OK, iv read the articles i can find in here about doing this swap... Tech Article ..... and the LT1 Retrofit info .... but the more i read, the more confussed i get. My idea was to "retrofit" the heads, then get my Performer intake manifold machined to fit onto the LT1 heads... Talking to a few guys at shops, they didnt say anything about blocking any passages, but unfortunatly i guess it has to be done... so just block the passage, then hook up that coolant passage tube and i should be good to go..... or am i missing something here? For the price i can get these for, plus the machine work, it still out weighs the cost of new heads... ideas, comments?? also the car is staying Carburated so thats not in issue about swapping to TPI... forgot to add... will the Headers that i have on my engine now, fit the LT1 heads?



350 .040 over
mild cam
performer intake
"performance" q-jet
headman headers
hooker cat back

 

TTT ... also what about my push rods?

 

a carb intake is made to use with the LT1 heads

i wouldnt waste the time nor money on machining a performer


go to www.paceparts.com

look for it there

i think some major work needs to be done to the heads to get them to fit because of the reverse cooling passages

 

i can get my intake machined for free to fit the heads... and according to that article, the work you need to do to get the heads to fit is pretty minimal... fill a hole, drill another, and sleve an intake port.. at least thats what i got out of it.

 

yes, that is true, not sure what i was thinking about the intake

IMHO, i would just use vortec heads and get a new intake

they are basically the same as LT1 heads and you dont need to do any machining to them because they are conventional flow cooling heads (will prolly cost you less all the way around, if you know how to bargain hunt)

 

Gallant effort to mod the LT-1 head but got to wonder how practical it is. All said and done.
You can easily get that kind of hp improvement and more from just porting the ZZ4/ aluminum L-98 head.
You can also increase the valve size from 1.94/1.50 to
the light weight LT4/ fastburn sodium filled 2.00/1.56" valves
to good effect.

 

THey are 95 LT1 cast iron heads.. im paying 100 for the heads, then another 100 for the machine work to the heads and manifold. for 200 bucks for heads...LT1 heads at that i think is an awsome price... and a 30hp increase just by bolting them on wil make me happy... not to mention the 1.6 rockers ill be putting on there also... so maybe around 40hp for 300 bucks. The cast iron LT1 heads actualy flow better than the aluminum ones.. at least thats what i have read...

 

well i was talkin to the guy that im getting them from (pretty good friend), and hes gonna give them to me for 50 bucks now... he just wants them out of the way for his upcoming projects.... ill probly be getting them machined within a month, then bolting them on soon after that... i guess ill keep you all updated on that... but back to the tech stuff....

can i use regular 1.6 S.A. roller rockers with these heads..
and can i use my stock pushrods?

 

I am picking up a complete impala ss LT1 tomorrow so I wont have to retrofit my heads to work, just the motor. lol. Anyway, the iron LT1 heads are supposed to flow in the 230 range stock and the aluminum in the 210 range stock. Those are peak intake numbers. I plan on doing some port work to mine. I am going to try to get around 250 cfm out of the intake. They are decent heads and can be made to flow pretty well. Compared to what came in thirdgens however, they flow pretty darn good from the factory.

Ben

 

yeah i was thinkin about doin a little "pocket porting" to them for now, and then when winter rolls around again, get some major work done to them... do you know if you can use 1.6 SA rockers from any other small block head on the LT1 heads?

 

Im not really sure, but kind of wondered that myself. I have just started my research on the LT1 stuff. I got the thing home today though by the way.

Ben

 

ok im pretty sure that all you need is 1.6 SA rockers for the center bolt valve covers.. still dont know about push rod length.... and i hope if i get a good gasket i can still use my headers with the
D port on the LT1's