Building GM's most powerful Engine Ever, the 650hp LT4 V8!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- Come follow us along as we tour the GM Engine Plant in Tonawanda, NY where they build the 650hp LT4 V8 and many other engines.
Note: the crankshafts shown during the machining process are for the 5.3L EcoTec3 V-8 truck engine, not the LT4.
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![LT5 V8 Engine Assembly by GM Techs at SEMA Show - C7 Corvette ZR1 6.2l Supercharged Crate Motor [4K]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/s4vjoiJkePQ/mqdefault.jpg)
![LT5 V8 Engine Assembly by GM Techs at SEMA Show - C7 Corvette ZR1 6.2l Supercharged Crate Motor [4K]](/img/tr.png)
The first Engine I ever rebuilt completely (top and bottom) was in 1973 when I got my first car, a 1966 Mustang w/289. I was 17 and my step-dad was a Choctaw Indian and immensely patient (one of the most patient man I've ever met in my 59 years). Watching how motors are assembled in a modern factory is incredible. My "patient" step-dad taught me how to completely dismantle and rebuild an engine. After the small block Ford I went on to MOPARs and still drive a Dodge V8 Ram Pickup (5.9 liter Magnum). Watching new car manufacturing is just amazing. My 36 year old son is a Mechanical Engineer and is keeping the spirit alive! He's a Chevy guy...
Love the story
I wonder if your step dad is related to Elizabeth Warren 🤔
I could have used that tool at 3:29 that guides the rods onto the crank, back in 1978, I burned a hole in one piston of a 340 in 73 road runner, I was 18 with two years of Vo-Tec auto mechanics, my Father wouldn't know a wrench from a ratchet, so I was on my own, so when I put the piston in the cylinder the threads on the connecting rod nicked the crank shaft, so I found a 318 and stuck that in with the hopes of eventually rebuilding the 340, I ended up wrecking the car before I ever got the money together to rebuild the motor.
Wow, me too! I rebuilt my 1966 mustang's 289 in my parents garage. I remember it cost me $150 which was a lot considering I was making $1.50 an hour at Six Flags. Later I had a 70 Charger with the 383 Magnum. When it needed a fresh motor the gas crisis hit...traded it for a new 76 Corolla!
Now I have a 72 stingray in the garage, had it for 15 years. My two sons helped replace the small block with a 383 stroker. I will hang on to the original motor and pass it on one day.
@@MrMichaelbuesing About 1977 my friends Father bought a 66 Mustang fastback 289 four speed, for $500, he would dangle that car in front of my friend to get him to do things he didn't want to do, the main thing was finish getting his eagle badge, I don't know if he bought the car for that reason, but it worked, my friend got his eagle, he let me drive it too, that was a fun car.
1972 was the last good year for Corvette, in my opinion.
Could you imagine if the engine builders in the 60's during the hay day of muscle cars could see this stuff, what they would be thinking.
I think about that every single day..
I have 250k Mile's on all my GM 5.3 trucks and Mini van 320k original motor never apart use no oil no leaks only minor issues. GM came a long way from 1980s junk.
I am Gm forever now. Gonna try 400k on 2004 Venture van 3.4. Will send to GM plant to inspect it amazing. Cheap to fix also.
LS 6 kicks ass on race day also..
96k on my c5 Z06 stock Ls6...still lots of fun and enjoyment, so I won't be selling it dirt cheap, any time soon...lol
lots of talk of union members and management but absolutely nothing could happen without the engineers..
I toured the engine plant my Senior year of high school 1972. It was amazing. I'd like to see it up close once again.
You're really aiming high...
This would be my favorite type of willy wonka experience.
I used work at assembly line. My favorite task was building ‘head’ blocks
GM stuck with the pushrod engine and did so brilliantly. These engines are bullet proof. They took the original small block and perfected it. Yes, I'm a Chevy guy.
Yep
Can't really argue with success.
What ? So they never went to overhead cams ? I guess they already have bucketloads of power without needing to go overhead cams.
Overhead Cams require too many moving parts and way too much to create an easy engine to manufacture and to maintain. These engines are so easily modified, 1 Cam 1 Chain I really don't see the reason for a dual sprocket Drive with 2 Cams per head. A Cam swap for performance would be ridiculous!
old school 2 valve per cyl why fuck with perfection.
