GM had a reason for designing the new intake for the LS1. Now im wondering if the design only helps out on the 12 degree heads or if it would be beneficial to any motor with any type of heads?
Does anyone no if it is made out of a composite plastic or aluminum? Becuase I thought it was made out of a plastic, but then I went to a Comp Cams meeting here in Memphis and they were talking on there new LS1 manifold and how it made more power over any of the others becuase of its material?

If I remember the article in the car mags a month or two ago, it was composite....

YES- here's the link:
http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/50638/

Wrong one SORRY, try this one:
http://www.motorsportscenter.com/printer_355.shtml

Do ya think that it is the overall design of teh intake or just the use of plastic material which cuts down on the intake air temps....

It's both, material and runner design!!

Funny thing though when I think about it is that Chevy has went back to the older smaller bore/longer stroke motors that everybody used to make way back when!!

They are finally trading a big bore/short stroke high winding, high hp motor that has that "oh my God, I'm going too fast" feeling for one that just takes off and pushes you back in the seat with not much fanfare like all the older, longer/stroked smaller bored motors used to do!!

Think about this for a bit..

ARE they actually going backwards???? AND the advertising department trying to convince us that it's newer and so better to get us to spend our hard earned money on it?? You remember they didn't want to put sleeves in the Vega aluminum 4-banger b/c it cost too much, but they are putting them in this motor!!!!

IMHO, they are finally making grunt motors so why didn't they keep the old design in the first place b/c it could have created great grunt too??

As alway's jmho, and all I'm trying to do is get you to think about all this stuff....

pdq67

You can say the small bore long stroke is an old idea, and it is going back the 70's smog engines. But Chevy came up with the LS1 bore stroke after many many hours of research. Trying to find perfect combo for power, emmission, mileage, and longevity. It's one of the reasons the torque curve is so flat on the newer motors.

Old idea but cutting edge technology.

Later
Steve

Maybe the reason for the bigger bore engines had something to do with the valve train. Everyone says you can't run big valves on a 305 because of the tiny bore, i think this is a big reason for the 350 running so much better performance wise. the valves are unshrouded some more so you can get higher lift and more duration without problems. fastfoward to now, the LS1 has a completely different head than the Gen I and II SBC, so maybe this allows them to use a better valvetrain in a smaller bore, and making up for the difference bore by adding more stroke. So you get torque and a well designed valvetrain. Kind of reminds me of the SBC 400 and the BBC 396. The 396 has a better valvetrain design for making power, but a smaller bore, and a slightly bigger stroke. Hehe, they also have 4 cubes difference, like the 350 is 4 cubes bigger than the LS1. wow, weird coincidnece.

Please take the time to look back at the '50's V-8's and you will see what I mean.

AND as for small bore, small sized motors being limited, you never drove an old Stude 232 or 254 V-8!!!

pdq67

And check out the valve angles on that obsolete (designed by Cadillac in 1948) Stude V8 engine. How about 12 degrees. Gave the ports a straighter shot at the valves! graemlins/thumbsup.gif

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Jon N.

"Those who grant sympathy to guilt grant none to innocence" Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged, 1957

Now thats what I'm talking about, i love teh LS1 design, i belive the narrow oval shape intake port is one of teh major components of teh flat torque curve, its almost as if tehy took a big block oval head and redesigned it...

dyno jonn,

If I have my story right, Kettering designed two Cad. V-8's. A 331" that Cad. ended up with and a 232" that Stude. ended up with!!

And I think I remember that their water pumps are interchangable, but may be wrong here??

I do know their water pumps look almost identical!!

pdq67