Homer

iTrader: (1)

I'm planning a transplant into a V6 car and I'm trying to get the score straight. It's kinda long, so if no one reads this, I won't be surprised. Thanks in advance!
Here's what little I know. Help me fill in the blanks, and tell me if I'm wrong...

LT1 vs. LS1 vs. L98

Installation in a thirdgen:
LT1-Low to moderate pita, especially wiring

LS1-Severe pita, requires custom everything
including headers, motor mounts, fuel pump...
L98-Its as if it was meant to be there!

Mpg (for those who actually care)
LT1-?
L98-15-20
LS1-25-30 (how does the LS1 get such good mileage?)

Availability of parts/variety of aftermarket parts

L98-a lot
LT1-a good amount
LS1-on par with a Volkswagen

Can be converted to 383?
L98-Yes
LT1-Yes
LS1-? (Since the LS1 is supposed to have a different bore x stroke, and therefore a different crankshaft, is a stroker kit out yet?)

Can be converted to 400(all parts bolted on 400 block)?
L98-yes
LT1-no (reverse flow cooling causes heads/intake to be incompatible with "classic" sbc)
LS1-you got to be kidding me

Other questions:
1)If I'm starting out with a non-v8 thirdgen car, is an L98 swap really that much cheaper/easier than a LT1? Especially if I'm considering a T56 anyway?

2)What is OBD (I, II, III)? What is Optispark? Are these good things or bad things? (my ignorance is really showing through here)

3)Reverse cooling is supposedly good for a whole point in compression ratio. Is there any way to equip an L98 with reverse cooling?

4)What technological advances make LT1's and LS1's so great? Or does it simply amount to better heads, cam etc.?

82z

I'll start at the top.
install/thirdgen
LT1-not bad with a painless wiring kit
LS1-yep severve pita regardless if camaro/corvette engine. Camaro-returnless fuel system Corvette-drive by wire no link from tb to pedal. GMPP is rumored to be working on a swap kit for the LS1
L98-just use GM parts. The factory put them in thirdgen so a swap should be a walik in the park
383
LS1-sorta, 382 Lunati offers a stroker crank for it. The main problem is that the cylinders cannot be overbored because the wall thickness would be to little.
400
What?
other q's
1 yep GM still offers replacement parts for these cars especially since the shop manuals can show you how things go. A t-56 swap is no longer a problem as the aftermarket offers everything from crossmembers to clutch hydraulics.
2 OBD stands for onboard diagnostics. OBD II is just a more sophisticated version of OBD that evolved as emmissions regulations tightened. Now OBD has the capability to detect misfires, cat degredation,and other asinine engine funstions.
3 No the heads and block are totally different between Gen I and II small blocks. You'd have to see the 2 side by side to appreciate the differences. One of the big things is that there is no water crossover in the manifold. The revrse flow basically delivers cooler water to the heads than a standard cooling system which allows the higher comp. ratio along with al. heads
4 The highlights of the Gen II LT1 include, reverse flow coolong, optical triggered ignition, an efficient kidney shaped combustion chamber and a short runner large plenum intake.
The LS1 makes the LT1 look like it was designed by monkeys. It includes a phenolic intake, revese flow coolong, roller rockers, double wall steel exhaust manifolds, coil on cylinder ignition, and an emphasis on injector targeting at the intake valve. The heads are designed with a tall narrow port to enhance low rpm torque while delivering great upper rpm horsepower. The combustion chamber is the best around with an efficient "bathtub" shape that induces a lot of swirl and delivers an excellent quench are which allows it to use a relativley high (10.5?) compression ratio for a street engine. Heck you can chage the cam in this motor without taking the intake off!

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82 z28 350cid, vortec heads, comp 262h cam, Holley 600cfm carb, 2in twice pipes, MSD ignition, turbo 350 trans, 3.73 posi, manly b&m megashifter

Dave86IROC

The LS1 isn't reversed cooled...only the LT1.

DaBandit

Yeah, and the only similarities between the LT1 and the LS1 are the cylinder spacing, they even use Ford firing order. yuck! But, these are one of the greatest small-blocks Chev. ever made. But I would hold out for the Z06 vette's LS6, gobs more power. Beleive me, I know an owner of one, it is his favorite car he has ever owned.

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Chris "$teve" Williams
1984 Firebird "Stroker GT
2 1978 WS6 Trans AMs (one of which is a "T/A 6.6" 220 hp.)
http://www.geocities.com/butterscotch_kandy



[This message has been edited by DaBandit (edited December 28, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by DaBandit (edited December 28, 2000).]

Grim Reaper

82Z, you can overbore the LS1. But it is only .010", so if you needed any more to correct a tapper, your hooped. This is a fact that many people overlook btw. I am surprised Chevy did this, especially with the big uproar in the 1970s when they had the same issue with the Vega. Many owners were pissed off to find out that their Vega's engine was disposable.

Homer

iTrader: (1)

Yeah I know. The temptation is great to wait until zo6's become available in f-bodies (and therefore, junkyards) but by then the zo6 will be a boat anchor just like everything else and the latest and greatest will be in the newspapers then. It's just like computers, open your wallet to get on the merry-go-round now, and in time become obsolete. I'm just glad that we live in an age where that's occuring, instead of the opposite (like the 70's).
I'm trying to piece together what will become a fast ride with less cash outlay. (that's what hotrodding is all about, right?) I believe that in time, the aftermarket will make the ls1 swap cheaper and less painful. Perhaps then, I'll consider it.
But now, I'm pretty torn between the classic L98 and the LT1. Does anybody have flow numbers for the LT1 intake system? And the stock tpi, miniram, and superram? It'd be nice to get hard numbers to compare with. I've heard about the greatness of the miniram and the superram, but do they flow more than the LT1? Can you buy intake upgrades for the LT1 as well? And do these outflow mini and supers? Stuff like that.
How would a minirammed 400 (406?) compare to a 383 LT1 with whatever goodies are available for the LT1? (A 383 LT1 would have 94% of the displacement of a 400 tpi, but the extra point in compression allowed from the reverse flow cooling would permit an additional 4-5% in power. So it's a stalemate in that respect)

LS1 IROCZ

The LS1 swap is not that big of a pita as one might think. just expensive.

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1987 IROC-Z Screaming Yellow.
Mods: 1998 LS1 with six speed, many more...
You can see the project at: http://bradkiel.fbody.com/


Last updated 03/16/2001

Road America run: http://www.geocities.com/speed_seekers/

[This message has been edited by LS1 IROCZ (edited March 24, 2001).]