less frequent replacement of said parts I checked on the coil pricing $56.32 for a Delphi coil that typically goes 150k/200k without replacement. This coil doesn’t need to be removed to replace the spark plugs.
@@dalethomas9307 my point was the 350 is much simpler in design. I dont have all that electronics to go bad, and they will if you keep the truck long enough like I do. Also, everything is easily accessible. For me this is a big deal. I like to turn wrenches but I am NOT a mechanic. I am not trashing your motor. LS is a really good motor and alot less quarks than a 350. Im strictly a chevy guy so if I didnt get into the 350 I'm sure I would have gotten into the LS. My truck is a stock 77 c10 with a 350 and 3 on the tree I had since 07.
I'm a believer in sticking with whatever series of engine came in that vehicle from the factory or are atleast from the era. I'm not a fan of modern engines in classic cars, to me it seems to defeat the purpose of a classic car which is to be a simple fully analog and mechanical vehicle. I do love the ls engine but the gen 1 sbc will always be my go to v8 engine. The sbc is beautifully simple and only takes 3 wires plus the plug wires to run and doesnt need a computer or anything like that and makes putting it In Anything super easy and the sbc in classic cars will always be timeless because face it 30 years from now if you open the hood on a 69 camaro and you see an ls you will be like "oh that's outdated i wish the small block was still there". Dont get me wrong though I love the ls in cars and trucks that came factory with an ls but I hate seeing them in older vehicles.
Exactly, I bet my 455 oldsmobile has more torque than a new ls. I wonder if ls engines will last 50 years like my 455 oldsmobile that is 49 years old and still running great.
@@gabesgarden57 Well, years don't matter as much as the mileage, and I'll bet any amount of money right now your 455 won't be running at 300k miles like most LS motors are.
the LS has been around for 2 decades. That means 20 yr old hot rodders haven't known any engine but it. And if the internet has told us anything, we all focus on the hot setup we grew up with. For example, if Fox bodies were new when you had your license, then the Coyote does little for you--you just gotta hold onto your pushrods. The best thing about the LS is the drop in price on Gen 1 Chevy stuff. Meanwhile some kid says his LS is pushing 700bhp and I ask how much his fuel system costs...and the blank look tells me no way he's making that much--or he is but he's going to lean out his pistons real soon.
Visit Auto-Guild.com to get your free pre-order of the LS Swap Survival Guide eBook. As well as other cool eBooks and posters too. A few comments: 1) I'm not saying the Small Block Chevy is a bad engine I'm only pointing out the differences. I've had a small block in my 68 Camaro since high school and its never left me stranded, I love it. 2) My engine block power handling numbers are not apples to apples, I messed that up. For SBC I used official GM recommended power ratings and for the LS I used more real world numbers, so please note that max power handling of the SBC is likely higher, 500-600, maybe more. But also remember, any LS block you find can handle big power. With the small block you have to find the right block from the right year, or with the best metallurgy. a 283 block from the late 50s is not going to handle much power. And of course I know aftermarket blocks can handle big power, thousands, but this video is referring to the OEM blocks. Thanks everyone for all the great comments.
I had a 2009 Suburban with aluminum 5.3. Had AFM issues. After that, I swore off GM and I've owned 10. How they would let that half baked tech on the street, IDK. It burned a quart every 1800 through #1 and only #1. Started around 60k. GM did the TSB fix, but it was too late. Had I known AFM should have been disabled, I would have. In the end GM was like, we'll give you 3k off on a new one. Uh, no thanks. The LS may be better in most ways, but how it's implemented makes a difference.
@@nokoolaid Yeah I can see why so many are negative on the system. It seems like they have fixed it with the Gen 5 LT series. 60K is certainly not high mileage, that should not have happened. I wonder what percentage of vehicles have that issue. And I wonder if neglecting maintenance is a contributing factor, thats one of the reasons Im nervous about buying a used LS for my Camaro.
@@AutoGuild There is a TSB on with upgraded PCV system that replaces valve covers and I think a new oil pan or some sort of windage tray. I changed the oil every 5k with a AC Delco filter and Mobil clean 5000 and when I didn't, the dealer did it. I did use E-85 on occasion and we did a lot of trips with extended highway driving. It was burning oil through one piston, #1 and I had to change the plug in that cylinder every 8k miles. GM isn't saying how many, but peruse the Tahoe/Suburban/Yukon Forums. It's not unusual. From what I understand, extended highway driving at steady speed will do it. Had I disabled it, I'd still have the vehicle. I didn't know it could be disabled and really should be. Dodge's Hemi with MDS has some issues too, but with lifters. Uncle Tony's Garage goes over it. If the MDS is disabled or you get a manual trans it seems to happen less often. IDK. GM should have tested this more thoroughly and found a fix before they sold vehicles with it. The problem is that it happens after the standard warranty period. That works out for GM very well and that's probably why they let it go into production. Other car manufacturers and even motorcycle one's do this. BMW comes to mind. I had an extended warranty on it and they still wouldn't replace the engine.
Yo u need to do some more homework. I've personally watched a bone stock 350 crate motor, in a 67 camaro ring out 9000 rpm. The skirts on the block are simply over kill, and truly offer no added strength. Due to the cam being hollow, smaller valve train components are necessary as to not break the cam. And your 300 some horsepower max on the old blocks is simply ridiculous, as my 1970 block currently produces 525 hp, and 574 lb/ft just fine. And that's with "old iron heads" So think twice before you count the small block out. And lastly, availability. There are ten times the number of small blocks out there, way more affordable to buy and build, than there are ls engines. Period.
@@sparepartsmotorsports966 I think most of the power in a LS comes from the heads. The heads are so much better, but, there's nothing wrong with a SBC in the right application. I had a 1983 Camaro with a a 400 SBC in. Moderate to mild cam, 9.9 compression, recurved distributor, shorty headers and true dual exhaust with series 40 flow masters, weiand dual plane intake with a tuned Qjet with dual snorkel cold air I dabbed. With 3.08's it would do 105 in the quarter and that's with a TH350 trans with with a mild torque converter and shift kit. I think it would have been quicker with a 4L65E. It was a fun car with a lot of low end torque. Very streetable for day to day driving.
Yes I’m sure u do , but fore what u had to do $$$ wise and the fact that the old abc can not handle that kinda power like the Ls can because of the way it’s made and u can change the cam on a Ls and get major hp , the Ls is just better it is !!!!!!!!!!!!
I’ll put my sbc against any ls any day, a lot of this information is a bit exaggerated and/or understated. All comparisons are STOCK parts, nobody running stock parts.
in the 60's, the only cars that had 500 horsepower were the ones in nascar. Even the dyne numbers back then were unreliable. they took engines that back in the day were the holy grail and dyno'ed them today. Based on an article, they didn't make close to what they claimed. But a ls3, makes 426 to the wheels. thats more than 500 to the crank. And thats factory. so stock to stock its leagues better. but if you wanna compare an all motor small block. compare all motor SBC to all motor LS.
@@brianpang5128 my all motor pump gas sbc makes 558 hp to the wheels and I’ve only got $8k into it. How much is an ls3 crate engine? Not to mention other costs to get it to run. Sbc is the greatest engine ever made!
Hmm, I don’t agree with what you just said at all. I have a 6.0 stock on a gto And no, I’ve been around the 350, 305 a horrible 415 god that was the worst one I’ve seen. But the 6.0 I have literally is newer faster and better guess why the small block was replaced by the ls cause the ls was just better in every way even in tunning fuel injectors, coil pack > carburetor and distributer That’s just modern cars I bet yeah even with a good tune it’s fast but tune a ls and you got a machine I am fully aware of what the sbc can do but you Try a new ls there just so much better and there cheap
@@thisguytrucksoldtrailer6875 yeah and how much you pay for that car? My small block would blow your doors in. Sbc is still king of the money to power ratio
Also note the sepintine belt 350s in my opinion are easier to take off the belt because the ls has two belts the regular serp belt and the AC compressor belt. The 350 serp belt has one belt total. Also I noticed with the vvt you also have plastic timing parts in them that fail sooner than the old small block or early ls.
