ok i got a lt1 layin at home and wonderin can i convert it to a carb, wut is involved, just changin the intake mani and put a carb, will that work well,

Go to www.gmperformanceparts.com they have the conversion set ups there.

Dave

ok i checked that out and all they wanna sell me is engines i want to know wuts needed to make a 95 lt1 engine carburator?, because it has the dist behind the water pump would i have to use the 6al box?, wut type of intake mani do i need?, is it just a normal 350 intake mani, and for fuel assuming a inline fuel pump set up would work?

I am quite sure if you look in the catalogue section , it will show you the intake. It is different intake than a stock small block intake, they still use the reverse cooling system.

Dave

The part # is 24502592
LT1 Intake Manifold
• Fits 1992–1996 Gen II LT1 engines and permits the use
of a carburetor
• Long runners increase engine torque up to 30 lb-ft
without sacrificing top end horsepower
• There are no water coolant holes on this manifold
The intake has the rear hole to install like a HEI unit in it and you use the same stock cam driven water pump.

Dave

can i get that from like summitracing

type in the GM part number in summit racing's search box (or Jegs). If you can, it will come up.

never mind found it on summit, thanks dude

never mind found it on summit, thanks dude, also does any one know about the ignition, to run the ignition wut to do? can i run it just with the msd 6al box and thats it or is there some major changes to do

You run a HEI unit back in the intake like the regualer small blocks.

Dave

GM used to sell a blockoff plate that allowed you to remove the factory optispark distributor, but i think they discontinued that a couple of years ago. it had a pointer on it to allow you to set your timing once you put some marks on the balancer.
it shouldn't be that hard to make a blockoff plate out of a piece of 1/8" aluminum.

Use the GM Lt1 carb manifold, the optispark block off plate and a regular smallblock distributor. You must use the LT1 water pump and dont forget to remove the oil pump auxilary shaft that normally runs the oil pump when the EFI intake is being used..hope this helps.

so i cant use the optispark ill have to use a normal dist. if i did wanna use optispark how could i? also dosent the cam move the water pump

Yes, the cam drives the water pump. You can use a Meziere electric water pump if you like, they are a pretty decent piece.

These guys are giving you good advice on the intake.

so theres no way i still can use the optispark, can i use a 6al box with the optispark and my motor would run, or do i need the ecu to use the optispark

so theres no way i still can use the optispark, can i use a 6al box with the optispark and my motor would run, or do i need the ecu to use the optispark

I would swap to a traditional ditrib. even if you could keep the opti and I am usually one to defend the LT1 design. There is no way to run the opti without the factory computer from what I know.

Most of the Mail order dealers should be able to get you the needed parts Fitchner, Pace, Scoggin Dickey etc. I like Fitchner for hard to get items.

ok so theres no way to keep the optipark, so know i have to get a dist out of wut year 92 or like out of a 68, now from wut i understand the dist drives off the cam will the stock lt1 cam work or will i have to get a diff cam, and for the optispark just unplug it and it can stay there.

ok so theres no way to keep the optipark, so know i have to get a dist out of wut year 92 or like out of a 68, now from wut i understand the dist drives off the cam will the stock lt1 cam work or will i have to get a diff cam, and for the optispark just unplug it and it can stay there.


http://www.camaroz28.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150481&highlight=24502592 may answer some of your questions.

LT1 cams are the same as any other hydraulic roller 350 motor except the dowel pin on the end. The later motors 2nd design opti had a longer pin than the early cars. The swap was mid 94 or 95 if I remember correctly. I am not sure which you would use if you remove the opti. It maybe easier just to leave the opti.

if you take the opti off, then it doesn't matter which pin the cam has in it.

this is too much, does any one know if a 6al box works with the optispark? if so like say on my 71 challenger the only thing that powers the dist if the 6al box because thats the power souce and thats were it gets its workin ability from. it seems to be too many things involved y cant this be simpler. well any one with input please add

As far as I know you will need the computer to keep the Optispark. .If you can get rid of it and use a distributor, its a lousy design being by the water pump anyway. Id use an HEI and call it a day, keep it simple.

thats the thing its not that simple, i need a plug for one thing and a key way on the cam and this and that, i really dont understand this.

As far as I know you will need the computer to keep the Optispark. .If you can get rid of it and use a distributor, its a lousy design being by the water pump anyway. Id use an HEI and call it a day, keep it simple.

I agree the distrib. should be the same as any other 86+ SBC if they even changed at all. LT1s still drive the oil pump the same way as any SBC so there is a stub in the LT1 in place of the distrib to drive the oil pump.

so wut just remove the stud and boom there will the slot where the dist will sits in

so wut just remove the stud and boom there will the slot where the dist will sits in

I have never pulled it out but I understand the stub comes out, bolt on the the carb intake and the distrib. drops in like a std. SBC. Closest I have been is pulling the intake off.

I would verify on CZ28.com or call up Scoggin Dickey, Pace Chevy, or the perferred hi perf. dealer on this forum and they should be able to verify. Bob at Fitchner Chevy has also always been a help to me.

