Five Of The Most Powerful Chevy Small Block Engines Ever Made

Contrastaddict/Getty Images

Let's specify "small-block" truthful nary 1 will get huffy (people will still get mad). General Motors whitethorn telephone nan Gen-III to Gen-V LS and LT V8s "small-blocks" in trading materials, but moreover Chevrolet's ain crate motor page separates original-design small-blocks from nan LS and newer V8s. Usually, erstwhile group mention to this motor type, they're talking astir nan 1955 to 1996 type of nan engine that's powered much cars than immoderate other. The past clip a conveyance near nan mill pinch an existent OG small-block was successful nan 2002 exemplary twelvemonth pinch nan L31 5.7. 

We can't time off it astatine iron-block Gen-Is and IIs, though. For nan liking of inclusivity and assortment — and nan truth that LS and LT engines are awesome — nan newer models are going connected this list. And since nan header isn't "Five Of The Most Powerful Chevy Small-Block Engines Ever Made Specifically By Chevrolet," we're going aftermarket, too. The biggest shame is that I must omit nan glorious Mercury Marine-built DOHC LT-5. Even though it has nan aforesaid 4.4-inch bore halfway spacing arsenic garden-variety 350s, it was designed by Lotus and lacks immoderate compatible parts pinch Chevy V8s. 

So, present are nan categories: "Old School" for Gen-I carbed V8s, "Plastic Fantastic" for nan apex of nan Gen-II, "LS is More" for nan superb LS series, "LT-rrific" for nan existent LT, and "Mightiest Mouse" for nan precocious limit of small-block power.

Corvettes usually characteristic nan highest-strength Chevy engines, though Chevelles sewage nan 450-gross-hp LS6 454 successful 1970 and 'Vettes sewage nan 390-hp LS5. Thankfully, America's sports car felt for illustration spreading immoderate LT-1 love. LT-1s besides went into Camaros, and pinch nan thief of a cardinal agency accumulation order, they made their measurement into Novas, too. But nan Corvette didn't stock each of its 370 gross horsepower; erstwhile nan engines went successful Camaro Z28s, they were downgraded to 360. In either car, nan motor was making 380 pound-feet of gross torque. That's horsepower and torque rated successful nan aged "gross" mode — pinch nary motor accessories aliases different parasitic drags – not "gross" arsenic successful "vomit-inducing." The LT-1's nett horsepower is astir 300. 

The LT-1 small-block (not to beryllium confused pinch nan hyphenless LT1 from nan '90s) was a race-ready 350 pinch 11:1 compression. Thanks to its coagulated lifters, it was besides capable to boast a redline astir 6,500 RPM. Man, it's a shame cars stopped utilizing coagulated lifters. They mightiness request predominant adjustment, but that clack is an aural delight.

Chevy buyers looking to spell accelerated done some consecutive lines and corners chose nan LT-1 because it weighed astir 300 pounds little than a large block. If you're wondering why we didn't spell pinch nan 375-hp 1965 fuel-injected L84 327 alternatively of nan 370-hp LT-1, well, it's because nan L84 only made 350 pound-feet of torque. Giving up 5 horses for 30 other pound-feet sounds for illustration a adjacent waste and acquisition to me.

Fine, scoff astatine nan C4 integrative awesome each you want. It whitethorn person a mediocre estimation these days, but erstwhile it debuted successful 1984, it was a technological marvel pinch nan sharpest handling of each different cars available. That said, '84 C4s did person nan lame 205-hp L83 350 pinch nan Cross-Fire Injection that became asthmatic complete 4,000 RPM. Thankfully, Chevy ditched it for 1985's L98 350, which had due throttle assemblage substance injection that brought horsepower up to 230.

Zip up to 1996, nan C4 Corvette's last year, and 'Vette fans were eagerly anticipating nan caller C5. Though nan fabulous DOHC LT5 had vanished on pinch nan ZR-1 package successful 1995, Chevrolet gave nan '96 C4 an fantabulous parting gift: The LT4, which is nan eventual mill improvement of nan original small-block. 

When nan LT1 replaced nan L98 successful 1992, it was a monolithic leap forward, jumping from 250 hp to 300. That LT1 went into a slew of GM cars successful varying states of tune, including the Camaro, Caprice/Impala SS, Buick Roadmaster, and Pontiac Firebird/Trans Am. But specified was not nan lawsuit for nan LT4 pinch its 330 hp and 340 pound-feet of torque. Aside from a fewer typical LT4-powered '97 30th-Anniversary Camaro SSs and Pontiac Firehawks, it was a Corvette-only affair. And moreover then, it was only successful cars that sewage nan ZF six-speed manual, including nan bluish and achromatic limited-edition Grand Sport. 

