The water pump shaft is a common failure point for the pump itself and the water pump gasket is a common leak spot. On the LS1 both failed water pump and water pump leaks are common. The water pump is responsible for circulating coolant throughout the engine to prevent overheating. Water pumps are the most crucial component of the LS1’s cooling system.
Here is a good article on how to choose the right piston ring seals. we recommend going with a set of upgraded piston seals. If you are rebuilding your LS1 or upgrading pistons, etc. On track or race engines, the acceptable range is within the 2%-5%. We recommend replacing the seals once you are around the 15% range which is when the performance issues will start to be more prevalent. Leakdown numbers of 10%-12% are generally acceptable for street engines. The best way to test the extent of the seal failure is to do a leakdown test. However, we don’t always recommend this option as replacing the seals is quite expensive and requires a lot of the engine to be taken apart. The only way to resolve the problem is to replace the seals. Rough idling, lack of acceleration, poor performanceīad ring seals is very common on LS1 engines as is piston slap which we will cover later on.When the piston seals wear fuel and oil leaks into the crankcase which is eventually passed back through the intake system via the PCV valve. Ultimately, when the ring seals go bad excess oil will seep into the cylinder causing oil consumption and blow-by. The rings come with very tight ring end gaps from the factory and the additional heat caused by extra horsepower can cause the end gaps to close. While they are sub-par on stock engines, modded LS1’s are a lot more likely to run into these issues. These rings on the LS1 are known to deteriorate quicker than normal.
The seals maintain the cylinder compression and also reduce blow-by and help keep the combustion chamber free of oil by scraping and sending the oil back to the crankcase.Įach LS1 piston uses 4 seals, a 1.2mm combustion ring, a 1.5mm seal, and two 2.8mm oil rings. Piston ring seals sit within the piston head and seal together the piston and the cylinder wall. Brake Rotors (not engine related but noteworthy problem).1998-2002 Pontiac Firebird (Formula & Trans Am).Availability of LS1 engines and performance parts makes them common candidates for engine swaps into all sorts of cars. The LS1 was also built and used in Australia in Holden vehicles where it reached power levels of up to 400bhp and 405lb-ft of torque.īuilt with an all aluminum block the lightweight nature and strength of the engine make the LS1 a popular engine for performance modification, capable of producing significant power with simple bolt-on modifications. Most prominently used in the Chevy Corvette and Camaro, the LS1 produced 345-350hp and 350-365lb-ft. While the LS1 shares the same displacement, engine sizing, and rod bearings as the LT1 it was otherwise a freshly designed engine. It’s the successor to the 5.7L Gen II LT1 engine which produced up to 305hp and 340lb-ft. The LS1 is part of the “Gen III” small-block V8 engine family which also includes the LS6 as well as the 4.8, 5.3, and 6.0 Vortec engines. That’s just what our Speedmaster™ guideplate sets do, they are made from 5140 Chromoly steel, nitrided and black oxide coated for corrosion and wear resistance.The Chevy & GM LS1 engine is a 5.7L small-block V8 engine produced from 1997 until 2004. You need guideplates to keep your pushrods from deflecting under high-rpm conditions.Superchargers, Centrifugal Style Head Units.Throttle Return Spring and Bracket Kits.Carburetor Metering Blocks, Replacement.Air Filter Assembly Wingnuts & Fasteners.