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GM 6.2L (376 cu in) firing order — diagram & guide

Enhancing engine dynamics with the GM 6.2L firing order.

A man is working on a gm engine.
A man in a blue jacket smiling in front of a red wall.
Filip Gromovic November 1, 2023 |

After the success of the 5.3-liter LS engine, GM wanted to use the same engine block to create a different beast which gave birth to the 6.2-liter V8. It’s nowadays a well-known engine used across all the different GM models and sub-brands, and it’s pretty reliable for the most part.

To give you that one missing piece of the puzzle to make it even more durable, we’ll discuss the GM 6.2L (376 cu in) firing order. This guide will help you figure out the cylinder numbering of the engine and apply the firing order in a way that extends your engine’s estimated mileage.

GM 6.2L firing order

Let’s start with the most important thing – the GM 6.2L firing order is 1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3, and this goes for all the variations of the engine. The most confusing thing for most drivers is the fact that there are two 6.2-liter V8s used by GM in their subsidiary brand models.

These are the EcoTec 6.2-liter with the code name L87, and the more capable small-block V8 with the LT1 designation. While the former was used mostly in SUV-class vehicles and the latter one in sportscars like the SS Camaro or the Corvette, the base engine block is still the same.

In other words, we wanted to give you a heads-up on the firing order being the same for these engines since they belong in the same engine family by GM. With this in mind, the firing order 1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3 goes for both the L87 and the LT1.

GM 6.2L cylinder diagram

A white car with a number of numbers on it.

Up next, we have to guide you through the application process of the firing order since the question we get a lot is – how can you use the firing order of an engine? Well, the thing is you can remove the engine’s cover and check the cylinder coils or even spark plugs to look for signs of components wearing off.

It’s also advisable to check the cylinders in their respective firing positions in case of suspected misfires or problems with the ignition. You can only do that once you know the exact position of each cylinder. So, cylinders 1, 3, 5, and 7 can be found on the left side of the engine (driver’s side), while cylinders 2, 4, 6, and 8 are on the opposite side.

Now that you know this, it gets easier to apply the firing sequence of the engine when checking the cylinders with easy identification.

GM 6.2L vehicle applications

We’ll wrap up this guide with a list of all the models that had this engine under the hood from GM brands and companies. That means we’ll include both L87 and LT1-powered cars since we already pointed out that the firing order matches for both:

As you can see, these engines were and still are used by a variety of models, so at least it’s relieving that you’ll now have an exact firing pattern regardless of the one you own.

Our take

Well, that settles it for our review of one of GM’s most iconic and reliable V8 engines up to date. It’s no wonder that these are used in such a diverse selection of different models and brands, so it’s always good to know the firing pattern just so you can keep it running as smoothly as it’s supposed to.

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