I've worked on/rebuilt a few LT1 engines. For the distributor, pull the intake manifold and the stub shaft actually is held down with a bolt in the back of the lifter valley. Pull the stub shaft out, put on the carburated intake and slip in a standard small block Chevy distributor. For the water pump drive, the water pump is not directly driven by the cam, has a drive that meshes to a gear made onto the back of the cam gear. The cam spins the cam gear which in turns spins the water pump drive that bolts about the cam gear in the front of the lifter valley. The water pump drive has a splined shaft that sticks through the front of the timing cover and the water pump has a coupling shaft that slips onto the back of the water pump. On the opti, there really isn't any way to run the opti without the fuel injection set up. You will need to buy/make a block off plate where the opti used to bolt on. You can use the stock water pump, or change it out to an electric water pump. There are a few different manufacturers of electric pumps, Mezeire and CSR are the 2 big ones. You will have to take the water pump off of the engine, unbolt the front cover of the pump and drive the impeller out of the front of the pump. The electric pump bolts onto where the front cover of the pump used to be. It will also come with a plug for the back of the pump where the impeller used to pass through. You will have to find a small freeze plug to plug the hole in the timing cover and pull the water pump drive out of the front of the timing area.

In my opinion, its not really worth it to run an LT1 engine without the fuel injection. You may be better off selling the engine that you have and just building a standard small block. That GM intake is pretty pricey. You will have to buy a distributor, block off plate for the optispark hole. After doing that, you just have a standard small block Chevy with reverse cooling. Remember, parts for LT1 engines are expelnsive. Timing sets are all about $175 plus, gasket sets are $200 plus, then aftermarket performance parts are all high dollar if you plan to modify it.

c thats wut im talking about c this **** is not worth the hassel, thats wut i was thinking, by the time im done its the same thing as a normal s/b, so wut do i do with this motor i have motor, trans, harness,ecu any one wanna trade for a good motor

its worth it.
its a roller motor, with better heads than most factory sb's.
cam it with the carb intake, headers, bolt ons (roller rockers, underdrive pullies), and see mid 12's.

its a very simple swap. nothing bad about any of this. best thing is, pull the intake off, and dont have to worry about anti-freeze going in your oil.

put a reg dist. in it, and you are set. you can run an MSD box or not. to keep opti i would say you need to keep your computer, unless you can find a stand alone kit to allow it to run, but i would ditch that also.

if you dont want it, i will trade you a 72 virgin 350 that needs crank turned, new bearings, cam, and heads, and i even have those too.

aaron

thanks for the info and the offer but, im gonna give it a shot c how it goes and ill keep ya posted thanks everyone

Give the blockoff a shot, if its too much sell the whole thing and start over with a first gen sbc. Heck you could get a 4 bolt roller block out of a mid 90s truck...
I hang out on another forum where some guys are hung up on Lt1s being special with reverse cooling and all, I gotta say they get too expensive to mod in order make any real power.
Factory heads suck, I just flowed a stock pair, peak at 201 cfm at .400,small valves, etc etc. Dont waste your time.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/kalthoff1/Scan10001-1.jpg

I've worked on/rebuilt a few LT1 engines. For the distributor, pull the intake manifold and the stub shaft actually is held down with a bolt in the back of the lifter valley. Pull the stub shaft out, put on the carburated intake and slip in a standard small block Chevy distributor. For the water pump drive, the water pump is not directly driven by the cam, has a drive that meshes to a gear made onto the back of the cam gear. The cam spins the cam gear which in turns spins the water pump drive that bolts about the cam gear in the front of the lifter valley. The water pump drive has a splined shaft that sticks through the front of the timing cover and the water pump has a coupling shaft that slips onto the back of the water pump. On the opti, there really isn't any way to run the opti without the fuel injection set up. You will need to buy/make a block off plate where the opti used to bolt on. You can use the stock water pump, or change it out to an electric water pump. There are a few different manufacturers of electric pumps, Mezeire and CSR are the 2 big ones. You will have to take the water pump off of the engine, unbolt the front cover of the pump and drive the impeller out of the front of the pump. The electric pump bolts onto where the front cover of the pump used to be. It will also come with a plug for the back of the pump where the impeller used to pass through. You will have to find a small freeze plug to plug the hole in the timing cover and pull the water pump drive out of the front of the timing area.

In my opinion, its not really worth it to run an LT1 engine without the fuel injection. You may be better off selling the engine that you have and just building a standard small block. That GM intake is pretty pricey. You will have to buy a distributor, block off plate for the optispark hole. After doing that, you just have a standard small block Chevy with reverse cooling. Remember, parts for LT1 engines are expelnsive. Timing sets are all about $175 plus, gasket sets are $200 plus, then aftermarket performance parts are all high dollar if you plan to modify it.

once you get rid of the optispark and put an electric water pump in it, you can run any timing chain setup for an 87 and newer roller cam engine. GM sells a good single roller for about $40.
of course, an electric water pump will be a few hundred $$$- which is more than a factory LT1 timing set. so, realistically, ditching the opti and keeping the stock water pump is the cheaper way to go, and leaves almost enough extra $$$ available for a carb intake- which i would think would pop up on ebay from time to time.
but why not keep the efi? it would be pretty easy to spend almost as much converting it over to a carb and regular distributor as it would cost to set up the car for efi.

Im in NJ and I have a running smallblock that I would be willing to trade you for that setup....I will even include a good th350 trans. If you want, I can even freshen up the engine for you with new rings, bearings, oil pump, gaskets, timing, fresh paint job ready to go. I am an engine builder too, not just some guy that throws stuff together. Let me know if you are interested.