The way this man explains motors the shortcomings and whatnot is f****** hilarious and the way he explains motors is Fucken hilarious he is the shit and Very knowledgeable on motors.
Just send your heads and intake to Lloyd Elliott and get a custom grind cam. Or get some lt4 heads or intake and port those, aftermarket heads aren't really necessary. Oem optispark the only way to go unless you go 24x conversion and run ls coils. Been in the lt1s for 10 years. People just get mad when the their 20 year old water pump starts leaking and their 20 year old optispark goes bad.
Hey I just got a 95 cadillac fleetwood with 320K on it. Before I got it I already knew that I was going to go the ls route or see about rebuilding and upgrading the lt1 motor. With that said I'm leaning towards the lt4 heads w/lt4 intake, upgrade the cam, along with doing the 24x conversion. Would that be a more cost efficient way to go or is there a better way? It's a fleetwood so I'm not looking to out run vettes and z28s, just want some more power to get the boat rolling quicker and surprise a few folks with a mild sleeper fleetwood!
I love this guy. My best friend died. He reminds me of him. We had the best times. I have one project left we were half way through. Ramjet 502 in a 1973 K20. See you up there in 50 years bro!
I feel for you bro, I lost my best friend too. Murdered along with his siblings by his own mom, who then took her own life. I've been mad about it since highschool. No one knows why, either. She was as far as I could tell a completely normal, loving mom. No note or anything
bought a 92 c4 w/lT1. installed trickflow topend kit, new msd opti and waterpump. dougs shortys bigger throttle body and injectors. running 7.90s in the eighth and the AC still works.
@@Prince_.A I think I bought one from summit. I believe if I had it to do over again I would go the route of the remote water pump that mounts on bottom of radiator. I’d like to see how that would work and solve a problem inherent to these opti LT1 motors.
My personal opinion im a fan of that car dont do that build it Sr my older bro had this engine in 97 camaro it was a monster trust what hes saying bro real i watch him every new episode
Hey man seriously no funny shit speaking from personal experience LS swap it. I’ve got a 94 z28 and it was literally nothing but fucking problems. Yeah the guru is fucking awesome but this isn’t a guide to fix your problems it’s a guide to throw your problems away.
Just LS swap it 😂 never heard that before 🙄 seriously though if you want to be like everyone else go ahead and do that. Much easier to work on and with than the LT1 but if you really do the homework and research the LT1 is where it’s at. I have a 1994 trans am lt1 that I’m putting in my lt1 Roadmaster It’s not gonna be cheaper to swap it to LS because you already have the LT1 on hand and all the parts there to make it operate correctly. There are numerous ways to overcome the opti junk some super cheap some not so much IF do the research and legwork 0411 swap is about $150 and the time to repin some plugs or swap to a coil on plug LS type ignition with junkyard parts for $300-400. If you had nothing to start with sure LS swap it but you have a 10.5 .1 compression 4 bolt main aluminum headed badass engine already that with just a cam upgrade and tuned properly will give you plenty of power. And the lt1 looks 10 times better than an ugly ass LS 😂
@@BIGWILL0715excuse me pardon my lack of knowledge but does the 1990 Camaro iroc also use optispark? Asked because I was looking to buy a older Camaro so I'd have a sporty fun car but reliability is mandatory
had a '95 chevy caprice with the lt1 as a patrol car in the hood. between the 3 shifts, that car was in a pursuit atleast twice a week in summer. engine never quit. it needed a brake job every couple months tho.
Send your heads and intake to Lloyd elliot to get them ported have him also get you a custom grind cam kit, his port work is damn near as good as those afr heads and will make power. Next look up a torqhead or efi live ignition conversion kit, it does away with the opti spark all together and converts it to coil on plug like the LS 24x style. The gen 2 LT1 still is a great engine and can beat alot of LS cars but when the LS came out in 98 everybody moved on and forgot about these engines.
Yeah if you are a lt1 guy you know what’s up. Do you run a coil on plug 24x reluctor wheel setup? I have gathered all my parts for the 4x 0411 pcm now but the more and more research I’ve done I am 95% sure I can get the coil on plug set to work on the lt1 without buying the really expensive torque head or efi kit.
