98 LS1 weakness
I put down 348rwhp/352rwtq with my 98 and just bolt ons. I even had the stock harmonic balancer and stock tune with those numbers. If you ask me, I don't think anything really matters except the the ls6 intake. The heads aren't even worth using as a comparison. The car also had 119k making those numbers and goes 12.5@113 in the 1/4 with just bolt ons. I would say that those are solid proof that a 98 can hold it's own just fine.
I don't know about weaker? On a stock bottom end with a better oil pump I made 420 RWHP at 4lbs with a STS turbo. I then cranked it to 11PSI and left it there for 2 years...I TRIED to kill it.....People watched me try to kill it. I have one 7200 RPM log file....Motor is sitting at my shop, cross marks in cylinders bearings look great 90,000 miles a 1/4 mile at a time. I am gonna put it in something.....
My 98 is still going strong with 86,xxx miles, stock oil pump, stock heads and gaskets, just bolts ons, baby cam and juice shifting at 6500 too many times to count........my buddy with his 2002 TA on the other hand blew a rod right though his block at 46,000 miles, call it what you will, every year will have issues.
Not to help revive this dead horse but nobody in this thread stated that the rear oil passage is different. The 99+ blocks have the two ports behind the rear cover connected while the 98 blocks are not. Can easily be changed with machining but ive been told that extreme rpms(talking close to 8k) or extended high rpms are not as good unless this passage is machined.
My friend spun 2 rod bearings in his 98 ls1....might have had low oil pressure, dont know since the oil pressure sender never worked.
How much are new ARP or equivalent rod bolts to reduce the stock weak link ones? Would I need to get the motor rebalanced?
How much are new ARP or equivalent rod bolts to reduce the stock weak link ones? Would I need to get the motor rebalanced?
Last edited by Notmyvette; May 16, 2009 at 01:14 AM.
do a search for 98 rod bolts.. you'll be here all night.
some make a big deal about it saying how weak they are but there are others on here twisting stock high mileage 98 bottem end to the moon and havent had a problem with rod bolts...
some make a big deal about it saying how weak they are but there are others on here twisting stock high mileage 98 bottem end to the moon and havent had a problem with rod bolts...
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All the ls1 heads are the same. yes the #'s on them are different but the castings are the same from 98-04 (to 04 because of vette) GM had a confusing way to number everything but the heads on all the ls1's are 200/70cc intake/exh runners and 66.67 combustion chamber + gasket vol
the early years 98-99 can only be honed 0.004 not much at all so building performance on this has no room for error
later the sleeves were a little thinker 00-02 could be honed 0.010 which give you a little room for clean up
later ls1 block have better bay to bay breathing than the 98. this would only really matter if it was a max effort race motor.
ls1/ls6 intake is the only major difference
cam profiles are different on some years but only a degree or so (they get tossed anyways
)
rod bolts are the weak link on all of them
you can probably make 490-500hp on sock bottom and not worry about it with new rod bolts for piece of mind
hope this helps some
the early years 98-99 can only be honed 0.004 not much at all so building performance on this has no room for error
later the sleeves were a little thinker 00-02 could be honed 0.010 which give you a little room for clean up
later ls1 block have better bay to bay breathing than the 98. this would only really matter if it was a max effort race motor.
ls1/ls6 intake is the only major difference
cam profiles are different on some years but only a degree or so (they get tossed anyways
)rod bolts are the weak link on all of them
you can probably make 490-500hp on sock bottom and not worry about it with new rod bolts for piece of mind
hope this helps some
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,924
Likes: 1,160
From: Grand Rapids, Michigan
My '98 has 151K on it and I spin it to 6400 RPM every time I drive it. I'm trapping close to 119MPH in the 1/4 on the stock shortblock. With a mail order tune! I've never had a problem with the fact that it's a '98.
Hey bro let me share my experiences with my 98 Camaro SS ,1st off it's not sensitive like 99 an up its real easy to tune an like they say i never had a tranny problem ever with that car Never . This 99 ws6 I have now giving me hell this b#$% still don't hit 3rd gear at wot the ss had no problem an 99 an up have to many sensors for me I wish my 99 ws6 trans am was a 98.
Mods Camaro SS 3.42 gear, a4, headers,shift kit,slp flow pac,ls6 intake.
mods WS6 a4,3.42 gear,224 cam,ls6 heads,6th tranny,undpulley,ls6 oil pump.
