Hey guys it looks like the LT-1 s are alot cheaper than the LS motors but how good are they? I am thinking about swapping one into my RS will they bolt strait up to the 700r4? Then i want around 350 hp to the rear how hard is it to do that with these engines? Would you guys suggest using the tune port injection or go with a carb? I want a strong running engine that will be good on reliability!
thanks
kevin

 

the point of an lt1 swap is its the easier then swaping an ls1 and its a better motor then the tpi. u cant bolt your tpi str8 to an lt1 and there is no point in it as the lt1 has a better intake system. if u just want 350hp just go to a decent 350 or mild 383 350rwhp is real easy that way and simpler....to me its almost pointless to swap a lt1 into a thirdgen. they are good motors dont get me wrong but for the same money and time u can make bout the same power with a gen 1 sbc. the only way i would swap in an lt1 is if i just had an extra one lying around...to me and again this is just my opinion if i want to go to a v8 style that didnt come with my car the ONLY option is LS series....and yes the lt1 will bolt right to a 700r4

 

Well see right now i dont know weather to get rid of the computer stuff or keep it? Then the intake and how the LT-1 looks i just kinda like lol. How much money do you think i should spend on making a 350rwhp?
thanks
kevin

 

u can make a good 350rwhp motor for about 3k or so
http://store.summitracing.com/partde...I&autoview=sku
that rotating assembly with some good heads and cam and bam u got it afordable and dependable

 

The LT-1 (first produced in Corvettes in 1970) was a killer engine for a small-block, as long as you didn't mind running solid lifters on the street.

The LT1 engine (first produced in 1993) on the other hand, is a lot more street-friendly, & probably makes roughly the same power while giving substantially better economy...

And NO, they're not the same engine, this page has a really quick/basic overview. As long as you're referring to the later, fuel-injected engine, you'll want to leave the '-' out.

 

a couple guys I know have stock bottom end LT1s with long tubes, a monster cam, and a 175 shot in a gutted 4th gen go 10.90s. I think 350 is easy for it. =D

 

So i could most likely have a good running engine that will cost me 3000 or 3500. Also will 350rwhp put me into the 11's like a 11.9?
thanks
kevin

 

I think you have that backwards. And you can do 350 rwhp for less than $3500.The 700r will bolt up but need some stuff to make it work. In the end you will not save much money by doing it get a 4l60e. Check out these.

http://www.elliottsportworks.com/lt1.html

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/ltx-...questions.html

 

what do i have backwards? the tpi system wont just bolt and go to an lt1 and why would u want to?

 

Sry man I was half a sleep and thought you said you could.

 

somethin told me u probably thought i said could lol cool then we are on the same page.....

 

I just want to point out the at the LT1 motors are very similar to the L98 and earlier ones. That is not to say there isn't differences - reverse cooling, different intake (you can get a similar one for TPI) and a crank trigger ignition. But keep in mind that the rotating assembly is the same and the same setups will make similar power. You can consider this small block v1.2

The LS motors are the v2.0 of the small block and share very little similarities to the L98 and Lt1 motors. The LS motors have many advantages and a few disadvantages too.

The easier swap is by far the LT1, the better choice is the LS.

 

I'm very happy with my LT1. Decent cam, and mild head work with a LT4 intake. Compression is bumped to 11.5-1, with eagle rods. Built 700 with 2800 stall and 4.10 gears, it goes 12.20 all day with stock sized drag radials.

Stregnth? I was an idiot and accidentally put an extra 4 quarts of oil in it (that's what happens when you don't write notes for an 18 month project- filled it twice) Just put a turbo on it, I was running only 3.6 lbs of boost, at 7000 rpm for 30 dyno pulls!. No damage to the bearings at all! Clevite bearings with just studded 2 bolt mains.

It still made 360hp to the tire with the crank slapping into all that oil.

 

Hey man just wondering what is the specs on your cam and your heads?
thanks
kevin

 

you can get a used LT1 for $800 and put a cam in it and make 370rwhp. youll be hard pressed to get anywhere near that on a sbc with stock heads.

my stock shortblock LT1 with nearly stock heads has been 10.14@131 so far on a little 135 shot.

 

Where is a good place to pick up a LT1 and should i get it rebuilt? Then how big of a cam should i put in it. I want at least to the rear.
kevin

 

http://www.lkqcorp.com/home/home.asp you can get almost any engine there, check them out. they have one near me for 900 bucks....sad thing is im getting my lq4 from them for bout the same and it makes more power and has more potential but its an LS swap......