Obviously factory sbc are weaker than a factory but it's not necessarily the design but the materials and what they were shooting for but you get aftermarket components a sbc architecture is quite adequate...In all actuality even tho the ls has a skirted cross bolted block there are reasons some say SBCs lower half architect is more desirable in ways. That's why world products build that hybrid block which is basically a sbc that accepts ls heads and intake. Steve morris just posted a "mild street build" 400ci procharged sbc that made 1200hp on pump gas and 1380 on c16! And it's nothing exotic it's off the shelf performance parts... Basically the title should be why a oem LS is better than an OEM sbc... If built with quality parts a sbc is quite competitive to an LS, your bastardizing the sbc architecture in every form judging it from the factory built engines performance level.
See but now that everyone is switching to Ls engines I can get Chevy 350s for even cheaper than they already were
during the pandemic i scored a pair of 4 bolt 350's for $50 a pop. Got an Olds 455 with headers, a cast iron 442 intake and an Engle cam for $150 from a kid going LS...and so on. its a great time to hot rod :)
@@albertgaspar627 ls will never be cool like an old gen 1 sbc
@@yamahaguy1732 If there's one thing watching car vids on youtube has shown me, is that we all hot rod what we grew up with. I know there were flathead guys who loved to run their fullshithouse A-v8's against muscle cars to show off the power-to-weight ratio.
The LS has a lot of neat features, and the kid who is just as old as one who plucks a junkyard version and does nothing more than pokes in a cam and bolts on a turbo, is the same as the Gasser dude in the 1960's who pulled an Olds 394 or a Lincoln 430 and stuck in an Isky cam and bolted on a GMC blower and went to the race track with no more prep than that.
But I'm not that guy. I want to take an engine apart, do the little tricks that add up and enjoy an "old school classic", like maybe gold anodized Moroso valve covers, nice wire looms, a cleaned up high riser intake sporting a carb that looked like it actually got cleaned. Most LS swaps I see are pretty dingy with no "jewelry" anyplace. Just a grey lump, no pride.
It may be the fastest in a small town, the slowest in a big town. But I'm not trying to compete to be the Big Dawg, there's not enough room on the roads anymore and as the reality TV shows reveal, its all just luck anyway. Today you win, next week you redlight.
Right now I just love picking this stuff up for dirt cheap every other week and getting it together. There's less traffic on the road with the pandemic right now, and taking a car out on the off hours and just enjoying what i did to make it faster without breaking the piggy bank...that's fun to me.
@@albertgaspar627 what car you wrenching on sir?
@@carsmusicandclothing7066 right now i'm getting snowed in :) but this pandemic summer its been a 1968 Olds 4-4-2 someone else built but sold for a mere $4500. I'm chasing his issues and figuring them out, like cooling and a q jet overflowing. After that it'll be a pair of rusty Mustangs and then finding an old rusty Chevy pickup to put on a 2007 Colorado frame so i can have a part chaser...that'll use up some of the "garage art" like a 283 chevy or a 4 bolt 350 and a disassembled Corvette 4speed and other stuff that was too cheap to pass up...
The amount of comments supporting the small block, fantastic the world needs more violent small blocks
they exist.
There have been thousands, if not millions of sbc's built with over 550 hp, and still running. The small block can't be to bad as it took GM over 50 years to come up with something better. The small block was, is, and will always be a great engine especially for a design that was made back in 1955.
No doubt, Ive had one in my camaro since high school and its never once left me stranded. And it was my daily driver for 9 years! My main draw for the LS tho is the aluminum block and 100lb weight savings. : )
Gen 3 sbc is an evolution just like gen 2 was and gen 5 is
Aluminum blocks overheat and gen 1 iron blocks can handle 1000 hp even. A sbc oilpan can be aluminum.
Everything found on ls you can find for sbc
@@shadowopsairman1583 My aluminum block ls3 with a procharger makes 900 rwhp and never over heats driving the streets or at the drag strip. LS engines have made well over 1000 rwhp with stock internals so probably 1200+ at the crank on stock block, rods, pistons, crank, heads, etc. All stock except a cam and valve springs with some boost of course LOL
I was really hoping this was a joke. Sounds like someone read about 1/3 of the history of the sbc gen1 (the LS1 is a gen 3 sbc.) And half of the LS history. Its like he left the last 25 years of the gen 1 off lmao. Being gm used them till 2002. But the late model gen ones have the same crankshaft and rod material.some of The earlier gen 1 crankshaft that we all called steel crankshaft (forged) are a lot stronger the skirted block and oil pan sounds good until you need oil to the oil pump. As far as less moving parts what till cam or crankshaft Sensor go bad are the reluctant will bicycle had to rebuild the motor I'd much rather put a new distributor in. The heads yes they are better. And the have a gen 1/2 vs a gen3 ls is no where near a 100 hp different. Gm rated the 5.3 at what a gen 1/2 and 5.7 (ls1) at 20hp more. If you want to compare apples to apples than take the LS 5.7 with its 15 degree heads and a gen 1/2 with a set of 15 degree heads on it there maybe 100 hp difference but it want be from the LS.
To keep it simple the LS is literally just a next gen updated SBC.
Thats true, in many ways its just the normal evolution of a legendary engine!
In fact it is a 3rd gen. 1st gen SBC, Lt, and LS motors
actually incorrect. the LS is an updated ford motor. the water flow through the block is straight off the 351c, but the heads are without the canted valves on the mundane version (I think the race versions may have canted)
@@xxxmikeyjock Actually, that is false. The LS does not have anything in common. And to note, we could go back and say that the Windsor is a copy of the first Sbc, because GM created the OHV design.
@@xxxmikeyjock So you're saying it took Chevy to make the Ford motor worth having?
And wonder what the Cleveland and Lima motors were copied from? *cough*BigBlockChevy*cough*
Yet if you want a 429/460 to hold up under any power, the first thing you do is put BBC rods in it, lol, and loads of other mods.
Whereas with a BBC you just use the stock components and you're good to go up to about 700hp.
This just in: newer technology makes things smaller, lighter, and better.
Efficient reliable longevity durability complexity
It’s not a “small block bad” video, it’s a “look at why the LS is better because of all these improvements over time”
@@andrewskaterrr agreed.
The LS is not better. The LS had its name stolen from the Mark IV big block. Newer is NOT better just because its newer.
@@dolanroufs1032 so you would make the argument that the LS design is not better than the SBC 350. That a 6 bolt main and 1,000 hp capacity is not better than a 2 or 4 bolt main and a 500 hp max capacity. You would say that a 150,000 mile lifespan is better than a 300,000 mile lifespan. That electronic fuel injection with a computer regulating its ability to self adjust for multiple weather conditions is not better than a mechanical carburetor that has to be manually adjusted every time the humidity goes up. I could go on and on and on. The LS, Mark 3 or 4, is vastly, immensely, immeasurably better than the old 350.
The main reason I prefer an old carbed SBC or BBC over an LS (and I have both) is because I dont have to go visit a tuner with a dyno to make adjustments every time you change something.
Carbs are just mechanically simpler and if you know how they work a lot less troubles.
For sure, there is some truth to that! But its getting harder to find someone that can tune a carb these days too!!
Ummm....you can put a carb on an LS and have both carb and reliability.
@@SOLDOZER still need a computer for ignition timing
@@admiralfloofz658 MSD box = $400.
@@SOLDOZER price wasnt the point, simplicity was
Dedicated cylinder head video?
YES
Yeah I know this would be a cool one, but its so much info and would take so long! : ( Ill move it up to my short list and look into it. But it may be a while as I have a few other videos in the pipeline.
I'm an old guy, and love the sbc, but it compars to the ls like a flathead compars to the sbc. They are all great, in their own way.
I'm making 600hp on a 1997 1 piece rear main crank. And it's loving it. The LS is undoubtedly better. But the gap is much smaller than this video makes it sound. As of today, an LS powered stickshift drag car has yet to beat the fastest small block car.
I know this post is old but we have the same name!!! My middle name is Xavier though.