I apparently have been unnecessarily careful with all the engines I have assembled over the years. Looks like just slapping main bearing in place without proper tang alignment to the block register is OK on a 630 hp engine (3:19). Really makes me wonder....
The fully automated cylinder head assembly station in just mind boggling. Really good video!
I hate it when snobs out there think that american engines are less techy. In fact its not.. it's a simple engine design and if it ain't broke, why fix it?...
Exactly every modern engine design has its pluses and minuses no design is better than another.
yep nothing dumb about it. But the STUPID power it makes :)
+Chris A so you are saying a rotary (wankel) is better since its the simplest engine there is
The Real Santa Claus well technically it could be if it had a bbc in its place but the pushrod block is actually complex
And look at it this way; Back in the day if you got 100,000 miles out of your engine before needing say a rear main seal, valve job, etc. you were doing pretty good. Now days 100 grand on these engines is trivial. This because the precision tolerances that old school engines never had is incorporated. These Engines even on critical clearances like Con Rod big end Housing ID and Block main bearing clearance ID will stay within .0001 (that's 1 ten thousandth) accuracy. I can remember brandnew Gen 1 SB LT1 Cranks being out as much .008-.010 on stroke from front to back. You won't see that on an LS Crank, another reason these engines have double even triple the longevity of GEN 1 Engines ...
They should hardly call this motor hand built??? LOL
Wish I could work at that plant, seems awesome.
I became a Chevy man on my own. Growing up in a a Ford household didn't keep me from seeing for myself the things that Chevy "allowed" the common man to have and build his own performance machine with parts interchangeability and ease of maintenance. Simple, easy and reliability are the keys to customer loyalty.
I also grew up in a Ford household! Got tired of walking to school and the grocery store! Bought a Chevy and went out on a drunkin Ford killin spree! Ah those were the days!
All these Tonawanda Built LS V8 Engines (i.e. LS3,LS1,LT4) have probably more precision and accuracy than you could ever obtain even in an old School Clean Room Race Shop. Probably the reason the LS3 crate engine is the most popular engine for Hot Rod and Resto Mod Builders. Just going by today's Machine Shop Prices; you could not even get close to the cost of a built Crate engine which as you can see by the Video is blueprinted beyond any normal type Mfgering/ Assembly. With the technology of today's Computerized Robot controlled Machinery (i.e. CNC's,lasers, Mills,Boring/Honing,Broachs,etc. They can build an engine with a precision pretty much unobtainable in the days of production Muscle Car Engines of the 60's and early 70's. Probably why Chevrolet has so much Confidence in their new ZL1 Camaro, that they will let you go Off Road Racing and still maintain your full warranty. Don't remember them doing that back in the L88 / ZL1 Days ... Great informative Video !
+steve matz yeah a properly built early small block or big block on a budget is about $8000-$10,000. that LT4 is $12,000. GM is making the choice easier every year. the LS9 a few years ago was out of most people's budget @ $22,000. GM is finally coming around and thinking right.
You forgot the )
Both those engines are maintenance and up keep night mares .
Oh you mean if you park them in a barn for 40 years??
mike mentzer shuda won in 1980.... lol
I don't why, but I always find it relieving to still see a real human doing something in a factory assembly line in the middle of all these robots!
My GrandSport is running great! Thanks for doing good quality work assembling these engines. It's important to us owners.
That arm moved the block like it was nothing! So cool
Glad to see a fair amount of emphasis put on the human fact of the facility. As a new hire at GM's Wentzville Assembly,and former 14 yr. employee of Dodge/Chrysler,what the Plant Manager says is true. Without the people,the machine which is the plant,doesn't function. From the highly skilled tradesmen & women that keep the machinery and tooling maintained,to the lines people that perform the high skill,delicate assembly processes. These are all top notch folks. Very proud moment for me watching this. UAW for life,Union for life.
phattvids :
No..stay away from the union..the only thing you get from that is an "O"nion. You can be replaced at any time.
