1996 Caprice LT1 into a 1996 C1500

[Daniel Brown]

Hi everyone,
I just bought a nice 96 LT1 and trans out of a caprice and want to put it in my truck. 1996 chevy 1500. What will I need to do to make this fit?
The LT1 is a drop out and comes with the ecm, wiring harness and all the bolt on accessories.
These are the things I am concerned about,
* Wiring harness, will it match up to my dash or not if not, what do I need to do to make it work?
* Since this is a 350 block, I assume that it will drop into the c1500 without much trouble. Am I right?
* Everything else that could go wrong

Thanks in advance for your input. I appreciate your time,
Dan in Waxhaw NC

 

[L31MaxExpress]

Hi everyone,
I just bought a nice 96 LT1 and trans out of a caprice and want to put it in my truck. 1996 chevy 1500. What will I need to do to make this fit?
The LT1 is a drop out and comes with the ecm, wiring harness and all the bolt on accessories.
These are the things I am concerned about,
* Wiring harness, will it match up to my dash or not if not, what do I need to do to make it work?
* Since this is a 350 block, I assume that it will drop into the c1500 without much trouble. Am I right?
* Everything else that could go wrong

Thanks in advance for your input. I appreciate your time,
Dan in Waxhaw NC

Yes and no. It is basically a 350 block, but that is where the similarities end. The a/c compressor will be fighting for the same space as your frame and your motor mount stand. If the truck is a 4.3 truck, you may be able to use the passenger side engine mount in the stock location and move the front engine up to the V8 location using the V8 frame stand. Never tried it that way not sure about that.

The B-car LT1 engine in stock form makes the same power as a L31 but has the complication of the crappy opti-spark system.

Furthermore having done this swap in an older truck years ago, I used a LT1 Y-car accessory setup with the high mounted a/c compressor. Using the high mounted a/c system and accessories, you free up the engine mount holes to bolt the standard 350 motor mount plates to. The truck I am mentioning actually ran a complete 1996 LT4 and a T-56 in a 1995 RCSB 1500.

Wiring is going to be fun and the only real tuning option for an OBD2 LT1 is Tunercats OBD2 or the Jet DST derivative of that software.

 

[Supercharged111]

Yeah it really is a pointless swap. You're going to go through a lot of headache to make the same power.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

Yeah it really is a pointless swap. You're going to go through a lot of headache to make the same power.

For the money he would have wrapped up in that swap I would get a Vortec 350, put a cam in it, and swap over to some other kind of intake manifold. That or find a 6.0L. Then again unique engine swap interest me. I have a cammed 8.1 in my 99 Tahoe. Roughly 450 hp @ 5,000 rpm and 525 tq @ 3,600 with the Mercruiser Mag 496 HO cam and headers. My Tahoe is on P305/50R20s and 20x9.5" wheels and has a 4L80E with 3.42 gears and it is still no slouch in the get up and go department. Cruising 1,850 rpm @ 70 with lean cruise active I have seen 17 mpg. It makes enough torque that I have considered swapping the 3.42s for 3.08s. The Tahoe had a cammed 305 in it before and the best it did was about 20 mpg @ 70 turning 1,700 rpm. Now I pull long hills in OD that the 305 would downshift to 2nd on.

 

[98 Nitro]

GM has a carb intake manifold for these and you can use HEI ignition if you have an older car or truck .

 

[Daniel Brown]

Thanks for the info. Now I am second guessing my decision. I can back out of the purchase if necessary. What I got for my $950 was the LT1 Caprice engine with 117,000 verified miles and the 4L40e trans that it is mated to. Does that seem like it would make it more worth the hassle? I have seen it run and shift. The thing purrs and there are no real signs of abuse. The stock HP isn't that impressive at 260-265 but the torque at 330 I like. The engine can be upgraded fairly easily to reach 300-325 hp with exhaust upgrades and a few other mods. Those are the things that make me tend to lean towards the swap. So, with that, whats your opinions?

 

[arrg]

There is nothing you will accomplish with that LT1 that couldn't be done to a SBC cheaper and with less hassle. Have you verified that it is a 5.7L LT1 and not the 4.3L L99 (yes, it's a 4.3l v8 not a V6)? They look exactly the same on the outside.

 

[blacksport]

i have had a fair amount experience with the LT-1,great motor when it has no problems but the opti spark was a REALLY bad idea!!!!! IMO that swap is a bad idea
go with a L-31 you would even be better off with a j-yard 5.3 /gen 4 LS type small block

 

[Supercharged111]

An L31 cam is nearly identical to the Caprice LT1 and the heads are also insanely similar. The only thing really better in stock form would be the top end flow of its intake. They both make 330 ft/lb. There are other intake options for the L31 or you can put that plenum spacer on and be GTG. L31 would be plug and play too once you hunted down a harness. My Camaro has an LT1 and knock on wood I've had zero opti issues with it. It's a tough ass motor, but so is the L31 that drags its ass to the track.

 

[skylark]

I'm assuming that you have a V6. If you have a V8 and it is a 5.0 then the 5.7 will drop right in. Either way in 96 if you are a V8 then you're a vortec.