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The LS engine's performance advantage coupled with solid construction and storied legacy has made it a legendary choice among gearheads.

Every real gearhead knows what a great investment GM's Luxury Sport (LS) engines are and how much they can do for any car they find themselves under the hood of. But aside from their power and reliability, there's also quite a bit of juicy details to learn about LS engines. So before you decide to do an LS swap or buy an LS-powered all-American performance car, take a look at these cool features about America's favorite engine.The LS series initially debuted in 1997. GM called it the Gen-III small-block, with iron-block models introduced in trucks and the all-aluminum LSI versions in the then-new Chevrolet Corvette (C5). Since then, General Motors constantly refers to its modern V8 engine family as Gen-III or Gen-IV, but to gearheads who quickly realized the incredible performance potential of the engines, each engine is nicknamed 'LS.'Its performance advantage coupled with solid construction and storied legacy has made it a legendary choice among gearheads. According to Jeff Smith of JE Pistons, it’s the most prevalent, most studied, and most sought-after GM engine of the 21st century. Compared to other V8 options, this lightweight engine is compact in size, but it’s big in power, making it a swap candidate for almost any vehicle you can think of.As such, here are 8 facts every gearhead should know about LS engines.

The first thing worth mentioning is that you can find LS engines almost everywhere at affordable prices. This is a direct result of the over-production of the engine. Chevy decided to put these engines in every rear-wheel-drive they manufactured, which called for the manufacture of plenty of these engines.

When an engine is inexpensive and easy to get your hands on, you’re in for a good time. It makes any build, replacement, or repair significantly easier when you don’t have to hunt down an engine.

The LT1 was a raucous, racing-inspired engine with a high-lift camshaft, high-winding personality, and solid valve lifters that redefined small-block performance in the fourth-generation F-body twins, the Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird.

However, there was an even secret weapon for the F-body twins that promised to make a greater splash: the LSI. Not only did the engine introduce GM’s all-new small block V8 tech to the world, but it also wrote one of the most important chapters in the book of modern performance.

The effect of the LSI engine on F-body performance was instant. Unlike the less potent LT1, which produced 275 hp output, the future-facing LSI further gapped its cross-town rival producing a whopping 345 hp.

Related: Check Out This LS1-Swapped 1980 International Scout Restomod

Chevrolet knew the strength of the block was of great importance when they established the LS engine. To incorporate a solid foundation to the engine, GM designed the LS block as a ‘Y’ block for enhanced severity in the main cap area.

The Y block design allows the use of six-bolt main caps on the crankshaft. With two bolts facing horizontally, and four bolts vertically that clamp the block wall to the main cap. This design blocks rigidity and provides a great crankshaft.

The LS engine family has reduced proportions, making it much easier to swap into vehicles with small engine bays. For instance, a 5.7L LS1 would seamlessly fit into a 1.6L Mazda Miata.

The main reason they are such a compact engine is due to their ‘old-school’ pushrod design, as well as the modern designs engineers used when designing the engine block. The pushrod design is distinct from nearly all modern engines with overhead cams. You can attain better performance and economy with overhead cams but at the cost of a much heavier and larger engine.

Related: What It Takes To Legally LS Swap An E36 BMW M3 In California

An ignition coil is a key component in a vehicle’s ignition system that converts the battery’s low voltage to numerous volts needed to produce an electric spark in the spark plugs to ignite fuel.

With single coil distributor systems, the coil must fire four times every revolution of the crankshaft in a V8 engine and twice in a four-cylinder engine. With a multi-coil system in LS engines, each coil has to fire only once every revolution of the crankshaft. This offers more saturation time for a hotter spark, particularly at higher revolutions per minute (rpm) when firing times are significantly reduced. The result is cleaner combustion, fewer misfires, more power, and better fuel economy.

Aluminum engine blocks and cylinder heads have been around for many years for both performance and stock applications. LS engine blocks and cylinder heads are made from an aluminum alloy material due to several advantages it has over cast iron.

They are thermally efficient and warm up much quicker than cast iron block engines of equivalent size. This means they also put out fewer emissions. An aftermarket aluminum V8 block weighs roughly 80 to 100 lbs. less than an identical cast iron block of equal displacement.

Related: Small Block, Big Power: Shelby Engine’s 525 HP All-Aluminum 289

Roller timing chains offer reduced wear and friction over the link timing chains, offering enhanced performance and longevity in comparison.

There are two types of roller timing chains; the single roller chain and the double roller chain. The single roller chain is much like a bicycle chain- the side plates or links of the chain pass around and over a single set of teeth in each gear. On the other hand, the double roller chain has dual sets of teeth with a chain link for each set.

Many GM’s LS-series V8s have a roller timing chain, ideal for high-performance street engines.

Related: 5 V8 Engines We Trust (5 We Want Nothing To Do With)

The aftermarket for Chevy has sprouted since its enormous rise. From the rudimentary bolt-ons like the exhaust/intake to the race-spec turbo kits and cylinder heads.

The most usual adjustment is the high-performance camshaft, an upgrade that can be done on LS engines, and certainly guarantees value for one’s money. Still, the aftermarket makes numerous swap kits, making it easier to trade Chevy LS engines into any other automobile you could think of.

Living his dream as an automotive freelance writer, Kenedy is committed to helping automotive brands create high-quality content that resonates within their target audience. He has also been featured in various publication sites, including MotorVerso. When not stringing words together, you'll find him at the gym improving his muscle tone.