@@michaelallen6650 Xavier is alot cooler than Robert lol.
Since when? Back in 2007, Wheel to Wheel powertrain built the first 6 second doorslammer LS powered vehicle, a 4th gen Camaro. Ran on premium gas. I'm sure that record has fallen in the 16 years since. Please provide proof of what you state. I'm just trying for facts, not trying to start bs
@@milojanis4901 that car wasn't a manual. Literally the first 6 second manual LS just popped into existence in the last few months.
@@michaelallen2501Please show us the proof. I'd have to see an auto trans that holds 6 second power back in 2006 before Id believe it
I think his hp ratings on older SB parts is 💩💩.. Most of us know better.
@Dennis Burger those are great heads...Ran them on a 355 few years back...12.3's E.T
@Dennis Burger very good times..hands down. I was able to purchase mine from a guy on on the web that had reworked then with some pocket porting, 2.02 valves, and screw in studs. Loved them.
Dennis Burger I have done a 11:30 with a small journal 66 Nova 327. Stock heads , stock crank and rods also. I ported the double hump heads ,780 carb team g Intake and nasty roller cam. 630 lift with 12:1 pistons and 4:11 gears
@Dennis Burger Indeed. I used to run 327s in the 80's when they were easier to find. I run 318's now. Im hooked on that short stroke hit you get when you nail it. I've built long stroke Pontiacs and the power band is world's difference.
@@arodderz really just unshrouding the valves with 1.94s is just as good
Ls are obviously great motors. Sbc "built right" are also great motors. Room for both....Just my two cents.🇺🇸🤟
TRUTH !!! I would take a Chevy motor over any competitors motors out there Chevy has always built their engines for longevity and are some of the easiest motors to fix
Best old school motor I had was a straight six in both a Jeep and another in a Bronco. Talk about good performance, easy to work on, inexpensive parts. The only thing about "newer" stuff is that it is more complicated, especially with electronics, computers, etc. I'll stay with the old for now. I love the smell of gasoline and rubber.
Ever look under the hood of a tractor-trailer or select Caterpillar machines? biggest strongest L-6's you'll ever see.
@@dbspecials1200 Agreed. Have a nice day.
I had just a whisker under 500k, on my Jeep 4.0 HO, when it finally dropped a valve. 😢😢😢 I picked up a used 4.0 (with a 5spd) for $650... It purrs like a kitten...
My '72 Nova has its original #s matching 250 IL6 with a 2 spd Powerglide... Outstandingly reliable, Super Cheap to maintain or repair... It cost me a little under $50 to rebuild the starter, vs $500 for the starter on my Dodge Diesel....
F**k all this Computerized S**t...
@@boatnut64 Could not agree more. Men who like to be self-reliant seem to share our feelings on the subject. Have a nice day. Roy, So Cal.
IMO I think the old sbc sounds better specially when it's built, they just sound nastier.
No question
I was looking for someone else to comment this. Nothing beats iron block sound
you havent built an ls right then cause they can be mean demons that sound amazing
@J cheaper to build. now i know you have zero idea what you are talking about so your waste of time useless does not matter.
@J 🤣🤣 you can get whatever you can pay for. you can buy every part in a kit or put togther or piece every part out yourself. just because you bought a lit that had almost every part you needed does not mean anything about the point of ls or sbc being cheaper. go back to your pouty chair and eat a couple more crayons. maybe in a couple years you will come up with a proper response until then shut your hole.
As I recall as a GM engine engineer working on both small block and, at the time, the new '97 Corvette LS engine, there was only one part that was common to both variants. Believe it or not, that one part was the connecting rod bearing ! The LS was a totally new engine at the time.
Sort of like the LT and the LS
Hydraulic roller lifters are also interchangeable too. I have LS7 lifters in my SBC
Well I run a L31 for my stock short block which was a 350 Vortec 4 bolt main came from the factory with powdered metal connecting rods and Hyperteutic Pistons and a 1053 Forged Crankshaft and I ran the BTR Delphi Roller lifters with a .580" lift bullet hydraulic roller camshaft and Performer Rpm Top End Kit and for a 350 I'm at 460hp 440ftlb I know I'll regret not going 383 but damn the short block is tough factory
@@richardclary6267that's not exactly 💯 but it is close
@@wildestcowboy2668 well can you tell me what it is..because I'm sure the Edelbrock tech that built it had no idea what he was talking about...can you clarify what I have I mean I only bought the parts and held them in my hand before the build
Well one of the most rewarding things about building an engine is researching and picking your own parts putting your signature on it so to speak see if you can build a better mousetrap.😉
I agree with everything accept the reliability of sensors.
What's going to last longer a well-oiled machine or a ceramic sensor that has wiring that has potential to be damaged
Obviously a well oiled machine. But the LS is an even better oiled machine.
It knows if you are sleeping.
It knows if you're awake.
It knows if you've been bad or good.
It KNOWS!!
#20 No SBC mechanic in his right mind EVER used those intake end seals…. In fact, even the factory eventually stopped using them toward the end and started following the aftermarket’s suggestion of just using a bead of silicone.
Yes, I think you need to cover the LS heads, thats one of the amazing features of the LS
yes, it has the valve angle found on Pontiac V8's and aftermarket chevy heads. Those Cathedral ports flow so well, the days of "small bore V8's can't breathe" have come to an end.
Ford windsor design . Set a Ls head next to a windsor head.
68 years old now, and I grew up working on SBC's from my teen years. The gaskets really brought back memories (nightmares), especially the front timing gear/oil pan interface, along with having to drop the oil pan to get the timing cover off to do a cam change. Things really are better now.
The old 1960's engines were usually stronger than the 1980's. They had thicker cylinder head castings and if it were a performance application they had screw in studs, balanced floating pin rods that were magnafluxed and shotpeened and forged pistons and cranks. Even the 2 bolt main small journal engines often had forged pistons, early ones had forged cranks and late ones had thicker cylinder walls. The lt1 engines of the 1990s were fairly good but the port volumes were small. They employed a trick to make the cast cranks tougher using an undercut instead of a radius since the cast material was better under compression than tension, this undercut actually avoided tension cracks where the radius of the pins usually was. But generally it was the higher end versions of the 1960's engines that had the quality parts. The 305 was generally better than a small journal engine in my opinion because these engines probably didn't need the strong parts and the 305 heads were often better. But lots of 1980's and 1990's small blocks had all sorts of limitations aside from the lower quality rotating parts. The introduction of positive seals with the old fashioned rotators and retainers meant a lack of valve lift clearance. Only the aluminum heads of the lt1 got screw in studs while this had once been available to performance versions of the small block. And cylinder head flow didn't really improve until the vortec was introduced. The lt1 was okay but not great, the fuelly heads were still the king of the hill in factory heads untill that point but the vortec heads were likely to pull rocker studs and needed the retainers upgraded or valve guides shortened for high lift camshafts. It might have been a chalange to get 400 hp in the 1960's but it wasnt because the 1980's had stronger engines, it was because you needed a big camshaft or a power adder but those things were more readily available in the 1990's than they were in the 1960's. The tech in the 1990's lt1 allowed even a slightly weaker abc to shine with the addition of big injectors and a centrifugal supercharger. But the upgrades needed for most 1980's engines to catch up to the "fuelly" engines of the 1960's make any updates and upgrades moot in the wider sense. I would say for smaller engines the 305 was a better balance of cheap parts with better design vs a 283 or ,307. Many 283 had strong parts but if you wanted air flow you had to lose compression or get aftermarket domed pistons. The 305 heads were often just better than powerpack heads and those small engines didn't really need strong parts. 305ho or vortec 5.0 heads are probably a sensible upgrade for an old impala or malibu with a 283 or 307. The ls is better but i feel like the sbc never got it's chance to really shine. If we had a better factory fuel injection other than the lt1, something like used on mercruisers or ramjet crate engines combined with the rotating assemblies of the 1960's and none of the valve lift clearance issues of the 1980's and 1990's all in one place and it was wide spread i think wed still be searching junk yards for gen 1 engines. Fun fact, buick roadmasters had lt1 engines in them. You get the best of the sbc and the cover of looking like a grandfather in a wood paneled station wagon. Maybe there can still be life in the sbc after all!