I am with Brother I am a retired GM use worker
@EpiDemic117 Gm's and Ford and Chrysler want to build 4000#, 650 hp cars and 6500# trucks for $45K and up- they make more money per vehicle, and their costs are only slightly higher than the small car's. We have consistently failed at the production of small well built cars. Some individuals have designed and built some here but Detroit seems to be unable to do so; the success of the Ford Mustang is as much a hail Mary pass to save Fomoco from financial ruin from the Edsel followed by the Falcon failure to start. All this because "Americans don't really like small cars" was their mantra; now the quality small cars produced by foreign owned plants with American help out number the American cars- Toyota is the largest car builder in America today. The Big Three seem hopelessly unable to "get the memo", so they are going to get out of the small car and passenger cars altogether- except maybe Cadillac and Corvette- and oddly enough, both are client plants of Tonawandas!
I appreciate all you do to help build engines. You union bosses are helping eliminate your jobs. Hopefully you guys figure that out before the engineers automate what you do and no longer need any humans.
I love these types videos. Keep em coming, and thank you so much for the uploads!
+Youblixuous Thanks for the kinds words!
What is needed is a dual turbocharged LT engine using the LT4 bottom end for its strength and the heads for their flow and fuel system. A larger version of the LT1 intake can feed the higher flow turbo output which would yield over 750 hp due to the removal of the supercharger drag.
Henry Ford paid his workers enough so they could buy one of the cars they were building. Back then Ford paid $5 a day, a new high for factory workers. But family expenses back then were so much lower than today - no expensive health insurance, internet, cable TV, multiple cell phones, two-and-three car families with car insurance, vacations, airplane flights, boats, motorcycles and other toys, and so on. Today, if those GM workers really average $21 /hour as stated in an earlier post, their $42,000 per year will barely buy a $20,000 car on a five year loan with payments of $375 /month. Maybe a single guy in a modest apartment can afford $375/month on $42k wages (take-home about $2500 /month), but not a one-earner family with 2 kids - unless the employer pays for at least 80% of their health insurance, offers some overtime and pays at least a modest yearly bonus.
To me, a sustainable family wage starts about $55k per year for a one earner family of 4, and unless we get back to that we will continue to slide to third-world status, whether we have unions, robots, or whatever. Americans can't thrive on minimum wage, and though a min wage earner would drool for $21 per hour, it is not all that much money, and hardly enough to live the American dream.
Not everyone can be the plant manager, or the VP Finance, etc, somebody has got to build the goods and transport and sell and service them. Sadly, all management can think of is the bottom line for the next current and next quarter, so they buy expensive robots engineered and built overseas, and reduce their workforce both in number and in payscale. They plan very short term - which is why we have the sad situation in Detroit that we have today.
$5 per day in 1914 figures out to about $16 per hour adjusted for inflation today. As you mentioned at the very start of your comment, it isn't that Henry Ford paid his workers a lot of money. The real issue is that everything today is so much more expensive. And people consider items that were luxuries even 20 years ago as necessities today.
I am with you I am a retired GM worker our base was almost $55,000 a year and that was 12 year's ago everything is way down since the 08 crash and they have kept the finger down on y'all since it's a dam shame we could afford our top of the line cars and trucks but it's hard on you to make the same thing use to be GM paid for your med insurance us retired folk are on union insurance and some days that will be gone we were always promised insurance through GM that went to hell in the 08 crash too the gov made it were unions can't do anything about retired workers at contact time unless the company offers it they cannot ask for us so at only 40 percent of our working pay we are being hit also that's what you get when we vote for Republicans they fight for company not you look they got the biggest tax break in history and it's forever ours only till 2024 the it goes back up and with the debt we are in it will be the biggest tax hike in history
THEY ARE GLOBALISTS WORKING WITH CHINA.......Nothing American about GM now
My last GM vehicle, 2012 Acadia. It was a couple years old. I refuse to buy new, just too much money for what you get. Have Toyota Prius. Never have to work on it, just drive it. All the new cars look the same. Not excited.
So true w when I retired from GM I made around 27 an hour plus over time but today they pay less 20 or so our country is going in the wrong direction so sad yet we have political opponents to unions and fare wages we have those that say Americans first but are doing things that are hurting the poor this makes no since we will be a third world country or at least a second if we continue to believe in the politics of toda6 and I mean both sides of the aisle are wrong and to much to o the right or the left we need to work together and let our company's and union's do there dance this stuff that's going on in the states and on the federal level needs to stop work on getting our country out of debt and ma ok e SS whole again and our insurance from the gov and require companys to insure there workers and rebuild our military there sh6 never be a disabled veteran homeless this other political stuff is getting in the way of the American people and our right's as Americans to work hard and be able to retire comfortably not worry about medical expenses and keeping a roof over your head and food on your table that goes for the still working class also if we really what to make American grate get off the agenda both sides are on and do the real work of helping your fellow Americans
I toured this plant when the 396 was in test phase
No one in the world can build a better mass production engine than MERICA, The FACT! Our 80K dollar car have better engine than any production car under 300K, because MERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HELL YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did u just get your green card?
