GM Vortec engine

Vortec is General Motors trademarked name for a line of piston engines for trucks. The name first appeared in 1986 on a 4.6 liter V6 but now adorns a wide range of different engines. Modern Vortec engines are named for their displacement

There are a number of Vortec engines in various families:

Family	Type	RPO	Name	Displacement (Liters)
122	I4	L43	2200	2.2
122		LN2	2200	2.2
Atlas		LK5	2800	2.8
	I5	L52	3500	3.5
	I6	LL8	4200	4.2
Gen. I-E	V6	LB4	4300	4.3
		L35	4300	4.3
		LF6	4300	4.3
		LU3	4300	4.3
		LG3	4300	4.3
	V8	L30	5000	5
		L31	5700	5.7
Gen. III		LR4	4800	4.8
		L33	5300	5.3
		LM7	5300	5.3
		LM4	5300	5.3
		L59	5300	5.3
		LQ4	6000	6
		LQ9	HO 6000	6
Gen. IV		LH6	5300	5.3
Big-Block		L18	8100	8.1
Big-Block			7400	7.4

Contents

5.1 4800
5.2 5000
5.3 5300

I4

2200

The Vortec 2200 (RPO codes L43 and LN2) is a straight-4 truck engine. It is entirely different from the Family II 2.2 car engine, based instead on the OHV 122 I4 originally used by the 1982 Chevrolet Cavalier. It is designed for longitudinal mounting.

The main change from the L43 to the LN2 was its electronic control module. It also uses air injection to improve emmissions and loses the "flex fuel" ethanol compatibility.

The 2200 uses an iron block and aluminum 2-valve pushrod cylinder head. Output is 120 hp (89 kW) and 140 ft.lbf (190 Nm). Displacement is 2.2 L (2189 cc) with an 89 mm bore and 88.00 mm stroke. 2200s are built in Tonawanda, New York.

LN2 applications:

Chevrolet S-10/GMC Sonoma (base models)
Chevrolet S-10 Blazer/GMC S-15 Jimmy

2800

The Vortec 2800, or LK5, is a 2.8 L straight-4 in the GM Atlas engine family.

I5

3500

The Vortec 3500, or L52, is a 3.5 L straight-5 in the GM Atlas engine family.

I6

4200

The Vortec 4200, or LL8, is a 4.2 L straight-6 in the GM Atlas engine family.

V6

4300

The Vortec 4300 is a 90° V6 truck engine. It is based on the 350 in³ (5.7 L) Chevrolet small-block V8. The engine first appeared in 1985 with the throttle-body injected LB4. The central-port injected L35 debuted in 1992, with better breathing for 200 hp. Another CPI engine, the LF6, joined the rest in 1996, while the LB4 was retired after 1998. In 2002, GM introduced a new multi-port injected LU3 engine, and a LG3 variant appeared soon after.

All Vortec 4300s use a cast iron block and heads and 101.60 mm bore and 88.39 mm stroke. They are OHV engines with two valves per cylinder and are produced in Tonawanda, New York and Romulus, Michigan. Power output of the new LU3/LG3 engines is 180-200 hp (134-150 kW) and 245-260 ft.lbf (332-353 Nm).

4300 applications:

LU3 applications:

Chevrolet Astro/GMC Safari (base models)
Chevrolet Blazer/GMC Jimmy
Chevrolet Express/GMC Savana (base models)
Chevrolet S-10/GMC Sonoma
Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra (base models)
GMC Envoy
Isuzu Hombre (optional)
Oldsmobile Bravada (base model)

V8

4800

The Vortec 4800 LR4 is a V8 truck engine. Displacement is 4.8 L (4807 cc) with a 96.01 mm bore and 83 mm stroke. It is a de-bored and de-stroked cast iron version of the LS1 small-block from the Corvette with aluminum cylinder heads. It replaced the 5.0 L 5000 L30 for the 2003 full-size vans. The LR4 produces 270-275 hp (201-205 kW) and 285-290 ft.lbf (386-393 Nm) of torque. LR4s are manufactured at St. Catharines, Ontario and Romulus, Michigan.

The LR4 features electronic throttle control and does not need exhaust gas recirculation due to a new, more-powerful computer. The LR4 shares the same block and cylinder heads as the Vortec 5300.

LR4 applications:

Chevrolet Express 2500-3500/GMC Savana 2500-3500
Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra
Chevrolet Tahoe/GMC Yukon

5000

The Vortec 5000 L30 is a V8 truck engine. Displacement is 5.0 L. It is a based on the Generation I small-block from Chevrolet. It was replaced by the 4.8 L 4800 LR4 for the 2003 full-size vans.

