POS LT1..Chebby bashin, Gotta be stupid to buy this junk!

[Dirtyd0g]

Is the LT1 the biggest poser motor ever built or did chevy one up this. Do any of these motors make it over 100,000 miles. Got 2 here both with cranks ripped out. One at 86,000 because they drove it long after it started spinning a rod bearing and main bearing. The other at 45,000. Besides a decent set of heads what was the point of this motor being any different than the old style 350. Could they make the rods and mains any weaker? My 4cyl has larger mains and rods and definately can handle more abuse.
I have seen 302's get the crap beat out of them and run til the valves float out. They still didn't spin the bearings!
Most of all why are so many people convinced this motor is so great? They just love spending thousands at the machine shop?
Alan

[bestracing]

They have reversed flow cooling which means you can raise the compression without raising the octane level. (10:1 vs 8.5:1) I've seen many motors last well beyond 100K and even with spray. The bottom end (rotating) really isn't any different than a Gen I 350 block except for the one piece rear main which is common with the 87 through 92 Gen I blocks. What you have are motors from people that don't know how to maintain them or over reving them. 6500-6800 recomended max with stock hardware.

So with that, Pistons, Cranks and Rods are cheaper due to the mass production of the old Gen I motors.

The real problems with LT1 motors is the Opti-spark distributor system in those cars.

Tracey Scott at Cincy Speed built many stock bottom end LT1 cars for customers that were running 10's and 11's.

I wouldn't throw one away if given to me but I'd perfer to build a Gen I motor or a Gen III/IV LSx motor since there is more head and intake options.....

[SCHMUCKINGHAM]

Water pump weep hole points right at the already weak opti spark LOL

[bestracing]

Water pump weep hole points right at the already weak opti spark LOL

Yup but these motor are very easy to swap in an electric water pump, No re-routing pullies and no more weep holes :D

[blown96cobra]

I had the same problem with a 95 vette I had a few years ago. Bad rod/main bearings. It only had 109k