So, i just bought 2 additional transams. Both 1991. One of them... supposedly has a Lt1 pulled from a 1999 camaro ( which i believe would make it a 1998 motor). My knowledge of this stuff is very very limited. From what i can see, it still has the vacuum line from the cruise control, and the fuel injector line from when it was switched to a carb. Now heres the question...

Could this swap, be it a LT1 or any other 350, be the cause of not having interior lights, rear defrost, and fog lamps? The lights on the dash buttons for defrost and fogs also do not even appear on when pressed.

 

'97 was the last year for the LT1. Alot of people still call the Ls1 a 350 because, like a real 350, it's called a 5.7L. A real 350 is more like 5.73L, while the LS1 is more like 5.68L. The way to tell is by the intake manifold. Plastic is LS, aluminum is LT.

 

well here's a few shots of it, https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/album.php?albumid=2676 ...dunno if it helps any

 

I'd be less surprised the see a '98+ nose swap onto a pre-'97 body, than an engine swap. Putting a LT1 engine into a LS1 body would require a lot of electrical harness work, including a fuel tank/pump swap.

But judging by your pics, it is neither a LT1 nor a LS1. Is that a carb or TBI on top? My guess is a TBI (fuel injected) 350 engine, from a truck.

 

It's a Carb. the motor USED to be fuel injected from my understanding.

 

My understanding is that LS1s use a different firing order, than the SBCs we are used to. 1-8-4-3 6-5-7-2 is the Gen 1 SBC firing order. Is that what is stamped on the intake I see?

Is the block aluminum? LS1s use an aluminum block, the LQ4/LQ9 is the truck version of the LS, just with a iron block like the Gen 1 SBCs.

Looking at the A.I.R. tubes on the exhaust. Are all 4 evenly spaced? Or are the center 2 (on each side) right together? I only see 3, so maybe they are spaced evenly.

But the alternator/AC compressor appear to be Gen 1 SBC mounting.

As for for original question (sorry, i got sidetracked investigating your engine)......No telling what wires might have been cut or pulled loose, that could cause failures.

 

Looks like a Gen I SBC to me.

Ain't no way it's an LSx ('98-later). Seriously doubt it's an LT1 (pics are a bit fuzzy). That's a belt-driven water pump, right?

Yep, Gen I SBC. Probably a 305 converted to carb.

 

Yeah, I just double checked, 1-8-4-3 6-5-7-2 is the stamped on the intake. It appears to be a cast iron block. (pretty darn dirty at the moment, but the heat scoring (curing) appears as it would on iron. The AIR tubes are well .. check this link again, added a photo of them > https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/album.php?albumid=2676

 

Just looked at your new pics. DEFINITELY a Gen 1 SBC block. Maybe out of a '89, but not a '99.

 

OK, so again, limited understanding here.. but from what little that is, The SBC is going to give me a longer life span, being the cast iron block, and the long block itself is better built, wheras the LS motors have a much nicer top half but limited lifespan?

Secondary question, being a 1gen SBC motor, will it be easier / harder / the same finding out all this wiring nonsense ?

 

Limited lifespan like what, 200k, 300k miles? Not too reliable when you put out 700 HP? What exactly have you heard?

 

Just that the aluminum blocks are much more prone to cracking and heat susceptible, but that the top halfs of them are much much better built

 

The early LS1's had some less than desirable issues, but you won't have a problem with an '01-later engine.