Chevrolet 6.0L (364 cu in) firing order — what is it?

As one of the most widely-used Chevy engines, the 6.0-liter V8 came standard in quite a few trucks and heavy-duty models. However, a variant of it was also used in some sportscars like the Corvette, which is why drivers are often confused about the variation they have under the hood.

Along with this, the Chevrolet 6.0L (364 cu in) firing order is in question, which is why our team wanted you to have all the relevant details. We’ll discuss both versions of the 6.0-liter V8, their firing orders, and cylinder arrangements to help you get a better understanding of the engine and its servicing needs.

Chevrolet 6.0L Vortec firing order

As a mid to heavy-duty engine used in quite a lot of Chevy trucks and utility cars, the 6.0-liter Vortec is the first V8 with this displacement to be used. So, the Chevrolet 6.0L Vortec firing order is 1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3, so it’s a different firing order from the one that old-school small block V8s from Chevy have used.

This engine was also codenamed LY6 and it’s a less capable version of the later LS2 engine of the same capacity. So, since we’ve heard a lot of confusion about these two, let’s break the mystery once and for all with the LS2’s firing order.

Chevrolet 6.0L LS2 firing order

The Chevrolet 6.0L LS2 firing order is 1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3, just like the Vortec engine, so that settles it – these two engines have the exact same firing sequence.

Of course, the LS2 is a different breed of the engine with its upgrades that included an all-aluminum engine block (the Vortec engine used a cast iron block) as well as a higher compression ratio and this one was rated at a higher horsepower ratio as well, so it went into high-performing cars.

Chevrolet 6.0L cylinder diagram

The cylinder order for the 6.0-liter LS2 engine uses the same engine block that a few early small-block engines used back in the day. So, going from the front to the back of the engine, you have cylinders 1, 3, 5, and 7 on the driver’s side and 2, 4, 6, and 8 on the passenger’s side.

Of course, it also has to do with how the engine is placed within the block, but most of these engines were longitudinal, so looking from outside the car, you’ll see the cylinders in this order.

Chevrolet 6.0L vehicle applications

As mentioned the Vortec 6000 and LS2 engines were used in different vehicles, so the least we can do is clear that up for you and list all the cars so that you can have an easier time identifying your engine. So, here’s a full list of the vehicles with Chevy’s Vortec 6.0-liter engine:

• Chevrolet Silverado 2500
• Chevrolet Silverado 3500
• Chevrolet Express 2500
• Chevrolet Suburban 2500
• Chevrolet Suburban 3500

This engine was also used in a few other cars like the GMC Sierra and the Yukon XL, while the LS 2 was used more in sportscars like the Corvette C6 and Pontiac GTO, as well as the Cadillac CTS-V.

Our take

As you can see from our guide, the 6.0-liter engine used by Chevy is one of the most controversial ones in terms of figuring out the firing order.

Because of its different variations, drivers are often confused and we hope to have helped you out with it, as well as with the cylinder order so you can check the engine’s plugs and coils easily.