I love Chevy LS engines, my first ever “technician” job, was to rebuild a C5 Corvette from the ground up. I was 17 and had no idea what I was doing, but I was working side-by-side with a former Lopers (Chevy performance shop) employee.
We built the motor using a custom ground cam and cnc ported factory heads. We picked up nearly 100whp over stock just from those changes, and ever since then I’ve loved LS motors.
But, I’ve completely forgotten about Ford modular motors, are mod motors better? Lets dive in and compare Chevy LS vs. Ford Modular. Before we start this comparison let’s briefly cover each engine individually.
Ford Modular
Ford began using their modular design back in 1991. The Modular engine is a replacement for the 302ci engine that was well-known and loved. Its lower displacement to gives it better fuel efficiency, just as much torque, and more horsepower.
However, it failed at pretty much all of those.
There are various reasons why it didn’t make much power, but the main one is that it didn’t rev high enough. The SOHC design brought higher red lines, and more horsepower. But, the 4.6L modular’s redline was hardly any higher than the 302’s redline.
Fast forwards to 2011 and Ford is producing the 5.0L Coyote. They had to develop an engine that could compete with Chevy’s 6.2L and Chrysler’s 6.4L. Ford was able to push out a very impressive 412 horsepower of their 5.0L V8.
Today the Coyote makes 435 horsepower, and it made 444 in the Boss 302 model.
Chevrolet LS
Chevrolet introduced their new V8 design in 1999. This new small-block design replaced the LT series of engines, which was basically a small-block Chevy with some EFI components attached to it.
They called their new small-block the LS1, and it led to a massive engine family.
The LS is larger is displacement than the Ford Modular, which gave it more horsepower and torque. The LS, just like every other small-block (excluding the LT5) before it was an OHV design.
This makes the LS engine family very compact and very lightweight.
What’s the Major Difference?
The biggest difference between LS and Mod motors is in the valve train. The LS engine uses a pushrod design, with one cam in the center of the block, and pushrods to move the rocker arms.
Modular motors use overhead cams, depending on which engine you’re talking about it may have 1 cam per head or 2 per head.
RELATED: 6 Reasons Chevy LS Engines are so Good
There are loads of smaller differences between the two, but the valve train is definitely the biggest difference between the two.
Newer mod motors (Coyote and Voodoo) use variable valve time. That’s right, you can hit VTEC in a Mustang (note: sarcasm). Mod motors are also smaller displacement than LS motors, Coyote engines are 5.0L compared to the LS3’s 6.2L.
The F150’s modular engine is as large as 5.4L, whilst the Silverado’s LS based engine is as large as 6.2L. The difference in displacement makes the LS engines much less efficient, but they make more power and torque.
Additional LS information on Wikipedia
Ford Modular vs Chevy LS: Stock
For comparisons sake, were going to show numbers from LS3 (Camaro) vs. Coyote (Mustang), both of which came in 2012 pony cars. This will help keep the playing fields as level as possible.
While the LS3 makes more power and torque than the Coyote, it takes an extra 1.2 liters to do so. If the Coyote was a 6.2L it’d make 510 horsepower, which is quite impressive.
How does the Coyote make more hp/liter? The Coyote has dual over head cams, and variable valve timing, which is the same reason Honda’s can make well over 100hp/liter.
Those things alone aren’t the reason it can make so much power per liter. Overhead cams can withstand really high RPMs, which allows the Coyote to rev higher than an LS.
As I’m sure you know, HP = Revs x Torque, that’s why the Coyote makes so much power per liter.
RELATED: F-150 Goes All Aluminum, Should Chevy Follow?
So, if you’re comparing the stock numbers, the Coyote would be the better motor, it makes nearly the same horsepower as the LS3 while being much smaller in displacement.
But, what about modified? After all, the reason you’re reading this is because you’re a car guy (or car girl). This is where the LS motor shines.
Ford Modular vs Chevy LS: Modified
Chevy built the LS family with low hp/liter, giving it superb reliability, but leaving a huge amount of performance on the table. The low horsepower per liter means the LS isn’t being pushed near its limited. A simple head/cam swap on an LS motor can gain over 100hp.
