LT1 to LS1 conversion?

[1995Z/28]

Has anyone done a whats what and how to on swapping an LT1 camaro over to an LS1?
If so, could someone kindly point me in that direction?
Thanks, Kelley

[jderry]

There are plenty of write ups on it.

You're honestly better off selling your LT1 car and buying an LS1.

But if you must do the swap having a donor car makes life a whole lot easier.

[Curt_irocz]

I have a 1995 that I put a ls1 in.

[1995Z/28]

I have a 1995 that I put a ls1 in.

First off, I just got my LT1 car...so getting a different car would come with a divorse lol. I like my 95. And so does my wife, maybe I could give her the 95 and buy the ZL1...haha
How involved is the swap? is it easiest to just find a wrecked LS1 car and buy the whole thing? Or is that not necessary?

[jderry]

First off, I just got my LT1 car...so getting a different car would come with a divorse lol. I like my 95. And so does my wife, maybe I could give her the 95 and buy the ZL1...haha
How involved is the swap? is it easiest to just find a wrecked LS1 car and buy the whole thing? Or is that not necessary?

A donor car makes it a lot easier.
Why do you want to do the swap?
End goals?

[meissen]

If you could find a wrecked LS1 vehicle that'd make it easier. Essentially if you had an LS1 donor car, you would drop the LT1 out of your 95 on the Kframe assembly, drop the LS1 out of the donor car as the whole kframe assembly, then put the LS1 kframe assembly into the 95. The problem comes with making it work together. With your 95, it's OBD1 and the LS1 is going to be OBD2. That means you better be good at electrical wiring because you'll have a lot of wiring changes. Basically the whole engine harness plugs into the rest of the chassis electrical on the passenger side strut tower and then there's three plugs that go down through the firewall and then plugs in down into the passenger side kick panel. But each of the LT1 years they changed the wiring on the plugs and then changed again when they went to 98+.

[Curt_irocz]

If you could find a wrecked LS1 vehicle that'd make it easier. Essentially if you had an LS1 donor car, you would drop the LT1 out of your 95 on the Kframe assembly, drop the LS1 out of the donor car as the whole kframe assembly, then put the LS1 kframe assembly into the 95. The problem comes with making it work together. With your 95, it's OBD1 and the LS1 is going to be OBD2. That means you better be good at electrical wiring because you'll have a lot of wiring changes. Basically the whole engine harness plugs into the rest of the chassis electrical on the passenger side strut tower and then there's three plugs that go down through the firewall and then plugs in down into the passenger side kick panel. But each of the LT1 years they changed the wiring on the plugs and then changed again when they went to 98+.

Yeah even though the plugs look the same and will plug in. The pins are in different locations. Yes no matter what it's kinda a lot of wiring. But if you don't mind wiring it's not that bad. I totally think it was worth it in my car. Where can you get a ls1 car with 45k miles for under 4 grand?

[1995Z/28]

so, even if i had a complete donor harness and ecm and all, it would still take re-wiring? i could just swap EVERYTHING right over? if thats the case, LT1 383 here i come haha..i dont do wiring, unless i absolutely have to, ive chased wires via a shematic on my bikes before, and that was a pain. i could even fathom doin it to a automotive harness...
if i could build a 450hp lt1 easily, that woould be dependable and street friendly, im A OKAY with the LT1, I just had a buddy talkin in my ear about swappin to an LS1, thats all..if i can get the drivability and reliability out of the LT platform, ill do it.

[FASHOOTER]

400rwhp can be done in the LT1 platform. And be very street friendly!

[jderry]

Probably for the same money as putting a stock LS1 in your car.

A nice H/C package from AI or LE would be the way to go.

[1995Z/28]

Probably for the same money as putting a stock LS1 in your car.

A nice H/C package from AI or LE would be the way to go.

H/C package?
Whats a fair price for a rebuildable LT1? Id like to find a complete engine so I can leave my car drivable until the new engine is ready to drop in.

[Curt_irocz]

Yes you have to still do some wireing. Unless you use all the wireing from a ls1 car including the dash and everything. But like I said its really not that bad. And IMO worth it.

[meissen]

so, even if i had a complete donor harness and ecm and all, it would still take re-wiring? i could just swap EVERYTHING right over? if thats the case, LT1 383 here i come haha..i dont do wiring, unless i absolutely have to, ive chased wires via a shematic on my bikes before, and that was a pain. i could even fathom doin it to a automotive harness...
if i could build a 450hp lt1 easily, that woould be dependable and street friendly, im A OKAY with the LT1, I just had a buddy talkin in my ear about swappin to an LS1, thats all..if i can get the drivability and reliability out of the LT platform, ill do it.

Like Curt said - the wiring in the plugs are different from year to year. The only way you could get it to work without having to do wiring would be if you had the engine harness, the engine bay harness, and the interior wiring harness which goes from your dash through to the door panels and all the way back to the taillights. That's where the wiring change is a lot easier than pulling all of the harnesses out of the car.

450 on an LT1 is very easy. Look at JoeliusZ28's car as an example -- he has an LS1 lid for an intake (instead of the normal elbow intakes you see on LT1 cars), mildly ported heads, a decent cam, long tubes, and true duals and he was putting down 383hp to the rear wheels. Aftermarket heads or a 383 stroker and you'd be past that 400hp mark at the rear wheels which would be over 450 at the crank.

Or better yet - go forced induction.

[1995Z/28]

It sounds like I just need to do the 383 like I orignally planned, then.
If I could get the car in the mid-high 11's..heck, even lower 12's, id be happy. Is that a reasonable exspectation? Our am I dreaming?

[JoeliusZ28]

450 on an LT1 is very easy. Look at JoeliusZ28's car as an example -- he has an LS1 lid for an intake (instead of the normal elbow intakes you see on LT1 cars), mildly ported heads, a decent cam, long tubes, and true duals and he was putting down 383hp to the rear wheels. Aftermarket heads or a 383 stroker and you'd be past that 400hp mark at the rear wheels which would be over 450 at the crank.

Or better yet - go forced induction.

Close --- 373 HP. My heads are NOT ported, just valve bowls cleaned up. I'd like to try a set of the trick flow 21 degree heads, but the sucker runs so good as it is I dont wanna mess with it