I had a 93 z28 and i sadly sold it as i felt the temp design wasn't conducive to engine life!!!
I knew that these lt1-s were designed with econmy and emissions tests in mind!!!
I only had 80 k miles on mine but i felt the engine longevity was design compromised for long engine life!!!!
Question is this, are the LS-1s just as head gasket failure prone as the lt-1's are were?
I still like f bodys and am considering replacing my 220,000 mile mustang 5.0 with either an LS-1 or and LT-1 z, or t.a,
I know the engine is also half way under the hood for handling ,but i don't look forward to work on it and im sure the costs are high considering all the labor for nearly anything?
sTILL LS-1'S and lt-1's are priced competitivly .
Comments questions, experiences ect all apreciated thanx

 

No...

 

I've never heard of nor seen anyone blow a head gasket on an LS1.

 

I have.......most blown head gaskets are cause by something else anyway....

Not really anything to worry about.

 

I've never heard of LS1s or LT1s having a problem w/ head gaskets. Even w/ reverse flow cooling that was more prone to hot spots the LT1 has shown itself to be just as reliable as the SBC. Which it should be, since the overall design was pretty much the same. The LS1 has problems w/ gaskets under heavy pressure thanks to the 4 bolt pattern, but it's not that big of a deal, it's not like it's the only one. Turbo 4 cylinders seem to be the most gasket failure prone as far as factory engines are concerned.

And working under the cowl is just something you get used to, IMO. Only thing that stinks is that I don't think the Kenne Bell blower setup will fit under it...

 

LS1s and LT1s for that matter are no more prone to head gasket failure as your Ford 5.0L. The only way you're going to have a head gasket failure is by cooling system neglect, poor build practices (not factory builds), or by overboosting.

If you think the LT1s cooling system is flawed, you're misinformed.

And once some of the emissions systems have been removed like AIR, working on the engines that are half under the cowl isn't all that bad.

 

ny 220,000 mile 5.0 never even gets to half way on the temp gauge,the lt-1 i had a 93 would be climbing back and forth all the time near to the red the fan worked too just i know ran warmer than this 5.0 as this fan is running all the time a mechanical one.

 

The gauge in your Ford is trash, a basically a dummy gauge as it does not show any actual temperature. If the temperature fluctuated on your LT1, see the part where I mentioned cooling system neglect in my previous post.

So because your LT1 had a fluctuating coolant temperature gauge you believe that the LT1s cooling system design is flawed??

 

wrong its a gauge no diff than the zzzzzzzzzz cept it never gets close to overheating the red like th z did!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

cause the z has to get up to 234* or so before the fans cut on.....

If you don't like it running so hot(and I don't) get a tune to lower fan temps and install a 160* t-stat. That will help.

Manual fans keep things pretty cool all the time......Plus the mustang being a ford it is going to run better anyway. Since fords are better vehicles

 

xactly

 

 

Yes, and manufacturers have desensitized guages on some models because people freak out when they see the normal temp fluctuations. My temp guage in my 00 SS is always under 200*.

To me it sounds like your Lt-1 had some cooling maintenance issues that were ignored instead of fixed. There is more to a cooling system than fans being on.

Actually, the engine is totally under the hood just like any other car. It is only partially under the cowl. Have you even really looked under a hood of a 4th gen F-body? No, it isn't that difficult to work on. You just have to access some things from below. No, it doesn't cost anymore to have it worked on than any other car. Labor costs will be the similar. In comparison with the few things I paid a mechanic to do on my 70 SS vs. my 00 SS there isn't really much of a difference in labor. I tend to DIY.

 

wow....it's pretty clear that not only do you not know much about Camaro's, vehicle cooling systems, and LT-1s and LS1's. Do everyone a favor and stick with a Mustang

 

If you're having temperature issues with little resolution, your radiator is probably bad. If it's 14 years old and hasn't been replaced, it's probably time to replace it. Mine went bad in my LT1 car after about 6 years and 74000 miles.

Mike