Good morning all,
I'm a new member to the forum, so please advise me if I'm killing a dead horse.
I have a 95 Z28 that has 170k and is showing signs of age. The engine seems to have a light tick and is rythmaticly, ever so slightly, skipping to match. Recently, under WOT, it slips when shifting to second gear. At 50% throttle it drives normal. The rear gears were changed to 3.08/1 and there are no oil, coolant, or fluid leaks.
My question is: I found a 95 Corvette LT1 for $600 with only 20k. Will it fit and should I go with a T56?
Any help would be appriciated.

 

It seems pretty unlikely that any of the issues you described are going to be fixed by swapping the engine...

It sounds like you probably have an ignition problem (have you ever changed the plugs?) or an exhaust leak, as well as a failing transmission.

What do you hope to accomplish by replacing the engine? The 170K motor is surely pretty tired, but changing the engine alone isn't going to fix those problems.

 

Agree with complete tuneup before anything else. Wires, plugs, cap and rotor, O2s, coil, fuel filter.

Also try an oil additive.

 

I changed the opti-spark, distributor, cap, wires, plugs, fuel filter, with no change at all. The reason for the engine change is to justify my winter project, I think it would be fun to upgrade, but not to the point of ruining a already great weekend driver.
Under further inspection I have found the compression in cyl 7 is at 85 psi while the others are at 99-105. These #'s seem a little low to me, but it is not a very expensive guage set. I wouldn't rule out a week hydraulic lifter, head gasket, or valve seal.
The reason for this post is the Corvette LT1 is in primo shall, but has no wiring harness, or accessories. I believe it comes with roller rockers and tighter tolerances, but the question is if it will fit. Will the Vette LT1 fit to the 4L60E tranny? Is the ecm compatible? Am I creating a headache for myself? Should I just rebuild with minor upgrades? There's my delema.

 

The 95 motor will fit,yes you can use your Pcm,it will bolt up to your trans.

 

Thank you so much for all of your help, I can truly say that this forum has some HIGHLY knowledgeable people here. I have been reading through other postings and have to say I am greatly impressed with the fine details of the postings. I actually found my 95 Z28 Auto with leather and a Bose System and the original window sticker in the glove box. I stole it for $1450, so there is room for improvement. I have ready to install this winter the following: MagnaFlow 3" cat back & Cat, Other guys Emmission legal headers, transmission cooler, all rubber being replaced with poly suspension, drilled & slotted rotors (all) with ceramic pads, Corvette Y2K rims with 1" spacers, 1.5" lowering sport springs, KYB matching struts & shocks, and cold air intake.
This should keep me busy, and I will post all the picks and progress as I go.
Thanks for everyones input, I greatly appriciate it.

 

If the 95 Corvette engine has full "roller rockers", and "tighter tolerances", they would be aftermarket rockers, and a blueprint rebuild. Stock, the Corvette LT1 block and internals are identical to the F-Body LT1, with the single exception of having a 4-bolt block. The blocks even carry the same casting number. Only the 1996 LT4 had the full rollers, and a lot of other changes.

You would simply bolt the engine in, after changing all the accessory mounts, and accesssories from your F-Body engine to the Corvette engine. It would also make sense to change the fuel rails, since the Corvette rails have the hard line connections in a different location than the F-Body rails. You will also have a "spare" knock sensor on the driver's side of the Corvette block (Corvette has 2 knock sensors, F-Body has 1). Just leave it there, not connected. Or pull it out and use the block drain plug from your F-Body engine.

I'm not sure why everyone is challenging you on changing the engine and trans. It will certainly not have the same "tick" and "skip", but could have a new set of problems all it's own. And changing to the T56 would obviously eliminate the slipping automatic you seem to be describing.

Note that when you go to the T56, you will need to have the 95 F-Body's PCM reflashed with the program for the manual trans. You may also have a problem with poor rear axle gears, since some of the automatics have 2.73 rear axles (some also have 3.23's), and the T56 came standard with a 3.42 rear axle. Putting a 94-97) T56 in front of a 2.73 rear will kill performance.

Minor point - when you try to bolt the Corvette wheels on your 95 axle, you may have to grind out the hub holes in the wheels to fit over the over-size rear axle hubs that were used on the 93-96 F-Bodys.