All the issues with the LT1 engine have been figured out I got a 1996 Buick Roadmaster estate wagon collector's edition and I changed out the water pump for a better brand new water pump and Opti-Spark system IT TOLLS 5,000 LB HORSEPOWER 300 REAR WHEEL DRIVE 8 SEATS 8 SEAT BELTS I CAN'T COMPLAIN
Oh yeah!!! Good looking My 96 Imp about to be Nasty!!! I’ve only done a Jet performance chip (old), K&N cold air system, and 3.73 gears. I love when it scratch second off that hard shift! Time to get active 💪🏾
C4 top speed is 168 with LT1 and for a 25 year old car is *phenomenally* quick. I've beaten STis and even an Audi S4 with mine, I would recommend downshifting...lol
Torque head has a conversion kit that deletes the optispark. Or you could go carberated with a points style distbuter. I drive my optispark daily tho and it's fine
You know what.... I love the Way You explain motors and the problems they have or how fast they are and you're f****** hilarious and I love the way you explain it more than any man should love another man's explanations of motors the way they work and the shortcomings and whatnot. You are the shit brother lol 😊💯
Facts. People only rave about the MSD because of brand & the price. When in reality you talk to guys in the forums there's plenty that have had issues. Every opti is hit or miss and people don't realize the best opti is the original GM opti with the yellow cap. There's literally no company that currently makes the Mitsubishi sensor so brand and price doesn't matter it's really all about the warranty lol.
For those wondering the LT1 in the B-bodies are a little bit different than the ones that came in the C4's and F-bodies. The B-body LT1s have two bolt mains and the cam profile isn't as aggressive, they have a different name too but I'll always call them LT1s.
Hmmm that’s not exactly true my guy. The engine is called a lt1 if it’s an LT1 the only one that isn’t is the 4.3 “baby LT1” which looks just like a 5.7 lt1 but is gutless junk and sadly some people think they bought a “LT1” and get ripped off. Anyways the lt1 s in the B body’s and (D body Fleetwood caddy)had iron heads instead of aluminum like f body’s and vett. The camshaft was different to give it more torque for the much heavier cars and they were tuned far less aggressively that’s it. And as far a 4 bolt or 2 bolt officially I think the only lt1 that supposed to have them were the vets but in actuality you have about a 50/50 chance of dropping the oil pan and seeing 4 bolt mains imo based my experience
@@yeahididit9054 4.3l L05 was dropped in 93, B-bodies 94 and up have an LT1. The B-bodies LT1 is a two bolt main with cast iron heads, the vet's and Camaros have 4 bolt mains and aluminum heads. The B-body LT1 has 40 horsepower less than the Corvettes. Not like it matters though, both can handle 500hp.
At almost 400,000 miles and several water pump failures never had a optispark issue.had it in deep enough water to suck water into the air filter without any issues
You can always throw a liberal and thick layer of di-electric grease over the cap sealing surfaces along the side. That was the suggestion on car forums, and it served me well. As far as the parts suggestions, what are they good for, racing or daily driving? Currently in a project to get my '97 Trans Am fixed up and the still rather stock 5.7L engine converted over and using a 1991 Corvette TPI intake. More muscle and less sporty.
Everyone shits on the opti. I have a 95 vette with the lt1 as long as you are pay attention to your car do routine checks on the fluids and watching the waterpump, issue is guys don’t care for their cars enough to check it once a week and don’t realize they are loosing coolant on shutdown or even while driving, I just replaced my water pump at the first sign of a leak. No opti issues and about 800 miles past the pump change
I truly believe don't nobody love cars more than you the vast amount of knowledge you have is passion driven in my opinion your one step away from what ever you wanna do in the car industry
Alright. You win. I want longform content where you bring us up to your level of understanding, one in depth tutorial after another. I would Super Thanks all on that series.
THIS WHY EVERYONE I KNEW WHO HAD AT LEAST BOLT ON'S WOULD ALWAYS INSTALL A MSD IGNITION. IT WAS ONE OF THE 1ST THINGS YOU DID IF YOU BOUGHT A Z28 OR TRANSAM. WAS REALLY HAPPY WHEN THE LS1 CAME OUT BC GM FIXED ALOT OF THE DESIGN FLAWS INCLUDING THIS AND THE SIAMESE EXHAUST PORTS ETC.
I built 2 yrs ago that makes 1575 hp I used torque head as a replacement for the opti and holley terminator max built a custom gear ratio 4l80 with a trans brake 410 gears and 35lbs of boost. My advice is have the block machined and put together and splay to a 4bolt main caps this thing is a real monster
You know your stuff it’s entertaining to listen to your advice and I enjoy you covering these nice old motors that have been modified by many people so there’s lots of trial and error to go by.
I swear the 9C1 Caprice with the LT1 had a different tune from the factory compared to the Impala SS. I used to beat my friends 95 Impala SS every time by 1.5 car lengths with my 95 Caprice 9C1. We both had the LT1 and both had same mods (air intake, headers, and 3.73 gears), yet I always pulled on him for some reason lol.
He's actually 100% spot on it's kind of wild that Chevrolet being a pretty damn dependable system with that HEI they had would do something like this they should have just put a crank trigger on it
The only Chevy motor that I left intact. Not the TBI 5.7, or the broken pushrod from a bad roller rocker on the LS1 predecessor, or the recent LT 5.3 DI 5.3. My LT1 went until the body rotted.
