The following is a copy paste from my original thread where I was doing just top end stuff. Link to that thread is here https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-write-up.html

See Post # 3 for updated build list and I will be continuing everything here.

Hello all! Lot's of you have helped me with various problems on my car and given lots of advice, many have also helped me plan out what performance mods to do and I know Vader has been a lot of help with that. I am making this thread so that anybody who wants to upgrade the performance on there LT1 Corvette can have a list of all parts used as well with pictures and hopefully video of the whole thing being done. I will have a running parts list of everything I use, as well as videos and pictures as things get done. This project will likely run through late December if not early January and every aspect of it will be put here. I will also be leaving any questions that come up along the way here and hopefully turn this into a all inclusive build guide for people in the future. Some parts I won't have an exact $ amount for until I purchase them, as I buy things I will move it up to the obtained parts list and add the price I bought it for. Anything in the needed list is a estimate. Right now I do have a few questions which are in parenthesis next to some of my parts. For sake of documentation please quote them if you answer so as I move parts up others will still be able to see what the answer goes to.

Obtained Parts List
1.6 Roller Rockers LUN-15345-16 Purchased for $315 from Summit Racing
3/8 Rocker Studs LUN-86000-16 Purchased for $65 from Summit Racing
Hooker Super Comp Mid Length Headers 2151HKR Purchased from forum member for $200
1996 Timing Cover, Reluctor, Hub, Crank Shaft Position Sensor Purchased for $100 from forum member
Polished Aluminum Valve Covers purchased with car
Valve Cover Gaskets Fel Pro VS 50088R Purchased from Advanced Auto Parts for $35
Custom X-Pipe done by J&J Muffler in Kansas City Purchased for $150
3.5" Stainless Steel Dual Tips Purchased from
for $100
Fel-Pro Timing Cover Gaskets and Seals Purchased from Advanced Auto Parts for $14 Part # TCS 45956
Head Gaskets Mr Gasket5716G for $52
Tuning cable $65 From Here
1996 Timing Cover Gaskets and Seals $15 from Advanced Auto
4.10 Yukon brand gears purchased from a forum member for $144 (includes shipping)
Bosche 3 30lb Injectors purchased from a forum member for $103.30 (includes shipping)

Needed Parts List
LE2 Heads from Lloyd Elliot $1300
227/235 565/579 110LSA Billet Cam from Lloyd Elliot for $300
Stock Intake Porting from Lloyd Elliot for $200
Tune from PCMforless.com for $200
Pushrods $150
Pushrod length checker $35
LT1 Timing Chain from Jeggs for $220 (Is it needed to replace timing chain, is it worth it to get the extreme duty one for $382?)
Version 2 Optispark from Sac City Corvette $200
Optispark Ventilation Conversion from Petris Enterprises for $130 (Are these the two things I need to convert to Cam driven opti? I would have bought everything from Petris but he was sold out of the pin driven)
Water Pump (Should I change my water pump at this point or just stick with my OEM one @102k miles)
Oil / Oil Filters

 

You guys spend more money on your mild 383s than I have my last 2 1000 HP engines combined lol.
You're at almost $4100 BEFORE the 383 short block.

 

Obtained Parts List
Hooker Super Comp Mid Length Headers 2151HKR Purchased from forum member for $200
1996 Timing Cover, Reluctor, Hub, Crank Shaft Position Sensor Purchased for $100 from forum member
Polished Aluminum Valve Covers purchased with car
Valve Cover Gaskets Fel Pro VS 50088R Purchased from Advanced Auto Parts for $35
Custom X-Pipe done by J&J Muffler in Kansas City Purchased for $150
3.5" Stainless Steel Dual Tips Purchased from for $100
Fel-Pro Timing Cover Gaskets and Seals Purchased from Advanced Auto Parts for $14 Part # TCS 45956
Tuning cable $65 From Here
1996 Timing Cover Gaskets and Seals $15 from Advanced Auto
4.10 Yukon brand gears purchased from a forum member for $144 (includes shipping)
Bosche 3 30lb Injectors purchased from a forum member for $103.30 (includes shipping)
Header Ceramic Coating for $167 at A&M Powedercoating
Pin Drive Optispark from Petris Enterprises $400 (Would have gone torquhead but they are not currently making C4 kits.)
Trickflow Heads with upgraded springs and valves and ported from Lloyd Elliot $2100
Billet Cam from Lloyd Elliot for $300 (Final size has not been determined)
Intake Porting from Lloyd Elliot for $200
Lunati 37502VRK04 Forged 383 Rotating Assembly $2300
1.6 Roller Rockers LUN-15315-16 Purchased for $262 from Summit Racing
Machine work done local price 1500 Estimate (Currently in shop)
Fel Pro 1074 Headgaskets $94
True Roller Cloyes Timing Chain $98
Pushrod length checker $27 https://www.summitracing.com/parts/cca-7702-1
Intake Manifold Gasket $17 https://www.summitracing.com/parts/fel-ms95580
Throttle Body Gasket $15 https://www.summitracing.com/parts/bbk-1584
Engine Mounts $55.58 http://www.rockauto.com/?carcode=1041354&parttype=5552
Header Gasket $23 https://www.summitracing.com/parts/fel-1405
Lifters $219 https://www.summitracing.com/parts/lun-72910-16
Water Pump Relay Kit $37 https://www.summitracing.com/parts/mez-wik346
2x U-Joint Straps $22 https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sdh-3-70-28x
2x U Joints $64 https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sdh-5-3615x
If you are doing U-Joints you will need 4x of the above things, I recently did one side of the car so I only needed parts for the other.
Hurst Clone Short Throw Shifter $168 https://core-shifters.com/products/h...ant=9123739651
Suspension Master Bushing Kit $238.79 from Rock Auto http://www.rockauto.com/?carcode=1041354&parttype=16059
Sway Bar Bushings Front $21.79 35154R http://www.rockauto.com/?carcode=1041354&parttype=7624
Sway Bar Bushings Rear 35151G $28.79 http://www.rockauto.com/?carcode=1041354&parttype=7624
Oil Pressure Sensor $9.45 http://www.rockauto.com/?carcode=1041354&parttype=4588
2x Oxygen Sensors $38.74 http://www.rockauto.com/?carcode=1041354&parttype=5132
2x Knock Sensors $51.58 http://www.rockauto.com/?carcode=1041354&parttype=5108

