LT1 vs SBC What’s the Difference? 

You know it's truly mind boggling when so many so called "EXPERTS" don't even know half of what you described in the video. Good job of "splainin" the not so subtle differences between a 90's LT-1 and a SBC. Like you I have owned both (I still have my 70 Vette 350 with the Aluminum Heads that was a special order only package I believe in the 70 SS Chevelle don't quote me on that I could be wrong, I know where mine came from because my wife and I cut it from a wrecked Corvette in a Salvage Yard in Nebraska and the odometer on the Vette read just over 1400 miles and when we tore down the Engine to inspect it it looked just like new inside...the original factory crosshatch in the Cylinders and the lack of Carbon deposits on the Piston tops and Combustion Chambers of the GM Aluminum Heads was all we needed to see.) We did pull the pan and inspect every rod and main bearing set but they also showed really no wear at all so we put all new gaskets and swapped out the factory cam and lifters for a much better one and we just this last summer put 75,000 miles on the Engine since we put it in our Street/Strip 72 Rally Nova that we restored to it's good as new condition a couple of years ago. The only difference in it is the drive train....the engine of course, and the M-22 close ratio original Muncie Rock Crusher with face plated gear set that comes complete with the 2nd generation of the original Mr.Gasket in line Vertical Gate Shifter, a twin disc clutch, Blow proof Steel bell housing, After market Custom Drive Shaft, And complete Moser built 12 bolt GM rear Differential with 4:10 gears and we re did the back half for a full frame job and wheel Tubs to accommodate the Micky Thompson rear tires and wheels....it's a pro street car that runs legit 9.50s in the 1/4 mile on one shot of juice....we can spray 2 shots but that puts us into the 8.90 class and that's just too much for a little old street car that still is a real honest street car.

@@IRONHORSE427RACING what started all this was that the LT-1 and LT1 or Chevy small bock are not all small blocks not what fits or doesnt etc etc or what is better or where the wires or distributer or coil go i have my battery in the trunk does that make my engine into a turbine or an airplane you lost me with your story lol lol lol end of the day they are small blocks you are right so mind boggling how much so called experts know lollol lol

@@mauricioiaz.1044 We agree to disagree. I say you build something on your channel and actually contribute to the car community. Stop typing and start building.

Regardless, the Lt1 and Lt4 ARE 2nd generation small blocks. There's no getting around that.

@@TPVPRO how does a head not fitting make an engine no longer part of a family that the creators say it belongs to. That's like saying that because my mkiv heads wouldn't fit an a mk1 348 or 409 means that a 396/ 402 or 427 or 454 aren't big blocks. An lt1,4 and 5 are all sbc. They are just part of the second generation. And while there are idiots that say all SBC are the same and there wrong you cant change the fact that it is undeniably genuine small block chevy

I blame GM for using the same code 3 times.

The reuse the same code quite a bit, but YEARS apart. If you now how to filter your search, and know what you are looking for, its not that bad.

when i hear LT1 i think of that damn optispark..

Don't forget about the 454 in the Chevelle's being called the "LS6"...

People forget or just don't know the 1970-1/2 camaro could be ordered with a hot 350 called an lt1. There were also ls5 and ls6 engines in chevelles and you could order an ls7 for racing. All were 454ci unlike the gen 3 corvette engines.

So if someone asked you what you had in a 1996 Camaro,you'd tell them it' a 350 small block? They may not know what the car came with,they may not know what size engines they put in them,so if you tell someone that it's a SBC then you are ignorant.

@@rollin19 I say "it's just like a small block chevy with a few oddities like fuel injection and reverse cooling" If they're a gearhead themselves and they want to know more, I'll tell them more like the optispark etc and how reverse cooling helps.

It's a SBC in the sense that it's a small-block and it's a Chevy engine.. so you are technically correct. (the best kind of correct). But it's also like saying your Silverado has part time "all wheel drive." As in, you can put it in a mode where all the wheels are driven wheels. It's like... Well, _yes,_ but there's a way to make that much less ambiguous with a little colloquialism...

@@nthgth Big difference IMO. Your silverado is 4 wheel drive with selectable rear wheel drive. LT1 and SBC use the same heads (if drilled for reverse or standard flow cooling), same crank, rods, pistons, oil pan, valve train, ....intake can work on either. Same bolt pattern for the headers/exhaust manifolds. Really the only differences are: Reverse cooling. The LT1 does not have the boss on the block for a mechanical fuel pump, though I don't think other late small blocks like the L98 or Vortech had it either. Those are the only real differences. Everything else can be swapped interchangeable between them, but you can't always mix and match, ie you can't mix LT1 and gen 1 SBC accessories.

Actually, that is incorrect my good sir. The gen 1 LT1 is 70-72 Gen 2 is 92-97 and gen 3 is 2013- current.

I mean, the engines are produced decades apart. And they are not names, LT1 LS1 etc are codes.

Talk to Chrysler about their HEMI or Ford's new 5.0 for the Mustang.

I think you have the names and liters confused

@@peterdarr383 we difference the ford by saying 5.0 DOHC / modular or 5.0 Pushrod (OLD STYLE)

Youre not really that smart are you. Very low in the Iq level for car world.

