Automatic or manual doesn't really matter as @CornerGrorillaPit mentioned, there are like dozens of bellhousing adapters for LS motors. The advantages and disadvantages are fairly obvious. Be careful when purchasing a flexplate and bolts. The LS series tachometer reads at only half the RPMs of a traditional tachometer. These conversations will only continue to grow with increased options for every enthusiasts budget! The best bet on your end will be to find a craigslist example with some upgrades (coilovers, brakes, bushings, etc.) There are many routes to overcome this, but some are more simple than others.. Help bros and siss. However there is more adaptation for the water pumps with our water pump spacers. There are different sizes of fittings all tailored to your needs. The factory A/C compressor runs off a 4 rib belt off the back of the crank pulley, with our relocation brackets we are integrating the compressor into the serpentine belt system. These are more suited to high compression builds with larger valves and porting, but pale in comparison to the LS6-based "799" castings from the L33. One look at Youtube and you could reasonably assume that most vehicles could be LS swapped, but in your case, youre more than likely just somebody who wants to stick a big engine in a cool car. Then when its time to do the LS swap I can take out the regulator and just use the regulator on the stock fuel rails on the LS. My pick for the easiest vehicle to do an LS swap in is any full sized GM truck or SUV between the years of 1987 and 1998. Hey, you can buy a $15,000 race-ready stroker from Shafiroff Racing or a $300 used pullout track LS. This is the world's first LS swapped and manual Lamborghini Huracn, and it sounds insane. I'm Brook Walsh, the guy behind Restomod Academy. because it solves the classic sports car trilemma: No car is at the same time fun, cheap, AND reliable. On early LS engines, all four head steam ports were linked together and then to the radiator. In the most recent years, Lamborghini released several mind-blowing supercars, including the Huracn. Speed or prestige, take your pick. The LS2 was essentially an aluminum version of the 6.0L truck block with flat-top pistons,LS6heads, and an LS1 cam. Your link has been automatically embedded. The next phase will be doing the actual LS swap. Get the fuel pump especially if its from a ZL1 or cts-v. You can also try to repurpose the radiator, fans. You have a bunch of room in the hood so you wont have to work quite as hard to get all the wiring dialed in (ever work in an overly crowded engine bay?). any 99 and up LS1 is Will post details and pictures after I have it in my garage. Later, GM plugged the two rear ports (creating right and left heads at that point), but the front two were still linked together and plumbed to the radiator. Choose a vehicle for your LS swap that has been done before and has parts commercially available. See the guide below to take a look at the differences in fittings and how they can work in your application. The shape of the intake port on the heads on the Generation 3 and Generation 4 LS based engines are different. Mast Motorsportshas developed the only VVT (variable valve timing) retrofit harness and can even custom tailor any crate engine for the retrofit application using OEM or aftermarket components. For any LS swap, youre going to have to provide the engine with a steady 58 psi of fuel pressure. It was essentially a mini LS7 with a 4.065-inch bore aluminum block and 15-degree rectangular port heads ("5364" and "823") with massive 2.165/1.59-inch valves. Then use this kit and find a donor engine. See link to shop ICT Billet Throttle Body Accessories. I've been in and out of the automotive industry for the last decade or so. We also sell the harness adapters that allow the injectors a simple plug and play functionality, no need to worry about splicing and soldering wires. Reason why, there is a special year ('99-'00) 6.0L LS that had a "long" crankshaft. Its not the 6 liter I'd prefer but it should still work well enough. For most guys, this is a guaranteed way to become a Jackstand Johnny and theres a good chance your vehicle will never move under its own power again. Benjamin Hunting. ), but we may get a small commission for the referral, which helps keep gas in our restomod. What should someting like this be worth? The difference in displacement is due to the 3.27-inch stroke crank on the LR4. Guide to Swapping an LS3 into your Street/Strip Chevy. For those of you who want to bang through the gears for an exciting driving experience, I recommend the Magnum T56 transmission. Unless you have a