[Stroker] Keep LT1 or go with regular 350?
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Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 831
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From: Iowa City IA
[Stroker] Keep LT1 or go with regular 350?
i want to build a stroker 396 or bigger. question is should i keep the LT1 block etc, or go with a 350 or 400 block that would negate the reverse cooling but would allow bigger displacement?
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 12,263
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From: O'Fallon Missouri
Re: [Stroker] Keep LT1 or go with regular 350? (kawboy5792)
I would stick with the LT1 block, it would save alot of time and money over trying to convert to a non reverse flow coolling engine.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2001
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From: Athens AL
C7 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist 2021
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Re: [Stroker] Keep LT1 or go with regular 350? (kawboy5792)
try to stick with the LT1 block, it would be too much stress trying to convert to standard cooling
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2002
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From: down that one road next to that big tree
Re: [Stroker] Keep LT1 or go with regular 350? (Zora)
It will be alot cheaper to work with what you have. :yesnod:
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: Union City CA
Re: [Stroker] Keep LT1 or go with regular 350? (kawboy5792)
i want to build a stroker 396 or bigger. question is should i keep the LT1 block etc, or go with a 350 or 400 block that would negate the reverse cooling but would allow bigger displacement?
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 2,631
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From: Union City CA
Re: [Stroker] Keep LT1 or go with regular 350? (kawboy5792)
Well VetteRestorer DID it, Someone else did it, and I'm going to do it. And another forum membere sent me an e-mail of a slip in which someone put in a ZL-1 Block engine with aluminum Heads. He first had the suspension droped and inch in the front and then after installing the aluminum BB it came back to factory ride height.
If you do Iron Block with aluminum head you could see a 60-80lbs increase in the front which is no big deal.
Also I have been told that all you need to do is move the firewall back a little, just a little bit for the passanger side of the block.( IT sticks out) Then to move the steering rack forward 1/2 and inch. Then to reccess or fabricate the crossbar a little bit for the Crank pulley. And thats about it.
If you decide to go BB and you want to take advantage of displacement, then you could go with a 502 block. a 427/454 block and a 502 block have about the same weight and externall dimensions so fitting a 540CID engine in a C4 isnt too hard. If you want me to e-mail you the slip of the build I can if you want? Feels good to see other people have intrest in High Displacement C4's using BB. :D
If you do Iron Block with aluminum head you could see a 60-80lbs increase in the front which is no big deal.
Also I have been told that all you need to do is move the firewall back a little, just a little bit for the passanger side of the block.( IT sticks out) Then to move the steering rack forward 1/2 and inch. Then to reccess or fabricate the crossbar a little bit for the Crank pulley. And thats about it.
If you decide to go BB and you want to take advantage of displacement, then you could go with a 502 block. a 427/454 block and a 502 block have about the same weight and externall dimensions so fitting a 540CID engine in a C4 isnt too hard. If you want me to e-mail you the slip of the build I can if you want? Feels good to see other people have intrest in High Displacement C4's using BB. :D
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 838
Likes: 2
From: Out by the bridge again, TampaBay
Re: [Stroker] Keep LT1 or go with regular 350? (kawboy5792)
Stay with the LT1. The reverse cooling allows more compression without detonation on 93 octane. You can get up to 409CI with an LT1 but that gets very expensive with block machining and possible filling. 396 is a lot more practical size. 383 if your on a budget and don't need a forged crank. Big cubes are great but it's quality heads that make the power.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 2,631
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From: Union City CA
Re: [Stroker] Keep LT1 or go with regular 350? (Half Fast)
Big cubes are great but it's quality heads that make the power.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,861
Likes: 4
From: Houston TX
Re: [Stroker] Keep LT1 or go with regular 350? (kawboy5792)
Well hell, if you want crazy power in a crate motor, go for this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=1876246569
I can tell you with confidence that this is an OLD Hendrick's Engine, but it's still 768 HP in a 358.
We have two Hendrick's engines over at the lab that were both making 820+ right before they blew up....losing the valvetrain at 9800 rpm is NOT pretty
I can tell you with confidence that this is an OLD Hendrick's Engine, but it's still 768 HP in a 358.
We have two Hendrick's engines over at the lab that were both making 820+ right before they blew up....losing the valvetrain at 9800 rpm is NOT pretty
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 3,418
Likes: 1
From: NW Chicago Suburbs
Re: [Stroker] Keep LT1 or go with regular 350? (kawboy5792)
Ignoring the $$ and just speaking of the technical side, an LT1 with optispark and PCM is difficult to replace. The PCM and optispark are tied into the traction control/ABS system. If you dump the LT1 block you have to use a conventional ignition distributor, unless you have lots of programing/system knowledge you'll have to dump the PCM and the traction control (not sure if the ABS goes too). If you dump the PCM, you can't pass emissions unless you make some kind of scan simulator than makes the emissions tester think your car is kosher.
What's really needed is an optispark simulator, something that relays crank position information to the PCM like the optispark, then you could run a Motown 427 SBC :)
Eric
What's really needed is an optispark simulator, something that relays crank position information to the PCM like the optispark, then you could run a Motown 427 SBC :)
Eric
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 3,581
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From: Springfield VA
Re: [Stroker] Keep LT1 or go with regular 350? (kawboy5792)
It all depends on what type of power you want out of it and how much money you have to spend. You can do a 383 or 396 without forged internals but I wouldn't. My preference is 4340 internals, but if you have the cash and want to push some really crazy power than go with 4340 billet crank and connecting rods.
I know a couple of guys running naturally aspirated 396 LT1s that are putting out 500+ hp/tq. And if you want to supercharge it, then how about 616 RWHP & 740 RWTQ with 13 pounds of boost.
Check out More Perfomance and look at their customers pages (Corvette and Fbody) http://www.moreperformanceinc.com/
I know a couple of guys running naturally aspirated 396 LT1s that are putting out 500+ hp/tq. And if you want to supercharge it, then how about 616 RWHP & 740 RWTQ with 13 pounds of boost.
Check out More Perfomance and look at their customers pages (Corvette and Fbody) http://www.moreperformanceinc.com/
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 7,639
Likes: 326
From: Greenville SC
Re: [Stroker] Keep LT1 or go with regular 350? (96LT1)
I am thinking about doing a 396 in the future too. What would be the power difference between a 396 and a 350, assuming only the short block is different, and say both would have stage 2 ported heads, Hot cam or larger, LT headers, etc.? Basically how much more power do you get by adding 46 CID, all things being equall?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 831
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From: Iowa City IA
Re: [Stroker] Keep LT1 or go with regular 350? (Light84vette)
i heard you dont have to notch the crossmember or move the rack if you use the small diameter balancer (internally balanced)...but id like to see the slip. my email is allmusl@hotmail.com. I guess i didnt realize that there were others with an interest in a BB C4. how hard would doing that firewall thing be? not much of a paint and body person. :chevy
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 2,631
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From: Union City CA
Re: [Stroker] Keep LT1 or go with regular 350? (kawboy5792)
I tried to e-mail it to you but the e-mail came back to me. If someone else has wants it then I could e-mail it to them and then they can forward it to you. But if you have a different e-mail address then I could send it then b/c I tried yesterday and it didnt work then either. I'm going to go with an Iron 454 engine I dont have enough dough to get a ZL-1 block-its 5g's alone :eek:
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 831
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From: Iowa City IA
Re: [Stroker] Keep LT1 or go with regular 350? (Light84vette)
by the way Light84, if you want an aluminum big block but dont want to fork out 5-6k for the ZL1 block alone...try an aluminum block from world castings or dart...bout half the price :cool: