Assembly of th Corvette Z06 LS7-engine

The ZO6 get's down. I put 8,000 miles on my 2008 and the rear tires are shot!

yea but even in the 90's GM had a lot of pushrod engines with hydraulic roller lifters

I am not really familiar with 2V designs but isnt an offset Hemi head superior to this design?

Yup, and Chevy are using hydraulic rollers in this LS7 motor. Rumour has it the LS7 was actually stress tested at 8,000rpm, but Chevy set the limiter at 7k because the engine couldn't get enough air in beyond that so there was no advantage in revving to 8k.

exactly but now engines are coming stock with hydraulic roller cams and roller rockers in order to reduce friction and up the horsepower!

the main reason why they have less friction is because to have a valve close itself the valve spring has to push back all the weight of the of the whole valve train. To do this these type of engines are known for having massive valve spring pressures to be able to do it. This causes a fairly significant amount of friction betwen the cam lobe and the follower when it comes time to open a valve. BTW awesome filmatography on the video.

no argument there! I know that have done wonders with the design, lighweight block, lightweight internals, list goes on. I am not really into V8 engines but I am unbiast enough to recognise some extensive engineering when i see it.

Port design is restrictive to meet Cali. emissions standards, that's why relatively cheap I/H/E mods to the LS7 will yield impressive HP gains. As for a twin cam having less friction, that's a matter of engineering debate, but a twin cam engine requires cam belt/chain assemblies, tensioners, and of course the additional cam shaft. OHV engines can run the cam from a direct gear connection.

a twin cam has less friction and less recipricating parts than a push rod engine. A push-rod engine has to have the followers, pushrods, rockers, lash adjusters, etc.. also the port design on this engine is pretty lousy. Amazing piston design though.

Pushrod motors also have a lot of advantages over OHC motors, such as lower reciprocating mass, less friction, fewer moving parts, smaller overall block size. BMW may get more horses per displacement, but everything comes at a price - service intervals for the M engines are ridiculously short. A cheap I/H/E package on the LS7 gets you 120hp more - spend the same on an M5 V10 and you'll see a 5-10hp gain only - and it won't be emissions legal any longer.

you have a point but GM is still out performaning a lot of companys and there still a pushrod designed v8.. and get good gas mileage. GM's new small block engines do have a lot more engineering than you think and they are awesome engines! GM is still bring the american muscle v8 legends better and better and still with the pushrod design. and we all no a pushrod v8 can take one hell of a fuckin beating...

forged pistons are an absolute joke!! Forged pistons are ONLY for moderate to high boost pressures!!!

This engine is a true work or art. Who gives a sh8t if Mercedes, Volvo, Dodge....etc etc etc...build this engine or that engine. The fact is that they are all great in their own way. Every engine makes compromises, it's as simple as that. The LS7 surely makes some also, but it's still absolutely beautiful.

Yeah, that LS7 427 V-8 is beautiful, a true work of art, the only thing I don't I don't like about it is it's alloy construction, it's all aluminum, I hate aluminum because it's logevity issues, but the weight reduction and POWER is absolutely amazing! Dayamm!!!

LS7 is the baddest engine in a Vette yet. I should know, I have owned 7 Corvettes since 1993. This is one bad engine.

Honda and Mercedes Benz strategy is to add as many expensive doo-dads on an engine to try and boost power and flatten the torque curve; Chevrolet's strategy is to refine and tune the LSx engine to the point of perfection in order to get that ultra-wide powerband. Titanium con-rods, forged aluminum pistons and sodium-filled intake valve can't hurt, of course...

But your 'moment of glory' never came. Mercedes did exactly that--created a large-displacement DOHC V8-- and it still falls short of the Almighty Pushrod's glory! It's still weaker, has less horsepower, costs far more to manufacture and most important of all, has a very irregular powerband.

Lemme get this straight. A pushrod engine generates more power and horsepower than a variable-valve V8 DOHC engine that has 32 valves, variable cam phasing at both the intake AND exhaust, costs almost $40,000 by itself, and has had nearly a billion research euro's thrown at it?

"If a company like Mercedes Benz (or Honda) were to bring a big-displacement DOHC engine to market, Chevy's pushrod V8 would be history! I mean, just think about it. DOHC advancements with large displacement? Now that would be one powerful engine!"

The DOHC engine is just more refined and advanced than the LSx engines from Chevy. Sure, the Chevy engine makes more power, but it does it through brute force, not engineering. The only thing Chevy does is make a big-bore engine and throw pushrods at it, so there's no wonder it makes more power: through displacement and not through technology, like the DOHC engines.

the increase in 5 hp is because its on the dyno with the exemption of car's weight and air drag ...

anyone knows the weight of the complete engine with gearbox?

I just ordered one for my 78 Firebird Forumula along with the 6 speed Tremek trans, I can't wait for them to get here so I can start installing. My Olds 403 needed replacing and I knew this would be the engine I needed to do the job. Thank You GM for building this engine!

the most amazing small block ever BUILT!!! and who built it??? thats right.. GM BABY!! lol. this is true love fellas... wow haha

No, the Ls7 is known to not like high boost, so.. The LSX block (iron version of the LS7) is gods gift to us... Warren Johnson says they have tested the block up to 2500hp with no adverse effect on the block.