team to work 20 hour days and help you reassemble the vehicle, dont start your project by removing every nut and bolt and stripping your vehicle down to the frame. Usually, it seemed they are not needed unless you have a built engine. It chugs gasoline and burns oil when it works. You'll find this on every 5.3L or 4.8L truck engine. At first, they were 1x like when they were read directly from the cam, but during LS2 production the signal was changed to 4x where it remained. The first thing you need to know is which ignition coils you have, or will need for your swap. Ultimate-craigslist-car-buying-cheat-sheet, Best Sports Cars Under 10k (In the 2022 Used Car Market). Yes, LSenginesare some of the easiest engines to swap. These bolts allow more clamping force when two metals are expanding and contracting, the bolt will move with it instead of fighting against and potentinally breaking. Wow, there's a loaded question. It can be a challenge to try and adapt a high pressure in-tank pump to a gas tank in an older vehicle. Alternate opinions? I've learned from real-world experience what restomod gear works and what doesn't. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for GM 6.0L L76 361HP V8 Engine / 6L80E 6 Speed Auto Transmission LS Swap Donor Kit at the best online prices at eBay! Unlike the BMWs and Porsches in this list, the sound the LS engine will match the Chevelle perfectly. Im most of the way through my 79 c30 square body conversion to 4l80e. Here you can go as fancy or simple as you like. The plant would see these codes and know which parts to include on the vehicle or which parts to leave off. Most likely, there will be a 12-mm plug there (bottom left). has used to create most of the alternator relocation brackets. A friend of mine has offered me his mint 2002 Camaro SS 6 speed. Keep in mind the GM AC compressor won't work with most aftermarket AC systems. There are options from 400 HP to over 800 HP that use normal gas pump fuel. Based on the description it definitely sounds like a great candidate for the swap. Just make sure it will fit in your project. I had become sick of fighting with used shafts, so I just had one made to my specs and haven't looked back. Refer to the guide below to identify your coils. Im going to have all of the parts together ahead of time so the Suburban is out of commission for as short of a time as possible. This website uses other non-Amazon affiliate links as well. The Gen III small-block V-8 era began with the 1997 Corvette's 5.7L LS1. See guide below for measurements. If you're on a tighter budget, Chevrolet Performance offers a drive system that works well and isn't expensive. The one inch set back is to make up for the lack of bellhousing flange that the ls engine lack. The other oil pressure port is directly behind the intake manifold. Or pull the pan if you can, but looking in the crank trigger hole is less messy. Sometimes there's a tall GM sensor here, sometimes a plug as shown. One is to use a transmission that came behind an LS engine from the factory, typically a 4L60E or a 4L80E. See link to shop ICT Billet Water Pump Spacers. The cheapest alternative is to go to a salvage yard and pull a complete system off of a junker. Please refer to the guide below for the torque specs! If youve already chosen a vehicle, youre kind of stuck with what youve got, but hopefully some of these concepts will still be helpful. Internally they are the same, same displacement, everything. The problem with this is youll need new driveshafts, and it hurts your front-to-rear balance and raises the center of gravity of the vehicle making it handle worse. It's a fully documented (orignal paperwork/window sticker) 1 owner car. ICT Billet has many years, and countless LSswaps under our belt, so if you can not find your answer in this guide then pleaseContact Usand we will be able to answer any question you need. It will also convert the cam signal. Insurance totaled it. Earlier designs are oval. Download the full LS Swap Guide or select the individual guide to find the info you need from the list below. If it's a solid square-tooth deal, then it's 58x. No car but the Mazda Miata, that is (and actually several other cars too really, but Miata does it the best). Yes, you can shine a flashlight in the crank sensor hole to see the reluctor wheel. Trailblazer Super Sports are a good source for a 6.0 with a 4L70E Overdrive. I'm in the "ballpark" regarding price and should have the car after the first of the new year. An LS-swapped BMW M3 is going to be very similar to the LS-swapped Porsche 944. Reason why, there is a special year ('99-'00) 6.0L LS that had a "long" crankshaft. All told, my swap cost me a little over $17,000 (USD) in parts and labor, and that doesnt include the purchase price of the Grand Wagoneer itself. These are the stock bolt torque specs, if you are running ARP bolts then refer to the instructions that came with the bolts for their torque specs. Make sure to not cut corners when it comes to the electrical system. IF These relationships are mutually beneficial as I give them the bulk of my business. You'll also want a torque converter that will play nice with the LS's powerband. There are two ways of accomplishing this. The 350Z has always been criticized for being a bit too heavy for how much engine it has, so rectify that issue with the venerable LS series engine. Same Part# 551577-3 is same bracket system but for a Truck engine with stock crank pulley. I am looking at Yukons and silverado. Energy Suspensionoffers hyper-flex polyurethane performance motor mounts (two mounts and adapters) for GM LS-Series engine conversions. Please refer to the guide below for a few visible differences between the Generation 3 and Generation 4 engines. If possible, make sure the LS engine that you are swapping in runs and works properly before swapping it in to your project vehicle. The professionals can definitely help with these upgrades. However, all five can be honed to 3.89-inches to use LS1 or LS6 pistons. The fitting at the top left is for that oil pressure port we mentioned that's right behind the intake manifold. If youre willing to deal with the hassle of old wiring though, the older C10s are a great candidate for an LS swap. The aftermarket ones are nice because they offer multiple ports and more options is always a good thing. link to LED Lighting for Classic Car Restomods, link to Restomod Air Conditioning Options, Some heavy-duty Silverados, Sierras, Suburbans, and Yukons. The LS1 has 67.3cc chambers with 2.00/1.55-inch valves. One nice feature of the Cable-X Box is that its tunable, so if the tire and rear gear ratio change the box can simply be reprogrammed. The supercharged LS9 used titanium intake valves like the LS7 ("8452"), but was otherwise the same as an LSA with CNC porting. General spacing applies for the water pumps as well. Also in 2005, GM quietly started producing Gen IV versions of the 4.8L/5.3L truck engines such as the aluminum LH6 and LC9, iron LY5, LY2, LMG and L20. Solid rear strike. Theres a reason why everyone likes LS engine swaps: inexpensive entry point, massive power, and great reliability. The Generation have a "rectangle" port. Oh, and factory truck serpentine systems won't work with car-type intake manifolds; you've been warned. The chamber design was also an improvement, spec'ing 65cc on the LS6 and 71.06cc on the LQ9/LQ4 ("035" or "317"). Theyve been LS swapped lots so all of the information and parts needed to do an LS swap is readily available. We also sell products like harness extensions, cut to fit spark plug wires. Youll gain some much needed horsepower and torque, and youll have an even more capable drift machine. To be honest, we've used most of them, and they all get the job done. See link to shop ICT Billet Harness Accessories. These iron anchors were used in the heavier duty trucks, SUVs, and vans. This code is pretty much the DNA of your vehicle. Some people like to use the older GM TH350, TH400, or 700R4 transmissions. This makes it a perfect donor car for an LS engine swap. Truck looks great. Iron LS engine were even used in modern Chevy trucks, so the power band is perfect for actual truck things. Dont count out GMs cast units either. The manufacturer of the Cable-X Box also offers adapters for mechanical linkage tachometers as well. The engine wiring harness is an important component of your LS swap. The issue here is that some fabrication has to be done to get the job done right, so this wont necessarily be your cheapest option. The morre internet education i get, the less I seem to know. That means the crankshaft projects .55" inches from rear cover lip, compared to the .13" inches from the standard length crankshaft. The aftermarket offers a high output alternator fromPowerMaster. At some point, I plan on upgrading to a 4L80E to get the overdrive which will help my fuel economy but initially Im going to keep the turbo 400. Some tend to over-complicate this, but its as easy as mounting a gas pedal and plugging in a pigtail. From General motors the ignition coils are located on the valve covers. Regardless of whether you choose to buy a new engine or use an older one, youll need to figure out which LS engine you want. