Yeah I probably should have gone LS1, but oh well. I'll be happy with my 383 LT1.[/QUOTE]

your lt-1 will make that car fly! don't second guess yourself now.....besides, everybody has an LS eng....i think the 6L eng in my escalade is from the ls- family.....and it uses oil for gawds sake!

 

Yeah she'll fly. I've Put a lot of planning and time and work into this swap. I just want my frickin engine already grrrr.

 

I put two supporting pieces in the PS reservoir bracket and made it more solid. It'll work way better now.

Nothing new to report, except now my car and engine bay are covered in snow again.

Oh well. I'm getting the engine bay repainted anyway.

 

Got my breather canister and filter today. Nice for $40.00

It will complement the polished power steering reservoir nicely I think. Just gotta make another mounting bracket just like the one for the P/S reservoir and just gotta get two 12 AN-3/8" adapter fittings.

Or do you guys think 10 AN is big enough for valve cover breather lines?

 

In case anyone is still following my swap.

I finally got my cool air intake plate done, and it fits perfectly. Just have to polish it and get it bolted down.

 

looks clean.

and to ask again, whats up with that block? lol

 

Looks good, can't wait to see the bullet proof Lt1 you got in the works, Your builder is either A) Very buisy, Or B) Reading a Chilton's manual trying to piece the thing back together. JK

 

Thanks guys! Yeah my builder is a one man operation and is very busy. I've been working 70 hours a week plus I am in college full time. It's frickin insane!
I can't wait to see my engine done!! Seems like it is never going to be finished.

 

Where is the power steering reservoir? I am thinking of getting a universal polished one for more bling for the bay.

 

This is the PS reservoir. It's the Zoops part number 6180 at Summit.

 

My builder started the machine work on my block yesterday

Ordered my Cloyes roller timing set from Summit. That was $260

I also got the Mr. Gasket Shadow Series (they were the cheapest) fittings for my valve cover breather hoses. 3/8" to 10 AN. I think 10 AN is big enough for valve cover breathers. $40 for all four including shipping. Man, my engine bay BETTER look good!

 

I am working on 94 Lt1 swap into 86 camaro and wonder how did you connect the vent tube to troddle body , that what I wanted to do but the 94 throddle left side coolant inlet is a 5/8 and on the 95 -97 there 3/8 same as the vent tube are maybe change the bottom of the 94 throddle body

 

Here you go: But since your LT1 is a 94, it is not the vented opti. Are you swapping to the vented opti?

WAIT: Are you talking about the opti vent or the steam tubes from the heads?

 

that thing looks great. that defnitely looks better than my mental pic of it

 

Thanks! And thanks for suggesting a plate to cover the battery tray!

I wouldn't have thought of it on my own.

I'm slow he he he

 

Hey man its coming along!! I finally got my swap on the road! Still breaking in the motor and working out the kinks but I love it.

I really love all the high quality detail work your putting into your swap! I wish I had done half as much as you have...but it'll come in time. Keep up the awesome work!

 

Hey thanks! Good luck with your car and getting all the "kinks" worked out.

Yeah I'm wanting to do everything clean and right the first time, with my LT1.

I keep imagining how nice the car is going to be, and it's getting old just thinking about it, but that's what keeps me going.

Today I drew up a shifter plate on a piece of aluminum, and I made the bracket for my breather canister.

All small stuff that drives me nuts.

I sure look forward to having that engine in there so I can cut and fit the spark plug wires and make the breather hoses and power steering lines and see how it will all look with my coils and brackets and stuff.

I still gotta build the rear end, install all the new bushings, front brakes, master cylinder, struts, shocks, etc. Wish I had a garage and a pile of cash.

It should be no slouch, that's for sure.

 

I went to the engine shop yesterday, and my builder was measuring the crankshaft journals. So, it appears he has finally started working on the short-block! He did some work on the journals, as you can see.

He said he was starting on machining the block a few days ago.

To say again, the crankshaft is a forged and nitrided 4340 steel Howards Cams "Track Smart" crank that is made in the USA by Callies

 

First pic: homemade mini vice with inside mounting bracket support pieces he he he....it works!

Second pic: valve cover remote breather canister with beginnings of mounting bracket

Third pic: both PS reservoir bracket and remote breather bracket (shown with breather canister w/o filter)

Making the mounting brackets was kind of a "pain in me ****." I'm thinking the polished aluminum canisters will really add to the black engine bay and polished valve covers and stuff.

Today I may figure out some spacers so I can mount the air intake plate to the battery tray.

