LS Swap Do's & Don'ts on a Chevy K1500 - Truck Tech S6, E5 

We'll continue to post these episodes here on RU-vid. If you can't wait for the rest of the build, visit our site to binge-watch: www.powernationtv.com/shows/truck-tech

A thousand upvotes for putting bolts back in the holes they came from! This one habit has saved me from so much grief over the years.

4:32 “first thing, remove the motor” *closes hood* lmao

This show is like 6-7 years behind. OBS ls swaps were the shit about 6 years ago. Now a days everything is ls swapped with turbos. Plus an ls swap on an OBS is probably the easiest swap anybody can ever do. It's almost like the engines are made to fit exactly in that chassis with no modifications needed. All you need is a pair of cheap eBay $20.00 engine mount brackets and drop the engine in the truck. Everything else will work like it was made for it. Radiator power steering oil lines, fuel lines. You can even use your old A/C bracket if you want to keep your ac going.

"If this is your first time removing a engine break it down in small pieces".... using your lift,trans jack and ceiling mounted crane no less.

"This worn-out engine. (189k miles)" Most of your viewers are driving 200,000++ mile work trucks....

Only $3500 lol. I be pulling them from junkyards for 350 then rebuild them myself

That's not how you pull an engine! You need a tree, a come-a-long, and lots of beer cans in the yard. :-)

I remember going to my grandparents on the weekend and waking up on Sunday before church and watching truck tech with my grandpa. He passed away two years ago last month and we spread his ashes last Saturday. I miss him lots but thank you for the memories Truck Tech

LT doing his own swaps and builds on his own YT channel now. He's got some really cool builds going on over there.....

185k LMAFO My 305 has 336k still going strong!

They are completely right about the cost to build a 383. Last winter I specked out building the L48 into a 383 stroker in my 77' corvette, by the time i was done with it, machine shop time for block prep, parts, and tuning, i was close to $9K. Then i looked at Blueprint engines, i got a dyno proven 430+hp fully dressed 383 stroker delivered to my house for $5600. I ordered it with a lower deck height intake to clear the hood, and i swapped out the water pump for the short style. Motor went in perfectly and fired right up! For a car that no one will care about numbers matching, crate motors are the best way to go in my mind if money is an issue. If its a numbers matching car, well you'll have to suck it up and build what you have.

"You can easily remove the engine without breaking anything." said no mechanic ever.

Who else is so broke they'd gladly take that old 350.

“Simply by adding a larger camshaft”😂

LT is awesome! He reminds me of 'Good ol Day' Hot Rod style TV hosts from the 90's. Professional, concise, informative, confident, kind

OMFG AN EPISODE WHERE THEY ACTUALLY CLEAN THE ENGINE BAY.

Should have put a junkyard 5.3 or 6.0 in like everyone else haha

Proof I need a overhead hoist in my shop.

My dad was the original owner of our 95 K1500. I’ve kept it 100% stock restored and original. I’ve wanted to do an LS Swap and keep the OG look, after this video I feel like it ain’t worth the headache unless you have a shop do it all and it’s a turn key deal.

Best advice was not to get rid of anything till the job is 100% complete. I do that with each and every job. Plus, you can usually end up with extra bits and pieces that can be useful towards other jobs.

I'll take that "worn out" 350

One thing I would add is to use a piece of tape and mark what EVERY electrical connector went to so you're not guessing three weeks later when you're putting it back together.

9K+👍's up guys thanks again for taking us all along with you for the great show

Says shes worn out with less that 200 k my 90 4.3 with 450k not been toutched on the motor besides altanator and some small stuff and she starts right up even after a year of sittin in the first turn she’s absolutely amazing

Wow this is hands down one of the best easily digestible swap breakdown I have seen. Good work folks.

Power Nation...where “the budget” is paid by sponsors, everything is scripted, nothing goes wrong or is reworked, all special tools are provided and all parts are on-hand.