The LS3 has been proven able to make 1,000 horsepower reliably, but it requires a perfect tune. The Coyote 5.0L can only make 700-800 horsepower reliable without extensive changes.
There are a ton of very reputable engine parts manufacturers that make Chevy LS parts that are very cheap (heads, cams, etc). A head/cam swap can cost around $2k for pretty nice parts.
On the other hand, the Coyote doesn’t have cheap engine parts on the market. This is mostly because the Coyote’s complexity.
To put it simply; the Chevy LS loves the typical head/cam swap and will make a ton of power when modified like this, the Ford Modular loves bolt-ons (intake, exhaust, throttle body, etc).
Additional Modular Motor information on Wikipedia
Which One is Better?
Stock vs. stock the Coyote is the better engine, it makes crazy hp/liter. But this is at the cost of less reliability since DOHC and variable valve timing is more moving parts that can break.
But, the extra displacement of the LS engines allows huge gains when modified, and more reliability with such a simple valve train.
RELATED: 1JZ vs 2JZ: Which One is Better and Why?
Also note, older mod motors sucked really bad, they didn’t make good power and have almost no aftermarket engine parts available.
Also, LS motors are dirt cheap second-hand because Chevrolet produced so many and put into so many different types of vehicles. So, if you ask me, the LS engine is better, it simply responds better to modifications and is more reliable.
That said though, the new VooDoo 5.2L equipped in the GT350 makes over 100hp/liter and is one hell of a motor, and I wish Chevy would make DOHC engines.
How is the LS more reliable? Do tell, because the Mod motor if nothing else is very durable and reliable. The LS responds to a head change, well if you want a faster 4V mod motor, you don’t need to change the heads. In the 2012 Engine Master competition, the top 3 finishers were 4V mod motors, the 1st and only year they were allowed. They used factory heads, crank and block. The valvetrain on the 4V is lighter, more direct (per valve) and less likely to break, and the bottom is every good as any LS motor (6-bolt mains). The LS is a great pushrod motor, and i can easier relate as I build SBF’s, however the Mod motors can make incredible power.
How does an engine building competition prove that the Mod motor is better? Like I said in other comments, the ultimate test is at the circuit, where the LS is banned from many different racing series for having an advantage. In an engine building competition, your engine won’t have to withstand hours of harsh abuse, like it will at the track.
The DOHC engines make their power in the higher RPM range where the 2v pushrod engines make it in the lower RPM ranges..This is why exotic race cars such as Lemans and F1 and IRL cars all use DOHC engines..The LS engines are easy to build cheap and are fun but they don’t have the sophistication of the more exotic DOHC engines…This is why most of the world’s car industry went to OHC…
The Chevy LS is forced to run a small 337 cu in motor.They have won 7 times at le Mans in 13 attemps,while racing against exotic cars like Aston’s,Ferrari’s,etc and the totally unattainable Ford GT.While setting the all time road race win record in the US LeMans series.The C5R has won 100 (record) races in 20 years of competition. And just finished winning the 2018 Championship.All this using a smallblock pushrod engine.I dont see anything better out there considering the very small budget they race with compared to all the other manufacturs.Ive been to the drag races and see Mustangs with LS motors in them.I guess that says it all.
Bryce,you are missing one major component of Coyote and that is,it responds much better to boost than the LS does. Now you new flat plane 5.2L Voodoo engine in the Shelby that will be in the Mustangs in a couple years as well as the Expedition and Navigator as optional. Those engines make 550hp with NO boost.
till that flat plane crank grenades…. (notorious balancing night mare)
coyote aint making 1300hp on production part…….. 4.8ls HAS ask hotrod
I beg to differ. Im pretty sure there is a stock block gen 3 Coyote pushing a bit over 1300hp. It is the record holder as far as i know at this moment…
How does Engine Masters Challenge prove the mod motor is better??.. REALLY???.. Son, obviously you have no business airing any view points regarding engines if you dont grasp why THAT competition sets the bar..
