LT1 Swap.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Columbia Missouri
Originally Posted by MEGALADON
That being said...I have two options banging around in my head.
Buy the LT1, rebuild it's bottom end, put on MY serp system, and run it as is.
Or...
Buy the LT1, swap the heads and intake over, and make a fuel injected 400 using the block I have and serp system.
Team Owner
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From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
Originally Posted by Durango_boy
That being said...I have two options banging around in my head.
Buy the LT1, rebuild it's bottom end, put on MY serp system, and run it as is.
Or...
Buy the LT1, swap the heads and intake over, and make a fuel injected 400 using the block I have and serp system.
Buy the LT1, rebuild it's bottom end, put on MY serp system, and run it as is.
Or...
Buy the LT1, swap the heads and intake over, and make a fuel injected 400 using the block I have and serp system.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,997
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From: WAY DEEP INSIDE AMERICO,YES YOU LIVE HERE TO!! TX
Originally Posted by Durango_boy
.
Buy the LT1, swap the heads and intake over, and make a fuel injected 400 using the block I have and serp system.
Buy the LT1, swap the heads and intake over, and make a fuel injected 400 using the block I have and serp system.
plus LT1 is reverse cool head..
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From: WAY DEEP INSIDE AMERICO,YES YOU LIVE HERE TO!! TX
Originally Posted by Durango_boy
Buy the LT1, rebuild it's bottom end, put on MY serp system, and run it as is.
don't have a pulley on the water pump to run a 3rd gen pulley system.
You have to use a c-4 pulley setup or go aftermarket.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Columbia Missouri
I checked out that place Batman just suggested, LT1Intake.com. They will convert a customer's LT1 intake to use on older blocks for $200. I bolt that intake to my heads and block, hook up the fuel and computer system, and I can re-use the HEI dist. and the Camaro serp system I have. Not too bad...$200 plus shipping.
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From: WAY DEEP INSIDE AMERICO,YES YOU LIVE HERE TO!! TX
Originally Posted by Durango_boy
I checked out that place Batman just suggested, LT1Intake.com. They will convert a customer's LT1 intake to use on older blocks for $200. I bolt that intake to my heads and block, hook up the fuel and computer system, and I can re-use the HEI dist. and the Camaro serp system I have. Not too bad...$200 plus shipping.
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Safety Car
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From: San Diego CA
Originally Posted by I'm Batman
That's an iron-head LT1. To use on the 406, you'd likely need different pistons to bring the compression down (64cc heads) and you'd need to port the intake runners for better flow. If you want to go that route, go to LT1-intake.com and buy a modified intake kit and use your current heads.
That just solved his problem right there.
He said he mainly wants the looks and reliability of the LT1. Well he's already got a brand new engine built and can now put the LT1 intake on top of it to give it that LT1 look.As I've said before, I prefer simplicity overall so all those modifications that are needed to make something fit just seems like they're not worth it for what you get. My opinion is a gen 1 block with all of the newer improvements (roller cam, efi, piston fuel pump, allow heads, ignition, etc.) with the least amount of complexity is the way to go for a C3, as far as engine choices. I would also do the firing order change that the LS engines use. (it's like 2 and 7 or something isn't it?) That's just my 2 cents, though.
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From: WAY DEEP INSIDE AMERICO,YES YOU LIVE HERE TO!! TX
Originally Posted by Kalway
That just solved his problem right there.
He said he mainly wants the looks and reliability of the LT1. Well he's already got a brand new engine built and can now put the LT1 intake on top of it to give it that LT1 look.If your gonna use a 400 SB. Use a good aftermarket intake that will give it as much air as possible.
Last edited by MEGALADON; Nov 3, 2006 at 07:28 PM.
Seems the topic has gone full-circle, now. 
Team Owner
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From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
Originally Posted by Durango_boy
I checked out that place Batman just suggested, LT1Intake.com. They will convert a customer's LT1 intake to use on older blocks for $200. I bolt that intake to my heads and block, hook up the fuel and computer system, and I can re-use the HEI dist. and the Camaro serp system I have. Not too bad...$200 plus shipping.
Team Owner
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From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
Originally Posted by MEGALADON
Your gonna need a differnent harness for that! LT1 won't work.
CFM should be OK, although an upgraded throttle body wouldn't hurt. There are quite a few 383 LT1s running around out there.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
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From: Columbia Missouri
Okay, so I'd need a different dist. I was also planning to have the throttle body machined, or just buy a converted one. I see the auctions for them all day long.
The computer that comes with this LT1 would drive everything right? Can I still use a vac signalled 200R4?
The computer that comes with this LT1 would drive everything right? Can I still use a vac signalled 200R4?
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From: San Diego CA
Get a computer for it that's made for a manual transmission and I would imagine a 2004R would work fine with it.
The CFM, I believe, on the LT1 intake is higher than the TPI. The TPI I think was rated for ~700cfm and the LT1 is probably 750 - 850. These are just my rough estimates, but I think it should work fine with the 400 block. As stated a bit better throttle body will help and a little machining on the intake should do enough.
I do agree that an aftermarket EFI would do better, but for the price of the LT1 intake that's a pretty good deal and should work fine for his setup.
The CFM, I believe, on the LT1 intake is higher than the TPI. The TPI I think was rated for ~700cfm and the LT1 is probably 750 - 850. These are just my rough estimates, but I think it should work fine with the 400 block. As stated a bit better throttle body will help and a little machining on the intake should do enough.
I do agree that an aftermarket EFI would do better, but for the price of the LT1 intake that's a pretty good deal and should work fine for his setup.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
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From: Columbia Missouri
Originally Posted by Rdavis
The LT1 intake can easily suport 500+ hp.
Great to know. I'll see if I can broker this deal fro $500 or less, and get things started. I like this new plan.
Racer
Joined: Jun 2005
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From: Lubbock Texas
That is why the aftermarket did not mess with LT1 manifolds, the stock GM one was hard to improve upon. Edelbrock had one out for a while but wasn't sucessfull. I have heard that they are comming out with an "air gap" LT1 intake. Personaly I think that it would be a waste of $$. I drove an LT1 Formula for several years & for what little that I did to that engine, it was a very nice running car.
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From: San Diego CA
Well I'll share my LT1 experience, too. I had a '95 Z28 for a little while and that was a sweet car. I had it with a the automatic and it only had 66k miles when I bought it. It had all the power you needed when you needed it and could just shred the tires even from a roll! Never had a problem with it except when I made the mistake of using regular octane. 
It didn't like that much, but putting premium back in fixed it right up. Still miss that car. 
It didn't like that much, but putting premium back in fixed it right up. Still miss that car.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Columbia Missouri
Originally Posted by Kalway
Well I'll share my LT1 experience, too. I had a '95 Z28 for a little while and that was a sweet car. I had it with a the automatic and it only had 66k miles when I bought it. It had all the power you needed when you needed it and could just shred the tires even from a roll! Never had a problem with it except when I made the mistake of using regular octane. It didn't like that much, but putting premium back in fixed it right up. Still miss that car.
It didn't like that much, but putting premium back in fixed it right up. Still miss that car. I test drove a '96 LT1 Camaro, and I spun the tires from 3rd gear. Almost went sideways in the middle of Business Loop.