.........I can barely tell if this is even an LT1 anymore!!!!!

I've had quite a few people ask what I was doing since I was changing my Intake setup and removing the awesome NX Double Rail Fogger system from the car (Good luck with that thing Mikey!). Well I figured I'd do some show and tell since the majority of the parts have arrived.

www.LT4-396.com/Intake/Engine1.jpg
www.LT4-396.com/Intake/Intake1.jpg

Theres a few more in that folder for any of ya that wanna get snoopy.

This change comes for several different reasons. Let it be said though that I don't plan on being any slower just cuz "All I got" is a plate. I have a few more tricks up my sleeve and this won't quite be the finished product.

 

Kurt: impressive!. But your ironic statement brings up a question. If it's so hard to tell it's an LT1, why keep it an LT1? I am thinking about this same issue. If you want a real hi-po small block, doesn't it make more sense to start with a stronger foundation? IOW, why not ditch the LT1 architedture and go for a Bowtie or Dart Gen I block and build it up from there?

Rich Krause

 

So what are you going to do with 2 thermostat openings or is that part of the intake non fucnitional because those are LT1 style heads? what about the dist. opening on the rear of the intake? how are you going to plug it?

 

Rich,

You make an EXCELLENT point. I have a couple reasons for why I sit where I do today.

When I started building this new engine I had plans for a Mild hydraulic cam'd engine that would run LOW 10s and Dip into the high 9s on a fairly small Nitrous system.... Even then I was using what I deemed as the Best of the Best in parts (Lunati pro Crank, Carrillo Rods, Roos Custom slugs w/ Swain coatings, etc etc etc etc)...... Things financially changed slightly and allowed the entire car to become abit more radical..... things progressed and progressed and today as it sits the car is nothing more then a glorified Race car that happens to be able to use the term "Street Legal" (albeit somewhat Loosely ) the Cam changed from a Hyd. to a Solid, FAST Engine management was bought, and a whole slew of other things that weren't in the plans or required before.

Hindsight is 20/20. If I had known when I first started you'd probably see me posting in the Forced Air section pictures of a 360ci F3 Supercharged Donovon Block based engine, using 18* heads and making significantly more power.

On the otherhand, I still have some personal goals to see just how far we can push this poor ole LT1 block.

I think next year will be interesting if I can keep the pistons in it, hehe.


Rob,

Yes the Therm housing on the intake is non functional at this point. The distributor will be filled with...... the distributor It ain't yer typical lt1 anymore.... I wanted to make sure we had enough spark and so with the MSD Digital 7 I have the voltage would most likely eat Opti's for breakfast. Removed the Opti all together, and added a Crank trigger, and MSD Distributor w/ built In Cam position sensor. This will also allow me to easily run a Sequential FAST/Speed Pro Engine management system....

Enough typing for now......

 

Nice. That looks a bit tall, what are you doing for a hood? Or will it actually fit under the SS hood?

 

Uhhhh, well..... Ya know.........

I'd REALLY like it if this fit under my SS hood, but we'll see, if not its not the end of the world. If it can fit I'll probably make the SS Scoop semi-functional with a Fabricated pan.

Anyone know where I put my sawzall???

-K

 

Looks good KT...........so much for your "mild cam" plan. hehehe
Makes my heads/cam/headers I'm just finishing look like.........
well, duck poop.

 

I like it they way better anyone. Everyone recently seems to be ditching the LT1 and going to regular SBC aftermarket blocks and heads. They don't seem to be cracking LT1 blocks or blowing crap up, they just give up on them.

I understand where these guys are coming from. They are dumping a lot of money into a motor, and want a block they are 100% sure can take what they give them. They also want very high performance heads that are tried and true. I've said it before, though, on some of these high dollar LT1 setups, I'd like to see them run some of those Arao 32V heads and see how far they can go with those.

I'd really like to see how car the LT1 can be pushed. If GM would offer a beefed up LT1 block (the LS1 guys have choices, like the 6.0L iron blocks or the C5-R block), so why can't we have choices too?? Ford offers high performance 5.0 blocks too....... Someone with some pull needs to convice a good company to offer an aftermarket LT1 block...PLEASE!!

What made you decide to go w/ a plate on this setup vs. a direct port setup, like you had on your LT4 manifold?

 

Well, I understand about keeping the LT1, since I decided on the same. I was just curious about your thought process. My plans sound like your initial plans. To see how far the old LT1 can go with a mild hydraulic cam. I am planning on 950+rwhp. My "secret weapon"? Dual power adders

Remember: the only rules with these wild production based cars are those we make for ourselves! I am planning on entering the LT1/LS1 shootout if it comes off. How about you? If they have a "true street" class I think I wll have a shot at it. The problem with "no rules" cars like these is who do you race against?

Kurt, it sounds awesome. Good luck man!

Rich Krause

 

Rich,

I won't make it to Hunkin's Shootout..... Just abit too far for me....

I'm going to try my hand at the True Street Class in the PSCA (West Coast version of NMCA/NSCA). The Fogger system put me into a class that I would be greatly outgunned. This precisely stems why I changed Intake manifolds and to a plate. Nitrous Rules allow no more then 2 Solenoids, and 2 SPray Bars, One for N20 and 1 for Fuel respectively. To do so on the Stock style LTx Intake would be tough due to ditribution, although granted I could have had custom spraybars put INSIDE the intake that may have worked OK (I know of someone that already has their intake this way)..... I figured this would be just as simple, more effective, and I would also pickup a few HP on the Motor, because as good as the stock style Intakes are, I find it hard to believe I can't pick up something with this Dart Single Plane unit.

It was honestly something I had in the very back of my mind at doing ANYWAYS, but I found this intake used, with $500 in porting (you'd have to see it to believe it!), Jet-Hot coated, EFI Converted, for lesss then a new Intake is, I said LETS DO IT! Also I had my LT4 Intake actually boxed up for shipping/machining to accomodate the MSD Distributor, and so that was just one less thing I would have to spend $$ on to keep that setup.

More then likely next winter I'll add a Fogger system also, this year I'll be concentrating on the plate.

I'm almost surprised no one has called me a traitor for ditching the Nitrous Express products.... LOL. :P

Heres the Rules for PSCA True Street




Enough for now.

Kurtis