Hey guys it might be a rough looking LT1 but thats i can affored right now. I will be buying parts as i go so it will be a long project. But its from a 96 impala ss. I know its 260hp with 330 tq. That already kills my 305 lol. But i will be building it up around 400 hp to the crank. Any ideas how to get their? But it came complete with the cold air intake which i found on the web site and its 350 bucks new! I bought the engine for 500 lol i thought it was a good deal. But ill be having questions for you guys and hopefully i will have a good strong running motor!
thanks
kevin

 

some more

 

Nice, A few hours or cleaning should make it sparkle! Looks like a good swap and a great price... How many miles on it? Did it come with the computer?

 

I think it had 120,xxxx but not sure. Yes it came with everything. I hope it wont be much more then a year before i swap.
kevin

 

Just headers, exhaust, and a decent cam will get you most of the way there. Those are the iron heads - lower compression (64cc VS 54cc) than the aluminum LTx heads, but flow better.

Get a GOOD set of headers... some longtubes with 1.75" primaries, and a cam in the 218-224* range (something similar in size to the LT4 hotcam for example), and a 3" exhaust system and you'll be most of the way to 400 crank HP with a good tune.

 

Full exhaust, LT4 hotcam, LT4 intake, LT4 heads, get a tune, and that thing will be a beast! Of course if you have an auto backing this up, you'll need a converter. Once you start modding, it never ends! Haha!

Good luck w/ the build!

 

The LT4 stuff, to be totally honest, is either not any better than what he's got, or is outdated. The LT4 heads flow about the same as the iron he's got now, and the LT4 intake, unported, really doesn't flow any better than a stock LT1 intake, so he's no better off there either. The LT4 intake has to be ported just to match the ports on the LT4 heads. The hotcam is a good cam though - there are better ones out there, as its a 10+ year old design - but still decent.

If you spent all that money on that stuff, the heads from AFR or Dart will blow the LT4 heads outta the water - even ported LT1 castings will kill LT4 heads. Would just need an intake to match (the bigger AFRs and Darts use the LT4 manifold). Comp makes some very nice EFI roller cams that work well with LT1s... more power, better drivebility, etc.. than the old LT4 hotstick.

But if the goal is 400hp crank, then what he's got now will more than suffice. Stock heads and intake flow more than enough to support 400hp. Just the exhaust mods and a good cam will get him there pretty quickly, and fairly cheap.

 

Thats good to hear! I was wanting to go alittle bigger than the LT4 hot cam. Then i was thinking about a 3000 stall? Then i didnt know if i should get bigger injectors or atleast replace them with stock ones? Then get a good rebuild kit should i go with the fordge aluminum pistons and stuff or will the other stuff work as well?

My goal! I wanted a mid to low 12 sec car. I know that isent real fast but i thought i could beat alot of the mostly stock LS1's and other cars.
I have a 3:73 posi in a 10 bolt
Then 700r4 with high performance shift kit w/ corvette servo
thanks
kevin

 

Trickflow is scheduled to release 21 degree heads in late january or february which will work with everything that the old 23 degree heads did. They will have better flow and keep the compression down. Read up about them at ls1tech.com and ltxtech.com. They are supposed to be impressive out of the box, not ported. Just a little new technology for the LTX engine.

My recommendation is to sell the 96 pcm(ecm, computer) and get a 95 LT1 computer. The 95 pcm is easier/cheaper to work with. And probably be thinking 3400-rpm stall or higher.

 

A 3400 stall that seems pretty big lol. I will be driving this car alot. I want to have alot of fun but i kinda dought that it will ever see the track.
thanks
kevin

 

Here are some more pics after i got some stuff off. More would be done but right now it just got to 1 degree out side lol.
kevin

 

a few more

 

sweet keep us posted, i plan on doin a lt1 swap when i get the money so let me know how it gose

 

Ya i will! Your in high school to right? This is going to be the last year i can play football so now i cant work half as much. So it will be awhile before i can get everything and get it in.
thanks
kevin

 

ya im in high school so i dont think ill be swapin eny time soon.plus i kinda wana see how long this little 305 will go befor giving up cause its already made it to 290,000 miles

 

Damn thats alot of miles i dont know if mine would lol. Im only at 90,xxx lol
kevin

 

Whenever you get around to doing the swap and you have wiring harness ?'s let me know. I just used a 95 impala ss motor and harness in my swap. The wires you need are in the black 37 pin and white 10 pin connectors. On the side of the fuse block you will see a bolt. Attach constant batt. power to that and you will have power for everything. Then wire the big orange wire from the 37pin connector to a switched ign. source from your car. That will turn everything on. Go to www.lt1swap.com for more info on the wiring.

Hope this helps.

 

Hey man thanks. I wont be doing the swap i dont have the room or the tools for that. But a high performance engine shop will be doing all the work for me. Did you do any work to your LT1 before droping it in? Then guys should i bore it .30 over and how much dose that cost?
thanks
kevin

 

mine only had around 60,000 miles on it. Have not touched any of the internals yet(cam and heads are coming before spring). Did all the work myself and it started on the 1st try.

 

Does that engine have the vented Optispark? If not, thats one upgrade I would HIGHLY recommend before you install it, as its a PITA to do in the car. That part tends to get ignored too, untill it gives you problems, so its probably due for the 'cap and rotor' anyway.

