Blue Print Engines gives UPDATE on LS 4 Cylinder 

My 94 s10 been sitting in the barn since 2023 waiting on this unit

1987 S10 long bed...... that's what I would put it in ....

For anyone that is seriously considering this and doesnt want to wait. Look into the Mercruiser 470, its an aluminum block 3.7l 4 banger that runs a ford 460 head.

This would be a great Fiero swap engine and would lovecto get my hands on one

Inline 6 LS would go crazy

The 3.6 engine block has been in use for years. It's the Orion industrial engine. It currently uses a Ford 351 Windsor head.

Replacement for The hurricane 4 In my 1958 Willys CJ3B

This would be awesome for so many applications.

When I saw this motor for the first time and read the stats. It's an LS motor. 3.6 l. I simply applied the same calculation. I applied to all all motors. I figured out how much air you could move through the thing because that determines the horsepower motors are just air pumps 3.6* 61* 8,000/3456 If you can make a full size LS spin to 8000 RPMs you can definitely make a half size LS do it too At those specifications that I just gave you which is cubic inches* RPMs and then divide by the standard, this motor moves 508 cubic feet of air per minute. A standard hot rod motor has to move about 1.35 CFM to make a horsepower. An IndyCar motor is closer to 1.0 CFM to make a horsepower. If you go to things like the old old 1988 trans Am, it's more like 2.8 CFM to make a horsepower But modern-day hot rod motors, if you sit there and do the math on every Dyno run you see average about 1.35 CFM and then if they have compression Ant a high lift cam you can get it closer to 1.28 So this motor with the proper cam and RPM is perfectly capable of making that 340 horsepower naturally aspirated don't even need the turbo But a good turbo on this thing and it would be a monster Also, I am very well aware that CFM per horsepower is usually not a reference point that people use. It was simply the metric that I started with years ago watching dynamometer runs and calculating out how much air they were moving to acquire that power

If the block was Aluminum i could see ppl in the light sport an experimental avation world being highly interested in the turbo version with so much power at low rpm. Kinda depends on what the primary and secondary imbalance vibrations are like tho, from what i understand.

This engine in a Chevette would be BRUTAL

Appreciate you digging for answers. The only way this happens is if someone else does it. Would love to put this in my Fiero, 'modern' SD4 build

Got an '87 S-10 "Zimmer" that needs the 2.8L V6 swapped out. I can totally see a turbo 4-banger in there.

1972 Vega GT with shortened 12 bolt.

I've got an '86 toyota pickup, and a '92 sonoma that I'd LOVE to swap this engine into!! Head studed, fire ringed and boosted to hell for the sonoma and slightly more mild turbo application for the 4x4 yota hell ya brother! Gimme Gimme!!!

There’s a entire market out there for industrial applications…

I am still wanting / waiting for this engine ! Lets go.

Blueprints sister company origin sells this for industrial use already it's lower horsepower though

If this engine is actually produced I would love to put a turbo version in a conquest tsi as a sleeper

That really is a nice looking Duke. The torque numbers are hard to believe.

Man this would be a bread and butter engine if people had a finished product. This is perfect for jeeps Camaros S10 even some JDM.

K20 and K24 engine swaps are hot right now. An alternative like this would be good, depending on the price. Less electronics? It's not like working on electronics nowadays are some kind of esoteric skill, people have been working with Honda ECUs and VTEC since the 90s

I would love to have one of these in my 89 jeep YJ. Currently a 2.5 L four-cylinder. So the four-cylinder swap makes sense to me. More HP please!

Definitely looking forward to them releasing this engine as it will allow my project to be possible to race in IFO (import face off), PFI events, or the king of drag racing events WCF (World Cup Finals)

I’d drop it in my 6-speed Honda Fit if possible. 😎

Early 90s s10 blazer.

Man this would be perfect in my 1989 Volvo 740 wagon. It’s in the spirit but with more displacement.

Tons of potential. Can’t wait to see it made available.

Aftermarket 22R-EFI Turbo? Yes, please.