The availability is definitely there now. I picked up an entire van for $700 that had the 4.8L in it with a 4L80E, but it had over 500K miles on it. I drove it from Virginia to New Jersey. When I finally get around to it, I'll be yanking all that out, freshen up the engine and transmission for my S10
Yeah your not going to do that w a gen 1 SBC and a turbo 350 not gonna see that many miles period ..
It's funny how the sbc can only handle 550hp on newer once but yet people push it further than that even on older block for racing
og. I got a sbc from a 1955 bel air and juiced that bitch to about 1,267 hp until I got bored and went back to street powerr
You put out some amazing videos. This is some of the highest quality content I’ve seen from any institution ever.
Great stuff and thanks for your hard work! Us older dudes (I'm 52) used to know all this about car/bike engines back in the day but it is tough to keep up. One thing I noticed about the LS vs Smalblock when the LS1 came out was the area under the curve. The LS was making 50/50 more than a small block from 2500rpm on up. Even the older mod Fords didn't have the LS power curve till more recently. (and I love those 99 to 04 supercharged 5.4's too) Yes, if it were not for the small block to pave the way there would be no LS. We had plenty of great times with smallblocks.
Steve Morris doesn’t like the side bolts on the main bearings of the ls , he has a modified version on his engines , great videos for us old timers .. I enjoy your detail and the facts you have dug up. Well done sir ,
Who gives a flip what Steve Morris thinks. Dude is a putz.
Nice. The LS is just impressive all around. First- I am pretty much an old-school purist. Meaning I much prefer to see an original engine rebuilt, ported, polished, blueprinted, balanced, strengthened, maybe turboed or supercharged motor.... but....Dang, the LS is just SO much bang for the buck. You throw a cam in one and get 400hp. And they're so flippin cheap and plentiful. I was hemming and hawing as to where to go with my old farm truck, but in the end, I could throw a pile of cash at it and maybe get 250hp, or I could find a wrecked Escalade, pop that motor in with a decent cam and get 400hp or more. The LS is just a beast. A cheap beast. My 94 toyota pickup went to the LS swap guy. I may have lost a good chunk of cool-factor (I mean, a built supercharged sidedraft 22re would have been awesome), but the LS is just vastly more bang for the buck. (And have you seen that Edelbrock cross ram dual throttle body LS intake? That mutha looks like something off the Batmobile) Time will tell if I made the right choice, but right now it looks like LS ftw.
While I understand he's talking about stock set ups, it does depend on how you build your engine
i will keep my sbc, no plastic or electronic garbage on mine.
🤣
Great video! Just would like to add that the 350 Chevy did have fuel injector in the later years, it was throttle body fuel injection (TBI) and had many of the same (sensors) as port fuel injection which the LS motors have.
Also I will add that the LS has ( coil by plug ) not ( coil on plug ) which would be directly on top of the spark plug. The LS has a little plug wire and the coil is just by the plug. Great video 👍🏽
The 350 also had port fuel injection. The Vortec motors were not TBI.
You may be right ,but still hard to beat 350/350 for reliability and cost.
og you can get a naked block for like 50-300$ and everyone and thier mom has 1 some where in thier house
I know there are tons of haters (great vid tho), but my stock 327ci will be happy to disprove #21. I am not trying to be "that guy" . I grew up with a father that spent his off time in the 60's at the track beside guys like Bill Jenkins.
The LS is amazing and should be loved. Keep up the good work.
Ok cool I’ll take the older small block
Me too we are guaranteed to get a motor that was built with love and passion along with confidence and loyalty I don’t want to forget respect as long as you respect the motor it will respect you back and give you years of fun
Great technical information. Very informative and entertaining. As long as you're making technical videos, it really stands out when you claim at 3:00 in that pistons are made with silicone. That's an RTV caulk that you seal your bathtub with. The pistons correctly contain silicon. It's an element on the periodic table that is used as a semi conductor material in the ECM and also an alloy component in the pistons. Keep making great videos.
The 350 and ls are both small block chevys
Its been around for over twenty years and is the best platform GM has make to date i am an old school hot rodder but i am glad we have this engine.
Lots of bias in this video , I've had both and many of these engines , ls does have quite a few advantages , however , depending what your goals are , I have a 434 ci smallblock engine in my g body , 10/1 compression, roller cam afr heads , street engine , I've broken too many ls guys hearts and souls with this engine from a dead stop , you'll have to build one hell of an ls to match the the low end torque this thing belts out , 500 lbs already at 3000 rpm maxing at 590 at 4400 , 568 hp at 6300 , with a relatively small roller cam and 200 cc intake port , idk perhaps I'm a little biased
195 cc is close enough to 200 , was making a generalization but if you need exact specs I can go into detail
Lol.....if you dropped a wrench into the plenum and dinged it you would probably have 200 cc....dont you love these part spec natzis.
@@johnwirk 🤣🤣🤣
I am currently debating going that route for my chevelle, I'm kinda between going LS or going big cube small block like a 427. As someone who says you've had experience with both, what do you like better on a sweet car? And is there a mileage difference if they're both hot rodded out?
Tassilap the ls is a sweet engine and makes incredible power , but the sbc can make it without all the extra electronics , and super expensive parts , price a sbc stroker kit , vs an ls stroker kit , btw the sbc can outmuscle an ls , at low rpms
Yes, I would appreciate you doing a stand alone video on the LS heads and what helps them to perform.
My dad and I built an SB 5.7 and put it in his '81 GMC and it roared to life! BarOOOMM, BarOOM! I felt like freakin Dr.Frankenstein! No LS has ever given me that thrill with its weee weee sound. My two pennies.
you clearly havent built an ls then
The thing is though is that SBCs are still cheaper and are generally plenty good enough for most reasonable street builds. A good dirt cheap Vortec 350 based build making 300-350HP is all a good highway cruiser really needs.
That's what an ls does stock
@@dantesixx1155not quite that much out of a 5.3 a 6.0 or 6.2 yeah but they are a lot harder to find and much more money ..but your right a stock 5.3 is at least a 100 hp better than any 70s or 80s normal 350 say in a square body or an old impala or something thats a big bamg for cheap
The factory sbc blocks took way more than 360hp. That's just hilarious to me. Made 800hp+ multiple times with nitrous and superchargers. Obviously it doesn't compare to the ls block. The only time you'll have a problem with a factory block is if you leave the factory cast crank in it.
The major reason the ls is so popular is the air the factory heads will move and the strength of the bottom end from the factory.
I would hope after many decades chevy would come out with something much better. It wouldn't be worth it otherwise. When it gets into fully built motors. There's nothing stopping a sbc from making a ton of power. Ron Rhodes in X275 has been 4.20s in the 1/8 mile with a 23 degree head and nitrous.
Again the reason the Ls makes more is because of the head. The factory heads on the sbc just don't move air. Certainly not compared to an ls. Specially when you get into the ls3 etc. 300cfm+ stock.
If you can get your hands on a (new version) LT4 or LT5 from a wreck. You can make some big power with a supercharger upgrade or turbo.
Not a bad video bro. Much better than many I've seen. I'm usually just shaking my head.
Based on lots of research that is what I found. From multiple reputable magazine articles. The number is for maximum horsepower from a stock block while retaining reliability.
The major reason that the LS is so popular is that you can stick in a relatively small engine bay.
I love the horse power of the LS motors and I have a 4.8 v8 and happy with my Chevy Silverado 4×4 pickup truck
From 1955 until the early 2000's sbc powered everything from corvettes to dump trucks and did it economically and reliably. With about 100 million produced no other engine even comes close. LS is a great engine but small block is a legend.
The original TBI fuel delivery system on SBCs, with the exception of the Cross-Fire TBI, was rock SOLID in its reliability. Dead reliable. Period.