I have only been working on cars along side my step dad in his shop for a year noe and out of the few motor pulls I have done this has to be the easiest. I actually did mine myself in 2 hours--it was my grandfather's truck that got totalled in the rear and I'm putting it in my boat when I rebuild it. Granted it only took me 2 hours because I did cut a lot of things that weren't needed for it to go in the boat, I could probably have still got it done myself in 3 to 3.5 hours if I had to keep a lot of things. These motors are super simple and easy to work on, and in these trucks, easy to work around. I ended up scrapping the truck just yesterday and I got about $100 for scrap for the truck, $150 for the tires and rims, $100 for the transmission and about a $100 total for a bunch of miscellaneous items.

Wow a detailed description of how to remove the engine. Haven’t seen that before. That’s awesome. Great video

I am 50 + years old . Not a mechanic, but I still do basic stuff. I just want simple old school designs

Its good to compare a new 383 to a new LS in order to keep it apples to apples. But the 5.3 is a smaller engine, needing a power adder which means higher octane fuel, which adds to costs. Compare a 383 to the cost of, say, a 376 cid naturally aspirated, and since it has to be shipped, add on the shipping cost if you're building the 383 locally (if you're buying a crate 383, it obviously has a shipping cost as well unless you're bringing home a GMPP crate engine from a dealer). Then add up the cost of everything that bolts to the LS that doesn't transfer from the Gen One. A/C front mount, oil pan, throttle by wire, all emissions equipment, fuel system, transmission etc. typically, its the small things that get ya :) Sometimes, it can be cheaper just to buy the entire vehicle the LS came in and hot rod that.

You should have definitely got a junkyard 5.3,4.8, or 6.0 so you would have all the accessories and you could put in whatever cam you wanted and still be like 1/4 the price

I work at a hot rod shop and have done many LS swaps, that being said, with a little fabrication knowledge you could modify the OBS frame to use the stock A/C compressor.

Seriously put that nice engine in and you don’t even throw a coat of paint on those nasty motor mounts? Come on man!

I’d like to see more updates on this!!! Doing a ls swap on my k1500

My very first truck is a Chevy c1500 1988 model. And I can faithfully say it is one of Chevy's greatest trucks. Mine died it had 197,000 miles and it never saw a day in the shop.

OMG it sure was! Mine was a '94 Cheyenne 1500. Loved that truck. An a-hole ran a stoplight, t-boned me and totaled it 😪 I loved that truck.

Not sure why LT not with these guys anymore but they lost a Legend in the game!!! So glad he's doing his own thing now though!!! This guy is a freaking genius

A couple more tricks to keep track of nuts and bolts: Buy a cupcake pan which has 12 cups and using a sharpie number each one. When you are taking things apart, put all the fasteners from one item in a cup, and on a numbered notepad write what they fit. Also have several Ziplock bags of different sizes, and use those for misc parts, marking them with a sharpie as to what they are and where they go. Don't think you'll remember where everything goes, write it down to make sure.

Lol! When I did my swap, I found the wires for the headlights, then cut everything else with a pair of big lineman pliers. GT280 electrical connectors are the way to go. No more A/C. No more automatic nonsense. No more HVAC problems. No more ABS. Get a 40 circuit RFRM. It has 10 relays, 4 fuse circuits per relay, for 40 circuits total. Each relay uses 2 fuses (30 and 86) Don't get rid of the A/C condenser. It makes a good radiator protector. -The only regret I have was the way I set up the clutch. I should have set up the hydraulic release bearing while I dial indicated the bellhousing. -The passenger exhaust manifold gets really close to the frame and suspension. A hooker exhaust manifold for the passenger side is a better way to go. I mean, yeah, my truck has longtubes now, but there's nothing wrong with manifolds.

You guys and the show is great. Keep up the good work boys!!!!!

I'd love to see them do one of these episodes in a driveway with basic tools

Depends on how fast you wanna go. There's a racing vid somewhere on YT where a 5.7 would have blown these built 5.3s to the wind.

The oval torque converter bolt hole in the flex plate is the first bolt. You can tighten them as you start them if you know about the oval bolt hole. Saves time.

