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That seems to be the consensus. I basically spent $400 to inherit someone else's problem. Everyone hates the LT1 and avoids them, which is probably why I had never heard anything about them before. There's probably no chance anyone will ever buy this thing; I would have been better off just setting fire to my paycheck to save the time it will eventually take hauling it off for scrap.
Isn't the water pump driven by the timing chain or something? Will a TBI pump even bolt onto it and work? As I understood it just trying to Google around, the OEM water pump is designed around the Opti Spark system and integrates with the timing set, which also drives the distributor. Replacing the distributor itself shouldn't be a problem with an accommodating carb intake, but by the time I change the entire accessory setup and run electric fans, as well as buying a $500 carburetor intake plus the cost of a TBI adapter, I would have come out cheaper and easier just using it as a doorstop and buying a completely different block for my original plan. It's not that I think the LT1 is a bad block, it's just the worst possible block for a direct swap on my truck.
The LT1 carb manifold already has a distributor hole. I forget the exact size freeze plug but a freeze plug blocks the opti spark hole in the timing cover. Unbolt and remove the oil pump drive and an HEI with a melonized gear drops right in.
ya I know that, i guess I don't see why it matters what direction it spins since it's driven by the cam. i assume OP think there's an issue with the accessories? the only issue I could see was the low mount AC unit (I have a caprice LT1) has clearance issues, which can be solved by modifying the frame. I swapped an LT1 into my late 80s Caprice and just heated the frame rail with a torch and them clearance the with a hammer .