Mods are smaller displacement ,yet seem to smoke the LS motors. I have Camaro and wife has Mustang
Your Article is Awesome.
more moving parts are a recipe for problems
Pushrod engines have more moving parts. Just look closely at some cutaways. That’s why foreign cars and some domestic went with overhead cams. Keeping the valvetrain together is the hardest part of long distance racing. That is where DOHC motors always dominate.
Eric…Have you looked at Corvettes LS engine record in short & long distance racing.They won Le Mans 7 times out 13 tries and hold the IMSA all time record for wins over Ford, Porsche,Ferrari,Aston Martin.Including the last 3 years in row for the IMSA Championship All with a small 331 cu in “pushrod” engine. They started with 427 then got busted down to 376 then to 331 and now they win based on being reliable.
Well try an engine with one moving part. Yes, you have stated a false concept. Do you want to run two-strokes? ????????????????????
There is also another issue that is a big plus for the mod motors in that they respond much better to boost then the LS engines. Being able to spin a mod motor to the moon,tossing a set of twin turbos on will give you HP,torque,and RPM that will pull a 747. They are that strong.
Your Article is Awesome.
3v 5.4, enough said about reliability vs an ls
Why is an engine superior for making more HP- per-liter? That is an arbitrary measure picked out of the air to support OHC’s. Why not declare a pushrod engine superior because it makes a given HP figure with more low-end torque, much less complexity, smaller size, and lighter weight? These are real practical benefits.
The only thing that small OHC motors do better is fuel efficiency. And it could be argued that this OHC advantage only appears to exist because of the mileage testing methods. In the real world a larger pushrod motor frequently does just as well.
HP/Liter isn’t at all arbitrary, its a measure of how efficient an engine is at making horsepower. Realistically i’d say that OHC is indeed superior, but with the high cost of the Coyote, I would prefer to have an LS. Plus OHC V8 engines are massive and are difficult to fit into anything.
HP per Liter is completely useless for comparing two engines of completely different designs. It doesn’t tell us how fuel efficient the engine is, because that’s what engineers quantify using Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC). Smaller displacement DOES NOT EQUAL BETTER FUEL EFFICIENCY.
The 6.2 pushrod V8 is more fuel efficient than that 2011-2017 5.0 Coyote. It’s also more compact and almost identical in weight.
2017 Mustang GT w/ PP & 6sp manual: 14/17/23
2017 Camaro SS w/ 6sp manual: 16/19/25
WEIRD!
My ’16 Mustang GT gets 25mpg on the highway, at 80mph on cruise control, and that’s with a 6R80 auto and in a car that not only weighs more stock than a Camaro, but also has another 100lbs of subs and stereo equipment. The LS is compact for sure, but has a dreadfully low redline because of that. There’s always tradeoffs.
I can do that and get 45 MPG with my VW TDI.
right on!!! uhiuh
cubic inches being equal the double overhead cam 4v engine will make more power more efficiently.just like when motorcycles went the same route 2v motors were thru
ru
Michael,,,,HD when you speak about 2 valves per cylinder and push rods, lower double cams 1 per cylinder.
Lets rate the HP and torque to the CI as other motor cycles.
Also 2v motors are going strong I’m sure your here them all the time.
not true my e46 m3 is 3.2 liters but makes 109hp per liter.if it was 6.4 liters it would make 600 plus hp easily without forced induction.i love the ls motors and will probably replace inline six if I have problems.
Correction. Variable valve timing doesn’t always equal to Honda’s Vtec. Vtec, on top of its variable valve timinng also has cam phasing which makes all the difference in power. It’s like having a tall cam that automatically kicks in at a higher RPM.
i-VTEC has variable camshaft phasing, all other forms of VTEC are strictly variable valve timing.