500ft.lbs. at 1800?!?! That's what most large generators turn. That thing would be a beast in a home generator.

Be a very cool marine turbo power plant

I want to put it in a first gen ranger or first gen 4 runner because it would be so delightful to annoy the purists and would go great for lifting those and dealing with bigger tires.

If I was an off roader easily put it what ever Jeep or other 4x4 I had . Relatively light, twist like a big block even at 10,000 feet, 1/2 the fuel or better, simple to work on… plenty of room to fit it in. Yeah would probably like it at a less shaky 2.5 liters and settle for 350 ft lbs of torque and 225 HP but a 5k redline. I think there’s plenty of potential even in 2.5 l. Doesn’t the new Acadia run pretty close to that displacement and the 4 cyl Bronco is like a 2.3.. I think both of those with turbos are around 275 300 hp and again if you look at engines from the 80’s 1 ton trucks were running big blocks with similar numbers and pulling 10k lbs trailers so plenty of juice for a 4x4 😀. A 2.5 with a 6500 redline might be an awesome rally or autocross engine especially in an aluminum block!

Let's be honest, with the way the laws around cars are changing, if it's not out by the middle of 2025, it's never getting made. It's only unique parts would be Block, inlet manifold and Crank, so would be super easy to get other parts for. As for what to put it in, a Holden Torana would be ideal, same with a early '80's RWD Corolla, Holden Gemini, '70's Ford Capri, every light duty pickup ever, Baja trucks and buggies, hillclimb cars, and if the block is Aluminium, small aircraft and boats - it'd be absolutely wicked powerful in the 3/4 sized carbon fibre P51 Mustang from Titan Aircraft.

I wanna hear this lil monster

Less electronics than a K series? How so? Doesn't it still need all the same sensors any other fuel injected turbo 4 cylinder is gonna need? I mean yeah a K series is gonna have a lot of emissions stuff, but if you're building one for a performance application you're not going to use any of that. It's going to have a standalone ECU with all the same sensors this 4 cylinder LS would need.

This 4 cylinder would be perfect installed in my 1980 international scout terra (392 4 speed current) with 4l60 overdrive transmission. The 392 smokes bad and by itself the 392 outweighs a sbc 700r4 combination. Lol. Thats crazy heavy. I've been thinking of possibly swapping my terra to independent front suspension and making it a 2wd roadster with a big block chevy auto overdrive or tremec 6 speed. I'd probably just build a chassis to swap the body onto that way I could always swap it back to a 4x4 scout terra top to bottom. Just something I'm kicking around thanks for the great content. Keep em coming

"We finally have news!" ... "There is no news."

I hope this makes it to local oval track racing

I could see this possibly being used as a resto mod engine for antique gas tractors maybe. The bottom end was from an airport tractor design.

This engine would be great for compact builds.

I have a 2000 K2500 ex Forest Service truck with a 5.7 Vortec that guzzles gas. It spends it's days tooling around the mountains of Idaho under 30 mph. I would love something better than 12 mpg.

I have more fun working on a small 4 cylinder engine than a V8. It would be a nice weekend project.

Aside from my Fiero GT needing a new engine, I think building a S-10, Colorado, Blazer or Tahoe with one set up as a generator to power a small battery back and 2-4 motors would be cool, with the ability to feed power to a house or w/e for emergencies and what not.

Aluminum block would be great,all the samurai guys,jeep guys and even buggy builds would have another swap option

If it's viable, it's got more demand potential than the back burner can provide. Just my opinion. Thanks for the investigation and report

I would love to take and use that engine for a tube chassis mid engine sports car with a flipped Porsche transaxle. Light weight with enough HP to make it fun and affordable.

In a lightweight car, a 250hp variant would do just dandy. And still be reasonable reliable.

They should make a cross-plane crank so that it will have a V8 like sound and it may be better balanced than huge I4s without a balance shaft are. If they could go 4.125"x4.125" or 4.125"x4.25" or 4.185"x 4.125" or 4.185" x 4.25" that would be really exciting as an N/A engine 350hp or more with one of those Blue Print rec port LS heads shouldn't be a problem at all, Richard Holdner got 700hp from a 468ci stroker with a factory 823 head.

