The Gen-V small-block has been on the streets for a decade, and while the LS platform still holds the crown for mass popularity, the limits of the LT architecture are finally being shattered. At the recent PRI Show, Late Model Engines (LME) proved the Gen-V’s potential by unveiling its new standard and raised deck Billet LT Blocks.
LME has been a powerhouse in Houston since 2003, and their booth was packed with builders inspecting the new hardware. The big news is versatility: These blocks are available in two deck heights and can be ordered as solid units for pure drag racing or water-jacketed for street duty. The engineering behind the street version is particularly clever.
“The block is cut and and then we have a full insert that is machined billet and we press into here,” LME co-founder Pecos Laughlin explained. “There are grooves going around the outside, and we inject epoxy to seal and hold, and then we put the sleeves in it afterwards.”
This unique construction allows the block to support over 3,000 streetable horsepower while maintaining cooling capabilities. Machined from 6061-T6 aluminum, the blocks feature six-bolt billet main caps that are doweled to the OD-ground main studs for precise location. The caps are captured by the block skirts for immense rigidity, utilizing 1/2-inch main studs and side bolts.
For those looking to go big, the raised-deck version sits at 9.750 inches compared to the standard 9.240 inches. It features a raised cam tunnel, available in 55mm or 60mm (though the latter deletes direct injection). “Both LS and LT are offered with and without water in a 9.240- or 9.750-inch deck height,” Bryan Neelen, co-founder of LME, said.
LME is currently ramping up production, offering custom lifter bore sizes and cam specs. Neelen is particularly excited about the displacement potential. “One thing that’s cool about this is there’s nothing else on the market that’s available in a tall-deck LT, so we’re looking forward to building some nice, naturally-aspirated 502s, 468s, you know, step up the game in the naturally-aspirated world with the LT,” Neelen said. With these new Billet LT Blocks, the Gen-V platform just got a lot scarier.
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