There's still a lot to do, but I'm making progress :)

http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/data/500/medium/Derek-LT1-1.JPG
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/data/500/medium/Derek-LT1-2.JPG
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/data/500/medium/Derek-LT1-3.JPG
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/data/500/medium/Derek-LT1-4.JPG
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/data/500/medium/Derek-LT1-5.JPG

This needs to be a whole car, and driveable by May 20th :eek:

Looking good Derek...

There's still a lot to do, but I'm making progress :)

...This needs to be a whole car, and driveable by May 20th :eek:
Funny I did not see any cots or other sleeping arrangements in that shop?

I hope your project progresses faster than mine ever do.

are you using the stock alternator bracket? if so, will it clear that valve cover? the stock LT1 cover is notched for clearance.

Derek

Wow! That looks great!! Is the block painted to match the body color?

How close to the final ride height is the frame sitting? Looks like it's ready to take corners like a Porsche!

Andy

Funny I did not see any cots or other sleeping arrangements in that shop?It may come to that :eek: I think I'll be using some vacation-days as I get closer to the deadline.

are you using the stock alternator bracket? if so, will it clear that valve cover? the stock LT1 cover is notched for clearance. I'm not sure yet, depends on if the A/C compressor fits with these headers. The big alternator off the 9C1 won't fit, but I can use the small one off my wagon and grind off one un-needed bolt boss... another option is to use an LT4 balancer, and shim the whole accessory drive bracket out ~1/2". If the compressor doesn't fit, I'll use the Corvette style bracket, which puts everything on the driver's side mounted higher. I'm trying to keep the Caprice bracket since it looks better and mounts everything lower keeping the CoG lower.

Wow! That looks great!! Is the block painted to match the body color?

How close to the final ride height is the frame sitting? Looks like it's ready to take corners like a Porsche!The block, heads, & intake are the same color as the car, along with inner-fenders and firewall. Everything that's not blue is either black or aluminum... no chrome. I had to paint the transmission, which I didn't want to do, but it was painted once before, and I didn't want to bead-blast it for fear of getting dirt/beads/etc inside the trans.

Final ride height will be about 1" lower. I have the Speedway height adjusters, so I can set the ride height after I have all the weight on it. I thought I had it pretty close, but I think it's going to be too low when it's all assembled. If I can get by at about 1.5" lower, I think it will be fine, but any lower than that, and I know my tires will rub.

Looks good Derek. I have an extra LT1 out of a Trans Am I think. It came disassembled, so I don't know what they all are, but if any of my brackets can help let me know. And if you are short on any other parts let me know I might have some extra parts.

Keep up the good work!

I'll keep you in mind R.J., but I think the F-body uses the same brackets as B-body if I remember correctly.

I'll be watching you progress closely as I have a '94 Caprice LT1 that I want to install in our '69 el Camino. A friend with lots of experience in this area has offered to help when required. He did a beautiful job on a '66 Impala LT1 swap.

Another interested observer here. So far, I have got the engine from a 96 caprice cop car dropped into a 72 Chevelle wagon, with little else done. I modified the trans crossmember to keep it far forward so that the stock parking brake stuff can be used. It looks like you will not be using the EGR system; I decided to keep mine for knock control reasons. Keep posting, as your car looks really nice.

Did you put a drain kit in the Opti-Spark?

Looks good.

the Caprice LT1's all had the "good" opti that doesn't have the problems that the early Vette and Camaro opti had. i think the one i have on a stand out in the shop has a rubber drain hose coming out of the bottom of the opti.

All I know is the 94+ opti's were "vented" and have vacuum lines going to the bottom of the opti.

I got the accessories test-fitted today. The AC compressor fit fine, but the lines needed some tweaking to clear the header. I will probably wrap them because they are only 1/4" away, although it is the aluminum part of the line, not the rubber hose.

