Danzio Performance Baselines Gen V LT1 Crate Engine, And Wow!

GM GDI C7 LT1Dyno from Chris M on Vimeo.

Talk about sandbagging power numbers!

General Motors rates its Chevy Performance LT1 crate engine at 460 horsepower and 465 lb-ft peak torque.

The Gen V LT1 crate engine comes in two versions: wet sump PN 19328728, and dry sump PN 19329997.

Chris Muzio at Danzio Performance Engineering recently bolted the dry-sump version (PN 19329997 available at Pace Performance) of the LT1 crate engine to his dyno. Running on premium pump gas and through a set of dyno headers, the engine baselined at 531 horsepower with 525 lb-ft peak torque.

“From what I see with other GM crate engines, I wasn’t really surprised it made the power,” says Muzio, noting that he drove a new C7 ‘Vette with the LT1 and compared it to the 505-horsepower LS7 in his C6 Z06. “That’s when I knew that motor made more than they claimed.”

Sending instructions to the LT1’s direct-injection fuel system was a Life Racing F88 GDI8 ECU. The headers were equipped with O2 sensors for each cylinder, giving Muzio complete control over fuel metering.

“The power increase was from the tuning and headers,” says Muzio.

The Life Racing F88 GDI8 ECU and software gives the tuner numerous tools for programming the fuel and spark curves.

The engine will be used to develop a Class 1 off-road race engine that should make more than 650 horsepower yet deliver improved fuel economy over the Gen IV LS engines currently popular in that division.

“We’re already experienced with direct injection in building EcoTec engines for Class 10 cars,” says Muzio, noting that 80 percent of the current field runs a Danzio EcoTec engine and they’ve scored two championships. “They get really good fuel mileage. So, if we can develop a V8 that gets 650 horsepower plus has the fuel efficiency to go with, then it’ll be a good engine.”

The obvious limitation in adding horsepower to the LT1 is the fuel system. The direct injectors and GDI fuel pump aren’t as powerful as a comparable port-injection system and “can be a problem” in other engines.

The LT1 features a direct-injection fuel system that may be unfamiliar if not intimidating to some tuners.

“I didn’t see where we were getting anywhere close to the edge of the fuel system here,” counters Muzio.

The next step will be changing valves, pushrods, rockers and springs in addition to experiments with different cam grinds. Attention will then turn to modifying the cylinder heads and adding a stroker crankshaft.

“I want to take it up bit by bit to see what each part is doing,” he says.

Danzio will make gradual changes to the engine during the development process to analyze the effects of each move.

About the author

Mike Magda

Mike Magda is a veteran automotive writer with credits in publications such as Racecar Engineering, Hot Rod, Engine Technology International, Motor Trend, Automobile, Automotive Testing Technology and Professional Motorsport World.
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