 

To those arguing against the OP think about it like this. He's got an RS. So that means he's either got a V6 or a TBI motor. So yes, he can upgrade, but he's still quit limited by his heads/cam/intake, and the Fuel Injection sytem. So it does make quite a bit of sense to go to an LT1 over a TBI or V6. Thats at least 100hp more than what his car came with stock. Add in a mild cam and headers and its about double the power of a TBI car at the crank. I agree that swapping from an L98 to an LT1 would be a mistake if everything was running correctly. It would be more cost effective to put heads/cam/intake on an L98 than to do a LT1 swap, however he doesn't have an L98.

As for a 350rwhp goal, its easily poslible with about $1500 on top of a LT1. Headers, cold air, and a stage 1 LE setup will net him about 350rwhp, up to 380rwhp for some freaks. If he did the LE1 heads and a hot-cam 350rwhp would be his without an issue.

 

Ok guys i will save up about 4 k and i will make a beast of an LT1 hopefully closer to 400 to the rear! Also please say if you know any other ways to beef up the LT1.
PS: SHould i stay fuel injected or go to carb?
thanks
kevin

 

If you don't mind going carb then don't even bother with the LT1. Just build your short block, buy your heads and a good intake.

The LT1 swap only makes sense if you intend to keep EFI. The reason its such a nice swap is you can build a 350rwhp car that still gets good fuel economy and won't loose any streetability.

I went from a modded L98 to a LT1. Why? Because my engine went boom and I wanted to swap. I also got a good deal on it at the time. It came with a 95' roadmaster LT1 55k miles complete with 4L60e, harness and PCM, as well as aluminum LT1 heads on the side. With the sale of my old stuff I essentially paid $300 for the setup, that was a good deal for me. I made most of the money back with the sale of my HSR, and transmission, the long block I ended up selling for $200 with the ported heads and Lingenfelter cam.

 

There used to be a place on eBay called clevland pick a part that had them. I dont know how far you are from them but it might be local. And the biggest cam isn't the best. Some you will have spin way up there around 6500-6800 rpm's. Check out the link it will give you a better ideal of what you are going to need to go with the BIG cam.

http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=836200

 

Ok so what would be cheaper going to the junk yard getting a 350 and get it rebuilt with work to get the power i want or getting a LT1 thats going to have the same power. How much difference in price would their be? If not alot i might as well go with the LT1 and get the mpgs bc it is my every day driver.
thanks
kevin

 

Power can be had on a stock shortblock my old setup ran 374rwhp heads and cam from elliotsportworks.com.

agree with above, my new combo makes its power at 6600rpm and pulls up to computer shutdown at 7K.. though it is built to take it you need to spin faster for the power..

Having been down the LTx swap road and having what I consider to be a well modified LTx I also heartily agree with this quote,"The easier swap is by far the LT1, the better choice is the LS."

If the budget allows and you are going to keep the car a while go LS, but whatever you do it will be fun!

 

I only have a ZZ9 cam with 1.6 roller rockers, Ported LT4 intake, 58mm TB, mild portwork on the heads with a 5 angle valve job and bowl work (2.02/1.60). I used to spin it up to 7200- pulled all the way.

A friend of mine has a 01 WS6, big cam, 3.73, TB, tune, headers/full exhaust, 6-speed car. Both had stock sized drag radials, I know mines ~300lbs lighter. We used to race all the time-cars were always dead even, or when I'd get the jump (auto vs stick), he couldnt catch me.

Both are good engines. Theres definitely a lot more LS stuff than LT stuff out now. But if you build it good, you'll be happy with either.

 

as for how good are the lt-1s well i have a 94 Roadmaster wagon with cold air intake and hooker catback and its running 14.6's not bad for being the "crappy lt1" and being in a 4700 lb car with seating for 8

it always runs around 1/4 of the temp gauge
still gets 26-28 mpg freeway same mileage i get in my 3200lb camaro with a 305
roadmaster has 150k on it and you would never know it from looking at how the plugs look
they really are a great engine

 

Everyone is talking big numbers with the LT1's and not even mentioning increasing the CI's.... I picked up a LT1 stroked to 383 with "heavily" ported heads and intake and the person who built it was hoping for ~450 hp. The way people are putting numbers up here I want to ask - would my setup get me 450 Rwhp or just 450 at the crank?

AS far as LS and LT swap goes I really think individual experience/abilities make a big difference. I prefer LT1 because this is my first swap ever and actually affordable - got the 383 LT1 for a steal