Which is the better engine? I mean, what are some pros and cons of each motor. I'm thinking about upgrading my '95 LT1 to an LT4 instead of buying a LS1 car. Input, please, thanks.

 

The LS1 is techincally superior, but theyre both great engines.

A LT4 is just essentially a heads and cam package on a LT1. Tuned, they make about 300rwhp stock with more torque than the LS1 does. You can go with other heads and cam packages though and make much more power for less money than a LT4 conversion will cost. ie. -Lllyod Eliot LE1 package gives 360-370rwhp for $1100 (you provide your own heads to be ported)

What are your goals for the car? 9 times out of 10 its just cheaper to modify your '95 car than purchase a whole new car.

 

Hmm..I want a car that is AT LEAST as quick as an LS1, but it is still very streetable and possible a "daily driver".

 

If youve already done your bolt ons, you can purchase a cam kit for ~$600, something like a hotcam ($500 kit), cc305, or one of the XE grinds and make ~330rwhp on stock heads, with way more torque than a LS1 car will make. So, if you pay someone to install it, maybe $1000 total for a ~380hp car thats extremly streetable. Streetable meaning good idle, good vacuum and decent gas milage.

I'm not trying to take away from the LS1 any, its definately a superior motor. LS1 guys are making ~50 more horsepower with stock heads than LT1s with similarly sized cams. It just comes at a price. The LS1 is also going to get slightly better gas milage, the car will come with better brakes and of course the updated styling. Theres really no downside to the LS1 except for cost.

Just look at your budget and decide whats for you. If all you seem to want is hte performance though, $1500 in mods is a whole lot cheaper than the $10k youll spring for a new car.

 

Well, my car is completely stock, so, I haven't really "wasted" any money on bolt ons.

 

The LT4 is pretty much just an upgraded version of the LT1 much like the LS6 is to the LS1. There has been a million discusions on which is a better motor. Upgrading seems like it would be the cheapest way to get where you want to be. Steve0 gave some good advice however he is confused about the LT1 having more torque, the LS1 has more torque than the LT1 it just hits it higher in the rpm range.

http://web.camaross.com/forums/showthread.php?t=284737

 

I was comparing LT4 to LS1 torque, not LT1.

http://www.lt4.com/lt4_dyno_runs/joh..._lt4_vette.htm
http://www.lt4.com/lt4_dyno_runs/and..._lt4_vette.htm

Numbers are similar, but the LT4's torque curve is a tad bit beefier.

 

Yeah, and actually a lot of the LS1 "technology" was evident in the LT4.

 

Ls1 is a tad faster w/ a smoother torque curve

 

How is that possible when there 2 completely different engines, no similarities...what a LT4 is/was like said above is basically a LT1 w/ better heads and cam and a few internal upgrades

 

here.

LT-1 vs LT-4 Stats page
http://corvetteactioncenter.com/specs/1996/lt1lt4.html

here is the ls-1 stats page.
http://www.sallee-chevrolet.com/Chev...ckV8s/LS1.html

stats are at the bottom.

Make your own educated decision based on what you see here, prices, availability of parts, etc.

 

"The design from the LT4's head and cams came from the LS1, the LS1 was ready before the Corvette was and goes back to the early 1990's."

 

Where do you get this info from? I dont doubt that the LS1 was in development during the early 90s, but as for them sharing design, thats simply not true. I think the quote should read LT1 instead of LS1... The LT1 cam out in 92 and the LT4 heads are just a better flowing version of them.

Also, both engines only have 1 cam. The LT4 cam is just slightly bigger than the LT1 cam. The cam design is in no way similar to the ls1. The LS1 cam wont even work in a Gen 2 motor for various reasons, most obvious being valve order.

These engines dont share anything in common other than maybe the lifters or something trivial. You are recieving bad information.

 

NOT........................LS1 heads are totally, completely, absolutely, different than any previous small block chevy head, period.

 

"I never said anything about the LS1 and LT4 sharing any acctual parts, however the technology that was designed for the LS1 went into the LT4 motor.

"Sperry's early work on Gen III resulted in the LT4 head. He was able to tweak just a bit more out of a mature design such that LT4 is the high-water mark for production, Small-Block V8 cylinder heads"

Sperry developed the heads for the LS1 motor however Heads similar to the LS1 is what the LT4 has.

"For improved strength, the crank uses the rolled-fillet journals introduced with LT4"

Another bit of technology that was made for the LS1 but went into the LT4 as well.

When I say that the LT4 is a LS1 .7 or soemthing like that I am reffering to the fact that the LT4 used technology that was designed for the LS1. It still had the block, piston, and rods of the LT1."