The small "civilian" caprice alternator cleared the valve-covers without any modifications. The big 9C1 alternator would need some grinding to keep it from rubbing. I'm going to use the small one. Everything else should bolt-on without any problems :)

My rear control-arms should be here in a couple days, so the chassis should be done in a month or so if I keep working steady at it :cool: I need to wait until after the next credit-card payment to order my wiring harness. I'm pretty sure I'd hit the limit if I charged it now :eek:

Are those the front wheel's/axle, mounted on the front of your 23? That's pretty cool. Does the skid set-up have a storage mount, so you can drive down the road, and swap back and forth as you need? Was that a stock option? Sorry for the hi-jack. Dave

Are those the front wheel's/axle, mounted on the front of your 23? That's pretty cool. Does the skid set-up have a storage mount, so you can drive down the road, and swap back and forth as you need? Was that a stock option? Sorry for the hi-jack. DaveIt's a vintage 1920s kit that was an add-on accessory for the Model T, not built by Ford. All the fenders were removed, and the axle was placed in the middle of the frame. The front wheels are removed, and put on the center axle. The spindles were removed, and the skiis are bolted in-place. It takes about half a day to turn it back into a "car" again. [/hi-jack]

Derek, what brand are those exhaust headers? Nice job on your car.

Derek,

Does the A/C mount in the same position as on the f-body. I'm using the drivetrain out of a 96 Trans am. Everyone says I have to notch the crossmember. Will be test fitting in new frame in a few days (hopefully). Just wandering if the caprice bracket is different.

Looks great, glad to see I'm not the only one out there doing this.

It's a vintage 1920s kit that was an add-on accessory for the Model T, not built by Ford. All the fenders were removed, and the axle was placed in the middle of the frame. The front wheels are removed, and put on the center axle. The spindles were removed, and the skiis are bolted in-place. It takes about half a day to turn it back into a "car" again. [/hi-jack]

Now that is pretty neat. :thumbsup:

Joe

Derek, what brand are those exhaust headers? Nice job on your car.They are Hedman ELITE-series ceramic-coated. (If I remember right, PN 68608, under $300 from summit) I'll find out when i get the steering box on how well they really fit. Also, they won't fit a manual-trans car, as it would hit the Z-bar. I didn't want full-length tubes, since I'll be running pretty low ground-clearance, and these are a good compromise, as they are much better than a typical "shorty", but don't hang low like a long-tube.


Does the A/C mount in the same position as on the f-body. I'm using the drivetrain out of a 96 Trans am. Everyone says I have to notch the crossmember. Will be test fitting in new frame in a few days (hopefully). Just wandering if the caprice bracket is different.

Looks great, glad to see I'm not the only one out there doing this.I think it is the same (mounted low on pass. side). The frame was not an issue for clearance on mine. I should have taken some pics while I had it mocked up :clonk: I had to re-bend the lines from the back of the compressor to clear the header though. There is barely enough room for the lines to go through, and I'll have to wrap them or make a heat-shield.

Good luck :) I know there are others who have done it, but I just can't seem to find much "been there, done that" information... at least a dozen people have mentioned to me on the various sites I frequent that they are doing the same, and will be watching how things work for me :clonk:

Looks like you left the torque converter out of the transmission. ;)

Keep working hard at it.

Is May 20th a dead line for Chevelle-abration?

Looks like you left the torque converter out of the transmission. ;)

Keep working hard at it.

Is May 20th a dead line for Chevelle-abration?That is the torque converter from this trans... I replaced it with a 9.5" 3000rpm "Street Edge" with lockup from Edge Racing Converters :cool:

May 20th is my wedding day. :o

May 20th is my wedding day. :o

Don't feel too bad - my doomsday is Jan 14!!!!! :eek: I managed to get most of my resto done in time, too, but I had 2 1/2 years. Just get it done or you might not ever finish! ;)

I haven't driven mine it two weeks because I've got all the interior out to replace the carpet, then got food poisoning - so now I have to get it all back together during the final week's craziness so we can drive away in the Elky. I guess it could be worse...

So as not to hijack........your work looks great! You're gonna love the EFI. I don't know that I'll ever use a carb again.

Ryan

Ryan and Derek,
What are you guys using for a fuel pump? I would like to have something intake but don't want to spend a grand on a rock valley tank.

Any ideas?

Joe

What are you guys using for a fuel pump? I would like to have something intake but don't want to spend a grand on a rock valley tank. I'm not sure yet... I'm strongly considering this one "Tanks Inc. (http://www.tanksinc.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=84/category_id=61/home_id=61/mode=prod/prd84.htm)" despite one negative review here: http://www.lateral-g.net/forums/showthread.php4?t=2636

I just can't afford a Rick's or Rock Valley tank :( I might also try to add some baffling to the stock tank

There has to be another solution to this.