 

My intake plate looks better after hitting it with

120
220
320
400
then 600 The 600 actually gives the plate a "brushed" look.

Can't find any 800 or higher grit There are two things I dislike........wiring.....and polishing metal. Both require patience, and I don't have much patience.

Before:



After:

 

thats snazzy

 

Thanks man yeah it looks much better now. I am almost able to pay for my T56 finally.

Also, engine block is done and just waiting to be able to purchase the heads from Mr. Elliott.

Know anybody who needs a new Hotchkis adjustable panhard rod?

 

Its the Vent tube 3/8 and right side(( TB inlet is 5/8 on 93-94) on( 95 to 97 the TB inlet is 3/8 same as vent tube)) which is the way I was going to connect mine but you cant go from a 3/8 hose to 5/8 unless I find a used 95 to 97 TB which are 3/8 inlet right side TB

 

I just got a BMR adjustable panhard bar.

Summit has a Hotchkis one aswell, I dont think its much more than the BMR aswell

 

55chevyman.....ah ok. im just hooking mine to the radiator on the passenger side.

 

Sweet! Hey did you get your car running buddy?

 

not yet man, been so busy i havent had time to send out my PCM.

Soon I hope, I wanna see your assembled block!

 

I want to see the engine built, too, believe me. SOON!!

Question:

Which motor mount is for the driver's side and which mount is for the passenger's side?

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/post...251-post9.html

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/post...772-post3.html

 

Ah thanks Pocket. I didn't get that second link on my phone for some reason. I assume those part numbers are stamped onto the clamshells you sent me. I don't know cuz they're at a powdercoating place right now.

Been having fun searching for a hub and balancer combo that will work with my new drive system (and the spacer I will buy) so the belt lines up on all the pulleys. Drove me nuts today, but I found it. There are four different hubs and two different balancers for LT1 engines. Frickin' dang it man!

I sold my old rotating assembly and sent the hub and balancer with bolts to the buyer. OOPS. Well, at least HE didn't have to worry about the hub and balancer he he he.

Anyway....UPDATE.....my block is all cleaned up, align bored, bored, clearanced, and honed....just needs to be decked! I had it bored with the torque plate mounted on the deck, which is a good idea I think.

I decided to leave the pistons .010 downhole. .030 head gasket will be used, for a .040 quench. Perfecto.

First time I've seen my engine block in well over a year. I don't know why, but I didn't expect the outside to turn out so CLEAN!!

 

cant wait to see the final product.. looking good man.

I just started tearing down my interior and exterior paint..dying grey to black
Also started my Autometer swap.. using a classic Dash panel and Phantoms..
aftermarket seats, need to get a new headliner.. ect.

 

I'm anxious, too.

How are you "dying" your interior parts? I want to do the same thing.

My fourth gen seats are in perfect condition but they are beige, and I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars for new black upholstery, so I am probably going with a beige and black interior, with beige carpet and door panels. I want to buy a new headliner, too. Been wanting one since forever.

I can't find a straight answer as to whether or not the stock 96-97 LT1 balancer hub is "keywayed" or not. I'll see when I get the parts I bought from a dude. I was nice and sent the old hub and balancer to the dude who bought my old rotating assembly.

Anyway, If it isn't keyed, I'm gonna buy a Pioneer aftermarket billet keyed hub. I want it to be held on by a key. I don't want it to slip and mess up my crankshaft. I also found out that once the crush washer (this part is discontinued) on the non-keyed setups is used it doesn't hold as tightly as it should. Scary thought.

My rev limiter will be set at 6800ish....that's not super high but it's not super low either.

 

Got my balancer and hub from a 96 LT1---the hub isn't keyed, so it looks like I'm going to go with a Pioneer aftermarket keyed hub.

I think it's a worthwhile mod to make sure the hub/balancer doesn't slip on the crankshaft.

 

Wow. Been looking through this thread. Amazing work.

Also glad to see someone else in Wyoming!

 

Thanks!

Where in Wyoming are you?

 

I'm in Powell. There's a few other Thirdgen owners here. My friend has a 91 Camaro, and I know a guy with a Trans Am. And a few stray Camaro's around town.

 

That's cool. I have only seen one nice IROC here in Casper. It was an original 1988 350 TPI IROC, if I am not mistaken.

Mine's going to be the nicest one in Casper, as soon as it is finished.

Still working and waiting....working and waiting....working and waiting.

 

Started tearing into the front end today. Got the wheel, caliper, rotor, and brake line off each side as well as the steering parts. Took me about 1.5 hours. Finding my tools was the hardest part.

