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

402 lt1

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Old Sep 27, 2012 | 07:52 PM
  #21  
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Originally Posted by 97Z28SS
Didn't GM build a limited number of big bore LTx raceblocks, I remember seeing one on ebay, iirc it sold for like $3500. And as for the LSx engines their advantage over the LTx is the far superior flowing heads and availability of a 4.125 bore block. As others have stated I would just buy a standard sbc shp, motown or dart big bore block then top it with whatever head you want and call it a day if you don't want to go LSx.
They built a bunch of them. I've heard as many as 25 of them. I honestly don't know of any running examples that use the cubes to their advantage with large cylinder heads.

Originally Posted by djjab57
Yes they built 10 for a race team that never took them. so there is 10 and go for @ 10k IF you can find someone to sell it to you. The one from ebay was bought by someone on here just dont remember his Screen name
They didn't build them for a race team. It was a pet project for one of the guys in the Raceshop. I heard he put a big LT1 into his Impala SS along with a 6-speed. The blocks are patterned after the GM Bowtie blocks.

Originally Posted by Dave357LT1
You would have thought one out of ten would have been used!
The last one purchased on ebay went to a member in here, but I'm not sure what he has done with it yet. I know that 2 of the last remaining ones went to a shop somewhere in NY.
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Old Sep 27, 2012 | 07:57 PM
  #22  
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i just built and clearanced and hard blok my own lt1 block for a 397 that's 4.040 bore 3.875 stroke with 5.85 rods. i can tell you if i could ever suggest to anyone to save time,money,and aggravation just do a 383 lol i used all quality parts too! callies dragonslayer crank, lunati billet rods, je pistons so on.. if you want pics to see what is involved just pm me i don't always check back to the thread
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Old Sep 27, 2012 | 08:25 PM
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Heres the article about the guy who made the donovan block into an LT1

http://www.gmhightechperformance.com...a/viewall.html
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Old Sep 27, 2012 | 08:39 PM
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Originally Posted by Valkyn
Heres the article about the guy who made the donovan block into an LT1

http://www.gmhightechperformance.com...a/viewall.html
Wow a 434ci LT1! Why isnt the guy investing in his own business making his own custom blocks? Im surprised this hasn't had enough attention as it deserves!

Thanks for posting that. That might save some stress on big inch LT's. Anyone wanna try building more big inch LT's?
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Old Sep 27, 2012 | 09:43 PM
  #25  
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If I remember right the guy posted on camaroz28 how much it would cost to have blocks converted and no one was interested.
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Old Sep 28, 2012 | 05:24 AM
  #26  
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434 aluminum lt1, wet dream right there. Chances of it becoming a mass produced reality seems as likely as any other wet dreams coming true.
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Old Sep 29, 2012 | 04:31 AM
  #27  
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Wasn't the price of the conversion several grand, and that was after the price of the block.

It was built up with welding, machined and then fitted with the LT1 stuff if I remember right.
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Old Sep 29, 2012 | 07:27 AM
  #28  
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Yes it was, and the guy made 2 so he had a spare later selling one, and had at one point said he was willing to do more, never heard of the second one ever being run and nobody took him up on building more.

His own car is pretty limited by his instistance on keeping the factory computer, the 4L60E, and the 8.5" 10-bolt. Last I heard it sounded like low 9s approaching 160mph in a full weight AC/ABS, power everything Impala. He leaves very soft though because if he lets the engine make the power it wants when it wants he can strip the pinion gear at will a little ways off the start beams.

That is not to say the big inch block is responsible for all that, the guy doing it is just a LOT more capable than all but a tiny handful of people playing with the LT1. No matter what setup he had it would be faster than most.
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Old Sep 29, 2012 | 07:55 AM
  #29  
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If you are going to put a carb on it you may as well just buy a gen1 big bore aftermarket block. 4.125 inch bore and 4 inch stroke.

The LT1 was a temporary modernization of the SBC, its days were numbered from the day it was introduced. LS1 prototypes were being worked on by GM as early as 1992. There is a thread in the gen 3 section that shows a prototype LS1 with 1994 stamped on the timing cover. The LT1 was not out long enough for the aftermarket to be interested in building a block. Its never going to happen, just too much in common with the SBC.


Dont get me wrong it would be cool as hell if they were out there. The big bore race block thread in this section is bad ***, that would make a cool rare engine.
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Old Sep 29, 2012 | 08:25 PM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by 96capricemgr
Yes it was, and the guy made 2 so he had a spare later selling one, and had at one point said he was willing to do more, never heard of the second one ever being run and nobody took him up on building more.

His own car is pretty limited by his instistance on keeping the factory computer, the 4L60E, and the 8.5" 10-bolt. Last I heard it sounded like low 9s approaching 160mph in a full weight AC/ABS, power everything Impala. He leaves very soft though because if he lets the engine make the power it wants when it wants he can strip the pinion gear at will a little ways off the start beams.

That is not to say the big inch block is responsible for all that, the guy doing it is just a LOT more capable than all but a tiny handful of people playing with the LT1. No matter what setup he had it would be faster than most.
heres a link of who i think the guy is.

http://www.camaroz28.com/forums/adva...ogress-402939/
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Old Sep 29, 2012 | 08:45 PM
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I didn't think Jeff sold his spare motor till after that thread started. I believe that is unrelated and is from 2005 and the guys says toward the end of the thread he wanted to use LT1 injection but was NOT making it an LT1.

Jeff Green the guy with the 1996 Impala is the one who converted two Donovan aluminum blocks.
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Old Sep 29, 2012 | 09:20 PM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by 96capricemgr
I didn't think Jeff sold his spare motor till after that thread started. I believe that is unrelated and is from 2005 and the guys says toward the end of the thread he wanted to use LT1 injection but was NOT making it an LT1.

Jeff Green the guy with the 1996 Impala is the one who converted two Donovan aluminum blocks.
I agree, that thread is old as dirt. Thanks for clarifying that.
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