great craigslist ad for 5.3 conversion

[Ceeten]

I just pulled an LT1 out of my 86 to get ready for a 6.0. The LT1 was a good runner but it needed rebuilding and the 700R was on it's last leg. The AC compresssor was bad and the distributor was toast. Parts for the LT1 are expensive and there is not much on them that will interchange with a gen 1 motor. I will be able to do a cammed 6.0/4l80 for what it would cost to get that LT1 going again. And I guarantee that I will have much more power and probably better or equal fuel mileage. Thete is a reason they only made them for a few years.

[78-5.3]

Originally Posted by Ceeten

I just pulled an LT1 out of my 86 to get ready for a 6.0. The LT1 was a good runner but it needed rebuilding and the 700R was on it's last leg. The AC compresssor was bad and the distributor was toast. Parts for the LT1 are expensive and there is not much on them that will interchange with a gen 1 motor. I will be able to do a cammed 6.0/4l80 for what it would cost to get that LT1 going again. And I guarantee that I will have much more power and probably better or equal fuel mileage. Thete is a reason they only made them for a few years.

im very happy with my 5.3 the power gain from the 6.0 is impressive so is the fuel economy !!!

you wont look back!!!!

[78-5.3]

Originally Posted by 68 TT

Don't forget the fuel system and the computer tune to eliminate VATS.

yeah i got it done for 75 vats ,rear o2's , egr edit etc etc , i used the fuel lines from a 2001 pickup in mine all the way from the rail to the tank then modified the line at the tank easy easy !!! i used if i can say a LT1 fuel pump (vette) direct fit into the 87 EFI sending unit

[78-5.3]

Originally Posted by blazn79

Great! more LS motors for us!

LOL ! I was never impressed by the LT1 as far as im concerned there a boat anchor !

[ironroad9c1]

Wasn't meaning to turn this into a bashing thread, its just alot of guys here are very misinformed about the LT1, but ,its your money and your truck build what makes YOU happy. I'll keep on trucking with the LT1's. much better low ad mid range torque and that is what I need for towing, Not high rpm race engines.

LT1 swap in my 89 caprice police car..first drive after I got it running.

YouTube- 1989 caprice 9C1 LT1 swap test drive

[clinebarger]

Originally Posted by blazn79

LS motors are the way to go the technology is unbeatable!
LT1's are good for boat anchors thats about it, I'd use a L98 TPI motor before an LT1 for a second choice!

LS engine are great. But that does not make a LT1 a boat anchor. Like ironroad9c1 said i think you guys are misinformed. The TPI engines had their problems too (cold start injector, MAF burn off,intakes are only good to 4000 rpm) In fact ive converted a few 3rd gen camaros to LT1s. The LT1 will stomp the sh$t out of a TPI 350.

[Damien]

Originally Posted by 78-5.3

the aluminum headed trucks started in 1999!

Not all of the heads were aluminum until 2002.

http://ls1tech.com/forums/generation...s-details.html

[78-5.3]

Originally Posted by Damien

Not all of the heads were aluminum until 2002.

http://ls1tech.com/forums/generation...s-details.html

like i said aluminum heads started in 1999 you mention in your post The aluminum headed truck engines came in the '02 they started in 99!

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by Damien

Not all of the heads were aluminum until 2002.

http://ls1tech.com/forums/generation...s-details.html

As I understood it the iron block 5.3 got the aluminum heads from the beginning and the 6.0 got them in 2001. Of course all the aluminum block ones like the 5.7 got aluminum heads too.

[78-5.3]

Originally Posted by ironroad9c1

Wasn't meaning to turn this into a bashing thread, its just alot of guys here are very misinformed about the LT1, but ,its your money and your truck build what makes YOU happy. I'll keep on trucking with the LT1's. much better low ad mid range torque and that is what I need for towing, Not high rpm race engines.

LT1 swap in my 89 caprice police car..first drive after I got it running.
YouTube- 1989 caprice 9C1 LT1 swap test drive

did you work out why it wasnt shifting into Overdrive!!??

[clinebarger]

Originally Posted by 68 TT

As I understood it the iron block 5.3 got the aluminum heads from the beginning and the 6.0 got them in 2001. Of course all the aluminum block ones like the 5.7 got aluminum heads too.

You are correct. Besides the odds of coming across a iron headed 6.0 are slim.