But it does run 12's so thats a good thing.
Mods Camaro SS 3.42 gear, a4, headers,shift kit,slp flow pac,ls6 intake.
mods WS6 a4,3.42 gear,224 cam,ls6 heads,6th tranny,undpulley,ls6 oil pump.
But it does run 12's so thats a good thing.
I'm a 98 owner who hates it when people bash the 98 heads. 98 heads only become a problem when you run a larger cam and do not touch them. After a good work over they flow just the same. Back in 97-00 when we first started doing heads and cam cars they made between 400-420 rwhp(ls1 intake even) with cams considered small by todays standards (ie 224/228 lobe sep cams) with minor head work. After a decent port job the 806's 853's and 241's all flow about the same if you even care. if the ls6 or fast was around back then you would have seen some heads/cam 98 cars in the 430-450 range. Long story short 97 through 00 heads are all so close to equal after a work over. Today the price of worked 243's is so low, don't shy away from a 98 because of the heads, after a year or 2 of owning you will probably swap them out anyway...
my 98 made around 340rwhp bolt ons and right around 380 with a tiny 220/224 cam...thru a stalled a4...i did upgrade rod bolts and an ls6 oil pump....motor had close to 160,000 miles on it ...it died last year when i got greedy wanting more power....
the one thing that im not sure has been mentioned,the oil galleis in a early 97-98 block are smaller....which means they dont like rpms over 7 grand i learned this the hard way....
the one thing that im not sure has been mentioned,the oil galleis in a early 97-98 block are smaller....which means they dont like rpms over 7 grand i learned this the hard way....
Its a car.....ANYTHING COULD BE WRONG WITH IT! Its a LS1 car that has most likely been driven very hard at times...ANYTHING COULD BE WRONG WITH IT! Trust me its buyer beware buying any factory hot rod. We are not talking about a old small block chevy engine here, these LS1 engines are a PITA and break way too easy if you ask me. They use oil and if someone doesn't check it regulaly and add oil bad things happen quick. I'll never another LS1 car,I had my fill of this thing. I think the 98-99-00 are your best bet of you can find a low mileage UNBEAT UP car. I seen way too many 01-02s with LOTS of troubles.
Its a car.....ANYTHING COULD BE WRONG WITH IT! Its a LS1 car that has most likely been driven very hard at times...ANYTHING COULD BE WRONG WITH IT! Trust me its buyer beware buying any factory hot rod. We are not talking about a old small block chevy engine here, these LS1 engines are a PITA and break way too easy if you ask me. They use oil and if someone doesn't check it regulaly and add oil bad things happen quick. I'll never another LS1 car,I had my fill of this thing. I think the 98-99-00 are your best bet of you can find a low mileage UNBEAT UP car. I seen way too many 01-02s with LOTS of troubles.
I think there the best motors made! but, to each there own. If you dont check the oil and run em' hard with no oil of course bad things happen!! Not the motors fault.
Staging Lane
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 51
Likes: 0
From: Lynwood, CA
Its a car.....ANYTHING COULD BE WRONG WITH IT! Its a LS1 car that has most likely been driven very hard at times...ANYTHING COULD BE WRONG WITH IT! Trust me its buyer beware buying any factory hot rod. We are not talking about a old small block chevy engine here, these LS1 engines are a PITA and break way too easy if you ask me. They use oil and if someone doesn't check it regulaly and add oil bad things happen quick. I'll never another LS1 car,I had my fill of this thing. I think the 98-99-00 are your best bet of you can find a low mileage UNBEAT UP car. I seen way too many 01-02s with LOTS of troubles.
I think the lifters are ok but the lifter trays are junk!!!! I had one crack and lifter rotated around and wiped a lobe off my stock cam. No problem changed the lifter and new cam, didnt notice and problems with the trays. New cam had a nice short 10 minute life 
. Wiped out the new cam. I would tell everyone if there going in a motor just replace those trays. cheap insurance. The LS motors do have there flaws, like anything else out there. but they have such a great potential for the $$$.
. Wiped out the new cam. I would tell everyone if there going in a motor just replace those trays. cheap insurance. The LS motors do have there flaws, like anything else out there. but they have such a great potential for the $$$. 