I recall the 6-bolt main bearing caps in a deep-skirt block were previously used in the NASCAR 426 Hemi for Dodge and Plymouth, and also the Ford 427FE in the Shelby Daytona's. Both were race engines. The engineer who headed up the team that designed the LS architecture was an old-school hot-rodder, and a member of the NHRA.
He was also an NHRA record holder, or champion, can't remember which. Think his name is Tom something or other. I love the old SBC. I do believe it does still have a couple of advantages over the LS platform, priority main oiling for one example. But anyone who says the LS platform isn't a forward step from the old SBC needs an eye, and head, examination.......
Im a Ford guy 100%. But, if you think an SBC can only handle 3-500 hp you're crazy. They can hold around 1000. Same for the cranks. Even a 305 crank can hold around 800 or more without worrying. Look up Darrell Waltrip talking about pulling junkyard motors out on Friday, cleaning it up with degreaser, doing a head and cam swap and running the short block in the daytona 500 on Sunday.
I do agree the LS cylinder heads are fare superior, that’s were the power comes from , the big cam core is incredibly superior to the Sbc. I’m not trying to be disrespectful here. The Y block design with a six bolt main may look incredibly strong. But that’s exactly what’s wrong with the engine it creates massive windage and oil control problems. that’s why aftermarket LS blacks get rid of the six bolt cross bolt design and they go with a splayed four bolt main to open up the crank case to help with the oiling problem. The gen 1 sbc uses 7 gallons of internal oil leakage per minute of internal oil leakage at 6500 rpm , a top fuel dragster uses about 4 gallons per minute at 6500 RPM, the LS Uses 18 gallons of internal oil leakage at 6500 RPM. This means along with a closed off Bay to bay crankcase with the cross bolt main cap design causes massive windage problems. And now the crank shaft ,,, The block is shorter then the gen 1 sbc. This created a problem where they had to remove Center counterweights off the crank shift which causes deflection in the crankshaft at higher RPM witch wipes out bearings. i’m not completely slamming this motor. They make great budget builds 5 to 600 hp reliably which is very impressive beyond that I would go with an aftermarket block and crank. I guess the point I’m trying to get across the engines not the best thing since sliced bread. No disrespect to LS lovers out there. And to correct what he says about the gen 1 sbc the older blocks are the stronger ones. Ive put north of 800 hp into an old stock sbc block. I’ve seen others put even more.
True the windage issue is a concern but if it were a major problem the engine would not be hugely popular today. No engine is perfect I suppose!
I have 457hp on stock bottom end of a 5.7 vortec daily driver love it!
Brandon Shirey I recently built agen1 sbc dart shp 427 that makes 682 hp n/a and that’s with the budget dart as cast shp heads and Idols in gear at 900 RPM. It does 10:80 in a Monte Carlo ss. been driving on the street all the time. I’m very happy with the motor
I built a lt1 95 z28.
Full lunatic rotating assembly cam aluminum heads full exhaust etc!
580 hp 600 fp tourqe!
6 speed car extremely fast!!
I do love these ls!
I have owned several LS cars .
At the end of the day how much money do you got and fast do you want to go!!!
Bow tie baby!!
Good video. However, even though the Aluminum LS is 75 lbs lighter than a SBC try finding one. Chevy stopped making LS1 and LS2 blocks years ago. Most LS are iron blocks. Also, you left out the most important part about the cylinder heads. LS heads have a 15 deg valve angle as opposed to the SBC's 23 deg valve angle.
The L33 5.3L is also aluminum, as well as the LS3, L99, and L92 6.2L (and the L76 6L). Yes, most LS are iron blocks, but it's not like aluminum blocks are extremely rare.
@@stlchuckoThank you. Me being a Gm guy from kid age 14 , 1st car Eva was a 85 z28 H.O 305 to 7 more 3-5th Gen Ls. You are rt idn we're or who told him that about Gm Ls base motors
The LS engine you just described could have been the Ford FE 427 Side Oiler. The Ford FE 427 went on to win Lemans in 1966 and 1967 until Lemans banned it. I am a Chevy fan, but Ford totally had us. Even today, the 427 FE Side Oiler has a better oiling system with priority main oiling. The 427 FE even had aluminum heads for Lemans. The 427 FE was dyno tested at race conditions for 48 hours straight. That is why Shelby Cobras and Ford Lemans cars are so valued today. Ford spared no expense on the 427 FE Side Oiler engine and it payed off
I'm old school myself, I think the SBC is a better engine not only in looks but I like the 5 head bolts per cylinder versus 4 on the LS. I wonder if the LS will be around and rebuildable as long as the SBC? Only time will tell.
LSX block has 6
LS uses better cylinder head gasket sealing technology than SBC's used, which is now available for SBC's but overall seal just as good. one less bolt doesnt hurt the sealing capabilities, the newer MLS Gasket material is way better than traditional felpro or mrgasket gaskets.
Been proven better 900 wheel hp on stock head bolts on a ls .can’t say that for most old school small blocks.any iron ls can be rebuilt and bored out even the aluminum ones are rebuildable .not to mention that a 4.8 ls makes more power stock for stock then most 350 small blocks and 5.7 ls1 is on a whole other level you can’t compare to the old stuff
@@ilham7345 But NOT equally spaced. It is a patch up at best!
@@ldnwholesale8552 if you think it's just a patchwork. then it must be the best patchwork ever done in the history of pushrod V8
I will add a couple of negatives of the LS. 1: must pull the head off just to change a lifter (which seem to fail very regularly). compounded by 2: the weak arse threads fail on the alloy block when pulling the heads. After having my 3rd thread fail, I have sold my ls and gone back to a small block.
Well my 1979 chevy 350 gave me over 400,000 miles never had a issue my 2004 5.3 LS at 260,000 miles started leaking everywhere seals gaskets and I drove both the same way.LS maybe a better but dont seem to lasting as long
My carb engines are burning oil by 100k miles where efi ls usually are in better shape come 250k or more. Plus, I can make really good power with just injectors, cam and springs. To get the same 500 hp out of a sbc would take some money. Like $8k
G.M. began using powdered metal connecting rods in the mid nineties on the LT-1 and they were also used in the L31 Vortec 350s.
Very True about the powdered metal connecting rods. Also the Heart Shape Combustion Chambers first appeared on the the Gen II LT1 and then GM immediately copied the Iron LT1 versions onto the (essentialy Gen 1) Vortec L31 350 with updated timing cover. The LS (which I do not consider a small block Chevy but the prelude to a corporate GM V8) only carried over the shape of the combustion chamber from the previous engines minus the cathedral port on the cylinder head and cylinder head bolt arrangement. It may make more horsepower BLAH BLAH yadda yadda but will never be a small block Chevy. LS guys never consider the fact of other GM engines that have existed long ago that made more torque from the factory. They have eventually gone extinct by cancellation due to (quite frankly)... embarrassment on behalf of the Chevrolet division getting their arse handed to them first by Pontiac and Later Buick which outperformed their flagship Corvette.
The powdered metal, fractured cap rods are far stronger than any OEM gen1 SBC rods. No comparison
29 reasons but sound isnt one of them! Sbc ❤️
Sound depends mostly on cam and exhaust setup???
@@AutoGuild yes your right, but the sbc is definitely a better sounding engine
@@AutoGuild CR, overlap, and exhaust, to be precise. CR is the one most forget. its what gives an exhaust that hard snappy sound too it, "blat-blat-blat" vs "puff-puff-puff". overlap gives you that uneven "blada-bluda-bla-BLAP-bluh-bluh-bluh-BLAH-bluh" type "lopey" idle. exhaust can make almost any engine sound like anything - except make a rice burner sound like a big block. for the "baddest" exhaust note, you want CR, overlap, and open headers. straight tubes is next, probably followed by straight-through glasspacks or similar, then Thrustmasters (which is what you want to stay out of trouble on the streets).
VVT also keeps the vacuum up to the task of running brakes and hvac unlike the big lumpy overlapped cams that we all love the sound of.Thats the one thing they do good is sound mean.
Wow it's almost like there was 50 years difference in the design
Good one.
Comment of the day !
