Hi guys, I just came back from the pick & pull. I found a Caprice that just came in and hasen't been touched yet. It has a LT1 style motor as opposed to the earlier TPI, with a big plastic triangular cover on top of the engine. I can bring it home for 150 with the trans. But the big question is if it is a 305 or 350. It has the internal driven water pump. My plans would be to eventually put the engine and trans into my Scout, but if it is a 305 I wouldn't be interested in using it as a 305. The vin# is there, but I don't know how to decode it. The date of manufacture is on the door, but is is very obscured, but my best guess is that it says 94, but that is very much a guess. Links to a site that would help me to identify the engine would be appreciated. Thanks for any help!!

It *should* be a 350................but try www.mortec.com with that vin number.

If possible, check the rear drive corner of the block. If it's a 305, it'll say GM5.0L....if it's a 350, it'll say GM5.7L

Good luck gettin it.....if you haven't already, it'll go fast for sure!

-Chris

Thanks guys for the help, I went back and yanked it today, took 3 hours with the trans, all sensors,harness, and computer. When I brought it up the manager just about had a fit. They really tried to jack me around, usually they grab stuff like that for themselves but somehow it slipped by them. I ended up paying 248 out the door with core charge on the engine and trans. It is a LT1 5.7 from a 94 caprice, cast iron heads, 4L60E. I have no idea what's inside it, but I am anxious to pull the valve covers , pan, and do a leakdown test to see whats up inside the pup. Thanks again

Originally posted by ChiScouter
Thanks guys for the help, I went back and yanked it today, took 3 hours with the trans, all sensors,harness, and computer. When I brought it up the manager just about had a fit. They really tried to jack me around, usually they grab stuff like that for themselves but somehow it slipped by them. I ended up paying 248 out the door with core charge on the engine and trans. It is a LT1 5.7 from a 94 caprice, cast iron heads, 4L60E. I have no idea what's inside it, but I am anxious to pull the valve covers , pan, and do a leakdown test to see whats up inside the pup. Thanks again

HOLY crap, did you say you paid $248 for an LT-1???? That is the steal of the year...........the LT-1 is NOT throttle body, it is the next generation of TPI.............flows better at higher RPM. Only downside is the Optispark in a 4X4..............take a picture of the top of the motor..................should look something like this -

www.community.webshots.com/storage/1/v4/5/22/77/18952277lIDQDFpqAp_ph

unless it has a carb/throttle body after all...........let us know!

Its tough to sit here with that horse shoe shoved up my a**, I think I should buy some lottery tickets. I never really check out the cars, anything chevy engine and good is grabbed up before it hits the self service area. This car was at the end of the aisle and the big plastic triangular plenum/ cover thing just caught my eye as I was walking by. It is definitly a LT1 350, cam driven waterpump, iron heads, etc. That 248 included the 4L60E trans, every bit of wiring, all accessories, and the computer. The best part is that someone came ahead of me and took off the whole grill, bumper, hood, etc, and cut through the exhaust pipes and left the MAF sensor in the back seat. Now what is inside the engine, and trans, ...... who knows, the crank does turn, maybe a little too easily. This wasn't something I was looking for, I am weeks away from swapping in a 500 Cad and 4L80E with a homemade dual Tcase into my Scout, I think I will just let the LT1 sit under a blanket in the garage for a while and think about things.

Just got off the phone with my brother who works for GM in the Corvette group. I told him about your great find and he told me to tell you to check out the ID number on the block because GM also produced a 4.3L TPI V8 that looks just like the LT-1, it came in some Caprices, mainly taxis.
That 94 wasn't yellow was it?:D
One thing he did say was to definatly change the water pump before you use it. Since the dist. is run directly off the front of the cam and it's tucked in behind the water pump if the water pump should happen to leak it'll run right onto the dist. and he said you DEFINATLY DON'T want that to happen. Guess it's expensive to replace.