Blocks have drain plugs. These are in most cases a great way to avoid a mess. I keep a cheap plastic 1/4" npt fitting with a 5 foot piece of clear tubing for the occasional job: replacing a water pump, radiator or hose. It is a HUGE bonus if you ever need to pull heads - there's no need to flood cylinders. It also is one of those odd 4 or 5 year checks you might want to do: how much crud is accumulating in the block and munching on water pump seals when you drive? Those drain ports will let you know.

Us junkyard boys would never spend that on a 5.3. Not gonna lie it was clean though

Yep I had a 91 gmc k1500 for my first truck

Love this channel i can show this for days

That's really good advice separating that transfer case from the transmission , my cheap harbor freight tranny jack did not like both at the same time , I was catching it to keep it from hitting hard cut my hands up a little ..bent the legs on the cheap new hf transmission under hoist jack .

My favorite episode ever!!! Very informative!,

That's what I did on the 90's Dropped my made in the USA short bed chevy 4x4 truck and install a Mexican 400 engine. Best on 1/4 mile racing with the transfer case on 4H... I did get away from the Mexican highway patrol or federal de caminos many times 😂😂😂😂 And they had interceptor crown Victoria's donation of the CHP... I had a 700r4 MD8 modified transmission. Yes automatic.

This is the best RU-vid video I’ve ever seen online.

89 Scottsdale K1500. Was my first truck. Had it for 11 years. I miss it everyday.

Gonna have $6000 plus in that 5.3 by the time you dress it out.. should’ve bought a junk yard engine for 300-500 and modded that... it would come with all the dressings

"and now we're gonna pull the engine out" "Cut! Bring the real mechanics in to pull the engine"

I have a 98 in my back yard, which was my first truck and a wrecked 07 avalache i got for free waiting to do this swap. Thanks for sharing it with us.

You can easily do everything!!!!! That guy makes it sound so easy!!!! Some of us don't have a nice little handy-dandy garage car lift!!!!!

10:33 how you imagine pulling your first engine however reality quickly sets in and you take off the front end and pull it with the trans connected.

So your just not going to talk about the fact that the 4L80e is longer than the 700r4 and when doing this swap you will have to drill new holes in the frame for the transmission cross member. At 16:02 you can see the problem.

Great info and patient explanation. Thank you. 👍

LT I build a 408 LS out of LQ4 6L .03 over bored and stroke form 3.623 to 4." I don't two and hp at the crack shaft but at the tires it has 253 HP and 361 TQ it in a 2001 Chevy suburban 3/4 ton 4x4 it's a work vehicle thanks LT you make this show what it or was

Trokiando Cuh 😈

Well we can see that truck is a repaint now with that over spray. Was a little suspicious of how nice the clear was with that undercarriage a little roughed up!

My 91 a 388 Stroker with the factory TBI system. It really wasn't that expensive but it took a long time because I did most of the work myself I'm also running a single plane high-rise. And it took a lot of work to get it to run right changing the size of the vacuum tubes going to the map sensor adjusting the TPS. Jumping the fuel pressure from 18 PSI to 30 PSI once it gets above 4,000 RPM. What I really want to do is take throttle bodies and just run the signal off of one but jump the wires over to the injectors on the second one on a monetary switch so that when you're at Full Throttle is the only time it's using the other carburetor like an old school vet

Very vehicle specific. If you doing these year models engine pull dont forgot the bolt down on drivers side holding the fuel line. 13mm in later years.

(red tide) well okay then do you only drive it once a month to 😂

185k? That things just getting broke in!

Awesome video keep it up guys!

I'm a fan of power nation. really enjoy Chevy builds. On this episode you swapped old style 350 w/tbi for ls. i'd like to see what you can do with changing out the heads with Vortex heads, more torq cam and either carbureted or fuel ejected vs TBI and a set of headers going from 190hp to ???. haven't seen it you've just talked about cost.

Send me that 350, I'll pay the shipping!