Ironically, someone who already runs an sbc can use aftermarket parts to mostly level up with the ls. Cop is available but not vvt iirc. Re merit of vvt, it's unnecessary because savvy engine builders talk customers out of high duration, torque-robbing cams. That said, cars that need a swap would benefit from ls oem features. Great video.
something I noticed, the cam replacement part is backwards. The LS requires the heads to come off to replace lifters, the SBC does not.
This is the only reason I'm reading the comments to see if anyone else noticed!!! Lol
@@nigelbreazeale5541 pretty decent video but i figure when it comes to engines people should know the nit picky details. Especially if someone is learning about engines strictly from the internet (like i do)
That where lost me ...you don't need to remove the heads to change the cam
@@tasker1971 true, but its always a good idea to put new lifters in with a cam, especially on higher milage cars.
With roller lifters, you don't have to change them with a cam swap unless there's already problem.
It's amazing there are still so many folks who think the SBC is the better engine.
The LS is SO much better in every way.
There is a reason it's the most popular engine in the world.
There are 800hp NA engines now you can drive every day that idle moderate.
The aftermarket support and parts is the largest of any engine in the world too.
Some people just won't get with the times.
Tell me about it, I get comments every day about that, and people telling me their old small block used to rev to 8000rpm back in the day. : ) Video is not to say one is better, its just to show how the LS has evolved to be more powerful, more efficient, stronger, and lighter.
When the EMP hits small-block people are going to be driving around the ones that need computers are going to be frowned up
Exactly! Mad max fury road was a documentary! Hail the V8 ! May you ride shiney and chrome on the roads to Valhalla eternal! Hail imortan Joe! Hail the SBC V8 🙋 you can also run a SBC on wood gas like a gasifier!
He said 'the aluminum block dissipates heat quicker than an iron block'
True.
Aluminum also absorbs heat alot quicker than iron, it also WARPS and weakens a hell of alot quicker than iron as well.
Which means when (not if) bad engine problems arise, the ol iron block will hold up alot longer than the weaker aluminum!
Let's not get things twisted, they started using aluminum blocks more cause ITS CHEAPER for them in manufacturing (not safer or cheaper for you to buy).
David Vizard tested 350 stock block with good parts nitrous cracked on engine Dyno 1100hp🤔👽🚩🚩
I boughy a brand new " Bow Tie" block feom Skip Whites. Bullit custom 4/7 solid roller, pro system carb, callies bottom end, JE and AFR 227 ported to 245 on a 421 sbc. I loved it and still have it. Went 5.42 on on 1 kit ...2600 Chevy Luv , all steel..minus hood, factory glass. Man, i love that engine. Now i have seen what Ls motors can do...im sold. Not worried about looks but want to build the engine , tune it ( no laptop) . Im 45 and still have a 427 tall deck im gonna build next year. I guess its a gear head thing. Happy Hot Rodding !!
To be fair, most of those things can be addressed with aftermarket parts. But yeah. Ls is better. But I’ll never give up my sbc.
After all this, I still want a built 377 sbc haha.
Well it is a lot less expensive and easier to do. With modern components a traditional small block can still be a great choice. For me I like the weight savings of 100lbs and the reliability of the fuel injection of the LS. Whats it going in?
2:07 yeah thats why we have high rise intakes and air gap manifolds
I’ll give you the one reason old school hot rodders don’t give a shit how many reasons you can name. The LS is fugly and ruins the underhood look of a good hot rod.
That’s just... like... your opinion man.
Quote by: The Dude
@@TurboNFRStwoK - Yep
@@danmyers9372 cant tell the difference between a retro style LS and a regular small block. you can put SBC Valve covers on an ls with an adaptor, you can hide the coils. you can get a carbureted intake manifold with either an EFI Unit or a carb. if anything, the only tell would be the exhaust ports. and even then, you can put BBC Valve covers and hide coil packs under them.
🤔
imho, no engines looks ugly except modern volkswagen engines with cam bearings integrated into the valve cover
I will be the first to admit having worked for GM dealers for quite a few years that the ls is one hell of an engine. It takes an already fantastic engine to new levels.
When Ed Cole designed that engine in 1954 he had to use 1954 technology. Screaming horsepower was not a major requirement then. He also had four months to design and build that engine. For design that went from drawing board to production in 4 months and remained in production until the very beginning of the 21st century is quite an accomplishment. You also have to take into account that until recently Chevrolet was the lowest price of GM's cars it was the working man's car, so there wasn't a lot of budget for a super fantabulous engine. Considering the fact the original small block completely displaced Ford's flathead V8 which until 1955 was the engine for Hot rodding, it was again no small feat.
The LS is an awesome engine just like the original small block Chevrolet. It is a worthy replacement for a still very Worthy and awesome V8.
I liked the video, but you missed one very important improvement: The performance difference by having individual ignition coils as opposed to one coil limited by dwell angle.
Dwell angle is the number of degrees the distributor turns in one firing cycle, which in turn is the amount of time the coil has to build another electronic charge after firing . With 8 cylinders you typically had 45 degrees per cylinder with 30 degrees of point closure and 15 degrees open. The coil recharges during the closure period of the dwell angle. This was determined by point gap and the degrees total divided by the number of cylinders. 45 degrees for 8 cylinders, 60 degrees for 6 cylinders. You could gain some dwell angle by reducing the point gap, but the breaker block would soon wear down and the points would close, leaving you stranded until you opened up the points.
The best way was with 2 sets of points offset a few degrees that would allow you to overlap the point timing and gain 8 to 10 degrees of dwell angle and maintain a reasonable point gap. It takes measurable time for a coil to recharge its voltage capability. No need to do the math, but it isn't instantly as one might think.
The individual coil packs have 360 degrees of dwell and fire only once per firing cycle, giving them much more time to build maximum charge, therefore a much higher voltage to the spark plug than was ever possible with the single coil systems that fired each of the cylinders individually and divided its dwell angle (time) by the number of cylinders. It works the same way, but with one coil, 360 / 1 is 360.
Having said this, it will take me a few more years to be convinced the LS motor is a better overall engine than the late small blocks, but the ignition system is exponentially better!
My father who started as a mechanic on Model T Fords in 1924 and worked his entire life as a mechanic until he retired 1987 told me many times when they figure out a way to run one coil per plug, it will be the greatest improvement since the synchromesh trasmmission! He said that many times to me, but sadly he didn't live to see it happen!
Uh…the original Ford A Model, produced from 1928-1931 had one coil per cylinder on it’s tractor-derived four cylinder engine. In fact, the original Ford T Model (produced ‘27 and prior) actually had four coils for it’s similar four cylinder engine as well.
@@michaelgreen7028 My Father started working on Model T's in 1931. He worked for the largest Ford dealership in Oklahoma until 1939, He never mentioned more than one ignition coil on any model of Ford! If what you say is true, tell me how they were timed. That has always been the problem with that type of ignition until computerized systems were developed. I think someone is selling you "oceanfront property in Arizona!""
I stand corrected regarding the number of ignition coils on the early Fords, but that is where the similarity ends. I suppose, since it has been 50 years since I had that conversation (1970's) with my Father that he was commenting that an ignition system with an induction coil and capacitor in a mechanical distributor was his point.
He had a Model T coil in the top of his toolbox that he would hook up occasionally for fun. I started working as a mechanic around 1966 and have never worked on a Model A or Model T.@@michaelgreen7028
@@GeorgeGeorge-yb2sz I invite you to type into whatever search engine you prefer the following, “ how many ignition coils did the Model T have?” and read the words therein
HI MIchael, I am sorry if I sounded rude, but I have become so cynical that it is hard to believe anyone. @@michaelgreen7028
I have a small block but when I upgrade I’ll probably go big block. Guys are stroking 454’s into 496’s and making crazy torque. How about a big block vs ls video?
I agree that the ls engine is superior to the old small block chevys as it should with time and technology on it's side but as far as drag applications i'm pretty sure carburetors still rain supreme over fuel injection.