+Will gallant lol how do u know?
More than one Japanese engine beats all the 90s v8s though. The new LS are almost unbeatable tho. Because they make 450hp
+YuJia Liu Come with you Merica V8 and beat a 1 or 2jz. I have nothing against Merica V8's, but that comment is too much.
oliver24x he's asian anyway
I Know Guys who worked at the Chrysler plant you wouldn't believe the stories of hemi engines that wound up in the trash because of small defects ,I couldn't imagine the engines them guys got
Not SURPRISED ☆
the "half hemisphere " MUST be perfect....
it's wonderful!
I live in the area and had family members work in that plaint. We are very thankful for GM commitment to Buffalo area. The UAW here has Ben great. If I remember correct The ZO6 engine worked out 427 CID going back to a very famous GM engine built buy the same plaint. No other engine in the world has this HP to weight ratio. and there is versions of V8 running on E 85 gasoline as well. great job showing the LT4!!
"deeper in the engine's V"
Brandon Moreira thank you!
Brandon Moreira you are the true mvp.
YESSS...
Wow. Incredible to see.
2:45 theres my mom making your z06
+Nikki Naydenov lol
+Nikki Naydenov You are joking, right?
Nikki Naydenov you have a cool mom. Respect.
Nikki Naydenov I remember her! she loves facial shots,how could I forget.
Nikki Naydenov now I know who to blame my engine just blew up no warning yesterday fucking G.M. junk!!
I just visited the bowling Green plant where they make the lt4 only. my highschool took me. it was amazing.
+Ryan Gilbert Very cool! Isnt the facility simply amazing with all the technology that goes into building these engines.
+Speed Academy yeah! you can actually build your engine for an extra 1k at the factory.
Price to assist the build of your own LT4 for a Z06 is $5K at the PBC in Bowling Green.
lowest price per hp of any engine + quality ..made in USA by workers averaging $21/hr ... manufacturing technology is the means for making America Industrialized Again, while paying workers a decent wage. FYI - 650hp, crate motor price is ~$13,800 .. the cost of a stage I upgrade performance kit for Euro motors, lol !!!
No tesla electric motors are cheaper. Also made in the US.
BigCooter.com x
My wife's brand new '70 Chevelle 307 had a Chevrolet Tonawanda sticker on the valve covers.
Absolutely mind blowing, especially when a Machinist like me from the old days of hand setting dials to read Thousands and now 40 yrs later we are talking Microns, POW TO THE MOON!!!
Thank for the mind trip, lol.
I dig the big block 2 stroke conversions. I good motor to start with is a Harley v-twin 1600, S@S billet aluminum, or honda 1800, kawasaki v-twin have room to cut any port pattern nto those huge jugs.
LS1 still going strong at 127,000 miles. Just recently installed a thicker LS2 timing chain.
The valve retainer install blew my mind, anyone thats every struggled to get them on (and off) this was almost magic.
Great video, think I would be asking Steve what I needed to do to get one of them out the "back door".
Thanks for the upload, very well done.
ramairgto72 lol almost like alien technology no flat head screwdriver
"highly skilled line worker" 😂 funniest part
We have some of those at FCA in Detroit.
When that worker was asked what his job is, he replied, "I screw things"
Nice engine
The exhaust manifolds could be better eg welded and mandrel bent.
The exhaust system on the cars also could be better.
Not bad for a gas guzzler.
No the gmc 637 ci bbc V8 was the biggest one or the 702 ci bbc 12 cylinder you need to your homework
I have a one of these rocket ships and this engine is absolutely amazing with instant power.
I think 4th gear is my favorite.