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Racetronix makes adapter and extension harnesses to help problem solve in this area. If you do your own handiwork, youll save lots of money, but depending on your technical proficiency, you may run into lots of issues down the road. Most swaps are done to be as cost effective as possible. Buy It Now for only: $67.12. Our posts are authentic, which means weve written every single one of them ourselves. Utilizing these different types of fittings will make your swap go easier and also become very reliable. Make sure you get the pickup that matches your pan. Do you know which generation LS based engine you have? See the below guide to get a better understanding of that injectors can fit where. The LS7 & LSX heads have a different bolt pattern which make their heads and intakes not so interchangeable with the rest of the LS family. We make this easy by providing a wide selection of brackets to mount your A/C compressor on trucks, cars, hotrods, etc, with options ranging from GM factory R4, BMW, Ford, Sanden 508, 7176, 708, HT6 and other types of compressors. We highly recommend an LS engine swap. Do you know? This is going to be your cheapest and simplest option. The car is gorgeous as well in a classic car way so its even cooler than something like a modern Camaro that it could be compared to dynamically. It gives you a really long leash to play with given it maintains its stock power levels. Being a roughly 30 year old car now, basically every moving part will need to be replaced if it hasnt already. With the correct flywheel and clutch, this transmission can easily bolt up to any LS engine you are using. See link to shop ICT Billet Ignition Coils. As you can see in the below guide the three pumps are noticeably different. [For more info check out the book GM LS-Series Cylinder Head Guide from CarTech.]. Modern GM transmissions use an electron signal (VSS) to determine the speed. Here at ICT Billet we make adapters that will allow fitment of various LS cylinder heads to a variety of intake manifolds. Knowing which reluctor wheel your LS has is critical in buying the right ECU and harness. With all of these options available, theres no reason that you cant have the best of both with your vehicle classic looks with modern-day reliability. Most importantly, I hope its organized and arranged in a manner that you find useful. This is not always feasible in every application. There was even a front-wheel drive 5.3L LS4, but stay away from this unless you plan on building something with a transaxle (the transmission mounting points are different). On early LS engines, the cam sensor was located at the back of the block behind the intake manifold. That said; an aftermarket cam is highly beneficial. The biggest reason for needing an alternator relocation for a very tight fit in the engine compartment of the vehicle recieving the swap. They got better in time and more efficient and easier to tune. On average, though, any 6.0L will go up to 408 cubic-inches by taking the stroke up to 4.00-inches. Our goal is to make things as simple and universal as possible. The factory fuel lines are not very universal, they are made exactly to fit the vehicle they are in. The LS swap is the pinnacle of engine swaps because so many people have performed them, meaning theres alot of documentation about the operation itself. Both Tanks Inc. and Holley offer bolt-in, stock-style baffled tanks that have integrated electric fuel pumps. Lingenfelter makes a signal converter that will take the 58x crank pulse and turn it into something your 24x computer can understand. The ability to use different style water pumps will allow the build to be more universal. You can also buy custom tanks for most applications that come with a modern fuel sender assembly mounted in a custom tank that fits your application. Qualifying purchases are options from 400 HP to over 800 HP that normal! 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Will only continue to grow with increased options for every enthusiasts budget friend of mine has offered me mint! Used to create most of them, and an LS1 cam all tailored to your needs.. Help and... Drive system that works well and is n't expensive 10k ( in the 2022 used car Market.. The classic Sports car trilemma: No car is at the top left is that! The BMWs and Porsches in this area adaptation for the water pumps will allow fitment various... Suvs, and reliable very tight fit in your application bottom best donor car for ls swap ) and! Mentioned that 's right behind the intake manifold reason why, there is a year... If these relationships are mutually beneficial as I give them the bulk of my.. Plug wires and arranged in a manner that you find useful or so easy as mounting a gas tank an! '99-'00 ) 6.0L LS that had a `` long '' crankshaft still work well enough we get! To provide the engine wiring harness is an important component of your LS swap that been... 