LT5 questions

Chevy Did not build these engines, I beleive they were designed by Lotus ,but they were built by Mercury Marine. They were hand built and very costly. Check out the following link for more details.

The mods woud be for the Computer and Fuel supply among others.

It would be more cost effective to order the new LT7 427 crate motor and drop that in., than to try and find an LT5.

You haven't researched it enough yet. There are very few complete engines out there because those in the know bought them up when production halted. Those in the know now have hugh price tags on them, that's why they are in the know. Plus I doubt that GM would be impressed if you were pissed.

The top of the engine, heads with cams, makes it wider than the normal engine and Tim Allen can afford the ridiculous price to do that kind of swap. The design of the C4 and the LT5 was not a drop in, check out some of the unique parts to get them to fit even though it was built for the C4.

The LT5 was only a passable attempt to make a DOHC, (or should that be DDOHC), engine back in late '80s financed by the Corvette crowd at an outrageous price. It did give GM the research required to make the Northstar design that spilled over into the Aurora racing engine but that died also. If you read the history of the LT5 it was run against a well prepared LT1 engine during the first part of the record run. The LT1 was pulled early because it was kicking the LT5s ass, a no-no for public relations, SALES. The news release played it off that it ended the LT1 run early because it had to be at a show. Plus the "stock" LT5 was running headers and catless and more under the counter tweaks than you can count. I fully believe that it is the event that doomed the further use of the LT5 past a "pay for the test" number of units. They knew then that they had built an orphan that would be eclipsed by the LS1 that was in the design stages at the time.

The fascination with the LT5 is beyond me other than the "I've got one and you don't" mentality of some. It never came close to the accomplishments of the C5R or the C6R or even the Z06 with the tried and true push rod engine. I have little doubt that the present Z06 could better the King of the hill record that the ZR1 has held for so long but they don't need to in order to sell more cars per year than the ZR1 did in its life cycle. Even the early '01 Z06 did that on the drag strip and the present base LS2 can kick them to the corner with simple tweaks.

What every, if that's what you want, go for it, times a wasting. Get out your checkbook and be prepared to be embarrassed by most Corvettes built today, and those crate engines are available and fit.

Just Drop this sucker in there.

purpose built matched blueprinted etc etc. Unless 1100 HP is too scary

A friend of mine has a 1978 coupe with a Pratt & Whitney ST6-27 turbine producing 880 shaft HP. Built by Andy and Vince Granatelli using one of the turbines from the Indy racing effort of the late

60's. It was last run at Pratt & Whitney in Montreal at their 70th anniversary celebration. He's still picking remnants of ZR1's out of the intake the last I heard.

Go get your November 1979 issue of Motor Trend to read the full story. It was also featured in the winter 1999 issue of Blue Bars.

there because those in

hugh price tags on them,

you were pissed.

and Tim Allen can

the LT5 was not a drop

built for the C4.

engine back in late

research required to

that died also. If you

during the first part of

a no-no for public

early because it had to

under the counter tweaks

further use of the LT5 past

orphan that would be

don't" mentality of

the Z06 with the

better the King of

order to sell more cars

on the drag strip and

checkbook and be

engines are available and

Remember too that you have to crowd in a dry sump lube system after you "drop in" that LT5.

-- PJ

Yes. There are a few "New Old Stock" crate motors still around, and some might actually be for sale. There were a only limited number of spare LT5 engines made. If you are serious about your project then your research will lead you to them. Don't expect them to be easy to find or cheap.

No more difficult than any other engine swap, although the LT5 has different porportions than a standard small block. There will be tons of mods necessary to put the LT5 in any car other than a true ZR1. Only you and your checkbook can decide if it's worth the price.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a BIG ZR1/LT5 fan. I own one. It's certainly the coolest looking Corvette engine ever made. The sad thing is, most people out there have never seen or heard of a ZR1. Without the hood up, most people wouldn't even know they were looking at one. Even with the hood up, most people have to ask what it is. :-(

If all you want is to go fast, buy a crate LS6 engine and stuff it in whatever car you want. It'll fit right in, no muss, no fuss. If you want to go faster, toss on a blower and/or NOS. If you blow it up, no biggie, just drive down to the local Chevy dealer and open your checkbook. Will it be pretty? Depends on who's looking at it. Will it be fast? Damn yes. Will it beat a ZR1? Yup. With one arm tied behind it's back.

Good luck on your project. If your heart is set on a LT5, do your research. Google is your friend. Your best source of information BY FAR is the ZR1 Net Registry, followed closely by the ZR1 sub-forum at the Corvette Forum.

Good luck!

TomC '90ZR1 #792

And what about swaps into GM full-sized trucks,

engine back in late

research required to

that died also. If you

during the first part of

a no-no for public

Dad:

Them's fightin' words. Meet me by the flagpole after school. I've got a big can o' whoop-ass that I'll open for you!

I've never heard this urban legend about the LT1 smoking the LT5. I've got "Heart of the Beast" and it certainly isn't in there. Got any proof? Appreciate it.

TomC

90ZR1 #792

ZR1s were only produced from '90-'95. No '96. You'd be pissed. GM didn't make the motor.

TomC '90ZR1 #792

DDOHC), engine back in

GM the research

racing engine but that

prepared LT1 engine

was kicking the LT5s

Put your can opener away, the bread and butter C6 can kick your ass.

