ls1's weaknesses

[Johnyd2]

what are some weakpoints on the LS1 f-bodys, specifically 98's

[fastTa]

Everything you need to know as a potential LS1 owner:

http://ls1tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=213148

[Joe K. 99 Zeee!!]

Good site!

The main thing is that a number of them burn oil...of course the '99's and 00's seem to have that problem to some extent too. More of an annoyance than anything else. Mine doesn't seem to...go figure.

[casey02ws6]

If you can afford it skip the 98s. They are the "dogs" of the LS1 world. There are exceptions. Shoot for an 01-02 if you can. They had upgraded rod bolts and many other tweaks that make them more powerful and more reliable.

[Johnyd2]

dogs??? they are the same motor?? how is one ls1 f-body that much faster than another Ls1 f-body?? i was reading threw the specs the FastTA gave me in his thread, and other sites and the GM HP and torque rating are pretty much the same, as far as power goes... I mean not to get cocky i was asking about realiability, not about which is faster cause they are the same... Later models include less restrictive exhaust manifolds, Ls6 intake manifold, bigger injectors, and no egr, etc. these dont make one car superfast and the others a dog....

i also read that 98's have less chances of oil buring and way less piston chances of getting one that has pistonslap... I refered to pistonslap.com

And without trying to sounds like a mean guy... before you try convincing someone not to buy car just because you may think its a "dog", without giving creditable sources.. dont respond to my posts.. Now if someone in here wants to tell me why 98 f-bodys are soo doggish.. i will retract my statement.. Until then i post serious questions, i like to get back serious GOOD, REPUTABLE answers...

thanks to everyone thats been hookin me up with amazing advice over the last year or so.

And thank you Joe z.. and especially FastTA who always hooks it up with good answers

[fastTa]

dogs??? they are the same motor?? how is one ls1 f-body that much faster than another Ls1 f-body?? i was reading threw the specs the FastTA gave me in his thread, and other sites and the GM HP and torque rating are pretty much the same, as far as power goes... I mean not to get cocky i was asking about realiability, not about which is faster cause they are the same... Later models include less restrictive exhaust manifolds, Ls6 intake manifold, bigger injectors, and no egr, etc. these dont make one car superfast and the others a dog....

i also read that 98's have less chances of oil buring and way less piston chances of getting one that has pistonslap... I refered to pistonslap.com

And without trying to sounds like a mean guy... before you try convincing someone not to buy car just because you may think its a "dog", without giving creditable sources.. dont respond to my posts.. Now if someone in here wants to tell me why 98 f-bodys are soo doggish.. i will retract my statement.. Until then i post serious questions, i like to get back serious GOOD, REPUTABLE answers...

thanks to everyone thats been hookin me up with amazing advice over the last year or so.

And thank you Joe z.. and especially FastTA who always hooks it up with good answers

I agree. I've seen a couple shops do some dyno testing on the different year models. The 98's were only about 4-5 HP less on average. They actually had a bigger cam than the later years. The big winner was the LS6 intake that the 01-02's got. That was good for about 7-10 HP.

[casey02ws6]

Look, it is all relative. I spend a lot of time on LS1tech and other boards like this. I am not "uninformed". A 98 LS1 is still powerful - however, those that know these cars try to avoid the 98s. The 98s had a unique PCM and many other minor differences you can see in the FAQ (EGR, perimeter valve covers). Just because the factory rated them the same does not mean they are the same. That being said there are some 98s that are just as strong as others. They can be made to be just as fast as the others. As far as reliability - I already mentioned the rod bolts in the 01 and 02 are different. One of the weaknesses of the LS1 is the rod bolts on the 98-00 cars. It is natural as the life cycle of a motor progresses they make improvements from what they learn from the ones already on the road. If you do not plan on modding it much the 98 will make you perfectly happy. The later years, because there are more interchangable parts, are easier to modify. The 01s and 02s already have a lot of the upgrades you would have to start with on the 98. I am not sure why you took offense to my post. Go ahead and do the research - you will see that I am not just blowing smoke. There is not a huge difference in power among the years - but there is a difference.

