When will my LT1 need a rebuild?
When will my LT1 need a rebuild? I know people have discussed this a lot, but how much more life will my LT1 have? I have about 117,000 miles on it and from what I understand, its been floored every once in a while by the previous owner.
There isn't an LT1 in existence that has not been floored once in a while by any of it's owners.
As long as you keep up proper maintanence, many have lasted close to 200k miles.
As long as you keep up proper maintanence, many have lasted close to 200k miles.
On The Tree
Joined: Nov 2005
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On cz28.com theres a guy with 267k on his, but it just bent a rod(leaking head gasket and hydrolocked) he had the original opti too, its a sticky in the lt1 tech section. Theres pics of the bearings and other internals.
People who worry about engine wear are largely stuck in the carburated age. Not that engine don't wear these days it is however DRASTICALLY reduced from the days of carb dumping fuel washing down the bores and carboning everything up not to mention the better materials and machining. At 180K I did a compression test on one of my LT1s and came up with 195-200psi according to "conventional wisdom" that is too much for even premium fuel BUT being this is a stock motor in a 95 Roadmaster wagon it was tuned from GM for 87 octane and that is what she gets. Before you go dismissing the life of an engine in a car like that as easy consider a base curb weight of 4672lbs, a 5000lbs tow rating, 2.92s and 28" tires along with a 1400stall converter, can you LUG, a few months later she made the 15.5 pass in my sig, Today she is at 197k without a problem, debating racing it friday hoping for a low 15 in the heat.
I'm sitting at 137k, I replaced the head gasket, blew due to a bad thermostat. I replaced the valvesprings, rocker arms, and pushrods while in there, planning on nitrous now. People seem to have a lot of miles these days, and I'm not the first guy to spray nitrous on 125k+ motor either. I think fuel injected engines run for a long time when maintained, my first car was a 86 5 speed 2.8 camaro. It had 196k on it when I sold it, ran great.
Guys at the local speed shop can't believe how it pulls for the mileage, LT1s are champs.
Guys at the local speed shop can't believe how it pulls for the mileage, LT1s are champs.
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Nobody believes how fast my 160k LT1 is either.
I keep thinking it will blow up and then I can build a good motor but I think this thing may last past 200k still running near 13 flat.
Maybe I will throw a cam in it this winter to help it on its way to chevy heaven.
And trust me my rev limiter gets a work out everytime I drive it.
I keep thinking it will blow up and then I can build a good motor but I think this thing may last past 200k still running near 13 flat.
Maybe I will throw a cam in it this winter to help it on its way to chevy heaven.
And trust me my rev limiter gets a work out everytime I drive it.
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I just tore my stock motor down, it had 145K on it and had the crap drivin out of it and still had cross hatching on the cylinder walls, My friends 93 blew a headgasket at 140k he replaced it, put headers and k and N and nittos and ran a 13.4, seems to me they will last 200k no problem as long as you take care of them
My brother has 236,000 on his 94Z, It runs 13.2 @105 mph on street tires. With bolt-ons, everything is still stock in the motor. It has 3.42 gears and still makes 24 mpg on the HWY.
TECH Addict
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From: South Jersey (15 miles from Atlantic City)
One of my old 94 Z28's 183,xxx before i sold it.The guy who purchased it came to pick it up in a 98 Z28 A4 vert. My old LT1 had every bolt on and a torque converter and said he pulled on his dad all the way back from NJ to PA. My current 94 Z28 has 117,000 on it and is babied by me.
