The Evil Genius

Ya'll weren't kidding when you said it'd **** off the LT1 owners.

I'm wanting a daily drivable car, but not my DD, that will spend significant time running around road courses like VIR. IF I'm going to be prone to breaking the derned thing, which is likely with any "race" car, then is there sense in going with the older, less expensive, and very well known (by me) technology.

The Evil Genius

Oh, and right now my LT1 is very tired, not fresh and good.

hexane

A well tuned carb is much better than a poorly tuned EFI system.

rocco16

How does one end up with a poorly tuned EFI when it's being tuned several times a second?

My Opti has 85,000 miles on it. (It's original, I have the receipts for the car from new)
It's probably time for a new cap, but it is still working fine. I don't see where it is functionally inferior to the old type of distributor.




Larry
code5coupe

___________
not easily impressed....

The Evil Genius

Most EFI's I know of aren't tuned but once from the factory, or reflashed. They operate by adjusting the fueling and timing, etc. based on a programmed set of maps. If they tuned themselves, there'd be no reason to ever flash your PCM, or re-PROM, or whatnot.

FD2BLK

An EFI ECM will not tune itself true but that last time I checked neither will a carb and Std ignition. but the difference is I can tune fuel and timing across the board under various load conditions and get ideal A/F and timing across the power curve. Now I understand the whole carb debate been there done that with my 84. I got frustrated with the old CFI because I was not willing to take the time or effort to learn about fuel injection. Well after spending a bunch of money to make my car run the same but with worse FM I decided it was time to hit the books. To my surprise it was fairly painless and all the same information applied (Fuel and timing) only with FI you have the ability to tune it across a much wider range of parameters. At this point I decided to go back to FI but wanted a bit more bang for the buck and a nice used LT1 provided me the way to get it. I think of all the motors I have built and installed over the years the LT1 conversion to my old 84 was the best motor upgrade I have ever done.

The Evil Genius

Yeah, when you flash a PCM, you reprogram the fuel maps and timing maps, essentially, (that's really basic, but it works) for how you want the engine to behave over whatever the specific resolution of the system is. You can reflash it for a new cam, or instance, but the computer won't tune itself.

I actually wasn't considering going carb at all, just old style SBC. Closer to L98 than LT1. But again, it was a question of if anyone had done it more than anything else.

FD2BLK

The real advantage to the LT1 is the reverse cooling and heads. If you go back to old school keep in mind it is not as forgiving as the LT1 when it comes to CR so cam selection and DCR calculations are somthing to keep in mind. The LT1 allows a higher DCR without knock so you keep the ability to run 11:1 SCR with a fairly mild cam such as the LT4 HC.

wayne lowry

Then yank it and buy a 450chp crate engine. That would be the way to go right there, you can fab up all sorts of **** to make it work
Post pics along the way and when it's done and EVERYTHING works as it should let us all know how cost effective it really was over building a
450chp LTX Sorry but you asked for thoughts and there they are.

93 ragtop

Will, I am a LT1 owner and you dont **** me off with this question.
But back to the question, we need a few answers to other questions first.
1. do you have emissions inspections? I see by profile you are in Va but I dont know what part.
2. Are you concerned about getting gages working etc?

If you answer yes to the above, IMO I would stay with the LT series motors.

IMO it would be better to trade the car for a L98 based car and mod from that if you are set against the LT1. But keep in mind even though the opti can be considered a weak point, you will have a much better intake system, exhaust system, and better heads then the L98 has.
IMO the main advantage to the Gen. 1 blocks are the advantage to go aftermarket and have 434 cid motor compared to the limits on the LT series of approx. 396 cid. (at least at a reasonable cost and reliability)

At any rate, good luck with your decision.

JAKE

I have a Mini-Rammed 415 CID in my 86 that was hit by an 18-wheeler and is all "banged-up". I thought of pulling it and dropping it into my 96 but after careful consideration, my signature shows which route I chose.

But that's just me.

Jake

96lt4c4

Just put a distributor and a carb on your LT1, then you will have the revesre cooling block with no Opti.

GT40_GearHead

damn, can you really do that ???

The Evil Genius

I'm detecting a hint of condescension in that post. But just a hint.

The Evil Genius

Thanks for the level response. Not being in OT, I was hoping to have more of this type of response. It was a thought experiment question, people.

I'm in Richmond, no emissions. I'm not dead set against anything. I really do like the LT1. There are things that could have been done better, but what's new, right? It's a great engine. I know I can throw in a 427 ci SBC with very good power for less than it would take me to match that power with an LT1. I don't need that much power in a non-drag car, so reasonable power levels from an LT1 are fine.

So in all likely hood, the original engine will be refreshed and stay in the car. I really was just asking, and aparently very few if anyone has done it.

all show and more go

u all need to stop.................tell him the honest truth,lt1's suck,what he needs is a good l98 or even better a crossfire,lol!

bogus

see? More crack being smoked.

Corvette Kid

Just STFU and do it. Then report back.

93 ragtop

With that in mind, consider what I have done or even something that may be better such as a Lloyd Elloitt package.
Bottom line, porting your heads, a cam, headers, gears, and a stall if you have a automatic will put you in the 11's with DR or slicks!!
This can all be done for $3,000.00 to $4,000.00. In reality you will spend a lot more to go back to a gen. 1 block, and of course this is assuming your shortblock is in decent condition.
It will cost more to get a Gen. 1 to the same performance level due to first off the conversion you will have to go through, the fact that it will need a decent intake, and not having heads, or exhaust as good as the LT series heads are.
Again, the only real advantage to the gen. 1 block is that aftermarket blocks are available that allow more cubes. The opti is indeed over rated for problems. With aftermarket ones available or converting to the second generation optis, eliminates alot of problems.

By the way, watch for private rentals in richmond usually done by All Throttle and no Bottle in the SE section of the forum. Steve usually does a spring and fall event and it is a lot of fun.