LT1 Cam

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Shilaeli hugger

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Figured id ask. Got one for free. Great shape and just throwin ideas around. My 87 motor is all stock and im fine with that til i can get some other things done but anyways

Alot of guys in the impala/caprice group run the lt1 cam in the LO5s. More torque, more power all that fun stuff. Im wantin stay with tbi set up and maybe throw some headers on soon.

Question is anyone else done it? lt1 cam that is... i gotta check the specs first to make surr 100% its from an impala and not f-body but both made more power than truck.
 

bucket

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You will also need the roller cam specific timing set, lifters, dogbones and retainer, as well as the cam retainer that bolts to the face of the block. And also your block may not have the roller cam provisions. I know, it's and '87 and it should... but the fact is that not all of the '87 and later blocks were.
 

Shilaeli hugger

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Hmmmm good insight. Thank ya much. Mite be best to find a later tbi n do it.
 

bucket

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If your block has the provisions, it's an easy install. The parts can be bought new as a kit, or the stuff is fairly easy to find used. '87 and later SBC powered cars got roller cams and there's still a lot of those in junkyards and being parted out. '96 and later trucks and vans got roller cams too, and those are still plentiful.

If the F-body and B-body guys use the LT1 cam as an upgrade that works well for the money, it should be good with a TBI truck too.
 

Rusty Nail

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Optispark ignition is at the FRONT of the engine, doesn't that put the distribitor gear behind the thermostat?

More research is necessary, I don't think it's possible to take the camshaft directly out of an LT1 (4th gen?) and put it in a first gen? SBC.
 

1987 GMC Jimmy

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Optispark ignition is at the FRONT of the engine, doesn't that put the distribitor gear behind the thermostat?

More research is necessary, I don't think it's possible to take the camshaft directly out of an LT1 (4th gen?) and put it in a first gen? SBC.

The Optispark distributor is not a distributor in the conventional sense. It's like if a crankshaft sensor, an inductive timing light, and a distributor had a baby to put it colorfully. Basically, it reads crankshaft position optically and relays that information to the distributor to make the spark and to the PCM via electrical connector for the various reasons the PCM would want that information. The 2nd Gen. LT1/LT4 HOT cam is made with a distributor gear in the back so we're all good there. The roller cam requirements have already been thoroughly addressed, but I think that about covers it.
 

Rusty Nail

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No ****?:xmasorlyflag:

OP, I read about the seeming necessity of "melonized" distrubutor gears because some **** ...LT1 cams chew up distributor gears.
 

Rusty Nail

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No ****? Wow! :xmasorlyflag:

OP, I read about the seeming necessity of "melonized" distrubutor gears because some **** ...LT1 cams chew up distributor gears.
 

bucket

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I know the dizzy gear is on an LT1 style cam because it has to drive the oil pump. But I'm having a brain fart about the rest of it... what turns the oil pump shaft if there's no dizzy? There's no dummy shaft back there in place of the regular dizzy.
 

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Did you ever do this swap?
 

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