LT1 Issues and Question

1220 Views 75 Replies 4 Participants Last post by chris.linkous, 11 d ago

chris.linkous

Discussion Starter · 2 mo ago

I picked up a fairly nice 1994 Trans Am, but the LT1 has some issues.

I haven't decided to give up on it yet, but I want to know my options.

So, in a nutshell, the motor was locked up when I bought it. I tried turning it over by hand, and it wouldn't budge. I put my breaker bar up on the alternator and started turning the engine backward, and it broke loose. As it turned, it made a scraping noise from the front of the motor for about 3 turns then it went away. After that, I could turn the motor over with the starter, but it wouldn't fire. Hit her with a little brake clean, and she would pop but not run.

So having said all of that, I plan on dropping the oil pan and pulling off the valve covers tomorrow to see if anything stands out. If I find anything bad, I would like to know my replacement motor options. Is there a different motor that people have been dropping in these Gen IVs without many mods? I am not looking for anything crazy; I want a reliable car to drive around. It is a 6-speed manual.

I will let you guys know what I find tomorrow. As I said, just testing the waters!

Hopefully, I find something easy and can use this LT1, but if not, I would have zero issues dropping a 5.3 in it if that can easily be done.

Please let me know your thoughts and thanks in advance for any help

Chris

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roorancher

· #2 · 2 mo ago

Just my opinion, but least expensive route is to rebuild what you have, or exchange it for a rebuilt LT, so you don't incur additional expense with other modifications and changes.

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roorancher

· #7 · 2 mo ago

chris.linkous said:
Sounds like I'm going to stick with the LT1 lol. Thank you for info, that is exactly what I was looking for! I have no desire to put that kind of work into the car. I will either fix this LT or buy a long block.

I do have one last question though. I am seeing posts everywhere about the optispark going bad and which brands are known to fail. Has that issue been worked out or is there a brand I should stay away from if it comes to replacing it?

From what I've read, (and I've only had my 94 Trans Am convertible since August) (I'm 69, and I'll R&R a motor, but won't dig into it,) if it's an OEM vented unit, it's good, but you don't want your water pump to leak on it. MSD and parts store brands are crap, I'm told. There's a company in Alabama called Petris that makes good ones and is highly recommended. If you join LS1LT1.com, there's all kinds of posts on it.

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roorancher

· #11 · 2 mo ago

chris.linkous said:
Thank you all for the great information. Its nice to be a part of a group that is active.

Just updating you as to what I found today. I removed the valve covers and found one of the valves flopping around. The pushrod was just sitting there. I loosened up the valve and put the pushrod back in the roller seat, tightened it back down and turned the engine over. Everything turned over fine and without noise. The ol girl still didn't start so I checked for fuel pressure at the manifold and had zero.

Tomorrow I am going to troubleshoot the no fuel pressure issue and will give an update.

Thanks
Chris

You can remove the line from one side of the fuel filter and that will tell you real quick if it's the pump. Right in front and inboard of the left rear tire.