"Heart of the Beast"

Don't need any proof, they're on the road everywhere. Not an urban legend any more than the old tired beast is the king. If you were a real Corvette buff you would have read that a long time ago. If you are as bad at looking up the artical as the ZR1 is at keeping up with my shopping car I could waste my time and look it up for you.

Oops, my bad, just re-read the article and it wasn't a LT1, it was the lowly L-98, March 2nd 1990.

-- Dad 05 C6 Silver/Red 6spd Z51 72 Shark Black/Black/4spd and a ZR1 bicycle. ;-P

L-98, March 2nd 1990.

*ouch* *sheesh* How was I to know that I'd picked a fight with the schoolyard bully.

I'll just crawl back to my box under the highway overpass and tend to my wounds.

Dad, you're one mean guy.

TomC '90ZR1 #792

he is not mean, he is very knowledgeable. what am I saying ? he kill-filed me long ago :-)

I'm not currently at work with any particular project, but the idea of an LT5 powered vehicle is attractive to me. It's one of the few DOHC engines Chevy has produced in the last 20 years that wasn't nestled under the hood of a Cadillac and it's much more like a Ferrari engine than anything else that's ever been in a production Vette'. And I'm well aware that Chevy didn't build the engines themselves, but GM, Ford and Dodge all still have numerous engines available for purchase as OEM replacements and I figured that there might be some way for ZR-1 owners to purchase a new engine - if neccesary - through GM.

Where performance is concerned, Lingenfelter can build the LT5 out to

475 Hp and 415 Ft. Lbs without needing to bore and stroke the engine - a 368 CI version, almost alitre smaller than the Z06's new 7.0 litre mill, produces 530 Hp and 450 Ft. Lbs. I'm well aware that these aren't huge numbers by comparison, but under the hood of something like a C4 Corvette, that's more than enough to challenge C5 Z06s and C6 base models and would make for a hell of a fast car without needing to spend $50k + on a new C6 or over $70k on a new Z06. Of course the downside is having to live with the C4's extremely dated interior design and it doesn't address the braking or suspension upgrades that would be neccesary to bring the car up to modern capabilities.

But again, none of it is really all that important because I haven't commited to a particular project yet.

Have you had the chance to drive the LT5 or the LS2? The LT5s claim to fame is its RPMs and that come from some great breathing provided by the valve area. Plus it has less drag/mass in the valve train. On the other hand that same thing is happening in the LS1, 2, 6, & 7 engines with the uses of new, lighter materials. They are also taking out the restrictions of air flow, oil flow, as well as water flow. Each of those advances have made for one quick engine. Computer management of the engine is so much more refined to get the most out of the new LS engines and it gets better each year.

You have looked at Lingenfelter and what they can do with the LT5 but they do equally as well with the LS engines without changing the bore or stroke. I realize that the LS2 is

366 CID but that can be pumped to 500 HP/440 FPT with ease. Then if you choose the 403 CID those figures go to 510 HP/500 FPT for about what an LT5 can cost you.

No way around it the LT5 was an awesome engine, but then so was the L88 in its day. That day is gone and out of reach financially for most. The present LS engine is a scary engine to drive but is still streetable for most enthusiasts. Take the time to drive them, they all have their good points. Let us know what you do, it would be fun to watch a project go together with someone else's money.

Owing to that I can't find a suitable/desireable project for the LT5 and that I'm not overly interested in another LS/LT series swap, I'm thinking about going back to my original plan, which involved a 1976 Porsche 912E - the plan was/is to do a restoration/upgrade and create a sort of 912 Clubsport with an emphasis on handling prowess as opposed to raw speed. Something light, compact and nimble that I can run through the canyon and/or at SCCA events sounds fun.

You could always get Audi to let you test the R8 as they have the R10 doing everything better than even they thought it would. Strange machine to hear and watch.

everything better than

Gonna nose in here. Maybe I'm coming out of my '911-snob bag' but:

I do have high regard for the 'E.' It was a well-engineered comeback for the 912; however, I think of it as a very 'finely finished' package. Everything was engineered properly for that 4-banger. Meaningful mods for handling and modest performance upgrades will come at a high price; and, when you are finished you'll have a 912E. Fun to drive but still a

912E with 4-cylinder limitations.

And, I can't resist.... "on a quiet night you can hear a Porsche r______." (In all fairness though, Zuffenhausen did have most of the body and frame preservation issues cured by 1976.)

-- PJ

It has that uniqueness that some just have to have.

Here is its predecessor:

This picture is half of the V8 planned. It is known as a 907. It is 2.0 L and 4 cylinders. In its planned original form, it was going to be 4.0 L V8. It has a redline of 7000 rpm. It is also very unforgiving, Rev one to

7500, and you find how expensive it is. Maybe not the first time, but certainly not more than a few.

The original design didn't work for the LT5, because since the original design went to 4.0 L, and I think allotted for 4.8 L, there wasn't enough room to stuff 5.0 L, let alone the 5.7 L they used.

The ZR1/LT5 crowd venomously oppose such talk, claiming it is an all new design and nothing related to the original, because the main designers claim that since the original was too small, they had to "start from scratch."

"Starting from Scratch" ion this case was simply moving the bore centers and a few dimensions.

BTW, it originally came in one of these:

I'm a big Audi fan, and was cheering the R10 through all 24 hours of Le Mans; my father had a 1998 A4 2.8 Quattro (5-speed, sport pack, purchased new, sold it in 2002) and I'm going to try to get into an A3

3.2 S-L> > Owing to that I can't find a suitable/desireable project for the LT5

everything better than