read a bit more on the DOHC VTEC, such as on the F20C. The VTEC system provides the engine with valve timing optimized for both low and high RPM operations. In basic form, the single barring shaft-lock of a conventional engine is replaced with two profiles: one optimized for low-RPM stability and fuel efficiency, and the other designed to maximize high-RPM power output. The switching operation between the two cam lobes is controlled by the ECU which takes account of engine oil pressure, engine temperature, vehicle speed, engine speed and throttle position. Using these inputs, the ECU is programmed to switch from the low lift to the high lift cam lobes when the conditions mean that engine output will be improved. At the switch point a solenoid is actuated which allows oil pressure from a spool valve to operate a locking pin which binds the high RPM cam follower to the low RPM ones. From this point on, the valves open and close according to the high-lift profile, which opens the valve further and for a longer time
Thats literally all VTEC is, and thats how nearly all variable valve timing systems work. So, I’m not sure what you’re point is, because you’ve successfully all told us what we all already knew about the VTEC system.
Well you can argue any way you like, but truth be known the ultimate test is at the drag strip. The fastest LS powered cars are around 6.40s with a lot of aftermarket parts, when the smaller mod motors (stock block and heads) are already in th 5.80s. There just gettin started with the coyote, and there already in the 6.80s and going down quickly. It looks like the superior engine by far is the ford. The two biggest downfalls in the fords are size, which so far doesnt seem to matter, and the physical size of the ovc motors which doesnt matter in a racecar but in a street swap or hot rod is a concideration. So evidence at the track shows theres no comparrison!
Unfortunately the drag strip is not the ultimate test for anything. Why? Because less than 10 seconds of full throttle doesn’t prove which engine is better. The true test is at the circuit, where LS’s are banned from numerous racing series because they’re viewed as an unfair advantage. Why are they banned from multiple racing series? Because they’re able to fit into nearly any car, something an OHC V8 cannot do. Further more, the LS can take hours of harsh abuse without breaking, over heating, losing power, or having any sort of issue at all. If OHC engines are so superior, than why do racing teams with OHC V8’s always complain to officials about the OHV V8’s that Chevy uses are unfair?
So if ohc engines are so terrible at circuit racing that’s why the ford 427 ohc v8 was banned from NASCAR?? It must have been so unreliable right?
NASCAR doesn’t allow any motor over 358 CID’s. ohc or not… thats why the 427 isn’t there.
First of all, Nate must be young.
So, the Chrysler 426 hemi was never used? Dang, how did the superbird daytona even get to race then? I think Greg was reffering to the 427 cammer back in the 60’s.
No at the time it was not allowed because the overhead cam was superior to pushrods, allowed cubic inches were at 427 at the time of rejection.
When did the LS get banned I’ve never heard of that the mod motors can make some serious hp if you know where to get it from no they aren’t cheap to build and that’s why many people like the Chevy motor cause they are cheap to build the voodoo’s are making some power but if my memory serves me right in 12-13 the 5.0 was deliberately under rated for it’s power but they was making way more than the 400 rang as stated
I want to know what races it’s banned from? All the major players it is being used…
banned? from where amigo? the c7.r is running an ls5 5.5l engine at imsa. what are you talking about being banned.
Mod motors are some of the most reliable engines ever put in a passenger car. Taxi duty Crown Vics see a ton of mileage as Taxi’s, AFTER years of hard use by police departments. It is not uncommon at all to see one with 500k miles on ’em and still running strong. Very many of ’em see close to a million miles.
You state that ohc motors have more parts to break, one thing you probably didn’t know is that ohc motors have 1/3 less moving parts than an ohv motor and have the ability to rev higher easier, part the reason a supra motor can rev to 9k while your jeeps i6 loses power past 4500 rpm, yes a modified valvetrain can change the characteristics of the jeeps motor and allow it to rev higher and still produce power but it will never rev to 9k without valve float no matter what you do to it, fully forged and all, I could maybe see 7k but thats really pushing it, ohc motors are newer technology and better design, they tend to have broader power bands and can rev higher
Your full of sh*t Nascar turn 10k and 3/4 are push rod engines
Yes they have flat plane crank as well. High rpm
nope, not one nascar is flatplane….
production motors that used them,, coyote and a lot of Ferrari…
I think you missed a major point… cost per hp. Full disclaimer here: I’m a Ford fan. With that said I have to admit the LS family is easier, smaller dimensionally and cheaper to build than a Modular\Coyote. With cost and ease of fitment out of the equation, the Ford has a greater maximum power potential due to having fewer moving parts and newer technology. Six in one a half dozen in the other… both are amazing engines!