This guy covers it good !! LT1 was no joke. Member the reason they couldn’t make Crazyhorsepower cars because insurance companies back then wouldn’t cover anything more than like 250 hp without an act of Congress
Can swap to a LS style ECU and individual coils like a LS. Also, the LT1 heads’ ports and chambers were adopted to later SBC. They are the “vortec” heads (like on the L31) on the later 350s in the trucks.
Had a bunch of ex-cop cars with these back in early 2000s. Super fun cars. Sideways at every intersection. Beat on them relentlessly. Never an issue besides one of them having the leaking water pump, optispstk issue. Not to hard to fix.
I literally walked into my friends dad's shop, and I told him I got a 95 firebird, and he instantly walked over to his desk and handed me that MSD ignition and told me buy this off of me you'll thank me later lol
Not sure what F*** most of what you are talking about is or does but you make it sound interesting and entertaining (i am not necessarily a motor head..but love cars..hp power caddilacs to be specific).thus I will continue to watch and learn at opportunity.. (-:..
i like your knowledge my man. wish i had some of that. some day when i get the time I'm gonna build a chevy V8. don't know what I'll put it in, ill figure that out later
to be honest, just oversize the stock heads valves and port the heads, and do a distributor delete and run coils. use dome or dual valve relief pistons, and a mildish cam and your good for 350+ HP
Yea this was the answer to those issues back then.. but with the price point it became inferior and made more sense to upgrade to an LS based engine altogether and be happy
@@nitomeanboyGBODY I mean yeah but there are people, like me, who want to make a build more unique and everyone’s done an LS swap from LS swapping older cars to literally throwing an LS in a go kart, smart car, and pretty much anything and everything people got their hands on and it’s just kinda stale, plus you can make the same amount of power with a vortec 350 that you can with a 5.3 or 6.0
Yo I feel this bro I got an all blacked out chevy impala same year and trim all blacked out tinted windows I had the mufflers and resonators deleted and straight piped it. Next I think I need to replace the factory air intake then get an E85 tune. Only thing is these cars weren't Designed to be race cars yes they are fast but I don't think there's actual engine components for it to replace and get more power. But hey I could be wrong I've just been doing small things to her
Did a tune up on this motor in a 95 roadmaster sedan... loved that car, the only car i loved more than that was my 76 Fleetwood 60special brougham. Also had that motor in a 91 caprice classic and a 95 caprice classic. Its basically the corvette motor without the chip
Another thing to add if you’re going to change to the MSD distributor there are two different versions of the opti spark 92 and 93 had its own so you would have to modify things to make it work, 94 to 97 You can use the MSD without modification because what happens is that the water pump will leak onto and or water will seep underneath the distributor cap and have nowhere to go so the moisture stays in there take the cap off drill a hole at the bottom somewhere. Attach a vacuum fitting to the distributor cap and run a hose somewhere else to make a outlet because the movement inside the distributor will allow it to get dried out but you have to have a place for the water to go these engines are awesome, granted they are a bit expensive to modify because they were only out for six years and only were in certain model cars in all honesty, not all LT1’s are the same B and F body were for the most part because of them having 2 bolt main’s the Corvette LT1 was its own because it was the only one with 4bolt main’s from the factory unless the engine was replaced by the dealer because all replacement engines were 4bolt’s, and the corvette had the most horsepower and torque until GM did a one up to that and made the LT4 in 1996
Currently have a '94 LT1 with 280 original miles. Wire harness, computer, all accessories, still has the belt on it. Its available for purchase. Never even burned the undercoating overspray off the manifolds. Come get it!
Optispark and water pump was the first thing I changed in my 95 Fleetwood. I embarrassed a lot of people on 17 inch Daytons and Vogues. lol Never had any mechanical issues
THIS MOTOR WAS INTRODUCED IN 1992 WITH THE OPTISPARK IGNITION, REVERSE COOLING, RAISED COMPRESSION WHICH WAS CHEVYS ATTEMPT TO REVAMP THE SMALL BLOCK TO COMPETE AGAINST THE SMALL BLOCK FORD 302 WHICH WAS RAPING THEIR 350, AND CHEVY'S FEAR OF THE 351 WINDSOR MAKING ITS WAY UNDER THE HOOD OF THE MUSTANG.THIS LT1 FAILED AND THE GM ENGINEERS RUSHED TO THE DRAWING BOARD TO REDESIGN A NEW V8 ENGINE. FROM A CLEAN SHEET AND BASED EVERY DESIGN ASPECT OF THE NEW MOTOR WHICH WE KNOW AS THE LS ALL BASED ON FORD DESIGNS. AROUND 7 YEARS AGO I TOOK MY GERMAN SHEPHERD CONOR TO THE DOG WASHER AND ON THE WAY BACK I CAME ACROSS ONE OF THESE CAMAROS WITH THIS ENGINE. WITH CONOR AND HIS HEAD OUT THE PASSENGERS WINDOW AND WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED. I TOOK THIS CAMARO DOWN BY CAR LENGTHS AND OBLITERATED HIM WITH A FULLY STOCK 5.0 MUSTANG WITH LONG TUBE HEADERS AND COLD AIR INTAKE AND 3:73 GEARS. MR. "CHEVY IS THE BEST" NEVER KNEW WHAT HIT HIM. HE EITHER GOT RID OF HIS CAMARO AFTER THAT RACE OR STILL HAS IT TO THIS DAY AND LIVES WITH THE HUMILIATION OF A SMALL BLOCK FORD BEATING HIM DOWN.