[Johnyd2]

im not taking offense, im just saying that from my perspective as a prospective buyer that kind of advice wasnt clear cut. you cant just walk into a forum and classify something as a "dog" without any type supportive information.. i wasnt trying to attack you, however you just have to be clear. Statements are never FACT without information that supports the original statement's information. All im saying is your post was poor because it WAS misinforming in a way. Also when you classify something as a "dog" what is a "dog", how quick is this "dog", what makes it a "dog"????? i mean this term is extremely open ended. My idea of a dog is different than a person's idea of a dog that thinks stock honda civics are the fastest cars on the road. I respect the fact that you probably have done way more research in this area than i have, but please for future reference be more specific. Well educated responses makes the reader more comfortable in technical discussion, especially when it come to advice on a major purchase...... I hope you understand where i am coing from.

[casey02ws6]

"Dog" was admittedly a poor choice of words. As far as reliability the rod bolts are the only significant difference I can think of. Under normal use there is very little difference in the years. Each year they made minor improvements - that is why I suggested buying the latest year you can afford. I am not sure what kind of car you are driving now but I know you will be happy with whatever year you buy. Besides - with a 98 at least you will have a water temp gauge that works Good luck in your search. If you need help finding one I can send you some links -

[Johnyd2]

i appreciate your response and im sorry for seeming so edgey. Its finals week at college which is my least favorite time of the year. As far as the car goes its a 98 z28 which is in awesome condition for 95k, auto, at 6500 dollars, which is the best deal i have found around. Basically im just paying off what this guy owes on the car, and im bringing a buddy along who knows about cars to help judge the car. Its just gonna be a bad ass daily driver.. nothing im racing around. Maybe lightly mod... but i really just want some insight to some preventiive maintence that i will have to do to keep the car running for as along as possible. I was informed to change the oil pump the first chance i get, just as a pretective measure.. how true is that?

also i wanna change the regular motor oil to full sythenic, what do i have to do??

[phastls1]

i appreciate your response and im sorry for seeming so edgey. Its finals week at college which is my least favorite time of the year. As far as the car goes its a 98 z28 which is in awesome condition for 95k, auto, at 6500 dollars, which is the best deal i have found around. Basically im just paying off what this guy owes on the car, and im bringing a buddy along who knows about cars to help judge the car. Its just gonna be a bad ass daily driver.. nothing im racing around. Maybe lightly mod... but i really just want some insight to some preventiive maintence that i will have to do to keep the car running for as along as possible. I was informed to change the oil pump the first chance i get, just as a pretective measure.. how true is that?

also i wanna change the regular motor oil to full sythenic, what do i have to do??

It is a nice car, but it's not in awesome condition (I really don't want you to get set up for a dissapointment. It has been totally reliable, and I wouldn't be afraid to drive it anywhere. But at 95k miles, it does have its cosmetic flaws (as we have discussed)...lots of good info on this thread, I've been learing too....if you get a chance, hit me up this evening John....

[Johnyd2]

hey whats going on.. yes i will def give you a call today.... and to be honest, from what i have seen your car is in awesome condition for the money and the year.....

[Steel2686]

As far as changing over to synthetic, there is no particular method. Some believe introducing the synthetic oil to your car over three or four oil changes is the way to go. It's a pretty small percentage that feel that way, however.

You'll be fine just switching to synthetic in your next oil change. I've done it to all my cars, regardless of mileage. Good luck.

[DJ Taso]

If you can afford it skip the 98s. They are the "dogs" of the LS1 world. There are exceptions. Shoot for an 01-02 if you can. They had upgraded rod bolts and many other tweaks that make them more powerful and more reliable.

Didn't all of the 02's come with the LS6 intake?

[Jay 02 TA ws6]

Didn't all of the 02's come with the LS6 intake?

01s and 02s did. 01s and 02s are definitely on average the stronger running LS1 cars compared to 98-00 LS1s.