LT1 in our trucks?

[chevyman 68 C/10]

I have the chance to buy a complete LT1 and 700r4 trans with 50,000 mi from a wrecked camaro. I just bought another short wide chevy this week. IT is super clean and strait, but it has a 250 inline 6 cyl. engine and 3 spd on the colmn. I know about painless wireing harness to make the hook up to the computer. I thought someone might have done this and could point me in the right directions. Maybe I could head off some problems. Is this swap worth the efert and expence

[68 Suburban]

It sure would be nice if it all works out.

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1968 50th Anniversary C-10 Suburban (Tows all these cars all over the place)
1968 50th Anniversary C-10 Pickup
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[Blazer1970]

There is a good article in the current issue of Car Craft on an LT1 swap.

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Tim

[Mike C]

There is a company called Jaguars that Run that sells a TPI/TBI swap manual that offers tons of hints and suggestions and includes the LT1. Do a google search.

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70 GMC 3/4 ton Sierra Grande 402/TH400
72 Jimmy 4WD 4spd 4" & 35's
64 Corvette Coupe
68 Camaro 'vert TPI & TH700
69 Z/28 355 12.6's @110
72 Datsun 240Z-ol' reliable

[chevyman 68 C/10]

WOW thanks guys for the info. I think I should be able to find some thing that will help ward off problems before they start. I have a chance to maybe get a LS1 also but I don't know if I can make the deal with the guy on it or not. I am going saturday to Oklahoma to pick one or the other up. Wish me luck

[superchevy]

Get the LS1 if you can.
If you're serious about the swap. give Street & Performance a call or visit their website at tunedport.com. They have helped me do several TPI swaps over the last few years, and have everything needed to do an LT1 or LS1 swap. They are much more knowledgeable about swaps - not just wiring like Painless - in my opinion, and their products are excellent.
SC

[Mike C]

If you have basic questions, I would stay away from the LS1. While it is an awesome engine, it's probably not the best swap for ones first foray into the realm of fuel injection. It has totally different engine mounts and trans bellhousing pattern I believe so adds considerably to custom fabrication which means more time as well.

[vmaxjeff94590]

Put it in....
I have a LT1 and 4L60E in a 64 El Camino and it is like driving a nucular sewing machine, smooth and fast.
The LT1 is about to get yanked and put in my 67 fleetside.

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Jeff C. 67 Fleetside

[70cst10]

Forget the JTR book.. it's really vague. We bought it when my dad put a TPI in his blazer. The best book for the LT1 is the HELMS manual. It costs about $120, but it's worth it and you WILL need it. It has every wiring diagram, trouble code, etc you could imagine.

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milanplechata@hotmail.com

Lexington, SC

1968 c/10 lwb 250/3 on the tree
1970 CST/10 lwb no motor/trans

I'm looking for a short fleet bed in decent shape near south carolina. The condition of the floor doesn't matter.

http://communities.msn.com/6772GMTru...68longbed.msnw

Every man dies, but not every man truly lives..

[superchevy]

Get the LS1. It will run circles around that LT1. As far as motor mounts - this a CUSTOM swap - whether LT1 or LS1 - and you have to expect some fabrication/modification of some parts. Depending on which LT1 donor you get your engine from you will have mount or accessory bracket clearance issues.
Again, call S&P, tell them what you want to do, and see what they have or can recommend for the mounts.
SC

[CE20934]

LS1 is a decent engine. It's no 350, but it's a decent SB. The next salesguy I hear say "it's the best 350 ever made" is going to get an up-close and personal view of my fist.

Enough rambling. Both the LT1 and the LS1 have the universal Chevy bellhousing pattern with one small modification for the LS1. It has a bolt hole between what are the top two bolts on "normal" blocks.

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67 C20 '78 400sb 0.030" over, 9:1 cr, CC Xtreme 4x4 254H, port-matched '69 882 heads & stock cast iron intake, rebuilt Q-jet, Summit headers (1 5/8" primaries), true dual 2 1/2" glasspacked exhaust, NP435CR trans, 4.57 Eaton rear end.
It's a decent-looking work truck. No top-end, but it's great off the line.

'69 International Loadstar 1700 school bus converted to an RV. Working p/s (only took three years and three owners to replace the belt & a pressure line), low-compression 345 (176 certified net hp @ 3800rpm), single 3" exhaust w/custom cherry bomb muffler, NP435 trans, two-speed Eaton rear end, very warm & rodent-free heaters.

[BigDave]

If I had the choice between the two I'd take the LS1. I'm biased what can I say. I do agree with the post above about whether it is the best SBC ever made. It's still too early to tell. There are a lot of bent pushrod, broken valve spring, and oil blow by stories out there regarding these motors. However, before the LS6 they were the most fuel efficient, cleanest burning, most powerful stock SBC ever made. There are some things you should consider though.

The LT1 aftermarket for parts is huge. The LS1 has been out only 3 or 4 years so it has some catching up to do but it's getting better.

The opti-spark system on the LT1 is a joke.

The LT1 is an iron block while the LS1 is all aluminum. The lighter weight motor could require some front suspension modification.