I had one of these engines in my 95 Firebird. The fact that this man knew about the waterpump issue is actually really impressive. Great work
Everyone including mustang owners knew of this. Man I miss thy transam. Drop to 2nd and take off with flames
WE virtually invented everything so naturally we know
@@Ubullshitingtake that foolish talk on clown
@@fababybaby4807crazy bc I own 2 mustangs and I know of this, had one in my first car ever 96 camaro
The way this man explains motors the shortcomings and whatnot is f****** hilarious and the way he explains motors is Fucken hilarious he is the shit and Very knowledgeable on motors.
The LT1 was bulletproof like most domestic V8s but that optispark was the Achilles heal the MSD units are a must!
They're hit or miss too. 411 conversion &/or electric water pump along with an original GM opti is a must!
@@nikothevirgo LS coils
The later model Optis where better because they where sealed better and had a vacuum port to suck out moisture and keep it working properly.
@@solo_dolo8184 don’t have 2k to replace a $300 opti
@@nikothevirgo bro I need your help how do I convert to an electric waterpump ?
Overlooked engine when everyone goes LS1. Lots of budget potential in an LT1
Just send your heads and intake to Lloyd Elliott and get a custom grind cam. Or get some lt4 heads or intake and port those, aftermarket heads aren't really necessary. Oem optispark the only way to go unless you go 24x conversion and run ls coils. Been in the lt1s for 10 years. People just get mad when the their 20 year old water pump starts leaking and their 20 year old optispark goes bad.
It’s really not bad at all and the job of changing it is a cake it’s just the space that makes it frustrating..
Hey I just got a 95 cadillac fleetwood with 320K on it. Before I got it I already knew that I was going to go the ls route or see about rebuilding and upgrading the lt1 motor. With that said I'm leaning towards the lt4 heads w/lt4 intake, upgrade the cam, along with doing the 24x conversion. Would that be a more cost efficient way to go or is there a better way? It's a fleetwood so I'm not looking to out run vettes and z28s, just want some more power to get the boat rolling quicker and surprise a few folks with a mild sleeper fleetwood!
I love this guy. My best friend died. He reminds me of him. We had the best times. I have one project left we were half way through. Ramjet 502 in a 1973 K20. See you up there in 50 years bro!
I feel for you bro, I lost my best friend too. Murdered along with his siblings by his own mom, who then took her own life. I've been mad about it since highschool. No one knows why, either. She was as far as I could tell a completely normal, loving mom. No note or anything
@@bigdawg77 spirit box session
@@bigdawg77 god damn, heavy
@@bigdawg77 Sorry for your loss bro
bought a 92 c4 w/lT1. installed trickflow topend kit, new msd opti and waterpump. dougs shortys bigger throttle body and injectors. running 7.90s in the eighth and the AC still works.
Nice! My cousin’s LT1 isn’t that fast, but he gets mid 10’s in the quarter, which is still pretty good.
What brand water pump did you use because I been using the "AC Delco" pump and him still leaks🙄
@@Prince_.A I think I bought one from summit. I believe if I had it to do over again I would go the route of the remote water pump that mounts on bottom of radiator. I’d like to see how that would work and solve a problem inherent to these opti LT1 motors.
@@michaelthomas5140 How is that not fast? What affordable cars are doing mid 10s in the quarter?
@@Prince_.A I used gmb
Thank you thank you think you bro now I can rebuild this 94 trans-am. I was going to trash that car you saved the year
My personal opinion im a fan of that car dont do that build it Sr my older bro had this engine in 97 camaro it was a monster trust what hes saying bro real i watch him every new episode
Hey man seriously no funny shit speaking from personal experience LS swap it. I’ve got a 94 z28 and it was literally nothing but fucking problems. Yeah the guru is fucking awesome but this isn’t a guide to fix your problems it’s a guide to throw your problems away.
