Z48LT-1

mas280 started a thread at http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=94931&highlight=ls1+tank talking about using a gas tank out of an LS1 Camaro. Here's the opening post (the pix at the thread didn't open, for me, so ymmv): "I decided to go with a 99-2004 LS1 gas tank out of a Camaro. Doing this swap will let me run dual exhaust on both sides of the gas tank, Notice in the picture the cut out for the exhaust. I am also doing this swap so that I can now have a very quite fuel pump, my old walbro was very loud." Just fyi, I bought just such a tank out of a 2000 Z28 complete with pump and emissions equipment, here in San Antonio, for $100. This is destined for my '48 Chevy Aerosedan street rod with '95 Caprice LT1 and 4L60E. I may have to raise the floor of the trunk, only slightly more of a pita than removing the tire well. You wouldn't have to use its fuel injection pump/plumbing, but you could... Cheers -- Gary

Piston, Neat and tidy engine compartment! It appears you kept the Caprice PCM location? Front/driver's side? What's your approach to PCM programming? Crossing fingers here for your first startup! Cheers -- Gary

Mikelly wrote: "I'd go for the 350CI and gain the extra HP and torque... No matter how "cheap" you can get it, you'll wish you had done the 350 in the long run." I agree. Back in the day, I bought a '69 Z28 new (ask me how much I regret selling that beauty) and despite the alleged 360 HP, it was something of a dog around town. Admittedly, it had a close ratio Muncie (2.2:1 first gear!) but even with a 3.73:1 axle, it needed brutality in the launch (high revs/sidestep clutch pedal) to break the tires loose. JM$0.02W Cheers -- Gary

http://www.thedetailzone.com/GM%20Fuel%20Inj%20Access.htm -- half way down the page -- knock sensor adapter KB-41 $12 each. Relocates the knock sensor(s) to the oil pan rail. Haven't started my motor yet so I don't know how well they work, but i expect they should. Cheers -- Gary

GOTHALOSISM, Let me be as gentle as I can, but WHAT ARE YOU SMOKING?????? A Crown Vic? With a 9c1 package? Go back and edit your post to say '94-'96 Caprice and make this post of mine completely stupid, eh? Best -- Gary

MPO is that Ace, Home Depot, Lowes, etc., are convenient but overpriced for what you get. Their "normal" binned stock is grade 2, afaik, which probably shouldn't be used for automotive applications. I've had good luck with http://www.atlanticfasteners.com; they seem to have a fairly comprehensive selection at prices much better than local retail. Also, check out the yellow pages for "Fasteners"; we've got a couple listings here in San Antonio and they have grade 5 and 8 stuff for good prices. YMMV, as always. Best -- Gary

Before you spend the two and a half bucks on a questionable upgrade, you might want to consider looking into upgrades to the LO5 motor. There's a lot of info right there on your local copy of the internets. Cheers -- Gary For instance: http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/tbi/

Hopelessly Confused, You need to make sure the lump you're thinking of buying is, indeed, an LT1, because like jnewby noted in Bartman's thread, there was a 265ci version of the V8 in Caprices, including cop cars, afaik, back in the day. It was known as the L99 and obviously would be far less attractive for a performance buildup. AFAIK the only way to tell the difference is to look at the casting numbers, because externally, the L99 and the LT1 were identical. Don't have those number handy, but one of the pieces of evidence may be on the driver's side of the block near the bell housing. Mine has "57L" prominently displayed, and I pray that's enough to confirm what I bought as an LT1 is, in fact, one. Cheers -- Gary

Alex, IIRC when "TV" Tommy Ivo made two-engined and four-engined dragsters back in the day, he mounted them so their flywheel ring gears mated with each other! Like LS1 240Z said, one of each pair rotated in reverse. According to Street Rodder Magazine, on the Hot Wheels Twin Mill "The twin big-block engines are connected by machined steel transfer plates (built by SCS Gearbox out of Bellevue, OH) from a tractor puller...) which doesn't really explain much, alas. The Street Rodder article is available here: http://www.streetrodderweb.com/milestones/0307sr_milestone_twin_mill/ Cheers -- Gary

While I agree with Alex that removing the head is the safe way to do it, I wonder whether it could be done (verrry carefully) with the head installed... I see two approaches: have both valves closed, or the exhaust valve open with a vacuum hose sucking on the exhaust port. With the piston at TDC, pack the tap's flutes with wheel bearing grease in an attempt to trap the shavings. Make sure the drill and tap don't touch the top of the piston (might want the piston to be slightly below TDC). Flush the chamber out with a stream of solvent, then a blast of air, several times perhaps, after the drilling and tapping, and especially make sure that the tang of the helicoil comes out before turning over the engine, but after all that, it seems to me the only debris left would be small particles of aluminum which ought not be able to do much damage before they're either burned up or evacuated with the exhaust. (Note I would never consider suggesting this for a cast iron head.) Would anyone else be willing to take the risk? Let me repeat I've not tried this myself, and am NOT recommending it, but just throwing it out for discussion. Best -- Gary