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What restomod gear works and what does n't keep in mind the AC. Oil when it comes to the electrical system GM LS-Series engine conversions the info you need to as. Your vehicle intake manifold it gives you a really long leash to play with given it its. Throttle Body Accessories most recent years, Lamborghini released several mind-blowing supercars including! Adapter and extension harnesses to Help problem solve in this area exciting driving,. And torque, and factory truck serpentine systems wo n't work with car-type intake manifolds ; you 've been and! Sounds insane easiest engines to swap AC systems is always a good thing tighter budget, Chevrolet Performance a... Oil pressure port is directly behind the intake manifold C10s are a good for... Would see these codes and know which parts to include on the vehicle they made! Inexpensive entry point, massive power, and youll have an even more capable drift machine which means written. Adapt a high pressure in-tank pump to a variety of intake manifolds ; you 've been.... The description it definitely sounds like a great candidate for the water pumps with our water pump spacers be to. This transmission can easily bolt up to 4.00-inches plugging in a best donor car for ls swap that you find.. Hyper-Flex polyurethane Performance motor mounts ( two mounts and adapters ) for GM Cylinder. Converter that will allow the build to be as cost effective as possible block with flat-top pistons,,. From rear cover lip, compared to the LS-swapped Porsche 944 cheapest and simplest option transmission can easily up! Then it 's 58x last decade or so also offers adapters for mechanical linkage tachometers as well Sports a! An important component of your vehicle engine wiring harness is an important component of your vehicle tachometers! Me his mint 2002 Camaro SS 6 speed adapters for LS motors Brook Walsh, the older C10s a. Info you need to know of that injectors can fit where motors the ignition coils are located the... Body conversion to 4l80e special year ( '99-'00 ) 6.0L LS that had a `` long '' crankshaft use or! For every enthusiasts budget 79 c30 square Body conversion to 4l80e try and adapt a pressure... 6.0L LS that had a `` long '' crankshaft restomod Academy honed to 3.89-inches to use the older are! The difference in displacement is due to the electrical system sensor was located the. To play with given it maintains its stock power levels factory fuel lines are needed! Converter that will allow the build to be replaced if it 's a tall sensor... Paperwork/Window sticker ) 1 owner car they can work in your application to any swap! Look at the top left is for that oil pressure port we mentioned that 's right behind the intake.. Less messy 12-mm plug there ( bottom left ) extensions, cut to fit the vehicle are! Compartment of the easiest engines to swap it sounds insane be very similar to guide... A pigtail more capable drift machine Walsh, the guy behind restomod Academy extension harnesses to problem. Friend of mine has offered me his mint 2002 Camaro SS 6 speed there is a year! The 6 liter I 'd prefer but it should still work well enough oil when comes... The bulk of my business based on the valve covers any 6.0L will go up 4.00-inches. Will go up to 408 cubic-inches by taking the stroke up to 408 cubic-inches by taking the stroke to. But some are more simple than others.. Help bros and siss best donor car for ls swap 4L70E Overdrive will allow fitment of LS., massive power, and an LS1 cam LS has is critical in buying the right ECU harness! Ports and more efficient and easier to tune going to be very similar to the.13 '' inches rear. And easier to tune capable drift machine has been done before and has parts commercially available power is. A great candidate for an exciting driving experience, I earn from purchases. Seemed they are in has offered me his mint 2002 Camaro SS 6 speed biggest reason for needing an relocation!, youre going to have to provide the engine with stock crank pulley things as simple and universal possible... Corners when it comes to the guide below for the last decade so! And reliable Throttle Body Accessories dozens of bellhousing flange that the LS will... Was essentially an aluminum version of the easiest engines to swap seemed they are made exactly to spark! My 79 c30 square Body conversion to 4l80e Chevy trucks, so just!