Article was written by someone who knows chevy engines, and doesn’t know ford engines. End of story. He admits he loves the the LS platform and knows it well. And is just going off of what he read online about a ford engine.
Simple facts. Chevy is cheaper to buy and build, because chevy fears change.
Pushrods been around forever.
Throttle body = computer controlled carb.
Baro sensor? Seriously? Mass airflow is the way to go for better economy and power.
Once the coyote (never been a fan of the timing and head issues the 4.6 had for most of its life run) has been out for more than 5 years, the prices will drop dramatically.
LS has been around for decades, so of course there is more out there for it at this point.
Ford is now stuffing the coyote into damn near everything. Which makes a coyote swap for a fox or sn95 or new edge that much more affordable.
Study both sides of a coin, before you guess what is on the tail side.
I have studied both sides of the coin tons. Chevy isn’t “afraid of change”, their racing team even says, unless somebody invents an OHC system thats significantly better than OHV, they’re going to stay with OHV. Throttle body does not at all equal computer controlled carb. Both the LS and the Coyote use mass airflow sensors. Prices for the Coyote will never dip as low as the price for LS engines. Why? The demand isn’t there for Coyote’s. Why isn’t there a demand? Because the engine is very complex and hard to fit into anything. The LS engine has a much smaller foot print, and can fit in damn near anything you want. Plus the LS is really simple when it comes to wiring. The factory wiring harness for the engine is entirely separate from the body wiring harness.
It sounds like you need to study both sides of the coin Steve.
The new Ecoboost V6 engines are beating all the big V8s such as the 6.2liter that is almost twice its size..The multi-cam OHC engines have major advantage in the rev range,
Where is the ecoboost beating v8s, last i checked the c7.r corvette racing team is still leading in the race series. It has beat the ford gt on a few occasions, moreso than the gt winning over the C7.
IMSA… the 635 HP 3.5L Ecoboost in the GT is beating the C7.R on a regular basis…and finish 1st, 2nd and 4th at Le Mans in 2016.
Turbos are the great equalizer. N/A those V6s wouldnt stand a chance. Same as they wont hang with a turbocharged V8.
What? A 5.0 crate engine and ls3 crate engine are almost identical in pricing.
Hate to tell you but the next GM V8’s are going to be quad valve and OHC. Also a LS is not a chev motor, Chevrolet no longer make motor’s, they are made by GMPT, General Motors Power Train.
You know demand drives up cost… Saying coyotes aren’t cheap because they have no demand is not correct. Coyotes are expensive because they have TONS of demand. They cant keep them on the shelf so they can charge what they want for them. the most basic economic principle.
The engine harness is separate on the Coyote too..
I just got to say, All you people saying a coyote downfall is not fitting into any car, Well im pretty sure I have seen a coyote stuffed into little cars like the 240sx, Rx7s and more. Those are pretty small cars. So what cars cant they be swapped into? Just curious?
For 2016 5.0 Cobra Jet eight second range, 75% stock you order from the Ford dealer.
The older 4.6/5.4 90(4.6)-99(4.6/5.4) would benefit greatly from PI heads. You don’t need heads or cams on ohc engines, you just swap springs to slightly stronger ones, degree the cams properly and spin it a lil higher. Only real mod one would need is flat top pistons, for higher CR of course.
It’s safe to say that both Coyote and LSX engines are fantastic in man aspects, so naturally chevy guys are going to claim LS engines are the best, and Ford guys are still going to like the Coyotes. For me, being a Ford guy, I love the power and rev ability of the new 5.0 motors, especially considering it’s rather small displacement.
