Corvette C7 Engine Details

Above: Three views of the 2014 Corvette C7 engine. Photos are of the LT1 engine without the Z52 dry sump oil system as evidenced by the oil filler cap and dipstick. Below left: 2014 Corvette C7 engine, installed and including the Z52 option; notice the lack of an oil filler cap and dipstick. Both items are part of the 11.5 quart dry sump tank which is separate from the engine but mounted in the engine compartment.

Left: Direct injection fuel system. Middle: Direct injection as installed in the block valley; rear view of LT1 engine. Note the fuel pump in the foreground. The fuel pressure it is responsible for is considerable; 2,175 psi as compared to less than 100 psi for standard fuel injection systems. The fuel pump is located in the block valley to keep the noise it produces under control - "Acoustic Encapsulation" is the technical term. The direct injectors flow 22.0 cc/s @ 10 MPa. Right: Direct injection as installed in the block valley; front view of LT1 engine

Left: 2013 LS3 cylinder head, valve view; Middle: 2014 LT1 cylinder head, valve view. Right: 2014 Corvette combustion chamber. Note the direct injection injector opposite the spark plug.

2014 Chevrolet Corvette LT1 cylinder heads (left) and 2013 Chevrolet Corvette LS3 cylinder heads (right) compared. As with the original 1955 265 cubic inch engine, the right and left cylinder heads are interchangeable.

Engine block, bottom views, crankshaft removed. Left: Front view. Right: crankshaft view with piston cooling oil jets which are standard on all C6 and C7 Corvette engines. The oil spray reduces piston temperature, increasing output and long term durability. The extra layer of oil on the cylinder walls and wrist pins also dampens noise. For optimal efficiency, the oil jets are used only when they’re needed the most: at start-up, giving the cylinders extra lubrication enhancing the engine’s durability and at higher engine speeds when the engine load demands it.

Left: Corvette C7 LT1 piston. Note the direct injection "fuel bowl" in the middle and the valve relief. Middle: Piston / head / valve physical relationship. Right: C7 LT1 (left) and C6 LS3 (right) piston and connecting rods.

The LT-1 uses a cast version of the "four-into-one" short-header exhaust manifold design used on the Gen 4 LS7 engine. The cast header passages enable consistent exhaust flow into the “wide mouth” collector at the catalytic converter.

Left: Corvette LT1 wet sump (standard) oil pump; middle: dry sump (Z52 option) oil pump. Right: Water pump.

Left: M12 cylinder head bolts, up from M11 in the 2013 LS3 motor. Right: 2014 Corvette LT1 crankshaft.