[PIC] David Kimble’s Illustration of the Corvette ZR1’s LT5 V8 Engine

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[PIC] David Kimble's Illustration of the Corvette ZR1's LT5 V8 Engine


David Kimble has been called the “king of the cutaway technical drawing” and his work is instantly recognizable to Corvette enthusiasts who have enjoyed his cutaway illustrations of various Corvette chassis and engines over the years.

And when Chevrolet releases a new engine for the Corvette, they turn to Kimble for creating a drawing that allows us to peer inside the power plant to view the various parts and components and visualize how they all come to together.

With the release of the 2019 Corvette ZR1 and the all-new 755-hp LT5 engine, Kimble has done it again by illustrating the engine in remarkable detail.

David Kimble's Illustration of the Corvette ZR1's LT5 V8 Engine


Click here to download and view the high-resolution illustration of the LT5 engine by David Kimble.

We came across the new Kimble drawing in an article about the new engine written by our friend Don Sherman for SAE International. Don highlights the characteristics of the new engine which features this remarkable factoid about the LT5: The single-cam pushrod V8 has an output of 2 horsepower per cubic inch.

Some of the interesting LT5 facts from the SAE article include:

  • The Eaton-developed Twin Vortices Series (TVS) supercharger’s displacement is 52% larger to deliver substantially more intake air. This blower is spun 2.4 times crankshaft speed versus the LT4’s 3.1:1 drive ratio. Peak boost rises from 9.4 to 14 psi. A side benefit of the new supercharger design is that the LT5 is quieter than the Z06 in its Tour driving mode.

  • The larger supercharger consumes just 1 hp during cruising—but a significant 110 hp while delivering maximum airflow and boost. The LT4’s peak parasitic loss is 94 hp.

  • The LT5’s forged-steel crankshaft has a larger key slot at its forward end to handle the new supercharger’s drive load. A new alloy steel for the crank provides higher tensile and yield strength. Main bearing inserts have been upgraded to a tri-metal material. Both the 8-speed automatic transmission’s flex plate and the 7-speed manual’s flywheel are fortified for LT5 service. The number of ribs in the drive belt is increased from eight to 11.

  • The LT5’s 95-mm (3.74-in.) throttle body is 8 mm (0.31-in.) larger than the LT4’s inlet plate and a new blower bypass valve vents excess air more efficiently. If the stock 755 hp isn’t quite sufficient, a $625 dealer-installed performance air intake system (engineered to fit all current Corvettes) adds 17 hp.

  • Two significantly larger intercoolers double the LT4’s charge-air heat rejection, necessitating a 73 mm (2.9-in.) increase in the height of the intake plenum cover. The plenum and its decorative carbon-fiber cover both project through the ZR1-specific ‘halo’ hood.

  • To supplement the direct fuel injection during high-load conditions, a new port-injection system operated by a second electronic control module has been added to the LT5.

Key GM Global Propulsion Systems personnel involved in the development of the LT5 V8 Engine.

Key GM Global Propulsion Systems personnel involved in the development of the LT5 V8 Engine. Photo Credit: GM


Of course, one of our favorite ‘features’ of the LT5 that we like sharing is that yes, it does spit flames out of the exhaust under heavy throttle. Don explains that when the two muffler valves (one passive and one electronically-controlled) open in more aggressive drive modes, an 800° stream of exhaust trails the ZR1 with visible flames in low-light conditions!

You can read Don’s full article on the Corvette ZR1’s LT5 powerplant at www.sae.org.


Source:
SAE International

Related:
BAS: The Secret Code Name Behind the 2019 Corvette ZR1’s 755-hp LT5 Engine
[PIC] The Corvette ZR1 Engine Cover Shows LT5 in Leaked Photo
Internal Documents Suggest LT5 DOHC V8 Engine for the 2018 Corvette ZR1

 



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