It's a great video on why a factory LS is better than a factory SBC. Doesn't take any aftermarket into consideration though. For me I went with a SBC because everyone seems to be building LS engines and I wanted to build a modern SBC. I was able to build an 8.5:1 compression SBC for about $2000 less than an equivalent LS engine. It puts out 400hp and 400ftlbs or torque and gets 12L/100km fuel economy (highway with a T56 transmission). It's fuel injected and I have the option to run a supercharger to increase the HP to the high 5's.
LS engines are great but the SBC has had decades of innovations through the aftermarket world that can make it very competitive with an LS engine and you can build them for cheaper even with utilizing high quality parts such as AFR aluminum heads, hydraulic roller lifters, hypereutectic pistons, and electronic fuel injection. I'd also have to disagree with LS engines having a more reliable ignition system. I have known more people who have to replace the ignition coils than I have people having issues with an HEI. I stayed with HEI because they have less parts and they're way more reliable.
Yes, its an OEM to OEM comparison, I should have made that more clear.
Mighty hard to build cheaper if building an all aluminum block. A lot of this bickering fails to mention the fact that aluminum LS can be built one HELLUVA LOT CHEAPER than an aluminum gen1 SBC. Less weight is free HP
Trying to convince my dad to get an LQ9. Wish me luck lol
Exciting! For what car?
Auto Guild 74 C10. It’s a beautiful orange bronze color, all stock. No major body damages either. No rust as it’s been in California it’s whole life.
@@stsk69 don't let him put a carb on it lol
@@FELiPES101 Exactly right, you lose all the advantage of the LS with a carb. What's the point, other than you're admitting you're too dumb to deal with EFI.....and actually, if you are then you don't know how to work on a carb, either, lol
#20 - SBC gaskets had one MAJOR advantage over LS gaskets. They weren’t subjected to the gasket deteriorating chemicals of DexCool, and therefore often lasted the entire life of the engine, not just 20,000 miles like the LS gaskets. Edit: The same cannot be said for the horrible SBC valve cover gaskets. Although the force spreaders the factory added later did help a tiny bit.
This is probably a guy who lost a race with a stock sbc 🤭, you can build a sbc to be faster
For a shit ton more money sure
He's got the HP numbers low on the SB for sure but you should see some of the numbers these vette guys are getting out of the LS. Just look up "cammed z06". An aftermarket cam wakes these engines up
@Dennis Burger all I did was port my intake add a spacer, bought afr heads 235cc and ported those as well, and bought a comp cam, and kooks long tubes straight pipe , and mines makes 450 hp, compared from what it was making, HUGE difference, the 115 hp wasn't really pretty numbers
@Dennis Burger my block for my 84 z28 is a 350, the only mods I did were heads cam, headers and ported the accessories, everything else is stock, but I want to purchase forged mahle pistons, and my carburetor is the stock carburetor that came with it when I got it out from another z28
@Dennis Burger im not sure what pistons my block has but all I know its just the same oem just replaced em tho
Yes, do a video about the LS heads. And please include the LS7. The C6 Z06 is on my radar
Ls cost 2x as much to build and fix- that is a big disadvantaged-
How do you figure when LS engines are just as common if not more so in junkyards these days
If anything in the next coming of years small blocks will be very outdated since LS’s are going to fill junkyards more and more since it’s a motor that the yard can make a profit from
Parts are 2x the cost, junkyards jacked up the prices cuz everyone is after them.
If its twice as reliable than cost doubling is irrelevant.
@@r4raced4doom2 not to my wallet it’s not
wow, it just hit me...two decades ago when the LS didn't exist and the LT1 was fighting Optispark issues...we would have been arguing if the weight of a 454 was worth using versus a stroker 350 or 400 small block and its lighter weight in the nose for acceleration. And someone would point out a destroked 400 would be better due to the revs.
A decade before that, it would be the 327 versus 350.
The arguing continues :)
Aluminum blocks have better heat dissipation, so they REQUIRE a smaller radiator??? Wouldn't it be more accurate to say that they don't require as big of a radiator?
The primary reason they went with multiple coil setup on the LS was to reduce ignition coil saturation. Which is the primary reason RPM was limited on factory stock SBCs; coil saturation.
Old heads be like “Ls are trash”
My experience is this.....an "out of the box" sbc with decent compression, naturally aspirated, running on pump gas, makes a solid 350-400 depending on compression and timing. Anything over that requires MAJOR compression, which requires race gas, (expensive), or forced induction. An LS "out of the box" generally makes more hp and torque more "efficiently". Money, know how, and time decide which platform makes more power.
Get off the drugs. An out of the box 350 barely scratches 200HP.
Does anyone else have a problem with what this guy is saying about block weight 😂🤦🏻♂️
he does a bit of apples and oranges type BS
I am 70 years old and built and drove small and big block chevys the entire time. My 69 El Camino was a 461 big block.. I just converted my C10 pickup to a 5.3 nothing special engine. With just headers and good exhaust this thing makes 340 hp... not huge but it is instant. I don't think I even need any more hp in this truck.. plus.. to get out of California you have to drive over mountains. No black smoke. it adjusts for all that.
550hp on a small block?
Are you living under a rock?
I like both engines and I will buy either one if I can find one for a good price. Can’t go wrong either way. It mostly depends on what you plan to do. A show car should have a small block IMO for looks and nostalgia especially if the car is older a racer should have an LS.
The small block is so much cheaper... and easier to work on
Factually the LS is a easier engine to work on. I have both and I like both but the LS is a better engine.
@@dalethomas9307 lol
@@dalethomas9307 easier, really. If I need to do anything to my engine I can sit on the fender well. Can you do that with the LS. 5 min to change a fuel pump. Hours on an LS. Also, every thing is so much more expensive. My whole distributor probably cost less than one coil and I dont need to remove my coil to replace my spark plug. The only thing easier to work on than SBC is the 250 in line 6.
@@gregorystone1439 i don’t need to sit on the fender to work on my LS. Electric fuel pumps are a modern reality and more reliable than old diaphragm mechanical fuel pumps. also no vapor lock issues. my factory fuel pump in my 03 Silverado died at 140k your old 350 was likely leaking everything and had a hell of a cylinder ridge by then. On the cost of replacement parts this is negated by the less frequent replacement of said parts I checked on the coil pricing $56.32 for a Delphi coil that typically goes 150k/200k without replacement. This coil doesn’t need to be removed to replace the spark plugs.
@@dalethomas9307 my point was the 350 is much simpler in design. I dont have all that electronics to go bad, and they will if you keep the truck long enough like I do. Also, everything is easily accessible. For me this is a big deal. I like to turn wrenches but I am NOT a mechanic. I am not trashing your motor. LS is a really good motor and alot less quarks than a 350. Im strictly a chevy guy so if I didnt get into the 350 I'm sure I would have gotten into the LS. My truck is a stock 77 c10 with a 350 and 3 on the tree I had since 07.
About time you joined the LS fanboi club.
I'm a believer in sticking with whatever series of engine came in that vehicle from the factory or are atleast from the era. I'm not a fan of modern engines in classic cars, to me it seems to defeat the purpose of a classic car which is to be a simple fully analog and mechanical vehicle. I do love the ls engine but the gen 1 sbc will always be my go to v8 engine. The sbc is beautifully simple and only takes 3 wires plus the plug wires to run and doesnt need a computer or anything like that and makes putting it In Anything super easy and the sbc in classic cars will always be timeless because face it 30 years from now if you open the hood on a 69 camaro and you see an ls you will be like "oh that's outdated i wish the small block was still there". Dont get me wrong though I love the ls in cars and trucks that came factory with an ls but I hate seeing them in older vehicles.
Totally get it. Im a believer in horsepower and light weight engines. : )
Exactly, I bet my 455 oldsmobile has more torque than a new ls. I wonder if ls engines will last 50 years like my 455 oldsmobile that is 49 years old and still running great.
@@gabesgarden57 Well, years don't matter as much as the mileage, and I'll bet any amount of money right now your 455 won't be running at 300k miles like most LS motors are.