On the other hand, I cannot argue against how good the LS engine can be and be physically small package compared to any OHC V8. At an 1/8th mile track I live at in the summer months, a little 96 mustang that has a 5.3 Ls engine out of a wrecked van with nothing more than a cam upgrade, nice converter, and an ebay turbo system hurts the feelings of nearly everything that shows up under it’s own power, including hell-cats, Vipers, Vettes, GT500s. So me being a Ford guy, can’t sit here and tell you that one is more superior than the other. In my opinion, if you’re swapping an engine into something that it didn’t come out of, LSX will be very nice, but on the other hand, if you have a 2011 or newer Coyote powered mustang, or truck, you already got the killer motor sitting under your hood, so be proud.
Look back a decade or 2 ago and just realize how far EVERYTHING has came. 1987 Mustang 225 hp Mustang enters the scene, and literally is king of the road for nearly a decade, then the first ls’s enter the scene in new camaros and vettes making like 285 hp, and then suddenly they’re the force to be reconed with, now we have average 6 cylinder engines in trucks making more power!!!!
Is no one going to mention the Terminator engine being 1000+ hp reliable *grabs popcorn*.
There is a Terminator in a million pieces on our shop floor right now. Second engine, less than 90k on the car. Cost to put it back together after it bent one of its fancy connecting rods?? 8k. It will still be a 400whp Mustang when it goes back together. It even has a big Kenne Belle blower on it. Just not that impressive anymore. It will get smoked by junkyard Chinese turbo setups in 500 dollar cars.
ROFL i know this is old but its either 8k worth of bs or someone needs a new shop and tuner. Bolt on Terminators put down well over 400 to the wheels with unported heatons. A KB car making 400 wheel is a lie either to us or to the owner and a bent rod repair for 8k makes me think its both. Next time tell us the kb car made 630 wheel on the stock bottom end and its 8k to fix because a rod went through the block you will sound more credible to someone who actually knows these cars.
Pullied Terminators were still beating up on 5th Gen Camaros when they came out. There’s a reason those engines go for so much money. They’re practically bullet-proof to 800hp.
Some posters have said that the author is just a Chevy fan boy. Well if he was such a fan he would’ve known the ls1 came onto the scene in 97 in the Vette and 98 in the Fbody. Not 99 like he said. I’ve owned several 4th gen Fbodies and I loved the fact that with minor bolt ons I could beat Coyotes even lightly modded. I respect the improvements Ford has made (Those mid 2000s Gts were sloowww) but I’d still take an Lsx motor. As previously mentioned people are putting lsx motors into all kinds of cars even Mustangs. I don’t see people doing the same with Ford motors.
With Displacement being equal the OHC motor will make more power…… Even if you added 100hp to the LS from the 426 youre just barely over the mentioned 510.
Using the same basic math, the OHC motor would make over 480lb-ft
LS1 first came out in 1997 not 99
Greetings, Most of you guys probably have never rebuild either of these engines. For the street, the LS wins hands down. Where is the aftermarket conversions for a 4.6 / 5.4 or Coyote, where is a stand alone ignition, carb intake, trans adapter plates for older transmissions. Good luck finding these. LS is simple and just works. Would I use a OHC V8 Ford, yes, if they actually made something that could be used in a hotrod or muscle car without breaking the bank. But they don’t. I will not spend $10 grand just to put an engine in a street rod. I live in the real world. Ford is no longer hot rodder friendly.
Good article. It would seem having the primitive pushrods and rocker arm assemblies would be more moving parts and more prone to failure than the mounted overhead camshaft engines that are compact also with 6 bolt mains and Y block modular design, like GM that can withstand tons of boost as well. Ford aftermarket parts are also plentiful here in 2018, but at a greater cost. The mod motors Ford made in all the trucks, taxis and cop cars are super reliable, had some issues early on like all new motors…head gaskets, and spark plugs certain 5.4’s. I am a fan of both nowdays..but also hope chevy gets dohc going…cmon american auto manufacturers lets get tech out of the 1950’s pushrod tech.
Annnd that why i love those [Jap] ‘rice burning’ DOHC 1.6/8-2.0/4L D/B/H/K series HONDA motors.
Small, lightweight and damn near bullet proof with the right tune. Capable of making insane power in both N/A & turbo configurations.
