About the ZL-1 engines

[sYc Yenko]

Just a qwick Qs, About the ZL1 engine. ZL1 engines were in Yenkos right??, But I was told that there were about 200 Yenkos built. And only 69 ZLI engines made.
Somone please put me st8
Thanks

[jfkheat]

I am by no means an expert on Yenkos or ZL1 but from what I've read, there were 69 ZL1 Camaros built. A ZL1 is an aluminum block 427. Most, or all, Yenkos had cast iron blocks. There were more than 69 ZL1 engines built, not sure how many.
James

[Mr. T]

The cast iron block in the Yenkos was the L-72.

[GMH454]

Yenko Camaro & Chevelles are COPO 427/425 hp cast iron block & heads. Same setup as first appeared in 1966 Vettes and full size Chevies.
ZL-1s are....ZL-1s. It is a totally different COPO and more part of the Harrell / Gibb mystique than Yenko.

Where you might have got confused is that Yenko continued to produce Aluminium blocks for the enthusiast. Came in various sizes, and were used by the Corvette & Camaro group 6 racers of the 70's.
Think Pickett used a Yenko block when he won the Trans Am in the late 70's in a Vette, but that's a /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/scholar.gifstorey for another day.

[Charley Lillard]

Go to www.copo.com (http://www.copo.com) and do some reading.......good info.

[shor]

The 69 ZL-1's came with aluminum block and aluminum head engines.
The Yenko's came with iron block and iron head engines.
A couple of the Yenkos had iron block and aluminum heads.
One or two, I think.

[GMH454]

"not sure how many...ZL-1s built"....welcome to the club.
Chevrolet probably has the paperwork, but we will probably never see it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[sYc Yenko]

Thanks Ya'll, ya helped me out alot /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[Eddie M.]

From what I been told GM had 500 ZL1 blocks made and only around 300 made it out the door because of casting flaws but don't hold me to this.This is just what i heard /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

[sYc Yenko]

I saw a ZL-1 block on the net, And it had a Yenko stamped logo on the frunt, That what cunfused me
Cheers /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[Turbo_Jet]

I believe Don Yenko sold aluminum blocks over the counter through his dealership in the mid '70s. That is most likely what you saw. Dan /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/3gears.gif

[69LM1]

There was a early 70ish yenko block on ebay, oh about 2 months ago I think. Can't remember what it went for, but it was up there (12-15k I *think*).
It had what looked like the yenko stamp cast into the block.
Rich

[jfkheat]

Last one I saw on Ebay sold for $14,000. Here is the link.
James

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2440696380&category=33 615

[Unreal]

Looks to me like the Yenko Crest was ground off....I suspect because a "real" ZL1 would be worth more than one maked from one of Yenko's racing motors.

[jfkheat]

According to the info I have, the casting # on the block is a 69 ZL1. Did the later blocks have the same casting #?
James

BLOCK:
#3946052 1969 427 430 ZL-1, 4 bolt, aluminum

HEADS:
#3946074 1969-71 396,402,454 375 L-89, 427 430 L-88/ZL-1
Open 118.0 425, 465 LS-6/LS-7, round ex

[Eddie M.]

The Yenko block i have has the same casting number as the ZL1 block

[GMH454]

If you go back over recent threads in the last month (sorry can't dig it out ..got to rush) Ed Cuneen (I think ) advised that Don made ZL-1s from the original tooling but had to modify..grind off part of Winters trade mark. These blocks may also not be numbered or dated as the originals are, and probably don't have the stamped sequence number, or quality control marks that "real " 69 blocks have.

Later Yenko blocks may be bigger and stronger, mine is .90
over, but they also have "Yenko" style trade marks.

So there are:-
ZL-1s...what we all refer to and what was stuffed into Camaros, Vettes (and early Can-Am cars )
Reynolds Blocks up to 490 cubes and in Can Am cars in the later period, plus Grumpy's 1970 Camaro, and probably some Corvette Trans Am Cars
Early Yenko Blocks based on the Original ZL-1
Later Yenkos based on.........(to be filled in be an expert please /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/scholar.gif

[JoeC]

from what I have read, the "ZL1 block" is iron liner std. type 427 bore block, the Can Am block is 4.440 bore iron liner siamese cyl block, and the "Reynolds Blocks" had no liner and used special pistons. Yenko sold both the ZL1 block and Can Am block. Yenko also was working on getting other alu blocks made by an over seas vendor but I don't think this worked out.

[ZL1mike]

Can any body tell me why some ZL1 blocks have an oil rail along the drivers side of the block and some do not, it's almost like a dry sump fitting from the front of the block and runs almost to the oil filter area ??? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif In this picture it doesn't have it.
Mike

[GMH454]

AND that is why this site has got the rep its got.
Thanks Joe

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worship.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worship.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worship.gif

[Eddie M.]

I thought the Can Am block was all aluminum and the ZL1 was steel sleeved /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif also the Can Am block didn't have the block machined for the fuel pump and the ZlL1 does /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/scholar.gif