Just LS swap it 😂 never heard that before 🙄 seriously though if you want to be like everyone else go ahead and do that. Much easier to work on and with than the LT1 but if you really do the homework and research the LT1 is where it’s at. I have a 1994 trans am lt1 that I’m putting in my lt1 Roadmaster It’s not gonna be cheaper to swap it to LS because you already have the LT1 on hand and all the parts there to make it operate correctly. There are numerous ways to overcome the opti junk some super cheap some not so much IF do the research and legwork 0411 swap is about $150 and the time to repin some plugs or swap to a coil on plug LS type ignition with junkyard parts for $300-400. If you had nothing to start with sure LS swap it but you have a 10.5 .1 compression 4 bolt main aluminum headed badass engine already that with just a cam upgrade and tuned properly will give you plenty of power. And the lt1 looks 10 times better than an ugly ass LS 😂
@@BIGWILL0715excuse me pardon my lack of knowledge but does the 1990 Camaro iroc also use optispark? Asked because I was looking to buy a older Camaro so I'd have a sporty fun car but reliability is mandatory
@@yeahididit9054I've only seen the 4 bolt main blocks in corvettes. Anybody reading this ever seen a 4 bolt main in an F body?
Lt1 gang
I loved my 95 Trans Am and had a cam, stage 2 trans shift kit and 4.10s with Detroit posi. Especially at 19 years old. Back in 2012
Thats a hell of a ride for teenager 🔥
THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART.
-a '95 Caprice 5.7l owner
That's what was under the hood of my '96 Impala SS, & I miss that beaSSt to this DAY.💪💪
had a '95 chevy caprice with the lt1 as a patrol car in the hood. between the 3 shifts, that car was in a pursuit atleast twice a week in summer. engine never quit. it needed a brake job every couple months tho.
Thank god my LT1 doesn’t have a water pump leak 🥹
Oh it will
Send your heads and intake to Lloyd elliot to get them ported have him also get you a custom grind cam kit, his port work is damn near as good as those afr heads and will make power.
Next look up a torqhead or efi live ignition conversion kit, it does away with the opti spark all together and converts it to coil on plug like the LS 24x style. The gen 2 LT1 still is a great engine and can beat alot of LS cars but when the LS came out in 98 everybody moved on and forgot about these engines.
Yeah if you are a lt1 guy you know what’s up. Do you run a coil on plug 24x reluctor wheel setup? I have gathered all my parts for the 4x 0411 pcm now but the more and more research I’ve done I am 95% sure I can get the coil on plug set to work on the lt1 without buying the really expensive torque head or efi kit.
These engines are awesome until they're not lol
All the issues with the LT1 engine have been figured out I got a 1996 Buick Roadmaster estate wagon collector's edition and I changed out the water pump for a better brand new water pump and Opti-Spark system IT TOLLS 5,000 LB HORSEPOWER 300 REAR WHEEL DRIVE 8 SEATS 8 SEAT BELTS I CAN'T COMPLAIN
I been chasing a rich condition on one of these for a year. Definitely awesome until they're not.
Just like an opti it works great untill it doesnt
At almost 5k in upgrades might as well ls swap it 😂
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR GREAT WISDOM
That opti spark is a pain to replace but once you do it you’ll ask yourself why you didn’t do it sooner especially if it’s msd. Good video bro
It takes 15 minutes to replace. Unless you have a tow pack car, then it takes 25.
@@tclott31615min idk bout that lol
@@920_newjuan3 you’re right it’s more like 10.
Oh yeah!!! Good looking My 96 Imp about to be Nasty!!! I’ve only done a Jet performance chip (old), K&N cold air system, and 3.73 gears. I love when it scratch second off that hard shift! Time to get active 💪🏾
Thanks for sharing your knowledge !!!! I love my LT 1
That follow up with the opti spark delete was magic! 😂
Yup had this problem twice until I bought an msd. This dude is %100 spot on lol this exactly what I have done to my 94 trans am.
That’s what my 93 corvette has. Fun car to drive even if is not the quickest lol.It’s top speed is pretty good for how old it is around 160 ish
Cam,headers,rear gears will keep up beat ls engines and that’s like less than 1000 dollars of mods
C4 top speed is 168 with LT1 and for a 25 year old car is *phenomenally* quick. I've beaten STis and even an Audi S4 with mine, I would recommend downshifting...lol
Can confirm with my 97 Camaro. Buried the speedo stock form 13 years ago 😅😅 only once never did it after modifying.
Everything msd makes works. They are the man!
Torque head has a conversion kit that deletes the optispark. Or you could go carberated with a points style distbuter. I drive my optispark daily tho and it's fine
Can you send me the link bud? Need it
@@Anthony0899 you will find it of you hoogle torque head optispark delete. There is also a cheaper way to delete the optispark on RUclips
I have it on my fleetwood, its a very nice kit
You know what.... I love the Way You explain motors and the problems they have or how fast they are and you're f****** hilarious and I love the way you explain it more than any man should love another man's explanations of motors the way they work and the shortcomings and whatnot. You are the shit brother lol 😊💯
The depth and breadth of your knowledge is rather impressive.