Time to do some searching.

Joe

I would definitely be interested in somebody perfecting this setup or a better option I will keep my eye on this thread.

I put the Rock Valley tank in my 70 conv, After all the searching and thinking.I chose the best way to feed that engine. Only one way to do it right. You could mod the orig tank. Then it gets real crowded in that tank. If you come up with a better way.Let me know so I can cry over dumpin my 1K. If you need any info I have pic of my conversion. Fuel lines are a problem. Vacume lines, Power steering,cats,Vats,. You will be very happy after its all said and done.But its a long and costly road to get there. Good Luck

Ryan and Derek,
What are you guys using for a fuel pump? I would like to have something intake but don't want to spend a grand on a rock valley tank.

Any ideas?


Joe,

I've got the Rock Valley tank and I believe they supply it with a good Walbro pump - plenty of fuel for my ~350 hp. The baffling is very good. I've only had surging when I'm down to less than 1 or 2 useable gallons (i.e. I should be filling up before then) and even then only when I'm on a very long freeway (55+ MPH) corner.

I think that Tanks, Inc deal would do a decent job if you kept the tank filled up, but that might get old after awhile. I think the slickest way to do it would be have a good shop weld in some baffling. I'm not sure if its possible to get enough baffling in that way, but maybe the same shop could build/tear apart a stamped steel style tank for cheaper than the Rock Valley and similar stuff. I would have gone cheap, but I didn't have the time to build the surge tank setup and my old tank was too far gone to be repaired, let alone welded on. It was just too easy to pop the new tank in and just run electric and fuel lines to it.

Ryan

Got any pictures of the tank and wiring Ryan?

Joe

Got any pictures of the tank and wiring Ryan?

Joe

I'll see what I can find a little later and I'll post back...maybe give me until tomorrow so I can get a hold of a camera.

Ryan

:thumbsup:

Joe

Derek,

What motor mounts are you using, I'm getting ready to order new ones.

I went with Energy Suspension's polyurethane engine mounts and a NAPA rubber transmission mount.

Did you use a sbc drivers and an lt1 passenger side.

Both are standard SBC. The LT1 block has bolt-bosses for both styles. The AC compressor clears fine.

Thanks,

Hope the same works for an f-body lt1.

Joe (and everyone),

I found a couple of real old pictures of the gas tank. Sorry they aren't better but I'll see what I can do in the next couple of days. The first one just shows the tank from the bottom - the tank is all stainless and more or less all polished.
Tank From Bottom (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/uploads/5655/DSCN1219_small.jpg)

The other old picture shows the top of the tank where the pump and sender are installed. The sunken in section runs all the way to the front of the tank so that fuel lines can be run in no problem. The wiring in this picture is temporary, but I ended up running the final wiring from the backside much like stock. Just power and ground for both the sender and the pump and you're done.
Top View (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/uploads/5655/DSCN1284_small.jpg)

I promise I'll do better soon...

Ryan

Good luck with your project. Is it a self imposed time line, or is there a show you're trying to make? I'd like to do this swap into a 68 El Camino. I can get a complete mid 90's Buick Roadmaster for less than $1000. Is there anything I should know about the Buick's engine. My understanding is they have a 275 hp LT1.

Thanks

Is it a self imposed time line, or is there a show you're trying to make? .... Is there anything I should know about the Buick's engine. My understanding is they have a 275 hp LT1.I'm going to try to have the car done for my wedding :eek:

The Buick engine is exactly the same as the caprice engine. It is 260hp and has iron heads. What year is it? There are small differences between years.

I've been married for 15 years, it has been wonderful. I wish you and yours an equally great experiance.

I don't have the car yet. I can get totaled cars at a dealer auction. Last week a 95 with 65,000 miles sold for $650. Occasionally I see ones go for $300 ish. I'd like to have the option to add a turbo at some point. I thought I'd read that the 94-95 computers are easiest to control for boost (tunercat?). I'm not too geedy. I'd like to put about 450ish to the tires. I'm fairly sure this can be done with a stock cast piston longblock. I'm willing to chance it. Once some parts get sold, the engine will almost be free. Now that you know my goals, would you have a preferance in years?