So if you look at what GM has done with the LS engine they went to 4 bolts per cylinder and they moved the bolt holes back away from the bores , fixed the 400 bore distortion from the past
so bloody sad! its almost 90% of robots doing all of the work! no people in assembly jobs then how are people going to buy your product GM? use your brains you greedy CEO's! think long term....
more robots more failures more tech people to fix the robots .. substitution . there are people that manage the robots . it takes people more time to do SOME of those jobs . calm yourself because most of cars made today are made from robots
Al Stefan they employ more Americans then any other company buddy and copo cars are hand built engines gm needs the mechanic to spend more time on them for obvious reasons
Albanian Ruler I agree human ingenuity and Hands-On know how do the best work not robots
Automation is amazing. You can't tell me that this engine is surpassed by anything in terms of quality in materials and assembly. We automatically assume a hand built engine is better or the best, but when the robots/machinery assembling these engines is dialed in I doubt you can beat the consistency of quality and tolerances. Not to mention the quality control standards. If this engine were built on the AMG line you would get an engine of equal quality but pay 3 times as much because its hand built. In fact, to get a level of quality that the ZO6 delivers somewhere overseas the entire car would cost 3 times as much and you'd get nothing more.
+El Guapo completely agree, another prime example is the nissan GTR, all robots there and can beat most other cars 3-5x its cost. Hand made, meh if i wanted hand made i'd do it myself.
Quality materials? It's uses a "cast" crank! Lol
+rhino250r The LT4 uses a forged crank. This video is confused. Regardless, those stock GM cast cranks handles well over a thousand hp on a routine basis....
This car was intentionally designed with certain engineering flaws that are meant to fail. You can't have a reliable car that ran well all the time. Otherwise Chevy would be out of business. To bad it cost an obscene amount just to change the heat/AC diverter doors, remove top half of engine to access firewall, then remove the several hundred pound dashboard as a unit...$5000 to $6000 to replace less than $200 in wear-out parts. Oil pressure sender fail? They DO! and its a $12 part that takes $1,400 in labor to access.
5 to 6 k in labor? @ a hundred an hour shop rate....50 to 60 hrs? I call bullshit. Ya, GM is going to make a part so difficult to replace, knowing that they have to reimburse the dealership if it fails under warranty...retired gm service tech in 95...I loved warranty work, especially at the cad store...sts needs a motor, warranty pays 18hrs... drop it off at 8 am and pick it up at 5:30...evaparator cores bin c/h body cars...1 he and 15 min. Warranty pays 7.2- 7.4 hrs. Shit it all easy.
Nice torque plate honing on the blocks
When I got my 6.0 gmc from the factory, it was over filled with oil. Lol
GM used to put a sticker on the valve cover that said "Power by Tonawanda"
Joe Milko Built By Chevrolet Tonawanda The Number 1 Team
A chrome plated decale! I have several stored away.
I guess since a 4 cylinder engine has less pistons than a v8, the quality control manager for the 4 bangers has more free time to give a tour. LOL. Just a stupid joke, I hope someone found it funny.
I did!
Carl Brooks I'm not the best at jokes. Thanks
+julio lausell but it does make sense because 4 bangers don't take that long to make so they should have free time to do tours
Very true. I bet he's pushing for the production of a more fuel efficient 3 cylinder engine. Lol.
+julio lausell 3 cylinder?! lol! thats worst than when they decided to make the 5.3 v8 a active fuel management engine
I like those ls engines but that lt4 is something serious 💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾IF I PUT SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN MY CUTLASS I'M GOING LT4💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾
i need one for my V8 MONZA , how much $$$$$ ?
Now if they could somehow stop them from leaking oil.
BETTER GASKETS?
My LT4 don’t leak shit.
3:40 forging not casting
I hope so - was wondering on that.
That is one bullet-proof motor. Damn. Put it in everything. There won't be a human on the floor in 10 years.
They try to hide the fact that there are so few workes the plant looks empty. In the end, they praise the workers, but it's pretty hollow since the workers are there just to watch the robots. 71 million engines produced here and with the $400 million retooling, they will have increased production with just a handful of workers. This is typical and spells the end of employment for most people. Their ultimate goal is to eliminate all employees... It's happening all over the world. We will need a Universal Basic Income to survive. There will be no work and eventually the rich that can afford a Z06 will be gone and they can't sell them to homeless, unemployed people.