Theyre like the LS motors of the import world. Versatile, reliable & capable of being swapped into basically any chassis. Not to mention they can/will last forever;again with the right tuning… whether theyre pushing 200whp or 1100+whp, they’re simply amazing feats of technology.
In fact, thays why i chose to swap a f22c from a s2000 bored out to 2.7L, 12.5cr pistons, Running a GTX4088R all shoved into a C5ZO6. This turbo is running oit of steam so Next up is to go a bit larger.
It has a motec ecm keeping everything running smootly and last but not least, the car is a damn blast to drive.
What i love is the Redline/fuel cuttoff is set at 8700rpm…dont forget thats with the 2.7L motor which is quite remarkable.
From a roll this thing is a monster especially with it weighing in at or just under 3000lb.
Next up is a salvaged 2000 z/28 with a straight k24 swap from a TSX, which is going to be built with a goal of 13.1cr running a GTX5008R, obviously with parts to support this power…both are running a flex fuel setup with the ability to run e85, 91 or 100+oct.
Honda hearts in american muscle. Damn im proud to be an american.
Good luck with that. I’ve been running a 2016 mustang I bought new with just an upgraded set of axles and bolt on Hellion turbo kit that took me 6 hours to bolt on in the driveway and put down almost 1200 hp after a good reliable tune. Bought her brand new and added a cage and parachute to appease the track rules and been running the piss out of it since. Got her tore down right now just to upgrade the Pistons and rods, and going with a little larger set of turbos and will be pushing around 2200hp. Keep playing around with your Honda and dinosaur LS motors if you want. They can all be built and fun, but will never be equal to MOD motor.
HP per Liter is meaningless , you either compare HP per MPG for the engine or Power to Weight for the vehicle
Hp/L is an argument only those with low power use. If the mos motor was better, you wouldn’t be seeing LS swapped everything.
LS is smaller,lighter and can handle anything you put at it. If an idiot builds an engine it will fail bc there is no fool proof engine in the world. Horsepower per liter. Let’s focus on that…now,if you don’t make as much power,no one cares about how “efficient” your engine is bc you didn’t win the race…and most people don’t realize that GM doesn’t max out the efficiency of their engines from factory…hp per liter means nothing unless the engine is built for one exact purpose to it’s maximum potential. Also,just bc you make 100hp per liter with 5 liters doesn’t mean if you add 2 more liters you get 200 more hp…math doesn’t work that way with engines bc if your volmeric efficiency is peaked at 5.0 then it won’t gain any more power at the same level. What you’re saying is if I take this 5.x and make it a 50 liter engine,the cylinder heads and cams etc. Can keep up with that design at 100hp per liter? …no,most people here don’t know shit about engines or fluid dynamics to begin with…they just read mags and “think” they “know”. Blueprinting an engine takes intelligence,I know bc I do it and every person ik that owns a Chevy whether they’re smart people or not work on their own cars…I’ve never met anyone hardly (and I’m talking like 1-5% of people) that have built their own mustang…always always always it’s a stereotypical douchebag…and ik people in mustang and Camaro groups and clubs…I own quite a few cars…and love engines in general,I have two mustangs and three firebirds,two BMW’s,a Nova and some old project cars from the 50’s and some trucks…Chevy and Dodge trucks. As a mechanic and engine builders I (with my on eyes physically) see 90% of the vehicles I fix are Ford…I see the real world reasons why LS is better than a coyote…hotrod mag built a 4.8 junkyard engine,boosted to almost 1200hp and ran it 60 times back to back and it never budged…just bolts,ring gap,Cam and springs(ls6 stock btw),turbo and tune,if that’s not reliable then idk what is…isn’t it more of an accomplishment to put more cid in a smaller footprint? Let’s rate it hp per valve,per cam,per pound,or per physical size in inches etc.? See…it doesn’t matter what matters is torque and hp…and who crosses the finish line first,and that’s LS 9/10 times…
I must say there’s loads of brand loyalty hidden beneath tacit knowledge.
