LT1-LT4 Modifications 1993-97 Gen II Small Block V8

LT1 vs Ls1

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Old Mar 9, 2010 | 02:58 PM
  #81  
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Originally Posted by z_speedfreak
it wouldn't be so bad to work on if they were in a larger/less cramped engine bay, and don't knock the opti! mine is over 15 years old w/ nearly 100k miles on it w/ no problems what so ever, what other distributor lasts that long?? the only bad thing about the opti is its location!
long live the opti!
Mine should be pretty easy to work on. Everything is really easy to reach in my 300zx. Only bummer is taking off the exhaust manifolds, but that is simply because of how my exhaust is due to the steering column.
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Old Mar 9, 2010 | 04:00 PM
  #82  
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my old car is on it's third opti in 43k mi! My bro just installed a new one this weekend. Rpm kills them quick, ****** junk...
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Old Mar 9, 2010 | 04:39 PM
  #83  
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Originally Posted by z_speedfreak
mine is over 15 years old w/ nearly 100k miles on it w/ no problems what so ever, what other distributor lasts that long?? the only bad thing about the opti is its location!
long live the opti!

Man, i can go to a scrap yard and pull a distributor from a 73 camaro and it will still work flawless. I have never had issues with the old school distributor, now the opti? Man, i see so many people like me that had so many issues and i see others that swear by them, in the end, the half of us that hate them had issues and the older setups do not.

Hate them forever, LOL.
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Old Mar 9, 2010 | 06:27 PM
  #84  
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Guys I know many of you have raced a slp SS before. If that SS is "stock" it shouldnt beat this LT1 that easy. With him having shorties and gears and the extra weight of the SLP package on the SS he should give that SS a Good race if not win.The SS should not "blow by me like I am sitting still". My 95 m6 TA with only a cai and no cat ran neck and neck with my friends 2000 SS. I actually was faster through the 1/8th. He ran 8.9 and I ran 8.8. Not much but still was faster. That SS may have some simple mods done to it.
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Old Mar 9, 2010 | 06:35 PM
  #85  
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Originally Posted by slamm69
Guys I know many of you have raced a slp SS before. If that SS is "stock" it shouldnt beat this LT1 that easy. With him having shorties and gears and the extra weight of the SLP package on the SS he should give that SS a Good race if not win.The SS should not "blow by me like I am sitting still". My 95 m6 TA with only a cai and no cat ran neck and neck with my friends 2000 SS. I actually was faster through the 1/8th. He ran 8.9 and I ran 8.8. Not much but still was faster. That SS may have some simple mods done to it.
Don't underestimate an LS1. The SS package looses weight, it has a fiberglass hood instead of steel.

Is your friend's 2000 SS a manual by chance?
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Old Mar 9, 2010 | 06:43 PM
  #86  
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Originally Posted by slamm69
Guys I know many of you have raced a slp SS before. If that SS is "stock" it shouldnt beat this LT1 that easy. With him having shorties and gears and the extra weight of the SLP package on the SS he should give that SS a Good race if not win.The SS should not "blow by me like I am sitting still". My 95 m6 TA with only a cai and no cat ran neck and neck with my friends 2000 SS. I actually was faster through the 1/8th. He ran 8.9 and I ran 8.8. Not much but still was faster. That SS may have some simple mods done to it.
Well like i said i had him at the start and its an automatic against a manual. I think if i give my car a good tune up it should be a better race its running really rough so i just ordered a new opti plugs and wires. Probably re oil the knn as well.
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Old Mar 9, 2010 | 08:10 PM
  #87  
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Originally Posted by Johnny-LT1-runner
Don't underestimate an LS1. The SS package looses weight, it has a fiberglass hood instead of steel.

Is your friend's 2000 SS a manual by chance?
Fiberglass hood? Thats not much for weight savings. The bigger sway bars will make that back up. No his was an A4.
I dont think anyone with an LT1 will underestimate the mighty LS1 if they know much about their big brother. But the stock LS1's around here run about the same as the LT1's in the 1/8th with about a 3-5 tenths difference in the 1/4. An LT1 can make up a few tenths with longtubes and CAI making the race REAL close in the 1/4 and beatn it threw the 1/8th.
With all that being said I know the LS1 is by far the better motor but most LT1 owners live for driving a underestimated under-dog car with the rare chance to see the look on the LS1 owners face when they see an LT1 pulling away. Its no big deal to lose to an LS1, they are supposed to win, but it sucks to be the LS1 owner who just got his *** kicked by an out-dated LT1!!
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Old Mar 9, 2010 | 08:52 PM
  #88  
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Originally Posted by slamm69
Fiberglass hood? Thats not much for weight savings. The bigger sway bars will make that back up. No his was an A4.
I dont think anyone with an LT1 will underestimate the mighty LS1 if they know much about their big brother. But the stock LS1's around here run about the same as the LT1's in the 1/8th with about a 3-5 tenths difference in the 1/4. An LT1 can make up a few tenths with longtubes and CAI making the race REAL close in the 1/4 and beatn it threw the 1/8th.