94 and 95 are both good. 96 has the OBDII electronics (like you mentioned above) and are more expensive and harder to tune. '96s also have 4 oxygen sensors instead of 2. '96 is still a great motor, but '94 and 95 are just a little better and easier.

My name is John and I am from California. I am doing a frame up restoration on a 1966 Chevelle with a 1994 LT1 motor. I recently saw your pictures on Team Chevelle. My question to you is about the Headman Headers part No. 68608. Do these Headman Headers clear the engine coolant temperature sensors on the drivers and passengers side? Also, do they clear the external oil cooler lines on the driver's side? I would appreciate any help you can give me. Hope to hear from you soon, and thanks again!

John

My question to you is about the Headman Headers part No. 68608. Do these Headman Headers clear the engine coolant temperature sensors on the drivers and passengers side?Yes, you can run the line for your temp gage to either side without interference from the header. The computer reads the temp from a sensor on the water-pump. The factory sensor on the head was for the gage only.

Also, do they clear the external oil cooler lines on the driver's side?Yes, oil cooler lines cleared the header, but I eliminated them because of the timeline I was on when I built it, I had no time to figure out how to mount the cooler.

Derek,
I've been following on Lat G or Pro touring that the B body tank will bolt in and that some may have baffling.

Adam

I'm not sure yet... I'm strongly considering this one "Tanks Inc. (http://www.tanksinc.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=84/category_id=61/home_id=61/mode=prod/prd84.htm)" despite one negative review here: http://www.lateral-g.net/forums/showthread.php4?t=2636

I just can't afford a Rick's or Rock Valley tank :( I might also try to add some baffling to the stock tank

Although I am not 100 % sure it will fit I have been eye balling the Caprice wagon tanks for our 67' Elcamino.

very nice derek I was unaware you had another chevelle project. but looks sweet.:beers:

Although I am not 100 % sure it will fit I have been eye balling the Caprice wagon tanks for our 67' Elcamino.Year will make a difference... 91-93 use bigger tanks than 94-96 (for clearance of dual-exhaust)

very nice derek I was unaware you had another chevelle project. but looks sweet.:beers:This topic is 2 years old. What you see there is the '69 Malibu in my sig.

I'm now considering an LS1/T56 swap in a few years if I ever get caught up on my other projects. I really want a T56, and a lot more horsepower, so this engine/trans combo may eventually end up in my wife's 66 later on. :)

Iam sorry! I was talking about the coolant sensors not in the head but lower on the engine block on each side, they protrude out from the block about 1 1/2 to 2 inches.

Those are knock-sensors. They clear just fine. :)

Thanks!! Iam sure I will have other question as I go on.

Derek, I do have a couple more questions, what wiring harness did you use, and did you do any modification to the floor for the 4l60e trans clearance. Thanks JOHN

I used a Speartech harness (highly recommended!!!) www.speartech.com

Trans tunnel was tight on the passenger side right where the cooler lines come out of the trans. I used a hammer to make a little clearance. :)

Have you mocked the engine up in your frame yet? I don't know if the AC compressor will fit in an earlier frame. It's very tight in the 68-72 frames, and I've been told won't fit Camaro and Nova subframes. If you don't have A/C, this shouldn't be a problem... just buy a 1LE package Camaro "AC delete pulley" from your local GM dealer. :) The AC compressor lines come out just under the header on my frame, and also might cause a problem for clearance. You may need to use a Corvette accessory bracket if you want to have AC.

Unless you are running WFO for extended periods, I wouldn't hesitate to remove the oil cooler. They tend to leak at the oil filter housing adapter and add complexity to the cooling system.

Did you have speartech rework your harness or buy new.

I bought new. Speartech does not re-work B-body harnesses.

The cheapest I found for re-worked harnesses was www.lt1350.com I spent the extra for new because Speartech's fit and quality are unmatched according to a few guys I talked to before deciding.

Iam ready to install my exhaust collectors,what position and what degree location for the o2 sensor bungs, so they clear the body, easy wiring,and can be replaced.

I welded mine to the exhaust pipe just after the header. The Hedman shorties come with a short ball-socket end to weld your exhaust system up to... I just put a bung on the middle of them, so I could rotate them after everything else was assembled. Exhaust from there back was the last thing I did, so I could position them however it worked best.

