Features & Benefits 5.7L V8 (LS6) Car Engine "Corvette" Model Year 2001


OVERVIEW
The process that turned the 5.7-liter LS1 V8 into the LS6 involved dozens of refinements that increase
volumetric efficiency. The bottom line is more horsepower for the 2001 Z06 Corvette Hardtop. The best
overhead-valve engine in the world just got better, further blurring the line between overhead-cam and
pushrod-actuated technology. The new LS6 delivers power, packaging and efficiency to match the
world's best engines at less cost to the customer.

NEW OR CHANGED FOR MODEL YEAR 2001 Maximum Engine Speed Increases 400 rpm
Block Casting Improves Bay-to-Bay Breathing
Crankshaft with Lower-Mass balancer
Reduced Tolerance Main Bearings
Piston Material and Profile
Cylinder Head Casting with 10.5:1 compression
High Lift/Duration Camshaft
Upgraded Valve Springs
High-Flow Intake Manifold
Increased Volume Fuel Injectors
Increased Flow Air Cleaner with Larger Mass Air Flow sensor (MAF)
Cast Exhaust Manifolds with New Gasket
Valley Cover with Integral Composite Oil Separator and PCV valve
Oil Level Tube and Indicator
Extended Maximum Oil Change Interval
Two-point Water Pump Vapor Vent
Sleeveless Coolant Sensor
Powertrain Control Module Calibrations
Beauty Cover
CUSTOMER BENEFITS

ENGINE SPEED INCREASE
Improvements in the LS6 increase maximum engine speed from 6200 to 6600 rpm. Horsepower increases
more than 10 percent compared to the LS1 V8. Most LS6 changes are geared toward improving airflow
in and out of the engine for an increase in maximum volumetric efficiency.

IMPROVED BAY-T0-BAY BREATHING
The aluminum block casting deletes machined holes in the LS1 block bulkhead and adds honed
"overtravel'' windows, which allow better bay-to-bay breathing. On the downstroke, pistons push air
back toward the crankcase, creating back-pressure, or resistance, that slows downward movement and
robs power. The LS6 block reduces this internal ``windage'' by managing airflow more efficiently. The
overtravel windows allow air to move more freely between cylinder bays, reducing back-pressure and
freeing the pistons' downward movement.

CRANKSHAFT AND BALANCER
The crankshaft incorporates a new reluctor ring that allows a larger air gap to the timing sensor. This
advanced system is less sensitive to engine wear or operating conditions, and assures optimal ignition
timing in virtually all circumstances. The new crank also features an aluminum alloy torsional dampener,
which balances shaft twist and flex and reduces vibration. The light-alloy dampener decreases rotating
mass and reduces engine spin-up inertia.

The LS6 includes a high-efficiency gerotor oil pump, which is driven off the front of the crankshaft.
Benefits of the gerotor design include improved low temperature delivery and better performance, due
to lower parasitic power loss.

BEARING TOLERANCES
Tighter tolerances in the crankshaft main bearings mean a more precise fit. The result is an increase in
long-term durability and, just as importantly, a reduction in what engineers call 'cold knock' --not
detonation, but a slight slapping noise from the engine before it reaches full operating temperature.

PISTON MATERIAL AND PROFILE
LS6 pistons are cast from high-strength M142 aluminum alloy and reshaped with a slightly different
profile than those in the LS1. In side view, the pistons have a slight barrel shape almost imperceptible
to the naked eye. The new alloy increases engine durability, particularly under severe, race track-style
operating conditions, while the shape reduces internal mechanical noise.

INCREASED COMPRESSION
The aluminum cylinder head is cast with smaller pent-roof combustion chambers than the LS1 head.
Compression ratio increases from 10.1:1 to 10.5:1, improving thermal efficiency and increasing
horsepower. Intake and exhaust ports in the LS6 head are refined and more precisely cast, contributing
significantly to the overall increase in volumetric efficiency.

HIGH-PROFILE CAM
The LS6-specific, steel-billet camshaft contributes more than any single piece of hardware to the
horsepower gain. In the simplest terms, the cam opens valves faster and higher, allowing more air to
flow more quickly in and out of the combustion chambers. Cam lift increases from 12.7 to 13.3
millimeters compared to the LS1.

