Hello all. I am looking into buying a LS1. I have owned for 10 years a 95 Z28 and am well versed in the plagues of the engine such as Opti's waterpumps and oil leaks.

My question is does the LS1 have any of said signature trouble? My brother owns a 98 TA, but it is garage kept and has 30K miles.

All I know of them problem wise is the oil consumption. Thanks for reading

 

Ive owned 3 LS1 cars, a 98 SS, 98 C5, and my current 02. But ive never had any oil consumption issues out of any of them. The only thing I could think of is the cold start piston slap, which isnt no big deal and doesnt cause any problems, other than sounding bad in the morning.

 

What got me thinking of that was reading the JEGS catalog and seeing the LSX tune up kit for the low low price of $800 and seeing the 8 coils. Made me wonder but I never read of any issue aside from the oil and blocks blowing up from too much NO2.

 

Aftermarket coils are not cheap, MDS's tune up kit is close to 1k. LS1's are louder (especially valvetrain) compared to LT1's, you may have some piston slap issues which is really no big deal, overall it's a great and reliable engine.

 

LS1 blocks don't ''blow up'' from too much NO2. That's total BS.

 

Bad info. Factory LS coils are fine until you start making BIG power. You can get the LS1 Coils for about 675 @ O'Reilly's if you talk to the right guy.

Blowing up from Nitrous is from a bad tune, or going VERY lean.

 

correct we have a car that runs 9.4 on a 150 shot. stock coils. The biggest problems are nosiy valve train (bothers some but not me lol), oil consumption, and piston slap (which is in the earlier years).

 

I have a 2001 SS with 0ver 113000 on the odometer. No oil consumption problems or any other drivetrain issues. LS1 is a great engine!

 

Oddly enough my 98 has NO piston slap, but my neighbors 02 slaps like an angry woman.

 

I have an '00 never any engine issues, no oil consumption.

 

I have 257,000 on my 1993 Camaro Z28, the heads have never been off the
block, runs great, one opti change and it was actually a bad coil. We bought
a '99 Camaro SS to replace my wifes '95 Camaro Z28 that was totalled at the
start of this year, so I have some insight. IMO the LT1 is a much more stout
engine, more serviceable, and cheaper/common replacement parts. The LS1
makes more power, but good luck getting even the simplest parts. Even the
heater hoses are NLA, the upper radiator hose is hard to find. I had figured it
would have been the opposite since the LT1 had a MUCH shorter run. It also
burns oil, with just 136k on it, thats pretty sad. I have had to replace all the
steering :rack, pump, column, the rear axle was toast, comparitively the '93
with 257k has ALL those original untouched. Her '95 made it to 192k before a
rouge SUV forced us into the center divider. If you like your LT1 car, I would
stick with it, slap a blower on it, or some LT4 parts and call it good.

Tom

 

Most burn a little oil. Some don't, most do.

Most have noisy valvetrain

A good amount have a little bit of piston slap

And the biggest problem of all.... they are a huge money pit

 

What is the cause of the piston slap? I have heard why the oil burning and understand why that is. I thought only diesels do that when cold.

 

I've used the stock coils and MAF on all of my LS1 cars, from the 650hp 408 to the heads/cam 346, to the supercharged 346, and now on the cam-only 346.

Don't believe marketing hype.

There's no problems with these cars, although I'd avoid '01s. Those seem to have the most problems with oil consumption in my experience.

 

At least the Camaros never got the oil leaking LS2!

Tom