Read the book, "Rivethead" by Ben Hamper.... robots are a big plus
Lots of camera cuts in that feed. With all the precision engineering the robots might engineer themselves out of a job. If a motor can run 500,000 miles in a corvette thats longer than the owner will live.
There will always be a need for a non-inverting unity gain amplifier and those that understand what I am talking about, cathode follower.
Its sad how people dont see your point. but it is clean though.
Man, RFID is in everything, right down to the head bolts anymore......
Ill bet GM would never notice if one of those beauties just kinda ...slid ...off the line on to a delivery truck to my house. Cmon guys...can we make this happen?
Had friends that worked there back in the 80s...lets say it wasn't unheard of.
That is a badd ass engine building plant..reapect to gm for keeping the original pushrod engine alive
And Kicking Coyote ass to the curb!
I don't think this is the most powerful engine gm has. LSX 454R is 770 hp naturally aspirated
Production engine. LSX 454 is a crate motor so it doesnt count according to GM.
Speed Academy
You dumb ass!
RT
I can see the misconception Production vs Crate..
TN
might as well mention the 780 bbc 1500hp if we're talking crate engines
GM offer turn key engine LT4's for people that, lets say, want to put them in a 240sx?
tempted after my KA-T goes boom
+stephen dwyer burning oil only means it needs a little head work most likely. great motors those 318's :)
Thats too much for that car . 450 in a 240sx is perfect and you can drive it anywhere and whoop anybodies ass. Power to weight!
+stephen dwyer I don't think we understand. Punctuation helps a little too.
+walperstyle
Yes they do. Jegs has them for a measly $21,455.
can one of these workers ecplain to me the camshaft lifter issues we have with the l86 6.2
In your GREAT video, you were told & show the LT4 uses a 'raw casting' that is machined, but that's not correct for the Z06 LT4.
For the LT4's used in the Corvette Z06, the crankshaft is actually 'forged steel', as per GM's Press own info - quote:
COMPACT POWERHOUSE: INSIDE CORVETTE Z06’S 650-hp supercharged 6.2L V-8 LT4 ENGINE, it possesses world-class power in a more efficient package:
Rotating assembly - Each component of the rotating assembly is unique to the LT4 to support the cylinder pressures the boosted engine is capable of generating, as well as the unique requirements for a lower compression ratio.
Elements include:
The 1528MV "forged steel crankshaft" uses tungsten balancing inserts, ground pin collars and intermediate pin drills for rods #1-6.
well, I guess there's no bluprinting the engine in the garage anymore :p
Yea unfortunately rebuilding your own engine is a thing of the past I built a 350 327 and a 460 ford motor back in the day but it really don’t make sense anymore with the availability of crate engines now days.
My mind has been BLOWN!
Great engine, great car. Can't wait to drive mine this summer.
Robert MacCready good luck bud
Speed academy is the new hows it made show lol
Tell me about Cadillac/GM timing chains...........Quality right?
Add to that the total crap turbo fours
As a retired Mechanic this is depressing. There is no way that engine could be rebuilt properly in a small shop.
I worked there from 1963 to 1967. It was a good place to work!
"....Deep into the engines V..." 😂😂😂😂
Wonderful!
I'm getting a Mustang and ordering it with the Corvette engine.
matrox why the vette chassis is so much better
I was honestly more interested in all the robots and technology around the plant throughout its assembly/production lines the the actual engines. Im an engineering student but i also am studying automotive technology as a hobby.
With all those robotics and automation you'd think the price would be down
the price did come down, way down. the millions saved went straight into upper management pockets with 95% of it too CEO, then the price of vehicles skyrocketed
@@ACDC940 amen brother
Am I the only one that realized the black dude at the end was literally saying nothing. He was babbling is circles that equates to no meaning whatsoever lol crazy
Glad GM still building these reliable beasts !
Imagine what kind of electric cars we would have if the same effort was placed into building an EV that was placed into making an internal combustion engine.
Gromitdog1 agree 100% but my lizard brain still wants one...
Battery tech is the limiting factor
I would like an L86 or LT4 for my Silverado, dear GM please sponsor me :)
No greater success story than the Chevy Small Block...
I'm surprised they don't do a test run. As the top engine I would expect each LT4 would be tested and even put on a dynamometer to document performance.
Machining is so precise that is not necessary. Only the test sample and up to the final engineer prototype production ready assembly one.
