LT-1 questions from a beginner

[Alain Toussaint]

>  My 2-liter Ford engine is fully coated, pistons, valves, combustion,
> chambers, and ports are thermal barrier coated.  With 11.5:1 on regular
> gas I can advance the timing until it no longer runs and it still won't
> ping.
> 
>  Of course, it takes forever to get any warm water for the heater in the
> winter time, but that's the breaks...

i guess your engine have aluminium cylinder (does it's a zetec ??) unless
it's a destroked ford 2.3 unit,aluminium head reject more temperature than
iron head (Impala SS LT1 have iron head unlike their LT1 counterpart from
the F-body and Y-body),your cylinder head is coated,the LT1 is not,but if
you have a destroked 2.3,the LT1 has an advantage compared to your
setup,it's reverse cooled (if you have the zetec,i think you have reverse
cooling too but i'm not sure),the way EGR counter detonation is by
introducing inert gas in the cylinder at part trottle (it dont need it
when WOT,the mix is rich enough),these inert gas prevent hot spot in the
head because cylinder pressure is not too high and the head are
cooler,hope all this helped.

Alain Toussaint

p.s.how much power does your 2.0 liter make and does it has good trottle
reaction too,i'm just currious ??