UNLOCKING THE POWERHOUSE: THE SECRET BEHIND LS ENGINES' LEGENDARY STATUS

Since their birth on the streets in 1997, General Motors’ LS engines have been the stuff of gearhead and automotive enthusiasts’ fantasies. Powering the Chevrolet Camaro, GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Tahoe, and the Chevrolet Silverado, the LS-series engine is a testament to the prowess of GM’s engineering team. Known for its horsepower and torque figures that defy description in a single sentence, LS engine swaps have become a rite of masculine passage for gearheads seeking increased power. Taking a closer look, though, way down under the hood where the pistons cavort with the crankshaft, lies a little feature that allows the engine to produce all that power. The secret to the LS engine’s ability to handle insane levels of power is the six-bolt main bearing cap.

CRAFTED FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE

The engines are not simply a gathering together of power. They’re a storm of aeroformed precision parts working together. Most of the LS engines have aluminium blocks that are light and strong; this strength makes them good under duress, while also preventing adding weight.

THE ROLE OF PUSHROD CONSTRUCTION IN LS ENGINE'S VERSATILITY

A key difference with LS engines is that they are pushrod engines. This distinguishes them from overhead cam-type designs (OHC). The basic long-block LS engine contains a single cam in the block operated by timing chains, which open and close valves. This pushrod design keeps LS engines compact and lighter than other engines of a similar power output. What’s more, it’s a compact size that makes LS engines perfect for swaps. More horsepower is nice, but lightweight and compact engines keep enthusiasts’ costs low, because lighter vehicles drink less gas.

SUPERIOR POWER THROUGH ENGINE DESIGN

Another aspect of LS engine design that you will notice right away is how much larger the engine is compared with earliest design blocks. The larger size allows for a longer piston stroke, which translates into more torque and horsepower per cubic inch of engine, making the LS engine an absolute powerhouse no matter what you want to do with it.

THE MAIN BEARING CAPS: CORE TO LS ENGINE'S ENDURANCE

Adding to the durability and power of each LS engine is the six-bolt main bearing cap that holds the piston rods to the crankshaft. While most engines use either a two-bolt or a four-bolt design, the LS engine features four vertical bolts connecting to each of the caps (on the right and left sides of the crankshaft) as well as two horizontal bolts that help secure each cap to the block itself. This design and the additional bolts make for an incredibly solid connection between the piston rods and the crankshaft, which in turn enables these normally small block engines to handle massive power outputs. They also allow you to tune and modify your LS engine, all the while retaining virtually no fear of engine failure.

WHY SIX-BOLT MAIN BEARING CAPS MATTER

This reliance on six-bolt main bearing caps is not trivial. Within the world of performance tuning, which revolves around pushing engines to their limits for a competitive advantage, an increased risk of failing main bearing caps if more power is demanded simply won’t do. No way, José! The six-bolt configuration reduces the risk of catastrophic engine failure in the face of more power.

LS ENGINES: A TESTAMENT TO INNOVATIVE ENGINEERING

Leading the engines’ quasi-mythic stature among gearheads and professional mechanics alike, then, are decisions such as General Motors’ use of six-bolt main bearing caps in the LS engine line – a baseline of innovation and exemplary mechanical design from the get-go.

UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF STATUS IN PERFORMANCE ENGINEERING

And so status is not a mere social standing but an embodiment of engineering feats that make an engine great: LS status is about their clever design and ground-breaking features such as the six-bolt main-bearing caps. What makes an LS beloved has much to do with how it delivered the path to making perfect power when others of its time would only blow up. A mandatory component of LS status is the engine’s performance in a wide variety of applications, from street-driven, high-mileage autocrossing and road racing to the Mach 50-mile-per-hour top speeds endured by weekly endurance racing cars.

In the end, the legacy of the LS in the automotive world is a testament to what excellent design and world-class engineering can do. Pushing the envelope and building upon their own and other people’s experience, GM developed a line of engines like no other before them, achieving unprecedented levels of horsepower, torque and durability – all thanks to the little six-bolt main bearing cap.