Amish Mike looks like he's just come back from a barn raising

Only and simply. Famous last words

good video. im in maryland and havent heard of power train products, they're 20 mins away from me! ha thanks for that. looking to upgrade my '97 2500 2wd now...

8:53 Whats with the spider gear on the torsion bar?

I'd like to have seen the old motor on the dyno. See what all those miles did.

Love the "We made some more power with a simple cam, head and intake swap".

I'm the all smoke when they get old. I had a 305 in a 88 that basically was a two-stroke and it burns a quart of oil a day. Had 235,000 mi on it. Still ran like a top. Couldn't do about 80 though. It could do 80 but that was about it. Was about to blow up. I pulled it out. Still running though and then put a LT1 in it. 89 GMC k1500 short bed. Regular cab 5. Speed LT1 out of a roadmaster I also went from the 3500 to the 4500 New venture

He failed step 1. He disconnected the positive terminal first.

Now get rid of the grille and upgrade to a 96-98 grille/headlights and do the 4 high mod.

My Clean 89 GMC pickup 3/4ton. Took out the old broken engine I installed a 96 to 98 vortec engine 350. 350 HPS. Was swap out of air intake manifold and use the TBI distributor and TBI and was all plug and play. The engine only has 65000 miles on it.

This is solid gold information thank you !!!

What's that over his left shoulder at 9:00? Looks like a wheel bearing.

@7:47 " I will hafto remove the fuel lines from the radiator" really? fuel intercooler?

My neighbor has a turbo LS3 swapped GMC Sierra 1500 Flareside and the quality of his fab work makes it look like GM made it that way.

that is my set up 4.8, stage two pac springs and china turbo 7400 rpm threw the traps and yes on the stage 3

Haha someone did this with a k1500 in my auto class

This is going to be a ls swap awd obs I can’t wait to see what it’s going to turn out

My first car was a 1978 Ford Granada with a 250 straight 6 it is still my only car except that I took the 250 out and I'm putting a 300 straight 6 engine. The 250 had well over 500000 miles.

Awesome trans

Isn't this the 4x4 they already screwed up by lowering?

Wtf....you spent 8-10 k in parts on a 3k truck, ended up with a 5.3 silverado to boot...not even a 6 liter.

Looks good. Lots more to do.

My man doin N'awlins proud!...represent brotha da 504 brotha and congrats!

This is exactly what I want to do to my 92 k1500 it would also be great to swap another five speed which came factory in my truck.

A tbi 350 with 180,000 is nothing, they can go a million miles if maintained properly.

I bouht mine here in 2023 at the begginig of the year, it had 189k then, its only at like 197k now. Still runs smooth, little rough in the winter up north here but she manages

Excellent guide.

There we go now your talking...awd ls powered obs 👏👍

Mine was a 1992 Silverado ext cab went from a original 305 and swapped to a 2017 6.2 10 speed fully built truck

I enjoyed your project and you spoke clearly. But, as you have probably heard from some, you lost me at the 4L80e rated to 600 ponies. As a GM guy (Worked on all & imports more), I just finished my 87 era 700r4 on my homes bench, for $930 and will handle 800+ easy as it is a high performance version of the 4L65e. Sonnax, Superior and 5-pinion carriers used Kolene & Alto Red Eagle friction/steels. 9 full faced frictions in the 3-4 clutch riding on an apply ring that measures like one stamped #7 but 0.34” end play. Look, two issues with the 4L80e is the weight of the rotating mass that knocks down track speed. The other is “Calculated Engine Load”. By itself, means nothing but if a failure or incorrect input by the MAP, TPS or MAF sensors, you will burn up a clutch within 50 miles or so. Even though quality parts are used, a terminal, connector or wire issue during a swap can cause that problem. I did not grow up during the BOX generation unless you went to the dealer, we rebuilt those items that gives the tech more on the “Flag” sheet but less on the parts side. Either way, it’s just my experience not a slam on parts companies in 2020, as many have good stuff. ASE Master Tech since 78-Retired. Nice upgrade for the GMT400.