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chevy still makes the big block (8.1 ish)???

naterb27

Full Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2017
Messages
26
Location
Lafayette, IN
so i was baffled after lunch on Monday. ???
i currently work at a commercial truck shop, semis and buses and whatnot. the service writer put me on a LP truck with one of the other guys as I'm kinda new and not done training yet.

what baffled me was when i opened the hood, i see what appeared to be an LSx of some sort. it had the ls coils mounted to the valve covers, and the intake looked like an aluminum version of the ls1 intakes, and the accessory drive had similar components to my 5.3. the difference, it was massive. like not by big rig standards, but it was definitely bigger than the Mercedes in a similar truck last week.

i asked my partner just to be sure that it was infact a gm motor. the placard on the intake states it is an 8.0l LP engine made/converted by power solutions inc.(i think) and that it was rated(limit in tuck ecms) at 450 max torque. and the block has a big GM cast into it. i figured it was an old old tuck, but the guy said they have had a few of them as there is a recall on the intake gasket and ecm, this one is a 2017 but i understand the recall was just extended to the new ones. what got me was its still naturally aspirated, on a truck with a gvwr of 33000lbs. i had been saying for the last year or so that gm should have kept the 8.1 alive, i guess they did.

now i am wondering how many parts would swap over to our big blocks from the 2500s and if there would be any performance to be had with them. i am also starting to wonder how much my employee discount would ease the girlfriend on the 2500 conversion  (y)

i have some pics of it if anyone wants to see it
whats everyone else's thoughts?
 
Yes GM still makes 8.1 industrial motor
 
http://www.chevyavalanchefanclub.com/cafcna/index.php?topic=150992.0
 
What I heard was that gm sold the rights of the 8.1, so yes the 8.1 lives but not by the vortec name.
 
If it is an industrial motor only then you can't legally install it in a passenger vehicle that runs on the road because it isn't certified for emissions.

GM Performance does sell some high performance big blocks however.
There is a 502 listed (8.1) and a 572  (9.1) listed in their high performance line. These likely are also not intended in street driven cars as not being emission certified.
 
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