Needed Parts List
Tune from PCMforless.com for $200
Pushrods $150
Mezziers Electric Water Pump HD $272
Oil / Oil Filters
58mm Throttle Body $350
Various Other $200
Pads $100
Reverse Light Switch $50

 

Curious to what that would have been, I have not bought much of the expensive stuff yet, only about 800 bucks into ordering parts.

Before I buy more stuff, do people think for 8k which is my budget, I could LS swap it and make more power?

 

I made 900 whp with a turbo LS engine that I have $2500 in the long block and turbo setup.
It wouldn't fit under your hood or I would sell you the complete setup with basically EVERYTHING attached to it for $5500.

My last 2 setups cost ~$5700 combined and both tickled 4 digit power at the crank.
$2300 for a 383 short block is a lot. That's $2300 for a 9% increase in displacement. That's the equivalent dollar-to-performance ratio of spending $24,393.94 to increase power by 100%.
The C4 communities odd obsession with 383 stroker setups has completely baffled me, but I guess that is the gen 1 SBC mentality.

 

So in your opinion, if I sourced junkyard parts for a 6.0 truck motor, I would be better off spending my 8000 dollars going that route. I think I may just do that if that is the general consensus.

 

Personally, I would just try to find a donor truck with basically whatever engine it has. Then you can be sure the engine runs, drives, and needs nothing.
I typically buy the trucks for $800-1200 and sell off the parts for $3000 or so and it pays for most of the swap.

This is a $2500 LS swap in a 69 Chevelle I did years ago.
$2500 included engine and trans. Trans was rebuilt. Engine got cam/springs/lifters, new gaskets, pan, mounts, long tubes.
That price also included shifter, fuel injection conversion, etc. Power steering was functional. Electric fan conversion. The only thing missing was A/C but the car wasn't setup to have it (dash was gutted).
Engine made 312/320 on a heartbreaker dyno and 366 HP at the wheels on a dynojet through 2" crimp-bent exhaust and drove like it was bone stock.
A nearly identical engine (same cam/headers/displacement, different, but still stock, heads/intake) did 426 HP on the engine dyno that sits 10 feet away from this chassis dyno right before this.

https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversio...hp-320wtq.html

 

This was a 5.3 swap in another 69 Chevelle I did with a larger cam, but everything else 100% identical to the other Chevelle, for UNDER $2000.

.be
I'm not saying an LS swap is your only route, but I'd seriously consider just how much you're getting in return for that $8000.
That's a lot of money being spent on parts that will gain you little to nothing.
$315 on roller rockers? Unless they're needed for a specific reason, you'll likely lose power due to their weight.
$400 for Optispark? I would almost just do a 24x conversion and run LS style coils.

 

I am hoping for around 450 to the wheel give or take 25. I spoke with Lloyd Elliot and he thought the same. I looked at ls swaps and I wouldn't be happy just dropping in a stock truck motor so if I was going that route I wouldn't do it unless I could make 500 to the wheel or more. I know at the very least I would need corvette accessories to fit. So I am looking at lets say 2500 for engine and trans, 700 for headers, so thats 4 grand, then I would need engine and tranny mounts, and then I would have about 3k left for performance mods. I am going to do some research and consider it before I make any decisions however. I also need to keep in mind that I don't have a welder or lift and it's all being done on jackstands.

 

$2500 for engine and trans is pushing it. I guess it depends on how picky you get with them. You can use your current trans, headers don't need to cost $700. You can re-use your current engine mounts with some cheap adapters.
Corvette accessories are NOT required.

