Well i'm building a cheap drag car and was wondering what you all thought of this combo. I will be using a 95 Lt1 carburated motor with ported heads and cam maybe a gear drive but not so sure about that since it puts alot of stress on the front cam bearing. I'll be using a th350 tranny. and a posi disk rear and all probably end up putting in 4.10's. So what do you guys think?

 

Welcome aboard thirdgen.org.

Call me stubborn, but to me carbureted LT1 is an abomination. If you're going to bother with LT1, just use the EFI system. Carburetor doesn't buy you anything, and costs you plenty. I know you said drag car, but you also said "cheap", which doesn't say "LT1" to me in any fashion.

Why the LT1? That's got to cost you more than a Gen I SBC.

But, TH350 would be fine.

 

Ugghh...

"Cheap" definitely does NOT fit with carbureted LT1...

Why the LT1? I think it's actually cheaper AND easier to put the words "cheap" and "vortec 350" together. They can be had cheap from the junkyard still...

 

well this lt1 is 400 bucks with aluminum heads and the the lt1 intake, so i waqs gunna sell the intake and there you go! are you guys saying that the cam and intake manifold are expensive or what?

 

How much of the engine is missing? If it has the Optispark, TB, injectors, etc., it would be cheaper to find the harness & PCM, and get a fuel pump than it would to get the carb intake & control system.

It might make more sense to part out the engine and use the funds to get a Gen I SBC built up. Carb'd Vortec truck engine makes a lot more sense to me than carb'd LT1.

 

I was going to run a distributer. I didn't know i still needed a control system? I just thought it would work like a regular sbc?

 

I guess there is a way to run a distributor and blank off the Opti. Forgot about that.

Just too hard for me to imagine doing that to a fine engine.

 

i guess? why do you say "fine engine" It's not the best engine, having an optispark sucks ***** knock sensors too! The only reason i'm picked this ngine is becuase i'll cost me 400 bucks and the block is stronger, i hear people pushing way above 600 bwhp on these motors. Also the fact that i can port the aluminum heads, and the higher compression that they have and still be able to run on 91 octane.

I guess a question i have is with swiching to a disributer and not running it with a computer, will i be able to have about the same timing advance like with an optispark?

 

Before you get dead set on the Gen II format....

Converting the Gen II LT1/LT4 to a carb and a rear mounted distributor is an option but your choice of aftermarket intakes is limited due to the reverse flow cooling and no intake coolant cross over head design. You may want to get a copy of the "How to rebuild LT1/LT4 Engines" book which covers in detail the design of these motors and the conversion of this motor to a carb'ed set up.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/155...pr_product_top

This intake is designed for the LT1 carb swap.
http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/store...10002_66122_-1

$400 bucks for a complete LT1 motor is a fair price but as mentioned, it's design lends better to FI applications. The new aluminum Dart, AFR, Trick Flow and Edelbrock aftermarket heads are available in bare or complete combinations to simply bolt onto the Gen II block. Edelbrock offers their air gap intake if you want to ditch the OE intake and try something new. Also, there are several noteable shops that will port, rebuild and match the OE heads to a custom camshaft to your power level requirements.
Check out, http://www.eportworks.com

Do your LT Gen II homework, know what your getting into.

Good luck

 

thanks. i know my options are limited when it comes to intakes, i had already picked the vortech air gap or i might get the victor jr. and retap it, not sure yet?

Oh ya i forgot to mention i was gunna shot a 150 nos shot!

 

Just don't detonate it with the stock pistons they HATE it.

I'm putting a LT1 with a TPI Computer/distributer. In a 85vette. for a cust. Total pain in the butt with this vette but I think the end result will be good.

Make sure you put a soft gear on that dist. when you put it in the LT1!!!!
~Scott

 

I'm going to have to agree with five7, why waste a good motor for a carb....the Opti doesn't suck ***** if it's put together properly and the MSD unit can take up to 7k RPM and stay together. It only has one knock sensor. My LT1 runs 44* total timing wide open throttle and doesn't pull any timing out at all or at the most 5*.

 

but i would require a computer rite? and i have none.

 

Complete engine harness and PCM (computer) are easy to find and would cost a lot less than the carb conversion parts.

Obviously, I'm biased (even though my Camaro has a carb and I moderate the Carburetor forum), but I simply don't see the advantage converting an LT1 to carb.

 

LT1 PCM from a caprice with harness, 5 days 60 bucks on ebay.

'94 Caprice PCM $39 one day left on it

TPI parts sells a standalone harness, $375

Uncut F-body harness 3 days, no bids $100

Also if you don't have any accessories you will need the accessory bracket, if you don't plan on running an alternator or anything else that's another beauty of these motors, you don't have to pull the waterpump since it's cam driven. The 150 shot, it can take it pretty easily, and keeping it FI you have the PCM to compensate for you. Alot of the motors making crazy HP are left FI.

These motors have alot of potential when left FI. With 10.5:1 compression, reverse flow cooling PM rods and hyper pistons these motors can take alot, want more power? put in a big cam, port polish the heads swap out some injectors retune the PCM (takes out all the guess work of tuning a carb) and you're making more power without having to swap out to a dual plane (or single plane) carb intake.