@@SealofPerfection only time will tell
@@SealofPerfection i bet it will
the LS has been around for 2 decades. That means 20 yr old hot rodders haven't known any engine but it. And if the internet has told us anything, we all focus on the hot setup we grew up with. For example, if Fox bodies were new when you had your license, then the Coyote does little for you--you just gotta hold onto your pushrods.
The best thing about the LS is the drop in price on Gen 1 Chevy stuff. Meanwhile some kid says his LS is pushing 700bhp and I ask how much his fuel system costs...and the blank look tells me no way he's making that much--or he is but he's going to lean out his pistons real soon.
Visit Auto-Guild.com to get your free pre-order of the LS Swap Survival Guide eBook. As well as other cool eBooks and posters too.
A few comments:
1) I'm not saying the Small Block Chevy is a bad engine I'm only pointing out the differences. I've had a small block in my 68 Camaro since high school and its never left me stranded, I love it.
2) My engine block power handling numbers are not apples to apples, I messed that up. For SBC I used official GM recommended power ratings and for the LS I used more real world numbers, so please note that max power handling of the SBC is likely higher, 500-600, maybe more. But also remember, any LS block you find can handle big power. With the small block you have to find the right block from the right year, or with the best metallurgy. a 283 block from the late 50s is not going to handle much power. And of course I know aftermarket blocks can handle big power, thousands, but this video is referring to the OEM blocks.
Thanks everyone for all the great comments.
I had a 2009 Suburban with aluminum 5.3. Had AFM issues. After that, I swore off GM and I've owned 10. How they would let that half baked tech on the street, IDK. It burned a quart every 1800 through #1 and only #1. Started around 60k. GM did the TSB fix, but it was too late. Had I known AFM should have been disabled, I would have. In the end GM was like, we'll give you 3k off on a new one. Uh, no thanks. The LS may be better in most ways, but how it's implemented makes a difference.
@@nokoolaid Yeah I can see why so many are negative on the system. It seems like they have fixed it with the Gen 5 LT series. 60K is certainly not high mileage, that should not have happened. I wonder what percentage of vehicles have that issue. And I wonder if neglecting maintenance is a contributing factor, thats one of the reasons Im nervous about buying a used LS for my Camaro.
@@AutoGuild There is a TSB on with upgraded PCV system that replaces valve covers and I think a new oil pan or some sort of windage tray. I changed the oil every 5k with a AC Delco filter and Mobil clean 5000 and when I didn't, the dealer did it. I did use E-85 on occasion and we did a lot of trips with extended highway driving. It was burning oil through one piston, #1 and I had to change the plug in that cylinder every 8k miles. GM isn't saying how many, but peruse the Tahoe/Suburban/Yukon Forums. It's not unusual. From what I understand, extended highway driving at steady speed will do it. Had I disabled it, I'd still have the vehicle. I didn't know it could be disabled and really should be. Dodge's Hemi with MDS has some issues too, but with lifters. Uncle Tony's Garage goes over it. If the MDS is disabled or you get a manual trans it seems to happen less often. IDK. GM should have tested this more thoroughly and found a fix before they sold vehicles with it. The problem is that it happens after the standard warranty period. That works out for GM very well and that's probably why they let it go into production. Other car manufacturers and even motorcycle one's do this. BMW comes to mind. I had an extended warranty on it and they still wouldn't replace the engine.
Yo u need to do some more homework. I've personally watched a bone stock 350 crate motor, in a 67 camaro ring out 9000 rpm. The skirts on the block are simply over kill, and truly offer no added strength. Due to the cam being hollow, smaller valve train components are necessary as to not break the cam. And your 300 some horsepower max on the old blocks is simply ridiculous, as my 1970 block currently produces 525 hp, and 574 lb/ft just fine. And that's with "old iron heads" So think twice before you count the small block out. And lastly, availability. There are ten times the number of small blocks out there, way more affordable to buy and build, than there are ls engines. Period.
@@sparepartsmotorsports966 I think most of the power in a LS comes from the heads. The heads are so much better, but, there's nothing wrong with a SBC in the right application. I had a 1983 Camaro with a a 400 SBC in. Moderate to mild cam, 9.9 compression, recurved distributor, shorty headers and true dual exhaust with series 40 flow masters, weiand dual plane intake with a tuned Qjet with dual snorkel cold air I dabbed. With 3.08's it would do 105 in the quarter and that's with a TH350 trans with with a mild torque converter and shift kit. I think it would have been quicker with a 4L65E. It was a fun car with a lot of low end torque. Very streetable for day to day driving.
Just one additional item to add on the LS exhaust manifolds, they are steel, not cast, so you can actually cut and weld for fitment to LS swaps.
Your nuts I have a 350 4 bolt mane making 946 hp in my car so a old small block chevy can handle 1000 + hp
Yes I’m sure u do , but fore what u had to do $$$ wise and the fact that the old abc can not handle that kinda power like the Ls can because of the way it’s made and u can change the cam on a Ls and get major hp , the Ls is just better it is !!!!!!!!!!!!
Let's just say I'd still go with an old school small block... a chrysler small block. Great video tho
I’ll put my sbc against any ls any day, a lot of this information is a bit exaggerated and/or understated. All comparisons are STOCK parts, nobody running stock parts.
in the 60's, the only cars that had 500 horsepower were the ones in nascar. Even the dyne numbers back then were unreliable. they took engines that back in the day were the holy grail and dyno'ed them today. Based on an article, they didn't make close to what they claimed. But a ls3, makes 426 to the wheels. thats more than 500 to the crank. And thats factory. so stock to stock its leagues better. but if you wanna compare an all motor small block. compare all motor SBC to all motor LS.
@@brianpang5128 my all motor pump gas sbc makes 558 hp to the wheels and I’ve only got $8k into it. How much is an ls3 crate engine? Not to mention other costs to get it to run. Sbc is the greatest engine ever made!
Good point🤔
Hmm, I don’t agree with what you just said at all. I have a 6.0 stock on a gto
And no, I’ve been around the 350, 305 a horrible 415 god that was the worst one I’ve seen. But the 6.0 I have literally is newer faster and better guess why the small block was replaced by the ls cause the ls was just better in every way even in tunning fuel
injectors, coil pack > carburetor and distributer
That’s just modern cars I bet yeah even with a good tune it’s fast but tune a ls and you got a machine I am fully aware of what the sbc can do but you Try a new ls there just so much better and there cheap
@@thisguytrucksoldtrailer6875 yeah and how much you pay for that car? My small block would blow your doors in. Sbc is still king of the money to power ratio
Also note the sepintine belt 350s in my opinion are easier to take off the belt because the ls has two belts the regular serp belt and the AC compressor belt. The 350 serp belt has one belt total.
Also I noticed with the vvt you also have plastic timing parts in them that fail sooner than the old small block or early ls.
Obviously factory sbc are weaker than a factory but it's not necessarily the design but the materials and what they were shooting for but you get aftermarket components a sbc architecture is quite adequate...In all actuality even tho the ls has a skirted cross bolted block there are reasons some say SBCs lower half architect is more desirable in ways. That's why world products build that hybrid block which is basically a sbc that accepts ls heads and intake. Steve morris just posted a "mild street build" 400ci procharged sbc that made 1200hp on pump gas and 1380 on c16! And it's nothing exotic it's off the shelf performance parts... Basically the title should be why a oem LS is better than an OEM sbc... If built with quality parts a sbc is quite competitive to an LS, your bastardizing the sbc architecture in every form judging it from the factory built engines performance level.
I was looking for a comment like this, thanks for delivering!
Oh and another thing my years of experience teaches me that there's more to a street motor than big hp numbers.
For sure, and a lot of people forget that. They chase the big dyno numbers but that usually makes for a terrible engine on the street.
Will you do Big Block Chevy versus big block ford? Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That would be a good one. Im already working on Big Block Chevy vs Small Block Chevy. But I will add that to the list. : )
I like the Big Block Ford's, however compared to a Big Chevy, price wise for parts are up there.
somehow this man has made me in less then 20 mins to LS / LTT swap all my cars in Forza Motorsport games wherever possible.