I liked my old LT1 low down torque, but, I cant get away from the idea of more horsesup top for pulling power. Can I get both worlds with the LS1?

 

LS1s make more torque everywhere than an LT1. they just peak higher so it feels different.

 

^At WOT, he is right.

But, under normal dirving conditions, low loads, etc., an LT1 DOES feel tourqier.

Ive driven both. And I KNOW mine feels stronger to just drive. Unfortunatly, I KNOW mine feels weaker at redline too ...

 

As stated earlier, LS1's definitely make more torque down low. Add some gears, and you'll REALLY feel it!!

 

remove torque management..

 

Or replace the muffler bearing with one out of an LT1

 

The LT1's make TQ early in the RPM range. About 2800-3200 RPM Peak TQ, then it maintans it. The LS1's have a linear TQ curve, just keeps climbing, until around 5200rpm.

Mine... climbs from 2300....peaks @ 5000rpm it starts falling... gradually... (looking at dyno sheet)

EDIT: Comparing my dyno sheet to one I found on the net, THe LS1's seem to peak early and maintain it better than the LT1... This one was 400 HP...Hmm...

 

Dyno runs are also made at WOT ...

Im telling you, test drive a LT1 car and a LS1 car. To drive, at part throttle, just puttin around town, a LT1 feels alot toquier. There are a million things that could make it feel that way. Under WOT, they feel about the same, until you get close to redline. This is where a LS1 car feels its best.

 

yeah, I've never driven an LT1 car.

I would think, if you cammed or stroked an LS1 it would make a TQy motor.

 

once modified theres really no comparing. stock cube LS1s can see well over 400 ft lbs of torque to the rear wheels. Ive seen a few on ls1tech that beat 430 rwtq (patrick G and allngn_c5 to name two.) you rarely ever see a stock cube LT1 above 400 rwtq.
LS1s are more efficient, but im sure everyone knew that already.


I don't really have a good comparison. Ive riden in 4 f-bodies
my car, stock, with boltons, and the 383.
two friends car, most boltons, but 6 speed
and a 6 speed LS1 with boltons, boltons with 150 shot, and later a 420 rwhp h/c package.

my 383 felt the torqueyest (I cant spell that damnit) of all. of course I had a 3500 rpm stall.
the LS1 seemed to pull further with boltons. with the heads and cam it pulled about even to my firebird with the 383.
the 6 speed LT1s both felt torquier than my car with boltons.

I dont know where im going with this but if you look at dyno charts LS1s look peakier however they generate more torque across the board than an LT1.

 

I think the reason that the LT1's feel faster is in the heads and cam. A stock LS1 cam has a good bit more lift on it than a LT1 does. Also, their heads flow WAY better.

If you bolt on a set of fully ported and polished heads on a otherwise STOCK car, it will loose bottom end TQ for everyday driving. It cant keep the velocity up high enough like the more restrictive stock porting does. This is why an LT1 feels so strong just driving around. But at WOT, the LS1 engine is really taking advantage of the better heads, better cam/valvetrain, and intake.

 

Lower gears, as mentioned, will change all that.

Now just for another comparison, I got to drive an '87 'Vette with the L98 ... it "feels" like a torque monster!

But here's the question:

Do you want to "feel" fast, or "be" fast??

Case closed!

 

Honestly, I'd rather "feel" fast than "be" fast. I drive my car for my personal enjoyment. My personal enjoyment doesn't come out of ego from having a nice/fast car, or beating other cars. It comes out of adrenaline from the experience of driving something that feels very very fast. If I could get that same feeling by cornering at 70mph that I get by cornering at 100mph, I would corner at the slower, safer speed. If I could get the same feeling by driving a turbo charged escort that I get by driving my torque monster, I'd drive the escort and get fewer tickets.. well maybe not, since the escort didn't have power windows.. so it'd be less comfortable to drive, but I think you get my point.

I didn't put gears in my car to be objectively faster, I put them in there because its hella fun to drive a car that can accelerate uphill in 2nd gear by just dumping the clutch at idle with your foot nowhere near the gas pedal (as in 0% tps). It's hella fun to do a wot pull with the cutout open and hear the engine screaming as I go sideways through the first 3 gears before my stock clutch starts slipping (that'll be fixed soon with a centerforce). If my car was AWD, it would be faster, but I'd never go sideways, and I think it'd be a little less fun to drive (unless I could selectively turn off the awd, ala skyline)..

And even with regard to straight line acceleration, if I could be accelerating slower, but feel like I was accelerating faster, I'd pick that option every time.

Just my 0.02.

 

I am the same way, I'd rather FEEL fast than be the fastest. But it just so happens that after I feel fast for a few months I itch for more and I know with my LS1 the high hp bar is raised quite a bit more, AND I dont have the headache of an OPTI woot.

In all honesty though, lower RPM torque motors are more practical for people who like the feel of it more than the high RPM rush. the engine rarely spends its like above 3.5k anyway let alone 5600+ where the LS1 shines with angellic light. I mean I let my car raise past 5500 maybe once every 2 weeks, depending on what f-bod or y-bod is next to me hehe

 

My LT1 felt more.. hmm.. rompy.. hehe thats my word for it.. I attribute it to the auto..

I can make the LS1 feel very similar but usually dont because I know how to drive. Can my LS1 beat my old LT1? ohh yeah. Hands down. Is it a power thing? Nope. My LT1 even had 3.73's and it wouldnt touch my stock LS1..
I honestly feel that the 98-2000 LS1's must feel different from mine though.