LT1 love!!!
pretty accurate except the MSD optispark part do the torque head set up with ls truck coils and you'll be rocking and rolling then boys
Facts. People only rave about the MSD because of brand & the price. When in reality you talk to guys in the forums there's plenty that have had issues. Every opti is hit or miss and people don't realize the best opti is the original GM opti with the yellow cap. There's literally no company that currently makes the Mitsubishi sensor so brand and price doesn't matter it's really all about the warranty lol.
Yes indeed 🔥🔥🔥
@@nikothevirgo the issue is before 1995 the newer opti are fine I sealed mine anyways with gasket material just in case
@@aidenog7380no they’re not.
😢 they way he talks about cars makes me proud, and I don't even know the guy, but I take notes 😅
For those wondering the LT1 in the B-bodies are a little bit different than the ones that came in the C4's and F-bodies.
The B-body LT1s have two bolt mains and the cam profile isn't as aggressive, they have a different name too but I'll always call them LT1s.
Hmmm that’s not exactly true my guy. The engine is called a lt1 if it’s an LT1 the only one that isn’t is the 4.3 “baby LT1” which looks just like a 5.7 lt1 but is gutless junk and sadly some people think they bought a “LT1” and get ripped off. Anyways the lt1 s in the B body’s and (D body Fleetwood caddy)had iron heads instead of aluminum like f body’s and vett. The camshaft was different to give it more torque for the much heavier cars and they were tuned far less aggressively that’s it. And as far a 4 bolt or 2 bolt officially I think the only lt1 that supposed to have them were the vets but in actuality you have about a 50/50 chance of dropping the oil pan and seeing 4 bolt mains imo based my experience
@@yeahididit9054 4.3l L05 was dropped in 93, B-bodies 94 and up have an LT1.
The B-bodies LT1 is a two bolt main with cast iron heads, the vet's and Camaros have 4 bolt mains and aluminum heads.
The B-body LT1 has 40 horsepower less than the Corvettes.
Not like it matters though, both can handle 500hp.
At almost 400,000 miles and several water pump failures never had a optispark issue.had it in deep enough water to suck water into the air filter without any issues
You can always throw a liberal and thick layer of di-electric grease over the cap sealing surfaces along the side. That was the suggestion on car forums, and it served me well. As far as the parts suggestions, what are they good for, racing or daily driving? Currently in a project to get my '97 Trans Am fixed up and the still rather stock 5.7L engine converted over and using a 1991 Corvette TPI intake. More muscle and less sporty.
Finally sum lt1 talk!! 💪🚗💨💨😎
Yup I got a 96 Impala SS & 94 caprice classic and yes that water pump can be hell on a hay opti spark at times
Everyone shits on the opti. I have a 95 vette with the lt1 as long as you are pay attention to your car do routine checks on the fluids and watching the waterpump, issue is guys don’t care for their cars enough to check it once a week and don’t realize they are loosing coolant on shutdown or even while driving, I just replaced my water pump at the first sign of a leak. No opti issues and about 800 miles past the pump change
The Optispark issue was already addressed by 95.
@@itsjamilagain yeah they added a vacuum line to prevent moisture build up but still fail eventually from the corrosion
I honestly don't have a clue what you are talking about in any of your videos. But somehow, I am learning every video. I really appreciate you!!!!
I truly believe don't nobody love cars more than you the vast amount of knowledge you have is passion driven in my opinion your one step away from what ever you wanna do in the car industry
Blessing folks with great information 💯
Dab some in weld in the weep hole of the water pump. My opti been dry for years
Appreciate the MSD Optispark distributer change out yet just want to keep mine original
Alright. You win. I want longform content where you bring us up to your level of understanding, one in depth tutorial after another. I would Super Thanks all on that series.
THIS WHY EVERYONE I KNEW WHO HAD AT LEAST BOLT ON'S WOULD ALWAYS INSTALL A MSD IGNITION. IT WAS ONE OF THE 1ST THINGS YOU DID IF YOU BOUGHT A Z28 OR TRANSAM. WAS REALLY HAPPY WHEN THE LS1 CAME OUT BC GM FIXED ALOT OF THE DESIGN FLAWS INCLUDING THIS AND THE SIAMESE EXHAUST PORTS ETC.
I built 2 yrs ago that makes 1575 hp I used torque head as a replacement for the opti and holley terminator max built a custom gear ratio 4l80 with a trans brake 410 gears and 35lbs of boost. My advice is have the block machined and put together and splay to a 4bolt main caps this thing is a real monster
You know your stuff it’s entertaining to listen to your advice and I enjoy you covering these nice old motors that have been modified by many people so there’s lots of trial and error to go by.