Anyone who doesn't think these Chevrolet engines aren't as sophisticated as any other engine in the world has a serious case of the stupids. There's a ton of engineering expertise that has gone into these engines that you'll never understand. Or even know about.
Love Chevrolet!
The only thing that would improve this process would be to eliminate the "union". That adds tremendous cost to all aspects of the process.
Two or three of the presenter's interviews and guides were union people. Tonawanda's working relationship has been very good from day one. They build, and have built many off GM's most powerful engines, and they build bunches of them. When automation started showing up, the workers at Tonawanda embraced it, hesitantly, but they did it. Today, the bottom line for Tonawanda operations and the increasing need for the products it turns out under tight cost controls say they stay open, as they are not producing products that don't meet those financial criteria- small sedans as Detroit has been building them loose money. By the way, most of our foreign plants own workers vote against the unionizers; but they are better paid than UAW contract workers and have better benefits on the main, but their corporate offices believe in investment in manpower, and a great deal more the self corrupte American Union movement has become. The ideas of 40 hr work weeks, no obligatory overtime, sick leave, safety and health issues all have their beginnings in the American Union movement. We used to expect that union bug on something to mean quality, and the union management saw more profit for themselves in status quo than helping the mfgs grow. I carried a Union Card for 15 of my 35 year plumbing career- much of my family does or have had union credentials, but not so many as once. And that, the surrender of quality, is the saddest thing of all. Oh, another thought about those cheap domestic cars like the Pinto, Mustang II, Vega and similar; all were flawed cheaply built pieces of designed obsolescence- designed by American engineers, and said grace over by the bean counters.
If the block doesn't past the test can i have it?
Thank you, I have driven through Tonawanda 100’s of times driving from Rochester to Buffalo, never knew this.
Wonder how many jobs those robots eliminated?
With the invention of the car, I wonder how many carriage and saddle makers they put out of work. Either move forward or be left behind.
It eliminates the factor of human error. I trust a precisely-calibrated robot more than I trust a human to reliably build an engine correctly time-after-time over millions of engines. I've yet to see a machine show up to work hung over, to say the least...
All those robots and assembly machines are designed, built, installed and maintained by people.
I wonder how many engineers it took to design it, programmers to make it do what it does, people to install it, people to maintain it. Also, how many people does it take to build that robot?
I wonder how many US jobs these robots have saved because automation cost the same no matter where you're located. "Y'all want robots or you want the plant to move to Mexico?"
If GM would put this kind of effort to rust proofing they might just get my money.
great video loved it thanks for posting
Some of the most serious musclecar engines GM has ever made came out of Tonawanda.
GM really needs to stop re-using the LT designation. This is the third time, it's just getting confusing now.
Great video though! Very interesting to watch.
I am thinking the LT4s of the mid 90's...has me confused....if someone with knowhow can chime in would be great
+Spahi77 the LT engine designation was used on first generation small blocks (ex. 70s Corvette), second generation small blocks (ex the LT4 you mentioned), and is now being used a third time for the new engines in the new Corvette and Camaro.
+UndergroundTrev thnx, appreciate timely response
yeah but how many times have they used ls? like 19 different fucking times
LS engines were first introduced in 1997 (LS1, duh), and were made every year until 2014. Thats 17 consecutive yrs using the same name and design. the difference between gen3 and gen4 motors is basically just 1 piece, the crank trigger wheel. All the other parts are interchangeable. This makes them very easy to modify and maintain.
The LT designation was used in the 70's on gen1 smallblocks, then again 20 yrs later in the 90's on gen2 smallblocks, and now again 20yrs later on the gen5 smallblock. The gen1 and 2 engines share very few parts, and the gen5 shares parts with nothing.
See why people complain about LT's?
Today on How it's Made, Smiley Reports!
I guess Im old school but you lost me on a CAST Crank Shaft?!
Mike Valek people are running these cranks in builds upwards of 1000hp
Mike Valek my 1972 402 big block has a stock cast crank
When they say "The crankshaft starts as a raw casting" the piece shown is a raw forging. It's a forged crankshaft. All the other info I've looked at for the LT4 specs it as a forged crankshaft.
Mike Valek I was thinking the same thing - a cast crank on an over 650hp high dollar premium engine. It didn't seem right.