Would it be unacceptably ghetto to sandwich an extra header flange between the header and the head, and would the 3/8" or so of clearance that bought solve any of these clearance problems without creating new ones? Who among us, after all, hasn't used a small stack of washers to shim some bracket or other to get the alignment right? Inquiring minds want to know. Cheers -- Gary

You guys are crazy. But in a good way! Cheers -- Gary

I've only been a member for a short time, but the answer starts out here: http://www.jagsthatrun.com/Pages/Datsun_Z_V-8.html. And then proceeds to using the search function. You've got a lot of reading to do. Some of it won't be productive, but some of it will. Cherish the good, ignore the bad, enjoy the journey. Cheers -- Gary

Bart, Congrats on finding and fixing the problem! I've been on pins and needles ever since you started this thread and wonder whether it deserves a sticky? Sounds like the opti is something of a weak link (as suggested by Mark way back on the first page...) and I'm calling this a cautionary tale for anyone with an LTx. The '95 Caprice engine going into my '48 Chevy allegedly has only 33K miles on it but I'm thinking of replacing its opti with a new after market piece and putting the oem unit away for a rainy day. I also have to congratulate you for a v. sweet installation. The finished engine compartment looks show car clean but with all factory functions/sensors operational. An inspiration to us all! Cheers -- Gary

If cubic inches is what you're after, why not go with a crate 572? If you want to go fast, I'm reasonably sure Grumpy's got some better advice. JM$0.02USW -- Gary

Ummmm. Model A's were all four-bangers. The flathead V-8 didn't appear until '32. V-8 transplants into A's may have been the original hybrids. Cheers -- Gary

Here's a thought I had that might not be exactly elegant, but might give enough room to avoid cutting your headers. How about buying a pair of header flanges as if you were building your own headers, and sandwiching the extra flange between the head and the header? You'd be getting approx 3/8" additional clearance and would have to get longer bolts, probably another gasket, which would give another fraction of an inch. Of course, this might create other clearance problems but it just might help you out of your jam. fwiw, ymmv, jmho, etc. Cheers -- Gary

The only thing you left off was the smiley: Ripping yarn, in any case.

Surfing over at the ImpalaSS forum, I found this thread: http://impalassforum.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=8;t=007938, which allegedly shows how to get a discount when you place an order at Rock Auto. As I haven't ordered anything from them yet, I can't attest to it being current and valid, but nothing ventured, nothing gained, eh? Cheers -- Gary

It almost sounds like the spark is blowing out under load. Are the plugs and plug wires as new as the rest of the ignition? Just a thought... Cheers -- Gary

This is slightly weird but of almost no interest to anyone, but if you approach the rockauto.com site looking for parts for an Impala SS, the Dorman part doesn't come up, but if you've only got a measley Caprice Classic, the Dorman one is at the top of the list. Both searches identify the engine as 5.7L MFI (P), which as we all know identifies the LT1 engine... Anyway, thanks again. Cheers -- Gary

73, Thanks for the Rock Auto referral. Curious I can't find the Dorman part but the closest is an ATP unit for $65. Academic at this point now that I've bought a used one off of ebay for $40. Rock Auto does have cheaper gaskets than others I've found, so that's one thing. Hijacking my own thread, any one care to recommend favorite GM parts dealers for mail order stuff? Many thanks, in advance. -- Gary

Which leads to my question. Isn't the radiator reservoir vented to the atmosphere? Why wouldn't this mod cause the entire cooling system to be vented, making the radiator cap irrelevant? My head is hurting trying to understand this.

FWIW, the October 2006 issue of Hot Rod has a comparo of a single four barrel vs three dueces using two different camshafts on a 383 ci SBC. The Demon SixShooter 3x2 setup cost $2500; the four barrel was a Demon 750 on top of an Edelbrock Performer RPM Air-Gap manifold. The four barrel produced bigger numbers with both cams, while the difference between 1x4 and 3x2 was less with the smaller cam. FWIW, YMMV, all colors may not be available in all sizes, close cover before striking, etc., etc. Alas, it appears the article isn't on line, but there you are... Cheers, Gary

Another member's recent misadventure has convinced me to replace the oil pan on my ebay sourced '95 Caprice LT1. His, and my, oil pans show signs of distortion; mine presumably from the bumps and grinds getting from Florida to Texas on a truck; his, apparently from some jerk jacking the car up by the oil pan. In any case, his misfortune (don't know how it'll turn out yet) is a cautionary tale I'm grateful to learn from. The question is, will any SBC oil pan do? Summit has an inexpensive unit, $35 or so, good for '87 to '95, but listed as a "Gen 1" replacement. Now, I'm reasonably sure the Summit piece doesn't have a boss for the oil level sensor, which I was going to delete from my setup anyway, plus it's got a dipstick hole on the passenger side, which I won't need with my block mounted dipstick. Are there any other differences I should be aware of? Can anyone recommend one gasket over another? Is there a Chevy parts source which is generally considered better than the others (strikes me I've seen some recommended but darned if I can find the threads...). Since I'm going to open up the bottom end which I wasn't planning to do, are there any things I should look for/do? The engine allegedly only has 33K on it, but it is, after all, an ebay deal... Any and all advice welcomed. Cheers -- Gary