Thank you bro, taking notes. 💯
You only need an aftermarket opti for anything before 96
*95
My buddy's dad bought used cop cars by the dozen, and lemme tell ya.. Those '94-'96 Chevy Caprice cop cars whooped on errything in their time.
I swear the 9C1 Caprice with the LT1 had a different tune from the factory compared to the Impala SS. I used to beat my friends 95 Impala SS every time by 1.5 car lengths with my 95 Caprice 9C1. We both had the LT1 and both had same mods (air intake, headers, and 3.73 gears), yet I always pulled on him for some reason lol.
I’ve had two LT1’s!! Damn Good Engine!!
The under dog! My favorite engine!
Opti delete is the best option for this car
If You carb these engines they become MONSTERS with the right cam heads setup !
Yes I have mines carb in a c1500 .
He's actually 100% spot on it's kind of wild that Chevrolet being a pretty damn dependable system with that HEI they had would do something like this they should have just put a crank trigger on it
That opti spark was a nightmare for the folks that were not mechanically inclined! I replaced mine with the MSD unit and never had a problem again
Did you have to remove the harmonic balance to replace the opti spark?
@@mattirzzmattimuss yes. Autozone has a tool to rent for that
I know your talking about making it fast shiit I wanna make it reliable first.... but I'm still grabbing that cam too I mean..... 😏
The only Chevy motor that I left intact. Not the TBI 5.7, or the broken pushrod from a bad roller rocker on the LS1 predecessor, or the recent LT 5.3 DI 5.3. My LT1 went until the body rotted.
Damn bro I used to own a 96SS Impala. It definitely had that problem
This guy covers it good !! LT1 was no joke. Member the reason they couldn’t make Crazyhorsepower cars because insurance companies back then wouldn’t cover anything more than like 250 hp without an act of Congress
Can swap to a LS style ECU and individual coils like a LS.
Also, the LT1 heads’ ports and chambers were adopted to later SBC. They are the “vortec” heads (like on the L31) on the later 350s in the trucks.
Bro i learned more about cars from u than my dad...dam tbcg is my new og😂🎉💯
keep up the great car game.
Thank you guru!!
Had a bunch of ex-cop cars with these back in early 2000s.
Super fun cars.
Sideways at every intersection.
Beat on them relentlessly.
Never an issue besides one of them having the leaking water pump, optispstk issue.
Not to hard to fix.
It's really a Mitsubishi Electronic Hall-Effect Trigger Ignition
I know 3 ppl that tried the MSD opti. All 3of em had problems. Went back oem
Ive heard pretty mixed reviews of msd too. More bad than good
Dr.opti spark has a Nice setup
Msd has been top dog of ignition parts and systems FOR EVER
That optispark was hell 😂
He overlooked LT1s biggest flaw prone to cracked heads
This man is the Katt Williams of Cars
They are good engine I got one in my 86 1500 with carb hei also an it work .
😂 you the man! You should be making millions of dollars. 💯 for the "Black Car GURU! make it work got dammit, make it work 😊.
I literally walked into my friends dad's shop, and I told him I got a 95 firebird, and he instantly walked over to his desk and handed me that MSD ignition and told me buy this off of me you'll thank me later lol
As an impala owner, he ain’t lying lol
We need more information on the lt1 sir
I have a 94 trans am with long tubes and koni shocks and it’s lowered. I replaced the opti with a Petris opti and 3 hrs in with no issues
I had a 95 trans am pro am 3 . Was a great car all except that optispark .
Damn I miss my c91
Opisparks also need a passive ventilation setup.
my stock 1996 lt1 never had any issues. granted it only has 13k original miles
All you need is the aftermarket optispark replacement and your good
For a second I thought it was Mos Def with a southern accent
My favorite of this is the CAMMASTER that Mr Regular reviewed.
but one of the real problems is the water pump Drive seal another good thing to do is just run an electric water pump in the stock water pump housing
Not sure what F*** most of what you are talking about is or does but you make it sound interesting and entertaining (i am not necessarily a motor head..but love cars..hp power caddilacs to be specific).thus I will continue to watch and learn at opportunity.. (-:..
