1994 c4 I just bought a burnt vette for suspension and was thinking about using the engine in my 52. Is there anyway to start it to check it's condition since the interior is toasted
.

 

Lol … im thinking no.

 

Pull the engine, find some place that typically builds performance engines and see if they'll put it on their engine dyno. That's the only way I can think of.
Know if the interior is burnt, you likely won't have an ecm or had you planned on that assuming you're keeping the TPI.

 

Yeah, don't see it running. Might be able to apply power to the starter. Then you could pull plugs and check compression. Might give you some insight into the engine condition.

 

ECM is under the hood and intack. If that makes a difference I was thinking it has a vats system or pass key lock and needs the right key to run but thought maybe an msd system might work on it?? How do people normally get these to run in a different application?

 

Yes I can know I can do that. But I know these engines are put in not corvettes and they start them somehow. I got a reply that the engine should be torn down and completely rebuilt before putting it in anything , Really. Don't know were the comment went but that's just crazy.

 

With as bad as the rest of the car looks, I'm surprised everything in the engine bay survived as well as it did. If you cropped the burnt interior out of the photo and didn't show the hood, you probably couldn't tell the car was on fire at some point. I *Think* you can have the ECM reprogrammed to bypass VATS but I'm not 100% on that.
This (click here) is a link to a thread that talks about it, 2nd post has a link to a little module by Baker that you connect into some of the wires coming from the ECM - it basically simulates the same signal the VATS system uses to tell the ECM this key is the right key. IF you're keeping the ECM but you don't want it reprogrammed, you could go with this. But since you're putting it in a 52 something, if you're going to have it tuned or reprogrammed anyways, I'd probably just have them bypass it that way.
If you're intent on checking it without removing it from the car, one thing you could do is get something to rotate the flywheel or crank somehow and see if she turns - if she does then good sign. I don't see it running while in that car though - in a different car sure, but not in this one. Depending on how long it sat like that it's probably not the worst idea to take a look inside before you put it in anything you want running.
Don't forget that these engines also came in the Camaro and Firebird too, as well as the Roadmaster and Caprice - albeit slightly different or detuned, but you can probably scrounge a harness or a different ECM (if you wanted to) from a junked one of those to get it running in something else.

 

Oil is clean and the engine turns free and the only damage to the hood is they knocked a hole in it at the sale to see if the engine was still in it. 52 chevy fleetline 2 dr. is what it might be destined to. Been doing a little research tonight and found 2 running on an engine stand. Post was several years old but I'll email the guy and see how he did it. If he can get it to run on an engine stand surly i can get it to go in the car. Thanks for the comment. running on the stand.

 

Nice ride, just needs little work!

 

Im sorry even if that motor was given to me for free I would not use it in any project car or truck. while that engine was the hot set up 25 years ago any more today it is obsolete and there is almost zero support from the after market companies making anything decent.

 

1bdvet it should buff out thanks.

And Nowhere Man Why you hating? I thought this was a sight to get help not harassed. If you don't have anything good to say why say anything. Your opinion doesn't mean much since there are a lot of poor boys out here that use what they scrounge. Including me. Where there is a will there is a way. These still look cool and have plenty of power stock, if your working on a budget like most. I may be on the wrong site, must be a bunch of prima donnas on here. . But that's cool I can leave.

 

 

As you can see you are dealing with garbage.

Now sometimes garbage still works, but how good?

If it was me playing with this, even though I know junk yard motor is cheaper that runs...

This has an optispark.. So IMO forget it, not because of that, but because the computer crap is shot more than likely.

If it was a gen1 it would be easier with a conventional distributor.

So, remove all fluids, disconnect any trans stuff, remove plugs, put ATF or something in the plug holes and put straight power to the starter from a battery to get it turning over.

Then begin the chase in the engine for it to run.

Air, spark, fuel, compression.

Walk away! unless you want a project, and no it won't be cheaper to use this unless you went carb etc. L98 is the answer or LS.

 

Thanks for your opinion. But to many of these still going strong to walk away.

 

One of us does not understand the other here.

This is not an opinion.

You asked how to even start this engine with out an interior.

An engine is a simple machine with out the computer crap.

My only opinion is that you should find something simpler for YOUR skill level to get in to.

So, IF the computer us not toast in some way...Do what I said above, because heat boils and can seize things. A car fire or house fire is not regular fire.

Pu 12volts to the system and it should turn over, if you add a combustible to the intake after adding oil and plugs, it should fire. Running is another story.

What suspension are you using? That fire was hot as hell.

1k for a junk running driving c4 all day. Hopefully this was free.

 

So I guess what you guys are saying is trash the lt1 and install the 454 i have sitting in the corner? Not near as challenging and not near as fuel efficient and not nearly as cool looking. I still want to get this one running just to see if I can. The computer is ok it's not even smoked. I'll give it a shot next week and see what happens after some research. Already had it jumped and turning over just need to do the rest. Thanks for the input.

 

You need to point me in the direction of one running for a grand haven't seen one of them for a while, at least not around here. . I know how to start and engine I was asking about getting it to run in the condition it is and since you don't know how without and interior why are you even commenting?? If you read the previous post you'd see I've already turned it over but without a key the system want let it fire. Thanks guys for all the great comments. I'll figure it out on my own. don't need the drama.

 

Cheapest one I have ever seen advertised was $1875, and that was for a '85 in good mechanical condition, but looked like ****. I've never seen a running LT1 equipped Vet listed for less than $3500, craigslist or any of the many Corvette FB Marketplace pages. Good luck with your engine skoto1.

 

You e actually got a lot of options for it.

first off, you could disable the vats system entirely with a custom chip. About 100 bucks from PCm of NC.

option two is a mega or minisquirt. This would totally replace the ecu, but would be a bit more expensive.

option 3 is to do very to an ls motor ecu. There are lots out there, the perk of this or the squirt is if you modify the engine, turning is easy.

Before going down any of these paths I'd check compression on all cylinders, and rotate the crank by hand to make sure it moves. The engine bay looks intact, I wouldn't be surprised if it ran fine.

don't let some get you discouraged. The option isn't that bad, just the bane of those who don't do regular upkeep (like water pumps). Mine made it to 135k before I changed it because I was chasing an issue that was actually a different part. Poor troubleshooting on my part, but I at least got fresh parts in my old car.

Anyways, good luck.

 

Skoto... you area braver man than I. I would have run from this project. Good luck!