BTW, if you're wondering what to do about the holes in the back of your intake, check out http://www.clearimageautomotive.com/Products/Accessories.htm for their EGR block-off plates. If you're running headers, you only need the 2-piece kit.

Iam ready to install my exhaust collectors,what position and what degree location for the o2 sensor bungs, so they clear the body, easy wiring,and can be replaced.

Just remember, never mount O2 sensors parallel to the ground or angled downwards. Always make sure the wire end of the sensor points "uphill" by 10 degrees minimum so any condensation can drain out of the sensor tip.

Unless you are running WFO for extended periods, I wouldn't hesitate to remove the oil cooler. They tend to leak at the oil filter housing adapter and add complexity to the cooling system.

All LT-1s regaurdless of what they came in have an oil cooler of some kind.

My / All LT1s sit at 250F cruising around town out of the throttle.
And that is with 175F coolant and a 9C1 police SEO oil cooler and 7 quarts onbard.
Have you ever put motor oil on a stove and seen and smelt what happens at 280F or even 300F???

The LT1 has a good amount of compression. 10.5:1 ='s Heat

Big oil cooler good.
No oil cooler bad.
No kickouts,windage tray, or trap doors FATAL at 6500RPM!!!
http://a18.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/108/l_26bc993cb1e3d3c520c058089ebb1681.jpg

I'll sell you my SEO oil cooler super cheap I'm moving up to a B&M 11"x11" with a 10" 900+ CFM fan on a thermostat.

My '95 Caprice wagon does NOT have an oil cooler... they only came on tow-pack cars.

You sure you do not have a cooler that uses the coolant radiator for liquid to liquid oil cooling????

it happens...
http://www.impalassforum.com/vBulletin/showthread.php?t=191657

F-Body's dont have an oil cooler either. My car idles all day long in 95 degree heat with a crappy 2 row copper rad in my 72. It wont budge over 180. With the same rad, my old 8.5-1 350 ran at 200. Temp sensor in the head on both.

Im not sure if you needed the tow package, but I think all fleetwoods came with an oil cooler. I cant remember.

F-Body's dont have an oil cooler either.

LT1 F-bodies have a coolant line that run from the pump to a cooler sandwich that is between the block and the oil filter then back to the radiator.

http://shbox.com/1/oil_cooler.jpg

My bad. I did some research and found that all F-body's had them. It appears the LT1 I purchased had it deleted probably due to the overwhelming opinion that the 95 and later design was prone to clog and cause pressure loss causing a toasted bottom end. Mine had a regular oil filter adapter right out of the car and no cooler.

Is it needed? I dont think so for a few reasons. #1-For emissions reasons, factory LT1's run pretty hot. I dont have emissions or a factory tune and I run a 160 degree stat. 2-I'm pretty sure the vastness of my engine bay along with no AC allows everything to run cooler than in an f-body. 3-I dont autocross or make sustained high speed runs. I see 6500 every time I take it out and so far the stock bottom end just asks for more. 4-Ever see a GM oil cooler line explode? I have and its not pretty. Besides the mess, you have a loss of pressure. And there are just more things to break. I cant remember how many oil cooler o-rings and gaskets I replace because they are prone to leak.

Could your engine benefit from it? Of course, any engine could.

Derek: were you able to run your stock power steering box with the lt1 power steering pump without mods.

I used the quick-ratio box from the 9C1 Caprice the engine came out of.

You need a box with metric O-ring fittings if you plan on running the LT1's hoses, and the popular Caprice and Jeep Grand Cherokee fast-ratio box swaps both work perfectly for this. :)

did you use the stock pitman arm, or the caprice pitman arm, was the steering radius fine with stock center link and other stock suspension parts,any problems with the rag joint bolting up.

I like what i see. That is my gole for summer.

Use the Chevelle pitman arm on the Caprice (or Jeep) box. The ragjoint will need to be changed to a later style from GM... I don't recall the part number off hand, but do a search for "quick ratio swap" or "Grand Cherokee" swap, and you will find a ton of info on it. Not only is is affordable and easy, but it's a big performance gain too in your steering ratio and feedback.