1st Gen SBC and LS- head gasket differences??

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Wolfplace
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Re: 1st Gen SBC and LS- head gasket differences??

Post by Wolfplace »

SchmidtMotorWorks wrote:
pdq67 wrote:Bill Mitchell-W/P's is still selling the Gen 1 block that will mount an LS head.

My thoughts are to see if it isn't possible to CNC the LS head-bolt pattern on a Gen 1 block's deck down to the pan surface and use long head-bolts to mount an LS head????? If I hit water, I would sleeve the new head-bolt holes and be done with it.

And to this day, I figure Chevy "screwed the pooch" when they didn't mount an LS style Gen 1 head to the old block!!!

The LS power is in it's head and NOT in it's block!!!

pdq67
The gen 1 head bolt would go right through the LS intake port.

The machine work you listed could buy 2 LS blocks.
Jon
I tried to explain this to Paul about 5 years ago it seems now,,,,, apparently I did not get through,,,,,,

Paul no offense but there are times I think the only way you would truly believe you were in a forest is right after a tree fell on you :mrgreen:
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Re: 1st Gen SBC and LS- head gasket differences??

Post by SchmidtMotorWorks »

Jon
I tried to explain this to Paul about 5 years ago it seems now,,,,, apparently I did not get through,,,,,,

Paul no offense but there are times I think the only way you would truly believe you were in a forest is right after a tree fell on you :mrgreen:
Yes I vaguely remember having a similar discussion in the past too.

Sometimes we can't let go of certain ideas, and sometimes we only remember part of them, the part we liked.
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Re: 1st Gen SBC and LS- head gasket differences??

Post by barnym17 »

I think us sbc guys know how the flathead junkies in the late 50's and early60's felt.The writing is on the wall but we keep butting our heads against it to try and keep up with new technology.Our carbureted ,distributor equipped antiques will eventually succumb but damn were going to try anyway!
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Re: 1st Gen SBC and LS- head gasket differences??

Post by peejay »

pdq67 wrote: And to this day, I figure Chevy "screwed the pooch" when they didn't mount an LS style Gen 1 head to the old block!!!
Chevy didn't exactly have several dozens of millions of dollars to throw around to engineer a one- or two-year only engine combination.

And yes, a lot of the power IS in the block, not the heads. The cam size and position is better, the oil pump is better, the block strength is a TON better, the block machining is better, everything is better. The SBC is and always has been junk, popularity just has a way of overcoming many faults.
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Re: 1st Gen SBC and LS- head gasket differences??

Post by Circlotron »

Maybe a reasonable compromise would be if they made the LS block with exactly the same mount points and sump as a Gen 1 SBC and whatever else necessary so that it would just drop straight in an early engine bay.
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Re: 1st Gen SBC and LS- head gasket differences??

Post by Tom Walker »

Yes, World products has what they call a hybrid block. Block looks like the small block Chevy of forever with the deck designed to accept LS heads. I think this would save PDQ a tremendous amount of effort. You could even get a can of Chevy orange paint and really look the part!
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