Still gotta take the struts and spindle assemblies off.

Probably going C5 brakes up front.

 

Update. I know this isn't all LT1 related, but it's part of my swap process. Pics below.

Today I took off the sway bars, wonderbar, driver's side spindle and strut. Ran out of time to do the passenger side. I had to cut the swaybar endlinks with my grinder/cutter because they just would not loosen like they should.

Those endlink bushings sure smell funny when they burn.

I'm going to modify the spindles and stock hub/rotor assemblies for C5 brakes and get new springs and struts and upper strut mounts and will also install Energy A-arm bushings and sway bar bushings.

I think I need to get a spring compressor because I let the A-arm all the way down, and the spring still had tension on it, and I wasn't sure if I could just pry it out with my construction bar or not. I don't want to get injured.

Any ideas on how to get the springs out safely without a spring compressor??





End links pieces he he he

 

without a spring compressor? you could try to use two thick tow strap and wrench on then equally to make it go down. my

 

That's a good idea Tylercamaro. I think I'll do that and then just take the darn A Arms off and then loosen the straps to decompress the spring and let it fall the heck out. I don't think I can get that spring out safely even with the A Arm all the way down and a spring compressor kit--there is still a lot of tension on it (I can't get the darn compressor rods onto both sides of the spring either--not enough room).

Anyway,

This is a part of my LT1 swap, since I'll appreciate better brakes up front and swapping to discs in the rear.

Today I modified one of my spindles for the C5 Brakes--still have to drill and tap the holes. You can also see where I ground away some metal for the QA1 struts to fit. I don't have the struts yet. I may have to grind more to fit the struts on, but I doubt it. I took quite a bit off the middle part where the back of the spindle is.

I'm going to cut out the middle of the dust cover,too, so it will bolt on with one existing bolt hole and protect from grease flying out of the bearings.

For the longest time, I was intimidated by the thought of cutting and grinding my spindles but it was actually pretty easy with an electric grinder/cutter. Here's some pics:

 

Gonna tackle the springs and passenger side strut and spindle today and also remove the ball joints from the A-Arms. Might as well replace them now that it's all torn apart.

Seems like a big pain in the butt getting the springs out safely.

Wish me luck.

 

Wow....I finally got tired of the springs being in there and pryed them out with a construction bar. They dropped right out. There was no tension on them at all with the A-arms down (naturally) all the way.

SO I learned something today .

Got my A-arms off, too. The last of the four bolts broke on me, and it was like the other half of it was welded in there I finally grabbed my angle grinder and used a cutting wheel and cut the stupid thing between the perch and the A-arm. Voila! Bravo!

It's always the LAST bolt that gives me trouble. ALWAYS he he he

I also got the ball joints out of the A-arms. It was a PITA. I had to cut the top of the ball joint threads down about 1/2" and also decrease the diameter of the "shaft" part about 3/8" down the shaft to get the darn press tool on correctly What's up with that?? Oh well I got the suckers out.

Still gotta get the bushings out of the darn A-arms, too.

 

yeah i figured that out too. with the arms all the way down i thought there was still tension until i pulled out one and it basically fell.

 

Ha ha ha yeah...all that thinking and concern I had over it and they popped out and fell to the ground with a slight pry from my 4 foot construction bar

The only things still attached to my car now are the K member, dash, and rear end.

Other than that it's gutted

 

I drilled and tapped one spindle this evening.

-Drilled 3/8" holes
-Tapped with 7/16-20 tap

Still gotta cut and drill and tap the other spindle.

Here's the one I finished

 

Very nice, I didnt know you had to grind the spindle for clearance on the C6. If you dont mind can you PM me a rough estimate on the C^ conversion, something ive been contimplating. Good to see progress!

 

it's for the C5 brakes....it is probably the same for C6 brakes though. The grinding on the spindles is for clearance for the QA1 struts. I like the looks and the specs on the QA1 struts....they look really nice. I want those.

You have to grind some away on the top "ear" where the strut bolts go through and also down behind the actual spindle so the bottom of the strut clears the metal of the spindle housing.

If you click on the QA1 front struts on Spohn's website it shows at the bottom what grinding needs to be done on the spindles.

 

Went ahead and yanked the k member out. Might as well clean it up and powdercoat it.

 

Got my front rotor/hub pieces machined and put new studs in them. The shop did a nice job on them. Looks like they were made as just hubs from the factory...no more old rotors to get in the way of the new brake setup.

I'll post pics and studs part number from Napa later.