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by clinebarger

LS engine are great. But that does not make a LT1 a boat anchor. Like ironroad9c1 said i think you guys are misinformed. The TPI engines had their problems too (cold start injector, MAF burn off,intakes are only good to 4000 rpm) In fact ive converted a few 3rd gen camaros to LT1s. The LT1 will stomp the sh$t out of a TPI 350.

They did fix those problems in 89 when they eliminated the 9th injector and in 90 when the switched to speed density and a faster ECM but they still fall flat on their face about 4500 rpm because the runners are so small in area and are so long. They would be great in a work truck because they build great torque off idle. My 90 was rated at only 245 hp but had 380 ft-lbs of torque. My 95 LT1 was rated at 275 hp & 340 ft-lbs. The 96 got a 10 hp boost due to the dual cats.

The smart TPI guys put on a Holley short runner intake and add an LT4 hot cam setup. It really wakes the engine up.

Add vortec style heads and you get the best of the LT1 technology with the reliability of the gen-1 ignition & accessories.

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by 78-5.3

did you work out why it wasnt shifting into Overdrive!!??

Only the performance cars (Vette, Z/28 & TA) had the ability to do a full throttle 3-4 shift. You can buy the valve to install into the passenger car trans to make it do that though.

I had to be doing 135 mph to make my 95 shift into 4th at full throttle. Not many places you can do that.

[clinebarger]

Originally Posted by 68 TT

They did fix those problems in 89 when they eliminated the 9th injector and in 90 when the switched to speed density and a faster ECM but they still fall flat on their face about 4500 rpm because the runners are so small in area and are so long. They would be great in a work truck because they build great torque off idle. My 90 was rated at only 245 hp but had 380 ft-lbs of torque. My 95 LT1 was rated at 275 hp & 340 ft-lbs. The 96 got a 10 hp boost due to the dual cats.

The smart TPI guys put on a Holley short runner intake and add an LT4 hot cam setup. It really wakes the engine up.

Add vortec style heads and you get the best of the LT1 technology with the reliability of the gen-1 ignition & accessories.

All the technology but one, reverse flow cooling, allows the LT1/4 to run a higher static compression ratio than any Gen1 chould on pump gas.

Does holley make a short runner TPI intake for vortec heads? And does the holley intake have EGR provisions making it street legal for 3rd gen camaros & 4th gen corvettes?

[menace121978]

man, you guys are putting a ton of great info in here. lot of good stuff!!

[gchemist]

77 with a 5.3 conversion: http://www.hotrodlane.cc/77chevytruck/77chevy.htm

[84 400]

And WATCH out on the 5.3's under 2003 for the piston slap. Not a big deal but our 2000 tahoe has the slap. Runs fine and all you just gotta let it warm up.

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by 78-5.3

yeah i got it done for 75 vats ,rear o2's , egr edit etc etc , i used the fuel lines from a 2001 pickup in mine all the way from the rail to the tank then modified the line at the tank easy easy !!! i used if i can say a LT1 fuel pump (vette) direct fit into the 87 EFI sending unit

Who did your PCM mods?

Good idea using the LSx truck fuel lines. For those doing the swap just don't use the ones from a flex fuel version. They incorporate a lousy quick disconnect on one side of the fuel filter that a normal quick disconnect tool does not work on. The dealer charges $90 to change one. Luckily a mechanic friend of mine had the special deep access tight clearance multi-piece tool needed to take mine off. The non-flex fuel versions use normal threaded fittings on both ends of the filter. If it wasn't so hard to get at I would have changed out the hose on the Tahoe for the one that was off a non-flex fuel rig.

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by clinebarger

All the technology but one, reverse flow cooling, allows the LT1/4 to run a higher static compression ratio than any Gen1 chould on pump gas.

Does holley make a short runner TPI intake for vortec heads? And does the holley intake have EGR provisions making it street legal for 3rd gen camaros & 4th gen corvettes?

Unfortunately to get the reverse flow cooling you have to deal with all the shortcomings of the LT1 to get it or do some crazy plumbing tricks to a standard engine to route the coolant backwards. I have heard of people doing it but have never seen any in person to see what actually has to be done or know if it actually works well enough to be able to bump the compression.

The Holley Stealth Ram comes in many configurations including for vortec heads but none of them have EGR. No big deal if you don't have under hood inspections and only have a tail pipe / dyno type emissions test. You can tune it well enough to pass emissions. This is what I put onto my 90 Z/28 and it still passed the dyno type emissions test with flying colors.

http://www.holley.com/types/Stealth%...20Complete.asp