L30 applications:

Chevrolet Express/GMC Savana

5300

The Vortec 5300, or LM7/LM4/L59, is a V8 truck engine. It is a stroked (by 9 mm) version of the Vortec 4800 and replaced the 5700 L31 in 2003. L59 denotes a flexible fuel version, while the LM7 is a special low-emmissions engine. The L33 is made for the pickup trucks.

All Vortec 5300s are based on the new Generation III small-block V8. Unlike the all-aluminum LM4 and L59, the LM7 uses a cast iron block. The block and heads are the same as on the 4800 LR4. Power output is 285-295 hp (213-220 kW) and torque is 325-330 ft.lbf (441-447 Nm). Displacement is 5.3 L (5328 cc) from 96.01 mm bore and 92.00 mm stroke. Vortec 5300s are built in St. Catharines, Ontario, Romulus, Michigan, and Silao, Mexico.

LM7 (iron block, low-emmissions) applications:

Cadillac Escalade
Chevrolet Avalanche
Chevrolet Express/GMC Savana
Chevrolet Silverado 1500-2500/GMC Sierra 1500-2500
Chevrolet Suburban/GMC Yukon XL
Chevrolet Tahoe/GMC Yukon

LM4 (all-aluminum) applications:

L33 applications:

Chevrolet Silverado 1500-2500/GMC Sierra 1500-2500

L59 (flexible-fuel, allowing E85) applications:

LH6

An improved LH6 version with Displacement on Demand will push output even higher. It is a Generation IV small-block and features the improvements found on other Gen4 motors.

LH6 applications:

2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT/GMC Envoy XL SUVs
2005 GMC Envoy XUV
2005 Buick Rainier (without Displacement on Demand)
2006 Saab 9-7X

An automotive version of the 5300 V8 will also be offered in the Pontiac Grand Prix in 2005.

5700

The Vortec 5700 L31 is a V8 truck engine. Displacement is 5.7 L. It is a based on the Generation I small-block from Chevrolet. It was replaced by the 5.3 L 5300 LM7 for the 2003 full-size vans.

L31 applications:

Chevrolet Express/GMC Savana

A 5.7 L small-block was also used in the GMT800 SUVs. This was replaced by the 6.0 L Vortec 6000.

Applications:

Chevrolet Suburban
GMC Yukon
1999-2000 Cadillac Escalade, 255 hp (190 kW)

6000

The Vortec 6000, or LQ4, is a V8 truck engine. It is a bored version of the Vortec 5300. Displacement is 6.0 L (5967 cc) from 101.6 mm bore and 92 mm stroke. It is an iron/aluminum design and produces 300-325 hp (224-242 kW) and 360-370 ft.lbf (488-502 Nm). LQ4s are built in Romulus, Michigan and Silao, Mexico.

LQ4 applications:

Chevrolet Express/GMC Savana
Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Pickup, Crew Cab, and Chassis Cab/GMC Sierra 2500 HD Pickup and Crew Cab, Denali, and 3500 Pickup and Chassis Cab
Chevrolet Suburban/GMC Yukon XL Denali
Hummer H2 SUT
GMC Yukon Denali

HO 6000

The Vortec HO 6000, or LQ9, is a special high-output version of the Vortec 6000 V8 truck engine for Cadillac. It features high-compression (10:1) flat-top pistons for an extra 10 hp and 10 ft.lbf, bringing output to 345 hp (257 kW) and 380 ft.lbf (515 Nm). LQ9s are built only in Romulus, Michigan.

LQ9 Applications:

2002-2005 Cadillac Escalade
2002-2005 Cadillac Escalade EXT
2003-2005 Cadillac Escalade ESV
2003-2005 Chevrolet Silverado SS
2004-???? GMC Sierra Texas Truck Edition

7400

The Vortec 7400 was a truck version of the Chevrolet Big-Block engine. Introduced in 1991, it was produced for a decade until being replaced by the Vortec 8100.

8100

The Vortec 8100 (RPO L18) is a V8 truck engine. It is a redesigned Chevrolet Big-Block engine and was introduced with the 2001 full-size pickup trucks. It retains the same bore centers as the old 7.4 L big-blocks, but stroke was upped by 9.4 mm to reach 8.1 L (8128 cc) for a total of 107.95 mm bore and 111 mm stroke. It is an all-iron engine (block and heads) with two valves per cylinder. Power output ranges from 225 hp to 340 hp (168 kW to 254 kW) and torque from 350 ft.lbf to 455 ft.lbf (475 Nm to 617 Nm). Vortec 8100s are built in Tonawanda, New York.

L18 Applications:

Chevrolet Avalanche
Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra 2500HD & 3500 (option)
Chevrolet Suburban/GMC Yukon XL (option)