The aluminum block L92 6.2L light truck engines are really nice performing horsepower engines albeit I feel they are more suited for swapping into a 2wd hotrod/cruiser truck. Usable HP and Torque doesn’t come on until way too late (high RPM) for my needs.
That is true for the non VVT engines, however mine has 90% of the torqu from 2000 to 4500 RPM. sure it redlines at 6000 RPM, so i revs way higher and the big block sure has more low end torque, but the L92 is way better than the 6.0 that most people use to swap in.
It would be interesting to drive a sportscar-like 6.2L behind a dump truck S6-650 transmission in a heavy 4x4. As I mentioned in a different thread, I have the S6-650 in my daily driver 8.1L Silverado and hate that transmission. I’ve hated it since the day I brought it home when the truck was new. If it wasn’t for the low RPM torque of the big block that allows skip shifting from 2nd to 4th to 6th I think that clunky shifting thing would really drive my crazy.
see video on how nice it shifts and drives
As I mentioned before in the other thread, my S6 650 shifts as smooth as can be and matches the L92 perfect. It´s a blast to drive and people that drove with me were surprised on how well that combo works and shifts.
What?
Sure there is…it is called an L18 8.1L. To date, there is no other modern day production gasoline engine that comes closer to diesel like torque than a L18. As much as I like the Gen III LS engines the one thing I don’t like is how one must beat on them like a weed whacker to get any usable torque and horsepower out of them. HP is fun, but low-end Torque is what gets the job done in these big 4x4’s. LS engines just don’t have enough low end grunt to work well for what I do with my K10, especially at our altitude here (5,000 ft). The truck weighs 8,000lbs with the camper fully loaded for a week in the back country. Most of its time is spent wondering around the back country of the Southwest where the 8.1L has enough low end grunt that it can be idled along in 3rd gear (NV4500). On the other hand a Gen III LS engine would need to be spun to 2,500 to 3,000 to do the same work while consuming more fuel along the way. I tend to drive my 8.1L’s like diesels where I shift at a very low RPM and the engine seldom goes above 2,500 unless I am on the Interstate cruising along 75+ MPH. It seems LS engines can’t pull away from a stop sign without spinning up to at least 2,500 RPM.
There are actually 4 different HP and Torque SAE ratings of the L18 8.1L depending on the vehicle and GVWR. There isn’t any engine hardware differences between any of these engines, the power levels are all in the ECM calibrations. As with pretty much all GM engines the HP and Torque ratings are very conservative due to emissions. It doesn’t take much ECM tuning by someone that know what they are doing to significantly increase the HP and torque of these things. Like your 450 HP claim on a L92 that is actually rated at 380 HP, the tuner that programmed my ECM also claims some crazy HP and Torque number increases with their “Hot Tune”. Howell claimed 425 HP / 550 lb ft of torque is what their tune was dyno’d at. I’ll have to take their word for it as it is unlikely my truck will ever get on a dyno but I know it moves an 8,000lb rolling box with not much effort
Horsepower ratings of the L18 8.1L:
340 @ 4200 rpm (L18 Workhorse)
325 @ 4000 rpm (MD L18 w/LRW power option)
295 @ 3600 rpm (MD L18 w/LRZ power option)
225 @ 3600 rpm (MD L18 w/LQR power option)
Torque (lb-ft):
455 @ 3200 rpm (L18 Workhorse)
450 @ 2800 rpm (MD L18 w/LRW power option)
440 @ 3200 rpm (MD L18 w/LRZ power option)
350 @ 1200 rpm (MD L18 w/LQR power option)
L92 6.2L:
380 HP @ 5500 RPM
417 LB. FT @ 4400 RPM
that is not entirely correct. the 380 HP rating is for the regular truck and H2, but the cadillac version had 403 HP from the factory. I got mine from GM performance parts and had it retuned, so the 450 HP is very well possible, even though I haven´t dynoed my truck either.
Applications: Horsepower: hp ( kw )
Cadillac Escalade 403hp ( 301kw ) @ 5700 rpm
Cadillac Escalade ESV 403hp ( 301kw ) @ 5700 rpm
Cadillac Escalade EXT 403hp ( 301kw ) @ 5700 rpm
GMC Sierra Denali 403hp ( 301kw ) @ 5700 rpm
GMC Yukon Denali 380hp ( 283kw ) @ 5500 rpm
GMC Yukon XL Denali 380hp ( 283kw ) @ 5500 rpm
Applications: Torque: lb-ft ( Nm )
Cadillac Escalade 417lb-ft ( 565Nm ) @ 4300 rpm
Cadillac Escalade ESV 417lb-ft ( 565Nm ) @ 4300 rpm
Cadillac Escalade EXT 417lb-ft ( 565Nm ) @ 4300 rpm
GMC Sierra Denali 417lb-ft ( 565Nm ) @ 4300 rpm
GMC Yukon Denali 417lb-ft ( 565Nm ) @ 4400 rpm
GMC Yukon XL Denali 417lb-ft ( 565Nm ) @ 4400 rpm
The numbers don’t lie, the Gen III L92 LS engine must be beat on to get power out of them. The peak 380 HP rating doesn't appear until 5,500 RPM! Hell, a big block (as well as a diesel) is liable to leave 8 big dents in the hood if it was spun that high very often. LS engines are almost like modern day Mazda rotary engines where you have to wind them up like a weed whacker (although not nearly as bad as a Ford engine).
This is the HP and Torque chart for the most common light truck and SUV L18...the 325 HP version. Notice its Peak HP is 1,300 RPM lower than the L92 6.2L. Notice it is also already building over 400 lbs of torque at 1,000 RPM. They actually make over 100 lbs of torque at idle (750 RPM). Look back above, the L92 is only producing 270ish lbs of torque at 1,000 RPMs
320 on the stock one mine is based on. see the dyno chart above.. and that is before the tune. . Now which engine is more diesel-like?
I still like LS engines alot, just not in a heavy 4x4 or something that will do much towing. There is no replacement for displacement.
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http://farm4.staticflickr.com
A lot depends on gearing too. I have 4.88 gears, so that thing moves like a sports car from a stand still.
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