The Best V8 engine ever is.....
Discussion
Before you start WW3 we should define whose opinion of best we're are using
Me, I'd have to say:
Chevy (any of them not just lsx)
Hemi
then Buick & rover as a very close third.
After that comes all the exotic overcomplicated stuff
finally that crappy ford nonsense, god it's awful!
Boosted, running for me tin hat

Chevy (any of them not just lsx)
Hemi
then Buick & rover as a very close third.
After that comes all the exotic overcomplicated stuff
finally that crappy ford nonsense, god it's awful!
Boosted, running for me tin hat

F.M said:
By best, I mean the most reliable, powerful, tunable and well engineered V8.
Any V8 can be turned into a monster with a shitload of cash but I`m talking `off the shelf`...... twin cam per bank, 32 valve and any other hi spec design.., no blowers of any description...
I think the Porsche 928 engine is often overlooked.
It has headway for tremedous capacity hikes- up to almost 7.5 litres, it has a pent roof 4 valve chamber with 37mm inlet valves has BIG ports, uses a forged nitrided crankshaft, hypereutectic aluminium cylinder block. You can also use even better flowing heads from the 968 for more power.
It's not the lightest of engines, but when you stretch the capacity right up it becomes quite light for the capacity. The 2valve/16 valve variants are very competitive in terms of power-to-weight, as the trounce anything yanky even no mods.
You can pick up a good 32 valve 5 litre S4 engine that has plenty of life in it for about £1500. Now calculate what it would cost you to get 330 Bhp from something pushrod and more commonplace...and then factor in the reliability and the over engineering....
Here's some more on the 928 engine:
www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=48&t=204109
Boosted Ls1 said:
Isn't the big downside with the 928 it's nickasealed liners? Or is that a bit undeserved?
Boosted
Doesn't have nicasil liners- that is more disinformation provided by motoring journalists who know sod all. (What else is new?)
It uses a hypereutectic block- typically the pistons and rings will wear long before the honing marks are gone on the block but we're talking star ship mileages.
Marquis_Rex said:
Boosted Ls1 said:
Isn't the big downside with the 928 it's nickasealed liners? Or is that a bit undeserved?
Boosted
Doesn't have nicasil liners- that is more disinformation provided by motoring journalists who know sod all. (What else is new?)
It uses a hypereutectic block- typically the pistons and rings will wear long before the honing marks are gone on the block but we're talking star ship mileages.
Thanks, so there are no liners then. People do seem to abandon these engines, maybe labour and parts are expensive. Must admit to always liking the later 928's.
Boosted.
Boosted Ls1 said:
finally that crappy ford nonsense, god it's awful!
Boosted, running for me tin hat
INCOMING!
Have to point out that 'that crappy Ford nonsense' helped the Cobra piss all over the Chevy Corvettes and Ferraris, and helped the GT40 piss all over the Ferraris and Porsches.
Not forgetting of course the times they've pissed all over the Chevies in Nascar and drag racing...

grahambell said:
Boosted Ls1 said:
finally that crappy ford nonsense, god it's awful!
Boosted, running for me tin hat
INCOMING!
Have to point out that 'that crappy Ford nonsense' helped the Cobra piss all over the Chevy Corvettes and Ferraris, and helped the GT40 piss all over the Ferraris and Porsches.
Not forgetting of course the times they've pissed all over the Chevies in Nascar and drag racing...
I'll duck now then


Boosted.
Marquis_Rex said:
Boosted Ls1 said:
Isn't the big downside with the 928 it's nickasealed liners? Or is that a bit undeserved?
Boosted
Doesn't have nicasil liners- that is more disinformation provided by motoring journalists who know sod all. (What else is new?)
It uses a hypereutectic block- typically the pistons and rings will wear long before the honing marks are gone on the block but we're talking star ship mileages.
The 928 (also 944/968) block material is more commonly know as Alusil or Reynolds 390.
200k miles on these engines is nothing , just run in

Boosted Ls1 said:
I'll duck now then but whenever I work on a ford it seems way behind the rovers and chevys. Simple things like not having a deep block skirt, so they can't be crossbolted easily. Such an easy improvement which they never did. Of course that's just the tip of the iceberd
they just haven't moved forward much imo.
Boosted.
The Ford Modular V8 has had cross-bolted mains for years. Also SOHC 16V or 24V, DOHC 32V, ally block or iron block, VVT, supercharged, whatever you want so take your pick!
It might be a bit big and heavy, but its exceptionally good value & a true blue-collar hero.
Good enough for Wardsauto (an auto-industry website) 10 Best Engines 2006 in 4.6 SOHC Mustang GT guise, best summed up with:
"Muscle for the masses"
wheeljack888 said:
Boosted Ls1 said:
I'll duck now then but whenever I work on a ford it seems way behind the rovers and chevys. Simple things like not having a deep block skirt, so they can't be crossbolted easily. Such an easy improvement which they never did. Of course that's just the tip of the iceberd
they just haven't moved forward much imo.
Boosted.
The Ford Modular V8 has had cross-bolted mains for years. Also SOHC 16V or 24V, DOHC 32V, ally block or iron block, VVT, supercharged, whatever you want so take your pick!
It might be a bit big and heavy, but its exceptionally good value & a true blue-collar hero.
Good enough for Wardsauto (an auto-industry website) 10 Best Engines 2006 in 4.6 SOHC Mustang GT guise, best summed up with:
"Muscle for the masses"
OT: Haven't you gone to India yet?
I was going to phone you to ask about steel rocker arms...
Sorry for the Hi jack

My initial thoughts were GM LS-series or BMW M5 engine.
928 lump makes very interesting reading, esp. considering the age of the design, while Ford's 'Cammer' is a contender just for the options available to it (probably still opt for the well-reputed LS).
The Buick/Rover V8, while a legend, probably isn't in the top-5, certainly not anymore.
Any comments on F430 engine? Don't know much except the headline stats. Ditto the maintainability of the Merc supercharged lump that's appearing everywhere...
928 lump makes very interesting reading, esp. considering the age of the design, while Ford's 'Cammer' is a contender just for the options available to it (probably still opt for the well-reputed LS).
The Buick/Rover V8, while a legend, probably isn't in the top-5, certainly not anymore.
Any comments on F430 engine? Don't know much except the headline stats. Ditto the maintainability of the Merc supercharged lump that's appearing everywhere...
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