Do I have to buy anything besides grinding down the pin on the Lt1 camshaft to fit in my 89 TPI 5.0. will I have to buy a LT1 timming chain set or a 89 timming chain set. should I go with 1.5 or 1.6 rollers, I have stock heads.

 

Just cut off the tip of the dowel pin in the LT1 camshaft to the same size as the camshaft in your car now. Sorry I dont remember the exact specs, but perhaps a search can find them for you. Use a timing chain set for an '89 engine.
For stock heads, stick with 1.5 rockers with the LT1 camshaft. Its higher lift with 1.5 rockers will make it dangerously close to coil bind and valve guide interference with 1.6 rockers. Its also a very good idea to change your valve springs at the same time. If they're stock, the ones in your car are almost 20 years old and definitely worn out.

 

I ran an LT1 cam in my 305 with 1.6 rockers...I also added some Z28 springs....ran fine! yeah just grind the pin down to the same size as your stocker...and run a double roller if you want..I did!

 

Would you have to tune an SD car to run an LT1 cam?
Or would it be ok without a tune

 

It should run just fine with the stock chip. Putting in an LT1 cam with 1.5 rockers is almost identical as putting 1.6 rockers on a stock TPI camshaft. The durations are the same but the LT1 cam has more lift.

 

will it make the same amount of horsepower or close? when you say identical, would it be smarter to just change the rocker then going through all the trouble of a cam swap? I just purchased a LT1 cam for my 305, so if I could save the trouble of a cam swap and just do rockers I would rather do that. What would you do? And do you know what h.p gain I should expect from a LT1

 

Kevin? doesnt it depend on what Lt1 cam was gotten? cause the one I had was from a 95-96 camaro and the duration/lift was no where near the 88-89 camaro specs....atleast according to the tech data. the one I had with 1.6 rockers was 203/210 477/480 and I did change my springs to go with it.

 

I really dont know which would be better, as I havent done either. Perhaps someone who has can chime in here. Either way, I would suggest upgrading the valve springs at the same time, as stock springs in a thirdgen are very old and worn out in this day and age.

 

I`m running L-T4 production cam with 1.6 rockers giving me max lift .476/.480dur.@.050 203/210(pace performance part #12551142)I`m running the single roller chain that came on my crate engine.Cost about $100.00 new (cam).The LT-1 is dur.201/208 lift.447/459 with stock rockers i believe.(part #12551705)The prices on the web site have got to be wrong cause mine wasnt that much.

 

I put a LT1 cam in one of my '91's.
Put in some new lifters (had too) and new timing chain.
Did not change the valve springs.
Motor has Over 160k on it.
So far, after 3k+ miles no trouble!
(so far that is with fingers crossed!!)

 

.....why not change your valve seals while your in there too.....???? Just another thought.
I changed mine for sure!