I wish this guy was a member. I ran across someone from Oregon, I think, who had a LT1 Vette motor installed in a beautiful 72 3-door Suburban. The install was awesome with everything tucked and tied in the right place. The truck was midnight blue in case anyone has seen it.

I have several friends who own 4rd generation f-bodies with stroked LT1's running mid 11's, all motor, no juice. They are great powerplants and very reliable. On the flip side I also have friends with heavily modded LS1's who are running 11's but most of them need help from Mr. NOS.

Good luck with which ever you choose. Keep us informed.

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1972 Chevy Blazer 2WD - 400 SBC, bored, ported/polished heads, 9.5:1 dished pistons, Lunati 480/292 cam, electronic ignition, Edlebrock Performer intake, tricked out Rochester 850CFM Quadrajet, long tube headers, Flowmaster 40's, TH350-C with lock-up switch, 2800 rpm stall, shift kit, custom driveshaft, stock GM 12- bolt rear with Auburn Pro Series limited slip 3.73's, 2" drop spindles, 2" drop rear coils, track bar kit, front/rear stabilizers.

1999 30th Anniversary Trans-Am Coupe #1494 - M6, Flow-tech cut-out, Flowmaster, free mods. One of 292 coupes with M6 and in-dash CD.

[Stepside]

I'm putting an LT-1 in my 68. I like the LT-1. At least it looks like a Chevy motor, with the correct firing order. The Opti-spark is a joke? Must be a time joke, I don't get it yet.
chevyman 68 C/10, the 94,95 puters are OBD1. Stay away from OBD2. If you have an earlier one (since you said 700r), I can't really help you. Street and Performance will be glad to answer your questions.
Stepside


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70 sstep tubbed, Muncie
68 swb LT-1

[Project1970]

Personally, I'd go with the LT1 right now. It at least bolts in much easier, wiring it is the only pain. The LS1 shares jack squat with the GenI/II blocks - I suppose it's an SBC, but only because it's not the 496 Vortec. There is the advantage - if you wanna pay out the nose for the special block - of being able to punch it out to a 427! Imagine that...a 427 that weighs less and fits in a smaller space than the old smallblocks...

But the Optisparks on the LT1 are total crap. Whatever you do, DON'T LET IT GET WET. I bet it's less of a problem in our trucks than it is in Camaros, though. But these things still suffer from ignition problems like mad.

And I honestly doubt accessory mounting is going to be that hard. Have you ever seen the space the LT1 fits into in a Camaro? If GM can cram all of that into the Camaro (half under the windshield to boot!) then it should be no problem getting it into one of our trucks at all.

Plus, if you want mad power from the LT1...buy the LT4 HOT kit from GM. Cam, lifters, heads, rockers, and an intake. Basically, most of the top end, heh. But you could be looking at well over 400hp with that setup, on pump gas.

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Project 1970 - soon to be seen at http://milhouse.treylis.org:81/

[Stepside]

The 400+ horespower that Project1970 mentioned, is at the rear tires.

[Project1970]

Oh yeah. Hehehe. Though at that point in these trucks (the Caprice / Impala guys have to do it too) you're looking at either going to the T-56 6 speed stick, a 4L80E, or a T400 with a Gear Vendors overdrive...that is, if you still want overdrive...that kind of power with this kind of weight tends to eat 4L60E's alive, even rather well built ones.

Maybe I can convince my brother, whenever (in another 80,000 miles, lol...synth rocks!) the LT1 finally needs to come out of his '94 Z28 for a rebuild, to go LT4 on it...hehehe...

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Project 1970 - soon to be seen at http://milhouse.treylis.org:81/

[chevyman 68 C/10]

I got the LT1 just couldn't swing the LS1 1,100 differeance in price would have blown my budget for the whole project. Will a msd ignition take care of the problems on this engine or do I need something else?

[chevyman 68 C/10]

also it is a 1996 T/A engine with a 4L60E

[Project1970]

Unless the intake has a hole for a real distributor - I don't think it does, and I don't know if the stock cam has the gear for one, but I'm pretty sure the LT4 cam does - you're stuck with the Opticrap. '96s aren't bad, they're vented at least. The earlier ones weren't and they're even easier to kill. But keep a VERY watchful eye on the water pump; all LT1 water pumps are leak prone, and it's right over that water-susceptible ignition. An MSD will help, but if the Opti gets hosed, not even the MSD will get around it.

Of course, I bet changing the whole mess out is MUCH less of a chore in one of our trucks than it is in a Camaro.

Realize that the Opti is GREAT as long as it's working. It's just that the ignition as a whole is a bit fragile, it seems.

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Project 1970 - soon to be seen at http://milhouse.treylis.org:81/

[Stepside]

One of the pics of the LT-1 in my 68.

[Project1970]

Stepside - what intake is that??? Every LT1 I've ever seen (by the way...just so you know, generally, the LT-1 is the circa-1970 engine, and the LT1 is the '93-up engine =) has an oval-shaped throttle body...

Sweeeeeeeet valvecovers.

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Project 1970 - soon to be seen at http://milhouse.treylis.org:81/