the same as the LV3, but without Active Fuel Management technology. The LV1 made its debut in the 2018 model year GM full-size vans — the 2018 Chevrolet Express and 2018 GMC Savana. Applications: Engine table The 8th character in the VIN or the RPO code from the glove box sticker can be used to identify which type of LS engine a vehicle has. Note 1: depending upon vehicle application (truck, suv, car); horsepower, torque, and fuel requirements will vary. VIN code indicating engine RPO is usually not consistent between vehicle types (cars or trucks) or years. with few exceptions, RPM redline is generally 6000 or higher Note 2: block features are generally dependent upon the Generation but are not always built-in. typical features are AFM (Advanced Fuel Management), VVT (Variable Valve Train), Front Wheel Drive (FWD) and other improvements. features marked with an * indicate that only certain model years have that feature Problems In the early production run of the LS-series engine, some engines encountered 'piston slap' during the first few minutes after a cold engine start; this sound is caused by the pistons rocking slightly in the cylinder until they reach operating temperature/size. 'Piston slap' sometimes sounds more like a knock or the sound of a diesel engine running. It is typically only present when the engine is cold and disappears as the engine reaches operating temperature. The noise of 'piston slap' often is louder when listening for it below the oil pan. Another common problem with the 2001–2006 5.3L engines was cracking cylinder heads. This is commonly called the 'Castech Head' failure on the internet. GM issued a TSB on this failure to help service techs identify the problem. The head casting number (which can be viewed from the passenger side of the vehicle just in front of the valve cover) was 706. Some heads with this casting number would fail (but not all of them) as GM had different suppliers for the same head. The failure was due to undetected porosity around the oil drains in the head. Build-your-own program In 2011, Chevrolet Performance began to offer the build your own engine program for LS7 (part number 19259944) or LS9 (part number 19259945) crate engines. It also provides customers the experience of visiting GM's unique Performance Build Center in Wixom, Michigan, where they will join a specially trained engine builder to assist in the start-to-finish