Devdude

I have been toying with the idea of doing a V8 conversion in my 91 Vert for some time now. I have pretty much decided to do it thanks to all the information I have gathered from this group. I am not looking to be a racer, just want a car to have a lot of fun with out on the road. My problem is that I am on a budget so my question is this:

It's clear the preference is to go with an LSx engine, but these are spendy. If I went with a cheap SBC with a carb is there any configuration that I can use that would not require me to cut the hood? Would a Ford or Mopar engine work better for my purposes?

I am unclear if an LT1 is injected or not. I was just wondering if I could grab a junk yard 350, do a mild rebuild on it and stick er in there. Appreciate any thoughts you may have. And if this would ultimately be that much cheaper than going the LSx route.

One more silly question, will a T56 mount to any SBC or is it LSx/LT1 only?

Thanks,

Devdude

tinner

iTrader: (2)

LT1s are injected and affordable.

T56s will bolt up to any SBC, there are two different bellhousings though. One for LS1s and one for everything before.

Devdude

Thanks for the input. That confirms my suspicions.

My only concern with the injection is the need for computers. The main reason I am doing this project is to try and simplify the vehicle maintenance required. Although I work on computers everyday, vehicle computers give me nightmares. My thinking has been to go with a carb system to keep it simple, but I am not excited about having to cut the hood.

Devdude

LT8TurboII

iTrader: (2)

DO an injected setup. The GM computers are no big deal and there are plenty of programs out there to interface with them. You will simply end up with a much better running car going with injection. I paid about $2500 for my LT1 engine/flywheel/clutch. The engine had been rebuilt with forged internals and it had a hotcam in it. You can usually pickup LT1 pulls with engine/tranny/PCM/Harness for around $2700. The LT1 engine is basicaly a 1pc rear main SBC with reverse flow cooling and factory efi. My LT1 car runs awesome.

Below are some links to gallerys of my car,so you can see what an LT1 looks like installed etc.

http://www.namike.com/gallery/album54
http://www.namike.com/gallery/album42

digitalsolo

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, trust the people on the boards on this one, you will have less work and less maintenance with fuel injection in the long run. It's easier to tune, better gas milage, and far more tolerant to changes in weather and modifications. LT1 is a great option for the budget minded.

Devdude

Thanks for all of the input. Thats an awesome gallery LT8. I noticed that you changed from a cone air filter to a pipe to the left wheel well. How has that worked? I would be concerned about water and debris getting into the intake.

If I am looking at an LT1, what type of computer related tools do I need to tune the engine and monitor for problems? I know you have LSEDIT for the LS1, but my understanding is that is primarily used to disable the special key lockout. What would I need for an LT1?

I was looking at the online installation instructions at Granny's. Looks like there are a lot of little workarounds needed for an LT1 installation. How much of a problem does this become?

Thanks,

Devdude

digitalsolo

iTrader: (2)

LT1 installation is basically the same as a small block chevy install, just a little more wiring.

First time swap, expect a 100-150 hours for a clean swap.

I've done enough swap work on RX7s now, that I'm pretty confident I could pull one off in a weekend, with a couple sets of extra hands for heavy lifting and wrench spinning.

If you are a mechanically inclined person at all, it's a very doable swap, in a 2 car garage with hand tools.

LT8TurboII

iTrader: (2)

www.tunercat.com and a program called Freescan and a cable from akmcables.com is what I use for my car. Tunercat allows you to bypass the VATS, all emmssions codes and also edit fuel/ignition maps and control the automatic transmission if you use one. I have not completely fitted the Fbody K&N FIPK to the car yet but I will soon.

I did my LT1 conversion in my driveway with a garage smaller than most 1car garages.

The wiring is not a big deal, my car is wired so the factory temp and oil psi guages work, as well as the GM PCM using my CEL.. My fan is wired to be controlled by the PCM and soon my AC will be up and working. My fuel pump is also controlled by the factory PCM so it only runs when needed. The wiring is not has hard as it is made out to be by some. There are companies out there that will simplify the GM harness and make your hookup as easy as feeding power/grnd to a few wires.