I was looking for a new engine and came across a Crapice that used to be a police car. Will this engine fit into my 94 trans am. or can i just drop it in? If it does fit would i need to use its own computer that came with the craprice or anyother items.

Also are there any draw backs if i drop in this engine than a remanufactured one from GM. I herd this car makes less power.

 

Yes it will fit. Main difference is the caprice had iron heads and a different waterpump. If i was doing it i would transplant the Fbody electronics to the caprice engine. http://shbox.com/1/lt1_water_pumps.jpg

 

You'll have to use the accessory drive stuff and water pump from the TA. You might also have to use the ECU from the Caprice, not sure how well the TA ECU would deal with the lower HP Caprice motor.

 

Make sure its not the "Baby LT1" which is only a 4.3L motor. If you arent rebuilding the bottom end then at the very least you should transplant the heads on your current motor to the caprice block.

 

Yes, it will fit fine. The only real differences are the Iron Heads on the caprice and the W/P difference.

The motor won't be "less horsepower", either. The cam in the B-Body LT1(caprice, impala, etc..) is more "low-end" power to get the heavier cars moving, but less top end.. where as the f-body is the opposite. If you have the motor out, I'd swap in a bigger cam anyways (like.. LT4 Hotcam, nice easily streetable but powerful cam).

Stock for Stock, the Iron heads of B-cars flow better, but they weigh alot more (about 80lbs total over alum).

So you give some you take some, but if you just want a motor in your car, the B-Lt1 will be fine...

Oh yeah, the PCM from either car should work fine also, some might say a slight issue with iron headed pcms vs alum headed pcms.. but it will be fine.


(oh yeah, 9c1 in my name = caprice cop car )

 

It is the same pcm just get yours reprogrammed for the iron heads and different cam. The stock pcm from either car will not be right, the b-body one wont agree with the rest of your car and the f-body one will have the wrong fuel and spark curves for the iron heads and different cam as well as the wrong MAF tables. The heads on that motor flow MORE than what you had in your car, and the cam is not bad, the intake and exhaust on the b-body were really choked up and that is a large source for the lower HP rating. There are bolton guys exeeding 300RWHP with that "lower hp motor". It builds more torque lower in the revs so it will feel different but not bad, traction may become more of an issue than it had been.

With that TB and an A4 you SHOULD already have it reprogrammed once otherwise the tranny can die prematurely, whoever did that for you should be able to handle this, and if you did not already have tuning then this is a second reason to do it now.

Edit, I see eric beat me to a reply, all other estimates at the weight thing I have seen were 50 lbs. but that is a valid point. He is wrong on the pcm though, see my above comments, if you have to you could run the stock f-body pcm but you will be throwing away power and likely some drivability.

 

The caprice is a 9c1. Do you guys beleive it is worth it to put this in. and if i do which Pcm should i stick with. The reason im considering this engine is because im getting it for free from a friend of the family who repairs salvage car and acquired the car.

 

And its not a "baby" lt1. Its a 350 5.7 lt1.

if i staid with the pcm from the t/a, i would just need to get it programed for the iron heads, and different cam and everything would be ok? And would i suffere a performance loss such in the 1/4?

 

Ttt

 

Is there anything wrong with your heads? If not, put them on.
The iron heads add almost 50lbs to the motor (the pair of iron heads are 100lbs, I know since I shipped the ones off of the 9C1 motor I have)
The waterpumps smaller outlets are also bent differently and there are only 2 ports that are on the pass side of the pump.

 

You could just load a stock "power tune" from a B-Body car, I have tons of them theyre all over the net. That is if you use the B-Car motor/heads.

I don't know if you would suffer a loss or a gain, to tell you the truth. If your old LT1 was weak and tired, and the new one isn't.. then you should be good. Otherwise if your just swapping it to swap it-- I'd say don't do it and save $$ and build the spare LT1 and then swap it.

Listen to Dwayne(96capricemgr) -- he definately knows his **** I wasn't sure on the programming, but he clarified that for ya..