Any LT1 Gearheads?
07-30-2006, 05:11 PM
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Any LT1 Gearheads?
If anyone know'*, is it possible to convert a 96 LT1, out of a cop car, from TBI to TPI Plenum style? If so is it as easy as changing the manifolds?
07-31-2006, 07:04 PM
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Nope, the LT1 is a near total different setup. The LT1 has a Cam driven W/P and I believe the heads are different, along with the drive system, manifold and other various parts.
07-31-2006, 07:08 PM
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To add to that, your going from a Throttle Body injector to Tuned Port Injection, which requires a wire harness swap, ECM swap and allot of other work to get the computer to manage Fuel Delivery, Air Intake, Spark Etc......
08-01-2006, 08:10 AM
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Re: Any LT1 Gearheads?
Originally Posted by Jason1351
If anyone know'*, is it possible to convert a 96 LT1, out of a cop car, from TBI to TPI Plenum style? If so is it as easy as changing the manifolds?
As mentioned, the LT1 from an Vette/F-Body/Impala is 5.7L SPFI. I'm not sure if the Caprice got a different manifold (like a TBI). Police models also had smaller displacemcent (289cid vs 350cid)
You can run the LT1 as a batch-fire system with the older TPI setup. (Either MAF or Speed-Density ECM setup) While odd looking, the stock Opti-Spark distributor is still a conventional distributor. It'* just mounted on the front of the motor instead of on the rear of the manifold. The LT1 block also has motor mounting pads in the same placement as older SBC V8 motors, so you can put it in older chassis. There will be wiring changes involved (the sensor connectors are different shapes) if you choose to use the older TPI ECM.
Last: If you really wanted to, you could change the cylinder heads and run a regular manifold and distributor (you would have to plug the front cover Optispark drive hole)
If you are really considering going backwards with the LT1, Then I can make it really easy for you (I've got a 1987 5.7L truck motor out in the garage that is more in line for what you'd end up with if you backdated the LT1
)
08-01-2006, 08:33 AM
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Re: Any LT1 Gearheads?
Originally Posted by clm2112
As mentioned, the LT1 from an Vette/F-Body/Impala is 5.7L SPFI. I'm not sure if the Caprice got a different manifold (like a TBI). Police models also had smaller displacemcent (289cid vs 350cid)
Roadmaster, Fleetwood, 9C1 Police Package Caprice, and Impala is standard equipment. The civilian Caprice came standard with the L99 289cid V8 with the LT1 350 as an option (easily destinguishable by the dual exhaust).
The Impala SS got thinner head gaskets VS the other b-bodys to increse compression by .01:1 and is otherwise identical to all the other B-body applications. F-Bodys and Corvettes got the same short block, but with aluminum heads that allowed output closer to 300hp VS the b-body'* 260hp
