Hello, I am building an Lt1 that I got out of a '97 caprice to swap for the V6 in my 1990 firebird. I already have the following parts...

Lt4 intake
Lt4 hot cam
forged 383 crank
forged 5.7" H beam rods
forged Keith Black pistons
roller rocker arms
performance valve springs
4L60E tranny (but considering seriously a t5)
and all the little parts that I'll need to install all of this stuff.

I am, of course, getting bigger injectors, beefing up my ignition, and getting a complete wiring harness from painless...

Now I understand that with putting the Lt1 into the 3rd gen body I will need to completely redo my motor mounts and suspension, and have a custom drive shaft cut, and I am planning on getting a new rear end to handle the extreme increase in torque from the v6, but I do have a few questions...

1. Does anyone have a good set of stock Lt1 heads? I found a crack in one of mine.
2. Is my cam too aggressive for the stroked bottom end? I dont see how it would be seeing as how I'm trying to go big anyway, but I havent done this before and I would like some imput. The guys at the machine shop dont seem to think it will be a problem.
3. Can I expect 450 to 475 horses from this setup?
4. I am also looking to do the 4th gen interior to 3rd gen f body...any pointers?
5. Any good sites where I can find good parts at a decent price? I am, after all, a college student working at a resturaunt for all my part money.

Thanx for any info you may have



--What? Oh you said your Cavalier was THE s#!%..thats cute...by the way...nice NOS sticker. It goes great with your missmatched body kit and ginormous wing.

 

Welcome aboard.

I detect a couple of misconceptions.

1st, V6 and V8 diffs are identical, so you don't need to beef it up because of the increase in torque over the V6. You need to beef it up because of the torque/power you're going to be putting out. 4th gen aren't any better. So, unless you do the beef-ups described in the tech articles (accessed from the thirdgen.org home page), consider a custom 12-bolt or 9".

2nd, driveshaft length should be the same. Again, no difference between V6 & V8.

3rd, forget the T5. It won't handle that engine. T56, maybe. (Or, was that just a missed keystroke?)

Since you've got one cracked head, consider going to F-body or Vette LT1 heads. Aluminum, considered better performers than the B-body iron.

Cam should be fine.

Check out the Body and Interior forum for your interior questions.

The classifieds (accessed from the thirdgen.org home page) or the regional forums at the bottom of the tech forum list would be good places to find out about parts sources.

 

Thanks for the tips,

I would love to go with the T56, (and I was worried about the T5 not being strong enough) but with my limited income I can't afford it. My best bet would be to try and find a wrecked WS6 or Vette, which around here are not really easy to come by in decent shape. Are you sure about a an aluminum head with my steel block? They may be lighter but wont an iron head handle more hp? Thanks for the info on the drivetrain also. Its a relief that I will not have to buy a new driveshaft (at least until i twist the one I have to pieces) Any other pointers for the swap would be greatly appreciated. Also, with the increased compression that I will be picking up from the stroke, I know forced induction is out of the question. However, I was thinking about a 100 shot of nitrous. Can I do that safely?


--What? Oh, you said your cavalier is THE s#!%...that's cute...by the way, nice NOS sticker. It goes great with your missmatched body kit and ginormous wing.

 

I suppose there's different camps on the Al vs. Fe heads thing. One better stock, the other ported; the power it takes to overcome the weight, etc.

There is even a growing trend towards the iron LS-type truck engines vs. the more expensive aluminum blocks.