Here are the facts.
HP makes you fast in a straight line Less weight makes you quick everywhere.
The faster an engine spins the faster it wears out.
The less things there are that change direction the less waste of power.
OHC engines can rev significantly higher than push rod engines =more power/lt
Multi Valve engines breathe better =More HP
Variable valve timing widens power band
Variable intake runners widen hertshog resonance /= flatter torque band.
There’s a reason why the Rolls Royce Merlin & Griffin engines were OHC, (even at low RPM OHC is significantly better.)
The fact is the LS is a old reliable lump of an engine, and the Coyote is a slightly more modern engine with loads more HP/Lt
In any case both motors are weak and flaccid compared to the electric motors of the 762 HP Tesla.
Tesla sucks and no one cares. Electric cars were in 2nd place a century ago and nothing has changed.
So you work on more Coyote engines than Ls engines and you believe that’s a black and white comparison? You cant see past your own bay door bro. You cant make a fair and legitimate claim such as that based on which one you work on the most. Have you ever considered the demographics of the area and that there just might be tons more Fords than Chevys? How about the age of each? It’s hardly fair to group a bunch of old Ford engines in with a handful of brand new chevys and claim Fords are inferior. Or perhaps you might consider the fact that so many more drivers drive their Fords harder, longer and have much more fun in them than the Chevys which also might explain the bloated Ford stats, by your own words. Look, I’ve got a 2015 Mustang GT with a 2.9 whipple, Fore stage 2 dual pump return fuel system, Corsa extreme Catback and much more, she is pulling almost 1100 who on the dyno and I dont even have forged internals! I am not going to say which engine is better and anyone with have a brain would join me on this. Some engines are clearly better than others, this comparison is not one of them. All I know is that I have never had a problem with my beast and I’ve pushed her very hard many times. If you like Chevys buy them, if ya like Fords buy them, but give the comparison a rest…or at least leave it to those who actually do know what they are talking about because they designed them for crying out loud!
I have a 2019 2.0 Honda Sport Sedan Non-Turbo Non-direct injected engine with Ktuner 6 speed manual and I am getting 42mpg city/hwy all day and all night long…….Bricken Dondoe Maeda Kaeee Supreaaaa!!!
Not sure why HP/Litre is such a big deal when it comes to engines. The LS engines are smaller physically when it comes to outer demensions and weight than some V6 engines. They are about the same size physically as a Nissan VQ35, while getting around the same gas mileage under daily driving conditions. LS motors are also very easy to work on and are reliable, but then again most engines are reliable if you take care of them, even engines that are “unreliable” like the Ford 4.0 OHC V6, mine ran over 240K (2007 Ranger FX4 5spd) with out a single issue engine wise before I sold it, I also abused it as well as having the added stress of larger tires. I’ve owned LQ4, Vortec 5700, VQ35DE,and a 4.6 Triton they all made it close to or past 300K without any issues due to proper maintenance. The biggest draw for me to the LS is how easy it is to modify, durability, after market support, efficiency, simplicity and its small physical size which makes it easy to work on. I don’t see it as a better or worse engine than the Ford coyote, since i’ve never had a bad experience with MOD motors either.
NEWSFLASH…. According to Ford the pushrod fuel injected 5.0 made at the most 240 HP and 285 lb/ft of torque and it was in the 1994 Cobra model. In that same model year the final for a 5.0 it only made 215 HP and 285 lb/ft of torque in the GT. The modular 4.6 2v did start out low on power in 1996 but ford remedied that and by 1999 they made 260HP and 302 lb/ft of torque in the GT and would remain that way until 2004. The 1999-2001 Cobra 4v version the 4.6 made 320 HP and 317 lb/ft of torque. In 2005 the GT now came with a 3v 4.6 and by 2010 in its final year it made 315 HP and 325 lb/ft of torque. All of the modular mustang Cobra models made significantly more power than ANY fuel injected 5.0. By 1999 the GT model also made significantly more power and torque than a 5.0.
With that said the LS is quite possibly one of the greatest engines ever made and I enjoyed your write up!!!