It's a considerable weight difference between steel and FG. The SS sway bars are 2mm larger in diameter than the z28 sway bars, which is barely registrable on the scales. We're talking about a difference of 100 HP and a weight difference which is considerable, with an iron block vs an aluminum block, the weight game is a poor excuse unless you have the car really stripped down.
The guys who drive LS1's where you're at must be awful drivers man, stock for stock there's an average of a second between LT and LS, if the drivers are on equal terms.


Originally Posted by slamm69
With all that being said I know the LS1 is by far the better motor but most LT1 owners live for driving a underestimated under-dog car with the rare chance to see the look on the LS1 owners face when they see an LT1 pulling away. Its no big deal to lose to an LS1, they are supposed to win, but it sucks to be the LS1 owner who just got his *** kicked by an out-dated LT1!!
I agree with that statement completely.
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Old Mar 9, 2010 | 10:18 PM
  #89  
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Hey OP, do some mild weight reduction of about 200lbs, get a 3,000 stall, get some more bolt-ons with a tune and Scorpion 3/8 1.7rrs. You are going to beat him without a Cam or nitrous. Trust me I been in your shoes
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Old Mar 9, 2010 | 11:12 PM
  #90  
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Originally Posted by -PEPE-
sold PEPE two years ago and happily thought I'd seen the last of the LT vs LS threads then...just wow
Still mad you sold the Mule.
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Old Mar 10, 2010 | 12:35 AM
  #91  
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Originally Posted by slamm69
That SS may have some simple mods done to it.
I was the SS and nope no mods. Just the SLP lid and a cut out.
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Old Mar 10, 2010 | 12:55 AM
  #92  
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Originally Posted by caseypryan
I was the SS and nope no mods. Just the SLP lid and a cut out.
No mods eh? So a lid and a cut-out don't count? Intake and exhaust my man...
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Old Mar 10, 2010 | 03:38 AM
  #93  
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hey drew, just let your friend get his drag radials put on, and keep racing him. he may keep winning, but by the time he wears out the drag radials, he will blow his rear axle apart, and then you can laugh your *** off at him while he is walking because its a $1k dollar repair bill to fix that if its a simple break. trust me, i know, ive broken 5 of them. Manual transmission cars eat up rear ends much faster than the autos do. auto with stall with soak up enough power to lessen the hit on the gears. manual is not as forgiving. just give it time. not a matter of if, just a when.....
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Old Mar 10, 2010 | 03:44 AM
  #94  
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^^Moser 9" fixed that problem pretty good.
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Old Mar 10, 2010 | 04:26 AM
  #95  
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S60 here. but that is big money, and takes time for them to fab up your order, so that means more down time. took me 6 weeks to get mine. was forever! Hey Merv, i see you are in iraq. i am too. how you likin it?
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Old Mar 10, 2010 | 04:39 AM
  #96  
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Originally Posted by ZONES89RS
Man, i can go to a scrap yard and pull a distributor from a 73 camaro and it will still work flawless. I have never had issues with the old school distributor, now the opti? Man, i see so many people like me that had so many issues and i see others that swear by them, in the end, the half of us that hate them had issues and the older setups do not.

Hate them forever, LOL.
Yeah, and that '73 has the original cap, original points/condenser/etc.? My vented Opti went 205K miles without a hiccup. Without a new cap (nor new vent tube). It only got replaced because the original plug wires had finally melted against the block and I figured as long as I was in there...

The vented system is obviously a good one, I would wager if it was given 1/10th of the care of even an HEI ignition system (like a new/cleaned vent tube every couple of years), it would last 10 times as long as that '73. Probably outlive the gear drive too. BTW, I gave that Opti to a guy building some sort of off road buggy and I bet he got a lot of service out of it.
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Old Mar 10, 2010 | 05:17 AM
  #97  
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my car has 136k on the clock, and opti is running strong. thought i lost it once, but turned out it was just an O2 sensor. whew!
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Old Mar 10, 2010 | 05:41 AM
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Originally Posted by firehawk238
S60 here. but that is big money, and takes time for them to fab up your order, so that means more down time. took me 6 weeks to get mine. was forever! Hey Merv, i see you are in iraq. i am too. how you likin it?
He's chillin at the firehouse haha. What base are you at? im here as well
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Old Mar 10, 2010 | 08:15 AM
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^^Yup..about to walk over to the Bad Company Concert.

Originally Posted by firehawk238
Hey Merv, i see you are in iraq. i am too. how you likin it?
It's not too bad..what base you at?
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Old Mar 10, 2010 | 08:22 AM
  #100  
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All the bolt ons and some driving to hang but he'll probably still pull you up top. A cam to beat stock one. Once he starts modding good luck...and yes years ago I owned a full bolt on Lt1 and a good buddy had a stock LS1 so im not talking outta my ***
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