Having did a bit of digging, the 340hp-500lbft figures are with boost at 1800 rpm. Under design by blueprint engines using an origin block.

Hopefully after all the r&d costs it's still remains cheaper than their V8 options or else it seems kind of irrelevant. A compact naturally aspirated version is the only thing that makes sense to me since if you're looking for additional power and needing extra space for a turbo and intercooler, you may as well just get one of their V8 options that already exist. At the end of the day, if it's actually based on an LS4, all I really want is that custom engine block and crankshaft (and maybe oil pan) then I can just put off the shelf LS4 parts in it (conrods, pistons, cylinder head, cam, etc) and build it out however I want.

I wonder if they do put it in to production if they'll offer it as a tall deck version. Maybe even an inline 6 cylinder variant.

My matrix needs an engine, this would be perfect

It would be almost moronic to compare this motor to a Honda k series. Not even close to the same animal. This is a hugely powered low rpm tractor motor. This is diesel numbers in a gas motor. This is the coolest swap for smaller utility trucks and SUVs without the 4bt weight. I want this for my Jeep

Making 4 identical Miata track cars for events is what I'd use this for. Telling me I could get parts of the shelf due to it being LS and it's a smaller form factor. Hell yes

the main problem of this high displayment 4 banger is that the vibrations are crasy, they will destoy the engine if they are not balance correctly and for this reason i thinks it is a low priority proyect. It requeires a lot of money and really good engeniering to make it realibale, beacuse you are not going to buy an engine that it going to destoy itself in the first 2000 miles.

Huge upgrade for the 2 door chevy tracker 2.0l, give it the herspur it always deserved with a real chevy engine to match the badge.

My dad converted a 400 small block into a 4 cylinder that made over 300 hp and turn 9000 RPM. He got the plans from Smokey Yunick… That was in late 70’s

If that’s the same rectangle port head found on the ls3 and ly6, that motor should easily make 300hp NA at pretty reasonable RPM.

If it's basically a iron Duke with a ls rec port head then why hasn't anyone else just done it. The low rpm high tq they are quoting makes it ideal for many applications, mostly industrial. It needs more rpm and then the hp numbers would be more ideal for a performance application.

My 88 Mitsubishi Pajero SWB is ready for this.

It's an interesting idea, especially for the S10 swappers, but... to be honest though, if I could stroke my 2.2 to 2.5 and do some other basic massaging and get 150hp and decent torque NA, that would be on the books first. That little thing's been giving me 120hp (or less) for the last 340,000 miles and is rarely less than "adequate", and that's all I want. Then again I'm weird enough to occasionally think about a 3 liter (circle track) Iron Duke in a 30's roadster or a model T runabout with a G10 in it. Yes, that G10, the Geo Metro (suzuki) 1.0 3 cylinder.

Early jeep, all the old small pickup trucks, Ford model a. With that kind of power and torque it will move most anything.

I have an FD Rx7 I bought as a rolling shell. I would love to put a turbo version of this in it!

I would do a boost caboose build on this with a 4.3 V6. Supercharger this one with a centrifugal supercharger, pipe the air from it to the 4.3 V6 with a turbo, then pipe the turbo from the 4.3 into the ls 4 cylinder and probably stick it in a PT Cruiser.

If it delivered the numbers being speculated, it would be an animal in a small mid engine setup like an older MR2 or Fiero

I'll believe it when i see it.

That would be awesome in my 36 Plymouth.

I’d be tempted to put one of those in my 1969 Chevelle Malibu Sedan. But I’ll probably rebuild the stock 307 V8 first.

we’re living in a timeline with an ls 4cyl and a v8 k series lol i think it’s appropriate to put the LS in a civic and the v8 K in a corvette

If only Edlebrock actually released the cross flow jeep 4.0 head they teased years ago. That would be the aftermarket performance killer with millions of blocks out there.

