BIG THINGS COME IN SMALL (BLOCK) PACKAGES

Work trucks have never been more vital to America’s industrial backbone than they are today. These sturdy, rugged vehicles symbolize the nation’s deep-rooted love for automotive innovation. Many modern trucks now boast luxurious features that can rival even the most opulent cars in today’s market, a testament to the evolution of these workhorses over time. Though many people consider them simply tools of the trade, work trucks are finding their niche in the collector car world.

The owner of this ’77 Chevy pickup got tired of the performance and poor fuel economy of the truck’s 350 small block, and rather than rebuild the engine, he decided to replace it with something better. If there’s an engine better than a small-block Chevy, it’s one of Chevy’s new Gen-III small-block engines, which include the Vortec truck motors, LS1/LS6, and even the new LS2/LS7. This new generation of small block offers a variety of benefits compared to earlier small blocks, and it doesn’t matter whether you’re installing the engine in a Camaro or a Cameo—the benefits will be the same.

Those benefits begin with increased driveability. A modern fuel-injected motor such as the LS1 offers greater reliability and lower operating costs than carbureted or even early fuel-injected motors. For example, can you imagine leaving the same set of spark plugs in your carbureted motor for 100,000 miles? It’s possible with an LS1, as is the benefit of increased fuel economy, thanks to efficient modern electronics that precisely monitor the volume and velocity of incoming air and accurately release just the right amount of gas from the fuel injectors.  

Although it’s certainly possible to make just as much power as the LS1 makes with a standard small block, the 350 horsepower from a stock LS1 is nothing to take lightly. Your stock truck engine certainly doesn’t produce that kind of power, but it does weigh a whole lot more. Unlike the typical truck engine, the LS1 has aluminum heads and an aluminum block, so it keeps weight to a minimum. There’s no sense in hauling around extra weight, unless it is in the form of a payload. Also, you will not lose out on anything good that weight reduction does for you, such as quicker  acceleration, better front to rear weight bias, better handling and improved fuel mileage—and the potential good list continues. All things considered, the LS1 may be the best balance of reliability, power and economy available in any V-8 engine family currently in production. It’s this balance that makes any LS-series engine a great choice for your truck, because whether you want it for the power, fuel economy, reliability or just the wow factor, it’s a great choice to fit your needs. Because the engine comes in such a small, lightweight package, it will certainly fit any earlier pickup.

Follow along as the guys at Street & Performance swap the tired 350 for a new, Gen-III, LS1.