2/6/99
Well, we started phase I of the LS1 to '68 Corvette retrofit. I want to thank local list member, Mike Nelson, for coming by to help. Mike probably thinks I'm insane but the first step was to wash the car. It had been sitting for months and was covered with dust. It even had muddy cat prints on it! The engine was removed from the shipping crate and placed on a hoist. The bellhousing from the Corvette was cleaned up and bolted to the rear of the engine. For the test fit, no starter, flywheel, clutch or pressure plate were used. The Muncie M22 Rockcrusher four speed transmission was cleaned of the major dirt and grease accumulated over the years. The transmission was then bolted to the bellhousing.
The assembly was lifted and lowered into the engine compartment. An engine tilter is a requirement for putting an engine and transmission assembly in a C3 Corvette because the transmission crossmember is part of the frame and is not removeable. The long nose of the Corvette also caused us to adjust the boom on the hoist several times. Had we known, we could have started with the boom extended in it's furthest position.
The idea was to bolt the transmission to the crossmember and thus locate the engine and transmission assembly in the desired position. This resulted in the LS1 engine mounts being behind Corvette frame mounts by approximately 3". This caused the LS1 engine mounts to hit the Corvette frame mounts, preventing the engine from being lowered completely into place. The engine mounts were removed and 1" x 2" wooden blocks were placed between the frame mounts and the engine block to support the engine. The engine now seems to be resting in what appears to be very near the desired final location.
The proposed engine mounts will consist of '68 Corvette engine mounts being fitted with flat metal adapter plates of about 1/4" or 3/8" aluminum plate. Three holes will be tapped in the plate to bolt the Corvette mounts to it (simulating an old-style block) and four holes will be drilled to allow the plate to be bolted to the block (the LS1 uses four bolts to secure the engine mount to the block).
The only major clearance problem appears to be with the LS1 water pump. Unlike the LT1 engines, LS1 engines have returned to a more conventional style pulley-driven water pump. But the pump is huge compared to a traditional small block Chevrolet water pump. The water pump outlet and what appears to be two heater hose outlets come far too close to the upper control arm mount to allow for hoses to be attached. The solution may be as simple as putting 90 degree fittings on these outlets.
With this one exception, it looks like this engine was made to fit in this chassis. The cast aluminum oil pan even has a radiused section to clear the steering linkage. One potential problem is that the oil pan will be the lowest hanging member under the car. It hangs even with the bottom of the bellhousing. I will have to check on another '68 Corvette to see if the oil pan on it is also the lowest point.
Many pictures were taken during this process and will hopefully be developed, scanned and posted on my web site before the end of the week.
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