Ive had a 94 and 95 caprice and have a 96ss right now never had a problem wit the opti
I have 1 n my 1995 c91 police 🚔 car 🚗 very fast no bullshit
i like your knowledge my man. wish i had some of that. some day when i get the time I'm gonna build a chevy V8. don't know what I'll put it in, ill figure that out later
Actually Mr. Gruru... there's a LS conversation kit that allows you to have individual coils. Just like on all LS engines.
to be honest, just oversize the stock heads valves and port the heads, and do a distributor delete and run coils. use dome or dual valve relief pistons, and a mildish cam and your good for 350+ HP
Yea this was the answer to those issues back then.. but with the price point it became inferior and made more sense to upgrade to an LS based engine altogether and be happy
@@nitomeanboyGBODY I mean yeah but there are people, like me, who want to make a build more unique and everyone’s done an LS swap from LS swapping older cars to literally throwing an LS in a go kart, smart car, and pretty much anything and everything people got their hands on and it’s just kinda stale, plus you can make the same amount of power with a vortec 350 that you can with a 5.3 or 6.0
@@matteblackexterior I respect it
Cool videos.....can u do a video on a 2012 chevy impala ltz 3.6 plz thxs
Yo I feel this bro I got an all blacked out chevy impala same year and trim all blacked out tinted windows I had the mufflers and resonators deleted and straight piped it. Next I think I need to replace the factory air intake then get an E85 tune. Only thing is these cars weren't Designed to be race cars yes they are fast but I don't think there's actual engine components for it to replace and get more power. But hey I could be wrong I've just been doing small things to her
Man tick cams in ls1 fbodys early days were nuts.
YO , i been for someone too speak on the LT1 , goos job boss !! !! !!
Did a tune up on this motor in a 95 roadmaster sedan... loved that car, the only car i loved more than that was my 76 Fleetwood 60special brougham. Also had that motor in a 91 caprice classic and a 95 caprice classic. Its basically the corvette motor without the chip
Another thing to add if you’re going to change to the MSD distributor there are two different versions of the opti spark 92 and 93 had its own so you would have to modify things to make it work, 94 to 97 You can use the MSD without modification because what happens is that the water pump will leak onto and or water will seep underneath the distributor cap and have nowhere to go so the moisture stays in there take the cap off drill a hole at the bottom somewhere. Attach a vacuum fitting to the distributor cap and run a hose somewhere else to make a outlet because the movement inside the distributor will allow it to get dried out but you have to have a place for the water to go these engines are awesome, granted they are a bit expensive to modify because they were only out for six years and only were in certain model cars in all honesty, not all LT1’s are the same B and F body were for the most part because of them having 2 bolt main’s the Corvette LT1 was its own because it was the only one with 4bolt main’s from the factory unless the engine was replaced by the dealer because all replacement engines were 4bolt’s, and the corvette had the most horsepower and torque until GM did a one up to that and made the LT4 in 1996
Currently have a '94 LT1 with 280 original miles. Wire harness, computer, all accessories, still has the belt on it. Its available for purchase. Never even burned the undercoating overspray off the manifolds. Come get it!
Where are you based out of?
@@marshalldang2605 Seattle area Wa state
I have a 94 Z28 with the LT1 T56 combo. Not a bad ride but you were spot on about her problems and flaws . That and the interior was shet.
Nice to find you on youtobe that was a vary nice Impala
Optispark and water pump was the first thing I changed in my 95 Fleetwood. I embarrassed a lot of people on 17 inch Daytons and Vogues. lol Never had any mechanical issues
I get PTSD looking at those engines
Might be something to think about for a 1994 to 1996 Impala SS 🤔
THIS MOTOR WAS INTRODUCED IN 1992 WITH THE OPTISPARK IGNITION, REVERSE COOLING, RAISED COMPRESSION WHICH WAS CHEVYS ATTEMPT TO REVAMP THE SMALL BLOCK TO COMPETE AGAINST THE SMALL BLOCK FORD 302 WHICH WAS RAPING THEIR 350, AND CHEVY'S FEAR OF THE 351 WINDSOR MAKING ITS WAY UNDER THE HOOD OF THE MUSTANG.THIS LT1 FAILED AND THE GM ENGINEERS RUSHED TO THE DRAWING BOARD TO REDESIGN A NEW V8 ENGINE. FROM A CLEAN SHEET AND BASED EVERY DESIGN ASPECT OF THE NEW MOTOR WHICH WE KNOW AS THE LS ALL BASED ON FORD DESIGNS. AROUND 7 YEARS AGO I TOOK MY GERMAN SHEPHERD CONOR TO THE DOG WASHER AND ON THE WAY BACK I CAME ACROSS ONE OF THESE CAMAROS WITH THIS ENGINE. WITH CONOR AND HIS HEAD OUT THE PASSENGERS WINDOW AND WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED. I TOOK THIS CAMARO DOWN BY CAR LENGTHS AND OBLITERATED HIM WITH A FULLY STOCK 5.0 MUSTANG WITH LONG TUBE HEADERS AND COLD AIR INTAKE AND 3:73 GEARS. MR. "CHEVY IS THE BEST" NEVER KNEW WHAT HIT HIM. HE EITHER GOT RID OF HIS CAMARO AFTER THAT RACE OR STILL HAS IT TO THIS DAY AND LIVES WITH THE HUMILIATION OF A SMALL BLOCK FORD BEATING HIM DOWN.