I want one for my 86 Tin Top Samurai.... Low end torque in a gas engine

This would be a game changer.

It would make a good boat engine, good engine for a chevy Luv or S10, or a concrete pump.

I need one it will go in my impreza so fast

I got an S10 2.2 that really needs this sooo bad.

My 2000 s10 5 speed is drooling over that with hungry eyes and cash in hand

I can't believe people still calling this engine a LS based when the block is a Ford block.

I got a pontiac sunfire i would loto drop this in. Also a pontiac fiero would be great for this

I'd just love a 4 cylinder that gives lightweight and offenhauser like sound. I guess if it had to be GM this would be very cool engine for a old solstice of sky

I'd love a mopar version b/rb/or hemi based b/rb would be awesome for those of us who like old school carbureted builds, hemi for those that like new school hot rod engine building

I'd love to put this in my s13. Also curious do you think since it's ls based we would see it at ls fest one day?

Blueprint I hope you read the comments if I remember correctly, it had an LS3 style head, but I also thought you had a hemi head version which would be fantastic because of the flow dynamics of the head. I think it would be fantastic for many reasons, jeeps rat, rods, little hot rods even full size trucks open your forethink for a turbo, charging pro, charging fuel injection and carbureted. I understand this is a back burner thing for you, but honestly, the possibilities could be endless because the Cummins 4BT Has gotten very pricey

Na or Nb Miata would be amazing. Even naturally aspirated.

I'd love to design and build a mid engine sports car chassis for it, with a six speed manual.

Perfect for dirt track racing

If there were a NA version and the output was suffecient, I'd build a generator in the 40KW range with the low RPM for many hours capability it should have and run it on propane at my farm. Yeah, I know not flashy, but I don't have a smaller truck than a 1 ton. I would assume there are great automotive applications for the turbo version.

My '87 S-10; short cab, short bed, 4cly, 4-speed, manual steering, manual brakes, non-air, all original down to the air cleaner wing nut truck would be perfect the home for the LS 4cyl. She weighs 2,470 with the iron duke/Izuzu trans combo and 3/4 tank of fuel.

Swap this into UTV’s, fit between the wheels but more reliable possibly

If they make the thing relatively affordable, it'll be a circle track killer. I'll take inexpensive for a CJ-5 project right now.

By the way, Smokey took a stock Iron Duke, put a small supercharger on it with a turbo, stock fuel system with a bit more pressure and the stock HEI ignition system with a bit of tweak and made 250 hp with over 350 ft pounds of torque and not a single peep of ping or knock. That was on a used, over 75k mile, Iron Duke with the stock head. Guess someone had to finally figure out how to get a better Iron Duke and they just might have done so. Kudos! Now get it out as a kit or assy and let's get on the road with it.

Seems like they would have it atleast running. Pipe dream maybe

Big 4 cylinders don’t typically rev high enough to really make horsepower. It’d be good on torque, but so would a smaller engine with a blower. For the cost and hassle might as well just do the V8 swap. Funny thing is the 4cylinder would probably be harder to fit since it’s standing straight up and would be tall.

This in a Miata or Lotus Elise would be amazing. An S-10 would be great too. Could have one swap for work and the other for fun.

Perfect replacement for alot of boats All that low end torque

Catterham or as a conversion engine in an older British sports car or maybe a mind boggling upgrade in a Model A Ford.

Shove the engine in a 1976 Buick Skylark. The origional V6 engines always blow up!

I wish they’d hurry up. I mean all they’d have to do is recast the iron duke with a deck surface that matched the LS head. That should be easy for a foundry. Come On!

Going into my Chevy Colorado ASAP.

Many applications for this motor... OffRoad, dune buggies, hunting rig, overlander... I'd put it in a full size Chevy 4x4 just to have a woods cruiser... I don't need a V8, I don't pull huge trailers or equipment, but I'd like more a more torquey motor than the 2.4 turbo Chevy is putting in trucks now