Rev Mikey buy a manesium one , those supposedly increse in strength as heat rises.
And to see all those blocks just stacked up like boxes of candy.
Great video, very informative, really appreciate the insight into a top notch plant producing a top competing performance engine that has great racing heritage and a performing pedigree including many wins over Europe's best sport cars at a very competitive price. The LT4 is a marvelous reflection of engineering and production competence, this plant deserves a big thumbs up! The Tonawanda team is certainly performing at a top level. As for the negative and very misinformed junk comments from some of the haters below relating uniforms to professionalism, a clear demonstration of insecrinty and their realization of how far behind they have fallen behind. Thanks to the team for a great job, I recently took delivery of my 2015 Z06 and could not be happier!
I think i could use one of those in my corolla.
I wonder if the robots will buy a vehicle.
yup, a honda ; lmao
Hey @j jones Robots don't need cars but people in China would be happy to build engines for $2.00 per hour .. I am glade they are made in the USA ! Meanwhile some Female CEO at GM who makes $22 Million per year and was on a List to run for VP with Hillary Clinton .. just closed 6 GM car building factories .. She wants that Government money to build Driver less cars and electric cars.. I guess the day is coming when Humans will be too stupid to drive their own car..
They don't want you to own a car they want you to rent a self driving car by the mile from Uber.. Really they want you to ride a bus or train ..
@@mikeskidmore6754 Some People are already to stupid to drive, thats why Ford came out with parking assist! Ford shut down 9 plants as well.lol
GM V8's used to be bullet proof... but they now use poly intakes and poly coolant fittings. All to save maybe $3 and a few ounces of weight. Really sucks since that is usually the weakest link that costs owners 1000's when they fail.
James Barrick lol
sold to people that drive very slow and wear golf pants
Fuck not always. I drive fast every chance I get. I wear Levis and Adidas and Gucci...but never golf pants lol.
Reality is the Z06 is $100K+ well equipped and not a lot of 20-30 yr olds have that kinda dough to spend on a car. Some do but most don't.
I factory ordered my first Corvette when I was 29. It was a goal and an achievement. I set it as a reward for finishing dental school.
I earned every penny paid for that car - no rich mommy n daddy handouts. I could have bought a Porsche, Audi, Benz, Jag, Lotus or BMW...but they didn't have the "soul" of a Corvette.
I now proudy own a '19 Z06 and treasure every second behind the wheel. I have had many nice cars between the 2 'Vettes and I can honestly say nothing stirs my emotions like a big, powerful V8 in a low-slung Corvette!
God Bless America! (and I say that as a Canadian!)
I WANT TO MAKE SURE BEFORE I PUT YOU ON BLAST, ARE YOU DISSING VETTES, YAY OR NAY
I’m 55 years old been driving Corvettes since I was 18. And I drive my Z06 like I stole it.
LT1 still holding it's own...
I wonder if thee robots are overpaid union workers
+charles fournier im not sure i want illegals from south of the border putting together an engine to a $130,000 car for $5 an hour. GM understands cost/benefit far better you or i.
+803brando How could you think that a z06 is 130k, its actually close to 80k, unless you spec it with every option including the C7.R edition.
+charles fournier
They were made in Mexico, they work under the table .... or work for RAM chips?
no, that's a lie. GM has been paying their American workers extremely well with all the bells and whistles of benefits. While they were going bankrupt, they kept paying their workers bull benefits and wages because of the greedy union workers. because of that, they slowly lost money overtime and that's how they went bankrupt.
And your not a greedy american worker....Give me a break...
GM's goal is to sell you a new corvette every seven years. My goal is to get a 2021 corvette that weighs 2900 pounds. This LT4 engine is a great performing engine. Now, how can they produce it to weigh 200 to 250 pounds less. By using lighter materials like (Magnesium 1738 kg/m3 vs steel 7850 kg/33) on non moving parts. Magnesium is 22% the mass of steel. Great innovations in the alloy have taken place since 2010. Maybe use Titanium on the exhaust manifold (Titanium is 4500 kg/m3). Titanium is 57% the mass of steel.
micron, micron, micron, micron, micron, micron, micron, micron, micron
I don't think he knows what that means
So proud of lt1 owner. Yes, mine is 17 Camaro SS. Love of ‘em !!