A good 6.0 short block with a mild cam/spring upgrade and stock LS3 top-end will make 500 HP.

 

You can always just buy my LS setup for $5500 and have TWICE the power you're aiming for.

Oh, but you won't be able to run a hood.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...te-5500-a.html

 

Everybody tells you that an LS makes way more power, cheaper. Well, it's true you buy a junkyard 5.3 LS and put eBay turbos on it with some kind of janky aftermarket ECM and make lots of power...for a little bit. Of course, if you want an actual usable engine for street driving and/or track/autocross use that also interfaces with your stock computer and dash it's a different story. It's not that it can't be done, but it isn't as simple or cheap as bolting in a different kind of engine and turning the key and driving off into the sunset. There is more than one thread in here on the topic, and I'd highly, highly suggest the OP read those before abandoning his original plan. What JoeNova isn't saying is that he's using a $1500 aftermarket ECM that isn't included in his asking price, and doesn't interface with a factory C4 dash. And if you see the vehicle it's coming out of, you'll see why that doesn't matter in his case. And that's fine, if you want "kart" with no real interior and no bodywork and all you do is run 1/4 dragstrip runs. Nothing is wrong with that at all, if that's what the OP also wants. I'm kind of guessing it's not, though.

As for the list the OP is updating: I wouldn't mess with the electric water pump unless you really have a specific need for it. Ditto a new distributor: if the OE one you have works, then leave it alone and save that money. On the rotating assembly, that's pretty pricey. You may be buying more than you need, but I don't really know your intended uses for this engine/car. I know that Summit has 383 assemblies with forged pistons for as low as $1200. I don't know all the differences between those and the Lunati kit you're looking at, and maybe you really do need whatever the Lunati includes. I don't know, I'm just recommending that you make sure you really need that expensive of a kit.

Last thing is the heads: I would ask for flow numbers on the TFS ported setup that Lloyd Elliot is suggesting, especially at low valve lifts. They might be great, but there's an off-the-shelf AFR 195 Competition set of heads that flow well for the same price. You should at least cross-shop those as well.

 

Thank thanks for the advice I've gone back and forth on the water pump but and right now leaning to doing the electric water pump not only for whatever gains it may have, but if it fails at least it won't leak onto my OptiSpark.

As for the OptiSpark it has over 100,000 mi on it and is the non-vinted version, If torquehead ever gets their c4 kit back up and running I might go that route so I don't want to have to cut my cams pin when I put it in and I would like to have the vented OptiSpark system, If knowing that you still don't think it's worth it please let me know and I can take that into consideration.

Ask for the rotating assembly, I really don't want to cheap out on that, I would rather go ahead and spend the extra $1,000 and have all forged internals than whatever I want to do with the engine it's set up for and I don't have to change it if I decide to go forced induction nitrous etc.

thanks for your input on the LS swap I don't think I'm going to go that way. I would much rather have a car that apart from my cam at least looks and feels stock then having some janky ECM with aftermarket dash and all that

 

Does anybody have any experience pulling a short lock from this car? I have it everything off as I wasn't originally going to pull it but change my mind. Do I need to drop the ZF if I don't have the top end or accessories on it?

 

On point.

 

Remove the ZF from below and pull the bellhousing and clutch off. Makes extraction so much easier.

 

Alright I'll see what I can do. I am limited in height by my garage so I can only get it about a foot between the bottom of my car and the floor.

 

They last forever if taken care of. People here panic when they have 100k miles on their engine. 200-300k mile LS engine shrug off boost.
Btw, my car does just fine on the street (I guarantee it got more miles on it this year than 99% of the C4s here), and is very capable in both autocross and twisty roads.

Yes, I'm using an aftermarket ECU. I've made this EXACT same amount of power before on a $150 stock LS truck ECU/Harness I bought from Facebook marketplace in my Nova.
The aftermarket ECU has more options, and my car uses a LOT of them. It was a situational purchase, not a requirement.

Both my ECU AND a stock LS ECU can communicate with an early C4 dash. I wasn't aware he was using an LT1 based setup which greatly complicates and LS swap as far as electronic compatibility.
If it was an early one, its a no-brainer swap.

I still can't fathom spending $8k for 450 HP. To each his own, but just thinking about that makes me sick lol.

 

And the end of the subject.

 

I would say don't buy too much into the Opti-panic. After all, you have a near 30-year-old car with over 100k miles and it hasn't failed yet. The problem with newer replacements is that the sensor often fails much faster than the OE Mitsubishi one. That said, Petris is supposed a big step up from most improvements. So if you're going to replace it, that's a good choice. And I can understand wanting one with a vented cap. Another option would be to see if the "Opti Doctor" can rebuild the one you have with a vented setup. I don't know. The vented cap is an improvement, and you'll be revving your motor higher when means a new bearing is a good idea.