1981 L81 (350CI) Engine Guide: Specs, Features, & More

The Corvette has featured numerous engine’s beneath its hood since becoming available to consumers in 1953. During many production years, consumers were provided with multiple engine options to choose from. This was especially true during the late 1960s when multiple small-block and big-block powerplant options were offered during any given year.

However, by the late 1970s, GM had begun to significantly scale back the number of production engines offered for the Corvette, during any year. This trend peaked in 1981, when only one engine, known as the L81, was offered to prospective Corvette owners.

L81 History

By the 1970s, Corvette owners had become quite accustomed to being presented with a wide array of engines to choose from, when optioning their new purchases. At this point, the Corvette had last been offered with a single engine in 1954, just prior to the 265 cubic-inch small-block’s release.

When the C3 Corvette first came to market in 1963, six individual engine codes were available for selection. However, during the C3’s last year of production, only a single engine option remained.

The stage was set for such changes with the passage of the Clean Air Act in 1970, which limited noxious emissions output. This put a considerable squeeze on the automotive industry, as manufacturers attempted to bring their vehicles into compliance. For GM, this meant detuning many of the Corvette’s available engine offerings.

An additional wave of change also came in the form of insistence by upper GM brass to cut production of many “specialty” engines, which were not as prevalent of selections for the bulk of consumers. In the vast majority of cases, engines selected for retirement were of the highest output range and were often chosen by those in search of a race-ready production car.

By 1975, prior big-block offerings had been wiped from the Corvette’s option sheet, while several available small-blocks had also suffered in terms of rated output. Through the latter half of the 1980s, the L82 small-block served as the Corvette’s “high-output” engine, though it only produced just north of 200 horsepower.

At the conclusion of the 1980 model year, the L82 was officially retired, now replaced by the 190 horsepower L81. In fact, the L81 served as the Corvette’s sole production engine during the 1981 model year, even in California, where a detuned version of the Corvette’s base engine had typically been offered during prior years.

1981 L81 Specifications and Technical Configurations

The L81 utilized a cast-iron engine block, of a five main-bearing configuration. This block housed a cast crankshaft, of a two bolt design. Attached to the L81’s crankshaft, were a set of GM’s “pink” connecting rods, so-called for the pink paint marking that they carried.

A set of cast aluminum alloy pistons accompanied the L81’s connecting rods, at the opposing end of their junction with the engine’s crankshaft. These pistons reciprocated within 4.00” bores while traversing a 3.48” stroke. The combination of these figures provided the L81 with an 8.2:1 compression ratio.

The L81’s valvetrain was driven by a hydraulic lifter camshaft, which was somewhat milder than that which could be found in earlier GM small-blocks.

Atop the L81’s engine block, sat a pair of cast-iron cylinder heads (part # 462624). These heads featured intake and exhaust valves which both measured 1.94” in diameter. The L81’s heads were topped with an 8-port, double deck exhaust manifold, which was supplied with air/fuel via a Rochester QuadraJet carburetor.

Perhaps most notable of all was the L81’s use of an integrated Computer Command Control (CCC) system, which controlled fuel metering in a bid to streamline fuel delivery and increase combustion efficiency. This, in itself, was quite the feat, in a time when the notion of computerized engine control was in its infancy.

All things considered, the L81 produced 190 horsepower at 4,200 RPM and 280 lb.-ft. of torque at 1,600 RPM. While quite mundane by today’s standards, the L81 equipped 1981 Corvette carried the highest output of any American production car within that given model year.

L81 Spec Index

• Horsepower: 190 hp @ 4,200 rpm
• Torque: 280 lb.-ft @ 1,600 rpm
• Compression Ratio: 8.2:1
• Displacement: 350CI (5.7L)
• Cylinder Bore: 4..00” (101.6 mm)
• Stroke: 3.48” (88.39 mm)

L81 Additional Uses

The L81 is often forgotten by Corvette enthusiasts, largely because of the extremely short duration of its production. This redesigned small-block was pulled from production prior to the 1981 model year, as it was effectively replaced by the “Cross-Fire” L83, in anticipation of the C4 Corvette’s launch. The L81 also saw no additional uses, outside of its life beneath the 1981 Corvette’s hood.

A Glimpse At The Future

The L81 small-block is often remembered as one of the most underwhelming engines to have ever powered the Corvette. However, the L81’s true value lies in the technology that it piloted. This engine proved the viability of on-board computer management, in a time where such technology was unheard of. In a sense, the L81 small-block served as a glimpse into the Corvette’s future, as well as that of all production vehicles to come.