300ish RWHP...L98 or LT1?
07-19-2004, 11:39 PM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Northern MA
Posts: 120
300ish RWHP...L98 or LT1?
On a budget, without nitrous, what would be better....rebuilt L98 or a used LT1? what would be easier/less expensive to get 300RWHP out of without nitrous?
Thanks,
-Chris
(BTW I'm possibly buying a friends 88 trans am 305 5 speed, so it may be soon that i start putting all my research to work!)
Thanks,
-Chris
(BTW I'm possibly buying a friends 88 trans am 305 5 speed, so it may be soon that i start putting all my research to work!)
07-20-2004, 01:02 AM
#2
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: New Bern, NC USA
Posts: 1,234
Re: 300ish RWHP...L98 or LT1?
I really don't know what it takes to get 300 from a L98 but it is pretty simple from an LT1.
I got 291hp/319tq from 1 3/4" SLP shorties, CSI water pump, mandrel 3" exhaust, Flowmaster, Moroso CAI. I picked up 4-5 mph in the 1/4 with Crane gold rrs so I know I am making over 300 at the wheels now. I bought this stuff new so keep that in mind. You can get it for a lot cheaper if you look around.
I got 291hp/319tq from 1 3/4" SLP shorties, CSI water pump, mandrel 3" exhaust, Flowmaster, Moroso CAI. I picked up 4-5 mph in the 1/4 with Crane gold rrs so I know I am making over 300 at the wheels now. I bought this stuff new so keep that in mind. You can get it for a lot cheaper if you look around.
07-20-2004, 01:26 AM
#3
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 167
Re: 300ish RWHP...L98 or LT1?
The LT1 will hit 300hp far more easily than the L98 will. I love my L98, but LT1's have better heads from the factory, and a intake that flows a crap load more.
In order to hit 300rwhp from an L98 you'd need a ported plenum, good aftermarket runners with a 1.66" minimum ID, aftermarket base(ported to hell), cam, ported heads(or aftermarket), headers, and full exhaust.
Its mostly the intake and heads that gives the Lt1 such and advantage. John millican has a few dyno sheets of a converted LT1 intake on a cammed L98 making 300rwhp through headers. The heads are stock, but the cam was changed to a LT4 hot-cam.
My combo with some GOOD aftermarket heads like AFR's would probably pump out over 300rwhp if I could feed it enough fuel.
In order to hit 300rwhp from an L98 you'd need a ported plenum, good aftermarket runners with a 1.66" minimum ID, aftermarket base(ported to hell), cam, ported heads(or aftermarket), headers, and full exhaust.
Its mostly the intake and heads that gives the Lt1 such and advantage. John millican has a few dyno sheets of a converted LT1 intake on a cammed L98 making 300rwhp through headers. The heads are stock, but the cam was changed to a LT4 hot-cam.
My combo with some GOOD aftermarket heads like AFR's would probably pump out over 300rwhp if I could feed it enough fuel.
07-20-2004, 09:54 AM
#5
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 167
Re: 300ish RWHP...L98 or LT1?
Yes, it wouldn't be very hard to have an LT1 hit 300rwhp. Bolt on's should probably do it.
Long tubes on an Lt1 are said to give about 45 to 50hp.
Think about this. With everything I have listed in my signature, my car MAY produce about 280rwhp at the most, and thats supposed to be with a good tune. Now, my torque on the otherhand will be at LEAST 350lb/ft at the wheels.
L98 = pavement shredding torque, but not alot of horsepower.
Long tubes on an Lt1 are said to give about 45 to 50hp.
Think about this. With everything I have listed in my signature, my car MAY produce about 280rwhp at the most, and thats supposed to be with a good tune. Now, my torque on the otherhand will be at LEAST 350lb/ft at the wheels.
L98 = pavement shredding torque, but not alot of horsepower.
Last edited by FruityOne; 07-20-2004 at 09:58 AM.
07-20-2004, 06:02 PM
#6
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Waco, TX
Posts: 2,076
Re: 300ish RWHP...L98 or LT1?
An LT1 will do it very easy, just do the simple bolt on's and your already there and a little over. You can home port your heads/intake and get a nice tune and you'll be VERY happy!! 
07-20-2004, 09:34 PM
#7
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Novi, MI
Posts: 747
Re: 300ish RWHP...L98 or LT1?
i'm kinda in the same dilema, but i don't have a regular L98, i got the one with the aluminum heads out of a vette, and I heard my heads out flow the LT1 heads...i was thinkign of swapping it out for a LT1 this winter if my dad allows me too, but i'm wondering if I should just get the stealth ram intake because thats better than the Lt1 intake and my heads are better than the Lt1 heads...what do you guys think I should do? I don't wanna swap it out for a Lt1 and sit there wondering why I spent all the money when I could've just modified my L98....what do you guys think i should do??? Keep it or swap it??
07-20-2004, 09:43 PM
#9
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: West Berlin, NJ
Posts: 272
Re: 300ish RWHP...L98 or LT1?
Originally Posted by speedingpenguin
ok....so if i swapped an LT1, w/ ported stock heads, a cam to match the heads, headers, exhaust, CAI, i'd be above 300 RWHP?
Rich
07-20-2004, 10:07 PM
#10
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 167
Re: 300ish RWHP...L98 or LT1?
The L98 aluminum 113 heads do NOT outflow the Lt1 heads. The aluminum heads barely flow better than their iron L98 counterparts.
About 185 on the intake, and about 120 on the exhaust.
About 185 on the intake, and about 120 on the exhaust.
)
07-21-2004, 09:27 AM
#14
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 167
Re: 300ish RWHP...L98 or LT1?
Yes you can. You can buy a painless harness that will swap right over. I beleive you have to wire the ECM for power, and one other thing, but thats it.
Even so, thirdgen.org has a whole sticky devoted to swapping a LT1 into a thirdgen.
Even so, thirdgen.org has a whole sticky devoted to swapping a LT1 into a thirdgen.