I was wondering what are the differences between the LT1 and the 350. I have a built 350 and would like to put it in a Camaro.

Will the LT1 Intake bolt up?

Will the pulley system bolt up?

Can I use the 350 Pulley System?

Are the engine block bolt patterns and mounts the same?

 

It would be very difficult and expensive, but nothing is impossible. The main differences are the LT1s reverse-flow cooling system, the cam-driven water pump and the optispark ignition. The LT1 intake will bolt up to only the LT1 heads, I believe the standard 350 SB heads have a different bolt pattern. Because of the water pump differences, the standard 350 SB pulley system will not work (no crank-driven fan or water pump, for starters). I believe the engine mount patterns are the same for both. For all the difficulty and expense, it would not be a worthwhile swap.

 

Are you trying to run a carb, or keep the OEM fuel injection and PCM. The PCM will not function without the Opti low resolution pulse pattern. I've heard of people putting the optical sensor in a conventional distributor, but not sure how its done.

The LT1 intake would have to be "converted" to work with Gen 1 SBC heads. Two of the bolt holes have to be relocated, the "seat" angle for the bolts needs to be changed, and you have to add coolant passages to each side. Then if you want to switch to a distributor, you have to drill the hole in the back of the LT1 intake and put a base ring in for the correct distributor height. There is an outfit that does the LT1->Gen 1 SBC intake conversion.

 

Yes, I would like to keep the fuel injection.

I also have the means to fabricate my own intake manifold so that is not a problem. It's just getting the ignition setup that I am really concerned about.

I really don't know anything about the fuel injection ignition system or what the parts look like and how they function.

 

You might be better off selling your built 350 and building up an LT1. But its your choice.

 

The LT1 PCM (computer) fires the plugs and the injectors, in the correct sequence. But to do that, it needs the cam position. It gets that from the optical sensor in the Optispark distributor. So, without the Optispark distributor, the stock LT1 PCM can not function. It won't even allow the fuel pump to operate without the Opti low resolution signal. You can't physically mount the Opti on the front of a Gen 1 SBC, so you have to find another way for the optical sensor to function. As I noted, I've heard that someone has successfully mounted the optical sensor in a conventional distributor, but I have never actually seen it done that way.

The alternative would be to use an aftermarket computer to run the fuel injection and ignition. Here's a Gen 1 SBC (Dart Iron Eagle block) in a 97 SS. The injection and ignition are run off a MoTeC M880 ECU. You are looking at about $5,000 for the MoTeC alone. But then it was pushing out 1,350HP, so there was a "return on investment" for the expense....

 

Wow! Thanks for the clear and concise information! I really appreciate it!

I will look into getting the opti to work in or with the distributor, I can do a little fabrication.

Thanks Again