I have a 88 camaro with a 305 v8 tbi engine that is not running. could i swap in a 350 engine from a 1972 corvette. it is an LT1

 

Yes and no. If that engine is an original lt1 it will have solid lifters. The heads may or may not work with what you have. The intake will have to be modified if you were to use the heads on the engine. You will have to use the flexplate from the old engine, you may or may not run into starter issues. If it has the short water pump, you can put yours on it.

All that being said, remember, when a chevy gets sold all 305s are 350s and all 350s came from corvettes. There are far more corvette engines being sold than there was corvettes being made.

 

also be aware, motor oils no longer have the necessary additives in them for a flat tappet cam engine. it sucks, but it is what it is. i'm having a problem with my car right now that has an 85 305 TPI in it with flat tappet lifters, I think the lifters are eating up the cam, and now I have a knock somewhere.

 

There's millions of cars on the road right now with flat tappet cams living happily with modern oil...

 

Just use a diesel oil that's rated CI-4+ and SL. It'll have the antiwear additives.

 

It it is a real LT1 from an old corvette thats a pretty stout motor. Although keep in mind it is old and if it hasnt been rebuilt you might have to spend money on top of it to have it rebuilt (which can be pricey). Also you need to make sure it has harden valve seats for use with unleaded gas otherwise youll run into issues at some point. I run a 70 corvette LT1 and i think its great would be nice to have a roller cam but its fine with the right oil. I run eather valvoline VR1 or Rotilla T.

 

He would be fine with regular motor oil, the cam has already been broken in. Many people break in flat tappet cams on conventional oil with no additives and experience no failures. All that aside, I would almost put money on it that the engine is a 70s pickup truck engine or some such.

 

Probably true. Get the head casting #'s, that'll tell you more than anything.

The only flat tappet cams I've seen wiped out were from 60's engines back when the anti-wear additives were still in the oil in full force.

But, I still use CI-4+/SL synthetic in my one remaining flat-tappet engine.