They were always categorized by generation. The original SBC is a GEN 0. After 1986ish, they are GEN I. The 92-27 LT1s, as was briefly mentioned in this video are GEN II. However "vortec" engines that were made into the 2000s are still GEN I engines. The LS1 and related engines, GEN III. There area GEN IV series of LS engines as well. The current "LT" based engines are GEN V. Its really not that difficult. The big kicker is, they are ALL SMALL BLOCK CHEVY engines lol.

Josh... you are so right! This guy is a joke. I would hate to let this guy come near my car. I only watched 1/4 of this video, pushed pause and headed straight for the comments to see who was closer to being correct. But, he does mention this video is based off his opinion. And like axxxxxxs, everybody has one.

didnt watch vid lmao

ya cuz every sbc has a opti spark right ? lmao

way too loud

Actually it was 4.4 inches up till the LS, which was designed using CAD in metric measurements and it isn't exactly 4.4 inches. It's effectively the same though.

@@taylorc2542 So what is the bore spacing then? 4.400 is equal to 111.76mm. Did GM go to 112mm (4.409). Or did they go down to 111.5mm which would be 4.390. That's close to heresy as it is close to a Ford SB. I can't see the design engineers using odd metric figures as let's face it. Engineers are as lazy as everybody else. SBF 4.380 Infinity V-8 112mm And if we just go by bore centers a Chevy inline 6 is 4.400

Bore spacing is a dumb reason to consider things the same engine or not. And anyway, from Gen III on it's been the _GM_ small block, not Chevy.

The block is a sbc 350 block with different valve train and reverse cooling.

@@jekinneys it's a different block, extra coolant ports for the heads and different front casting for the cam driven water pump and optispark

The one thing I don't like is the boss for the mechanical fuel pump is gone. Not because I want to run a mechanical fuel pump, but because I wanted to run an A/C bracket, but it uses those holes.

You are talking about variations of the SBC, just the details differ. You can swap crankshafts, rods and pistons most valve gear and more. Some parts require ingenuity for a Hot Rodder to swap, but that's what it's all about!

Samuel Plaunty And the original 1970 LT1 was simply a hot 350 ci small-block Chevy. And the new one is a direct-injected and otherwise improved LS.

This would lead me to believe you've never assembled a bottom end. (or looked at head design and flow numbers)

@@yzScott truth

@@yzScott the heads are literally aluminum vortec heads.

Come on man! Really

Mine does too! 94"

Gen 1s got one piece rear mains also

Tick Performance has the LT1 back on the map. “Misunderstood motors” That’s a great way to describe the LT1.

@@TPVPRO Yes,I loved them when I ran mine in a 95 Impala ss, I still have my 96 ss and the OEM LT1,hey Tyler I am from Maryland too,as a matter of fact I was born in Dorchester County Maryland! I live in NC now,love your content!

Love the Grubbworm!

BEST ANSWER OF ALL BRIAN! It is just another evolution of the SBC. I bet many guys don’t realize that a stock 1986 up 305 crank is the closest in weight to an stock LT1 gen 2 sbc. Now what are totally different animals are the LS series up and are no way small block chevys. Completely different family tree.

I wish I could give this response 2 thumbs up! :)

@@eddielt1sl same family tree they are all considered gm corporate motors gen 1 and 2 are just considered the sbc gm corporate motors which is a fuck load of confusing mumbo jumbo for gm wants to confuse you

Hard to argue against that

By his logic a gen III LS and gen IV LS arent the same family. I dont understand...so what it has reverse flowing coolant for the heads, so what its tbi...the parts still fit in each other, which denote a familial relationship.

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--QNP08FwD0g.html

My factory opti still going strong with 218k miles. I took it out at 180k because i was replacing the water pump seal and I replaced the cap and rotor while i was at it. It still runs the original optical sensor!

If you changed five Optispark's on your LT1 then you wasted your money. Optispark's are dead nuts reliable and typically last well over 300,000 miles. Try checking your negative ground connection or replacing your spark plug wires next time.

Amazon mullet hat it should come right up.

I don't know too much about the Opti, but my buddy is making one work on a SBC for a turbo build using a MegaSquirt or Hallteck can't remember EFI system. But he does talk about the resolution being really good.

@@TPVPRO well it's one of the only systems that petty much sees the entire cam.

He wouldnt know how to do the big blocks that is a trail of how did gm fuck up the mark 4 block

Lol 😆

Frank Cox did you even watch the video

@@MegaMustangkiller what's the point of your Channel? You don't even have any content.

Me 2. 24x kit on a 96z28 and an F1 Procharger.

When you say cpu u mean the ecu? That’s interesting I’ve never thought of that. I was pondering on mod a sbc holly efi sheet metal intake to fit an lt1. Idk why the ls sounds so much different but I’m not a fan when compared to the sbc Ik they CAM make more power but I won’t be spending 15k to find out lol 450-500 on motor with a few kits for track action and I’m good. Well with the price of cheap China turbos maybe now is the time to test drive one

@@brandonharze2133 you can get LS Gen 3 computer to fit the LT1 wiring harness. It gets rid of the Optispark with 24x ignition system. Better tuning. Also the SBC has a different firing order than a LS. That's why I think it sounds better.

@@StickShiftMuscle righhhht! I didn’t think about firing order! I’m guessing the ls is more efficient but damn that only things beat the sound of a cammed small block with the right exhaust is a cammed rat with the right exhaust and man don’t get me started on adding in a slight blower whine wheeeeeew more to life than just power ie sound and TORQUE CURVE BABY

@TPVPRO