Here's a link for help on locating casting numbers MorTec, Inc. (http://www.mortec.com/location.htm)

Here's what I fould on the 4.3;

265 = 3.750" x 3.00" ('94-'96 Gen.II 4.3 liter V-8 "L99" 5.94" rod)

CASTING#.....SIZE...YEAR...MAIN CAP BOLTS....NOTES
10168588...265...94-96...2...L99, Gen.II, 4.3 Liter V-8, Caprice, reverse flow cooling

Ohhhh Mannnnn.........., I think you may have burst my bubble, Yes the car was yellow. Very yellow. I already buried the motor in the garage. I just climbed back there, all I was able to check on was the block casting # on the drivers side rear of the block next to the bellhousing. What I was able to read there was 43006, and below that S6 If there are any other digits there they are rusted away. If it turns out to be a 4.3 that would explain why the other guy abandoned it after doing much of the work. This weekend I will drag it back outside and try to identify more markings to positivly ID it. I will also go back to the yard and get the vin off the car if that will help.

If it is a 4.3 then I will have to figure out what to do with it, and see if I can bolt everything up to a 5.7 and make it work, or part it out, or..... well Drink Heavily.

Thanks for the enlightining help.

Hmmmm...43006 sounds like a 4.3.....
Well don't be tooooo dissapointed, from what I found the 4.3 still puts out 200HP.
Anyway you still got a killer deal if you forget the block and you only count the TPI, ECM, harness, and 460LE (BTW, that's a 700-R. The name was changed to protect the innocent:p ) for $248!

sounds like a 4.3l to me.

Ohhhh Mannnnn.........., I think you may have burst my bubble, Yes the car was yellow. Very yellow. I already buried the motor in the garage. I just climbed back there, all I was able to check on was the block casting # on the drivers side rear of the block next to the bellhousing. What I was able to read there was 43006, and below that S6 If there are any other digits there they are rusted away. If it turns out to be a 4.3 that would explain why the other guy abandoned it after doing much of the work. This weekend I will drag it back outside and try to identify more markings to positivly ID it. I will also go back to the yard and get the vin off the car if that will help.

If it is a 4.3 then I will have to figure out what to do with it, and see if I can bolt everything up to a 5.7 and make it work, or part it out, or..... well Drink Heavily.

Thanks for the enlightining help.

was it a 4.3?
I been waiting for an answer awhile now:p

The ole L99 4.3L V8 I thought was an LT1! Gets them everytime! Many of a Ben Franklin has been wasted on that POS.

The ole L99 4.3L V8 I thought was an LT1! Gets them everytime! Many of a Ben Franklin has been wasted on that POS.

why is it a POS?

yeah the 4.3 is still a V8 its known as a "baby LT1". If it is a real 350 LT1 I'd change the water pump and the opti-spark, get some f-body aluminum heads for it and have them ported and polished, throw a decent cam kit in it, timing set, port and polish the TB and intake, a decent set of headers and use it. With that stuff done to it, it should have some pretty decent power. As long as the internals are all good and everything. If it IS a 4.3, well you didnt pay much for it so I'd sell it to someone with a blown one looking for a direct replacement. I realize this thread is ancient but...just trying to help. I too would like to know what he ended up finding out..

No power and small pistons and you can't bore it to an LT1 IIR. Plus the one I drive in a b-body had no lowend what so ever! Could have been the L99 or the 3.08's I guess!

But they make good power 300Hp, its just I have seen as few scammed as LT1's because they (the seller) knew what they were and just tried to get rid of them.

was it a 4.3?
I been waiting for an answer awhile now:p

Sorry to keep you waiting so long:laughing: I sold it right away to a garage that works on taxicabs for around what I had in it not counting all my wasted time, it was a 4.3

I still see LT1's in the self service boneyards, from what I can tell the computers get pulled, the MAF, and thats about it until they get crushed

Sorry to keep you waiting so long:laughing: I sold it right away to a garage that works on taxicabs for around what I had in it not counting all my wasted time, it was a 4.3

:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:
good deal:p