BETTER VALVE SPRINGS
To accommodate valve operation with the high lift/high duration cam, valve springs are stiffer and
sturdier. They're made from the same steel wire as those in the LS1, but they are wound more tightly
for a higher spring rate.

HIGH-FLOW INTAKE MANIFOLD
The carbon composite intake manifold had been retooled to increase airflow to the intake ports. Plenum
volume has increased, and intake runners have been remolded to eliminate dead spots and increase the
volume of air flowing to the cylinder heads.

HIGHER-FLOW INJECTORS
Additional air flowing through the LS6 heads is useful only if there's sufficient gasoline to take full
advantage. Thus, new fuel injectors increase maximum fuel delivery to 3.55 grams/second.

LARGER MAF SENSOR
No component in the LS6 induction system escaped scrutiny. Ducting from the air cleaner was modified
to reduced restrictions. Delphi's high-volume version 1.2 Mass AirFlow (MAF) sensor, with integral inlet
air temperature sensor, was borrowed from the Vortec V8 truck engines. This MAF increases intake
volume and allows the Powertrain Control Module to adjust for optimal performance at a given air
temperature.

CAST IRON EXHAUST MANIFOLDS
Cast iron exhaust manifolds increase exhaust flow slightly and reduce cost considerably. They are also
more durable than the dual-wall stainless manifolds on the 2000 LS1. Other things equal, cast manifolds
take longer to reach full operating temperature than stainless, but the LS6 easily meets Low Emissions
Vehicle standards thanks to a pair of pup converters fitted on the Corvette for model year 2000.
Mounted upstream from the primary catalytic converters, the pups reach emissions ``light off''
temperature long before the primary converters.

Cast iron manifolds are also fitted on 2001 LS1s. A new manifold gasket allows the manifolds to be used
interchangeably between the LS1 and LS6.

INTEGRAL PCV SYSTEM
The LS6 V8's application in the Z06 Corvette creates additional demands on the crankcase ventilation
system (PCV). The Z06 is capable of cornering at more than 1 lateral g, or force greater than the pull of
gravity. In such circumstances, the rocker covers on one side of the engine fill with oil; the LS1's
rocker-cover PCV system can load with oil, and oil is vented out.

To prepare the ZO6 for full-on competition driving, the LS6 PCV system is moved into the engine's V, or
valley. The unique aluminum Valley Cover has composite oil separating baffles and PCV plumbing
incorporated. The Valley Cover dramatically reduces oil consumption during high-performance driving. As
an added benefit, it increases assembly efficiency and reduces the amount of external engine plumbing,
eliminating potential leak sources.

NEW OIL LEVEL INDICATOR
Due to the slightly different shape of the exhaust manifolds, the LS6 needs a longer oil-level (or
dipstick) tube to the crankcase. The tube is bent further away from the engine block. With the new
tube comes a new dipstick, or oil-level indicator.

EXTENDED OIL-CHANGE INTERVAL
New computer algorithms extend the LS6 oil-change interval. The Powertrain Control Module records
engine temperature and length of operation at a given temperature; with new data on real-world
customer use, engineers have adjusted the software to allow longer intervals before an oil change is
indicated. The LS6 has a maximum permissible interval of 15,000 miles with recommended Mobil One
synthetic lubricant, compared to 10,000 in 2000.

FEWER VENTS
The number of water pump vapor vents has been reduced from four to two, thereby reducing cost.
Experience with the LS1 has shown that two vents are sufficient.

PCM SOFTWARE
The Powertrain Control Module has been recalibrated to maximize performance and efficiency, and to
optimize throttle response, while accounting for the new cam profile, increased air flow and
higher-volume fuel injectors.

REVISED BEAUTY COVER
The beauty cover over the fuel injection rail is solid red with black letters for visual distinction and
immediate differentiation from the LS1, which has a black cover with red letters.


Team ZR-1
True Custom Performance Tuning
Teamzr1.com