Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Workman
(Source: Heart of the Beast) Small volume project: From the beginning the project was seen as a limited edition and the cost for GM Powertrain to tool up and develop and conduct the training, made sense to out-source the project.
MM was very successful building all-aluminum engines that were designed to run for extended periods at WOT. Initially, MM already had the manufacturing technical advances unique to precision manufacturing of aluminum engines as well as the trained personnel with the expertise to build these special motors to the extreme tolerances these motors would demand - already in place,. It was a good fit...and the "REST IS HISTORY".
An important footnote to the LT5 was the DOHC V8 developed by Oldsmobile which appeared as the Northstar in the Cadillac and variants of it continued to the Aurora as the L47 V8s.
These 4-cam, DOHV motors were expensive to build and expensive to implement on a large scale. As result, GM reverted back to the cheaper and much improved OHV motors, (thanks to the development and lessons learned from the LT5) for all of their gasoline V8 vehicle applications.
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Their biggest mistake with the Northstar DOhc motors was lack of knowledge and they all had head gasket faliures because of their attempt at Dex-cool coolant. My parents had 2 Aurors and they still are the smoothest engines Ive ever had. I wish GM used Bigger displacement Northstars in the c5 and onwards because then i would be interested in having one !