 

I think in '96 they had the optispark problem more or less fixed, but you're right it wouldn't hurt to change it out.

 

Yes i was going to change everything out. It looks like a pain to swap spark plug wires when it gets in the car. But whats a vented optispark?
thanks
kevin

 

Vented optispark just has a vacuum line coming in from the intake elbow, then air goes out to the intake manifold. Moisture is bad for the opti and having air circulate through helps prevent moisture.

 

Oh ok thanks! dose like MSD or someone good make them?
thanks
kevin

 

Also i am wanting to take off the intake so my dad can bring it into work and polish it for me. But as you car see the wiring harness is still on. Whats the best way to remove the wires form the injectors?
thanks
kevin

 

Get one for a '95-97 Z28 from GM... the stock AC Delco unit is the best one out there. Its not cheap, but its the one that works the best and lasts the longest. MSD makes one, but its nothing but trouble for almost everyone thats tried it. You'll also need a few other small things, like a '95 timing cover and possibly timing chain set (though this would be a good idea to upgrade anyway, since you're doing a cam swap too. Get the LT4 'Extreme Duty' timing set from GM - the best one out there).

After you have that stuff, its just a matter of running the vacuum lines to the air duct and the intake manifold.

 

Basically the engine shop when i went down their yesterday said ill need new heads not worth messing with the old ones. Then 1800 bucks for a complete rebuild. 800 bucks to install and remove old engine. Then like 400 bucks for injectors. I need a new fuel pump he said thats not a easy job or very cheap. Then plus the cam, stall, and etc...! So it sounds like its going to be pushing 4 to 5 grand at least. I just wish i did need new heads bc that would at least drop it a grand. But he if i did keep the stock heads i would only be around 350-360 hp at the crank and that not enough.
thanks
kevin

 

Why do you need new heads? Look around on some for-sale sections on other sites you can get good deals on them. You can also pick them off e-bay if you need them I would go aluminun.

 

your engine shop is feeding you a line, no reason you need new heads, just take em apart, keep everything in order, and clean and lap the valves to the seats and install new springs and valve seals and your good to go. also , don't waste your time and money later on for a set of aftermarket heads, just pick up a set of early aluminum heads and send em to loyd elliot and have him port em and get a custom cam from him and you will have plenty of power. also ALL B body and d body LT1's got the vented opti. even the 94's.

 

Ya i didnt know why i need new heads? Its not like im asking for 500 or 600 hp. Just would like it to be 400 or over at the crank really.
kevin

 

You need to call Lloyd or AI and tell them what you are in the hunt for hp wise. Eather will tell you what you will need to do to get there. Both will be glad to help and give you a ball park on money wise.
As for the shop I think they are feeding you a line of crap.

 

Ok i will whats the best way to contact one of them or even both of them? I was hopen to first spent around 3k now i hope to spend under 5k.
thanks
kevin

 

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

 

If you really want to save some costs. If you don't have a ratchet set yet(go buy one). Go get one of the 100 piece or 200 + piece kits that they sell at sears or lowes or some place. Start undoing all the bolts you can reach in the engine bay. Drain and pull the radiator. It only costs about $35-$45 a day to rent a cherry picker. Pull your old motor out yourself. At max you will need the cherry picker for 2 days. 1 day to pull yours and the other to put the lt1 back in when you get it back from the shop. You will learn a lot and save a ton of money. If you can change a spark plug then you can swap out a motor. For the price your going to pay you could go out and find yourself a mint looking z28 with a l98 already in it. Better yet you could have bought a lsx motor with that much money.

Just my opinion man so don't take it the wrong way. I think you can really do the swap yourself if you tried.

 

nice man arent you happy your getting that 305 out im in the same shoes you are with my 305 except i bought a 350 motor from a truck in place of my 305 good luck hope to see more pics.

 

I'd like to see a complete lsX with harness and computer and assy's for 500 bucks.
Also that "cold air kit" is a scam, its nothing but a $20 peice of pipe.and some 1.00 no hub plumbing clamps from lowes.

 

Read above. He's talking about spending 5k for this project. I've known lsx swaps that have been done for under 3k. Hell I know someone who did it for less than 2k.

 

NOT all got the vented Opti, far as I know... that was a '95 change, at least for the F-car and Corvette. You can ID the vented Opti by looking for one large and one small vacuum hose fitting on the drivers side of the cap, just below the plug wire terminals. If theres two tubes sticking out, its a vented unit. If not, its not a vented unit.

I agree about the heads... unless they are physically damaged, like cracked or something, then they can be reused, though may need some freshening up. If for some reason they do need replaced, get the aluminum LT1 heads, not the LT4 heads. LT4 heads will cost a fortune and need a different intake manifold, which also costs a fortune now too, because its been discontinued. Aluminum LT1 heads are a direct swap.

You should determine if your iron heads are usable or not though... they are better than the aluminum heads - at least, untill porting comes into play.

 

You could just have the heads ported and throw in a cam. That would get you around 370-400 to the wheels. Well over 400 to the crank.

 

LT4 is old news. There are MUCH better head and cam packages out there for better money.

 

Actually i looked it up arizona speed and marine made it thats why i said new its 350 bucks. Its as nice as my friends AEM or BBK! Its pretty heavy being real steal with 3 1/2 induction.
kevin