Chevrolet engineers hated nan truth that Lotus designed nan 1990 Corvette ZR-1's 375-hp DOHC LT5. The Gen III/IV LS was their revenge. It was a astir 100% cleanable expanse design, arsenic nan only things that carried complete were nan 4.4-inch bore halfway spacing and rod bearings. The LS went pinch an aluminum artifact (with immoderate robust blocks successful trucks), and yet it was much robust than nan aged engine's artifact acknowledgment to six-bolt main base caps and a heavy skirted design. 

While nan 345-hp LS1 that debuted successful 1997 Corvettes is simply a legend, that's not wherever it reached its zenith. No, that would beryllium nan astounding 638-hp 6.2-liter supercharged LS9 successful nan 2009 C6 Corvette ZR1. That beast besides had 604 pound-feet of torque, nan astir immoderate Corvette had up until then, beating moreover nan '91 Callaway Twin-Turbo Corvette and its 575 pound-feet. It's a bully point Chevy gave LS9s titanium connecting rods and forged alloy cranks. The LS9 besides sewage a dry-sump lipid strategy to support nan spinning bits lubed up around corners, thing missing from "lesser" LSA versions of nan motor successful Camaro ZL1s and Cadillac CTS-Vs.

When Car and Driver took nan C6 ZR1 to nan resistance strip, it knocked disconnected an 11.5-second quarter. To get that capacity successful nan '60s aliases '70s, you'd person had to waste soul organs to bargain a Baldwin-Motion Phase-III Corvette, Camaro, aliases Chevelle, each coming pinch a literal money-back guarantee that your car would tally 11.5 quarters.

The LT5 was nan cleanable sendoff for nan past front-engined Corvettes. The 2019 ZR1 offered an 8-speed automatic, but nan 7-speed manual is simply a overmuch amended choice, particularly since 2019 was nan past twelvemonth Corvettes came pinch them. The C7 Corvette whitethorn person costs GM adjacent to thing to develop, but it delayed nan C8, giving america conscionable a spot much clip pinch an H-pattern manual connected nan market. Thanks, C7!

For nan 2019 ZR1, Chevrolet boosted nan Z06's 650-hp 6.2-liter supercharged LT4 to 755 hp and awesomely offered LT5s arsenic crate engines, too. Performance from nan C7 ZR1 was astounding, arsenic Car and Driver ran to 60 successful 2.9 seconds and done nan 4th successful conscionable 10.7.

Replacing nan beloved LS must person been nervus racking for Chevy, but thankfully, nan Gen V LT is simply a superb follow-up. LT blocks characteristic upgraded gusseted h2o jackets for added strength. Head bolts are larger, too, astatine 12mm vs 11mm successful nan LS. Variable valve timing and nonstop injection besides improved nan LT's ratio and power. 

Even though nan Gen-V engines don't stock overmuch pinch nan original small-block V8 extracurricular of a sanction and bore spacing, they person 1 heck of a legacy, and nan modern V8s surely unrecorded up to nan "small-block" name. But, while nan (non-Mercury Marine) LT5 is so a mighty mouse, it is not nan mightiest. 

It's astonishing what you tin execute erstwhile you don't person to attraction astir five-year warranties and NVH requirements. Independent builders return small-block and LS/LT engines to extremes. Chevy's 400 cubic-inch V8 is 1 of nan biggest small-block engines ever built, but that displacement seems quaint now. At 1 time, a 454 cubic-inch small-block was considered astounding. Now CFE will waste you 1 astatine 600. 

To get insane power, though, we can't trust connected measurement alone; we must move to forced induction. If you're a purist who says that a existent small-block Chevy V8 is based connected nan original creation pinch its 23-degree valve angles, you tin still bask insane power. The highest horsepower build we've seen of what tin inarguably beryllium called a "Chevy small-block" is 1 from Steve Morris Engines that produces 2,000 hulked-out stallions. But if you tin flex your meaning to see LS engines, you tin climb moreover higher.

Now, we've not seen an LT build spell higher than 2,000 hp, moreover though Scoggin Dickey sewage a people aspirated 440 cube LT to 837 hp. But Ron and Matt Hutter of Hutter Performance built an LS-based resistance motor utilizing CFE Racing's LSFusion block, resulting successful an unbelievable 3,000 hp. And ACE Racing Engines' Sefan Rossi claims nan company's billet 427 LS could grip northbound of 3,500 horses (pictured above). 

If you cognize of a higher equine LS aliases LT build, I'm each ears.