How Far Can an LT1 Go?
How Far Can an LT1 Go? In terms of engine life, I mean. Let's assume a properly maintained car that has not been abused...how many miles are you going to get out of the stock motor?
that has so many variables
the motors in the police car and cabbies have gone over 300,000 miles
but you just never know when something stupid like a head gasket will mess everything up there was a guy i dont remember if he was on here or camaroz28.com but he had an lt1 with 260,000 miles on it with a fair amount of beating in its lifetime of which dino oil was used throughout its life and he blew a head gasket and when he tried to restart his motor he bent a rod from hydrolock when he tore it down he showed pictures and there was still the factory hone on the cylinders but i dont remember what the bearings looked like
the motors in the police car and cabbies have gone over 300,000 miles
but you just never know when something stupid like a head gasket will mess everything up there was a guy i dont remember if he was on here or camaroz28.com but he had an lt1 with 260,000 miles on it with a fair amount of beating in its lifetime of which dino oil was used throughout its life and he blew a head gasket and when he tried to restart his motor he bent a rod from hydrolock when he tore it down he showed pictures and there was still the factory hone on the cylinders but i dont remember what the bearings looked like
Got 140k on my lt1 vette and it gets driven like it was stolen. Had a Z28 before that w/ 230k and it was fine. Just change the oil every 3k and keep the rpm's under 5500 and it'll survive.
I bought an off-lease 93 A4, dropped a cheapie B&M shift kit in it, and drove it from 36k to 160k like that. Bolt on car only. Caught 1-2 rubber multiple times really almost every time I drove her. Car spent a good chunk of it's life in Detroit which is about as bad on a car as I think is possible. Also had 3.23's so a little harder on the motor.
At 160k the kid I sold it to put a blower on it till 180k, at which point he decided to do a rebuild to warm over the driveline. It was still running strong, though it did puff a tiny bit of smoke at start up if it had been sitting for a couple days. I miss that car because I think it was blessed somehow.
Having said that, it's impossible to say one motor will go so long. But LT1's are not structurally prone to have trouble and the vast majority of them should safely make it to 150k miles. I'd go out on a limb and say stick cars are certainly more vulnerable to over-revving wear.
At 160k the kid I sold it to put a blower on it till 180k, at which point he decided to do a rebuild to warm over the driveline. It was still running strong, though it did puff a tiny bit of smoke at start up if it had been sitting for a couple days. I miss that car because I think it was blessed somehow.
Having said that, it's impossible to say one motor will go so long. But LT1's are not structurally prone to have trouble and the vast majority of them should safely make it to 150k miles. I'd go out on a limb and say stick cars are certainly more vulnerable to over-revving wear.
