Long story short, I've been building and swapping LS's for 15 years and it can be done cheap. My formula ? Cheap engine running off a carb and scrounging the junk yards. I picked up a Gen 4 2009 LY2, 4.8L on a trade for an old MSD 6A box I had from another project. Bolted on a BW T5 World Class behind it with a stock hydraulic throw out bearing. Cut an inch off the stock oil pan and pickup and welded it back together, cut the outlets off the stock exhaust manifolds, reclocked and tucked them and dropped the engine into a '88 S10. Used the stock TBI fuel pump and tank and added a bypass fuel regulator to feed the carb. Intake was picked off Ebay for $200 and had to buy a MSD 6LS box to fire the ignition. An F-Body donated the radiator and fans and the accessory drive was completed with a idler kit from ICT Billet and a LS3 tensioner. I downloaded the blueprints for the engine adaptor plates and a friend with a machine shop built them for me for a 30 of Labatt Blue. Basically it all came together for a little over $1600. It will peel the hides for an 1/8th mile and it handles better than you would think. Tons of smiles per mile, cheap.
RU-vid is an EXCELLENT source of howto information. It's how I learned how to unlock the anti theft in the computer and figure out the wiring that looks like a nightmare but is simple.
1500 bucks for a 6.0/ 4L80e 62 GMC. I bought a 06 Silverado with a 6.0 and 4L80 that had hit a cemment support for a drainage culvert and bent the frame for 1k. Pulled the 105,000 mile engine and trans and all the wiring and electric accelerator pedal and put it in a 62 short wide GMC truck. Put the computer in an 04 Silverado and got the anti theft to unlock and put it back in the old GMC. I made my own motor mounts and did my own wiring and trans cross member. A friend gave me an aluminum radiator that I made fit, and I ran the stock plastic water pump driven fan on it. I currently have the 06 Silverado fuel tank in the bed to run it. The first long drive was 90 miles to get the computer worked at a tuner place. It did fine in limp mode but got horrible mileage. Drove back at 20 mpg. It's got a 2.78 12 bolt under it, and at 85 mph, it's only turning 1800. Drives up hills with the converter locked up just fine. Will annihilate the tires so bad I had to put 500 pounds in the back to drive around in the rain, lol. I've got about 1500 bucks in it, including the 62 GMC truck, and it is my daily driver now. It is one of my best projects. I just wish I could find another doner truck to get another 6.0 out of as cheap as I did that one.
5.3 Was the route I was going 2 go several years ago but I went 1986 casting block carbureted 4 barrel 700r4 T top monte I'm happy it's dependable, reliable runs good and alot of fun and complements I went for the handling and traveling ability of the car
It’s cool that you guys are where you are; there’s not many, if any at all 2WD up here in the NE. Important Q: cheapest rock-bottom way to delete VATS?
Im trial fitting the stock manifolds tomorrow on the 67 malibu. I thought of cutting and welding them if necessary. Got lots of cast rod. Try my first cast weld.
Right! I wish I had a ly6 but I got lq4 gen 3 6.0 block rebuilt with ly6 rods and .030 position. Ls3 heads . The ly6 comes with LS rec port heads just a tad bit bigger combustion chambers I think 72 cc vs 68cc LS 3 heads
@@davidjaime6407 I'm looking to do a similar project. I have a LQ4 with a LS1 intake and throttle body. Going L92 heads with a LS3 intake and 92mm throttle body. I want to run a Holley Terminator X system with a Summit stage 3 LS3 cam.
sound like he said find a complete Ls donor and install it in your car. I wish they explained exactly what how and the difference between ls and a normal bbc/sbc install lol
I have a 5.3 Silverado I’m willing to do a transplant on soon… It’s got some frame rot 230k miles.. I would love to find a late model RX-7 or something small like that to swap into..
I’m interested in knowing how to keep my signal and brake lights I can’t afford Term x yet what would you recommend a plug 🔌 in play type or stand alone harness
I got a Silverado 1500 5.3 1999. Looking for a 4L60E transmission. Anyone know where I could get one for a good price ? Any suggestions ? I'm in Central Alabama will pick up if necessary.
Hey great work I have a question would Clay consider doing one for me in my 1978 Oldsmobile Cutlass do you have any idea how much give or take he would charge and where you guys located by
@@CarGuyV8 OK awesome if you ever considers it please let me know. I am in no rush with no timeframe really just want a good nice cheap swap. Don’t need to be all overboard and everything just something reliable and of course that sounds good. Thank you for the quick response I appreciate it.
Found a 2001 Silverado 2500/6.0/4l80/4x4/4.10 with 290k miles, running driving with slight lifter or knocking noise. Would it be a good donor for a Jeep Comanche LS SWAP? The milage and the engine noise is kinda scary but the noise goes away after it warms up. Should I buy it as a good donor for a swap?
I have a v6 Mustang I want to LS swap it and I want to achieve 890 to 980whp, I know trying to buy a GT will run my 30k plus that just for the car and even more to modify it. Any tips?
The ZF6? the SBC and LS have the same bellhousing pattern so I’m sure others must have used it before. Might have to research the clutch and flywheel situation though.
I’m trying to LS Swap a LS1 into a 5th Gen Camaro SS, could anyone help me figure out what I’m going to need? For context, I’m a 19 yr old and lucked my way into a Camaro shell with just about everything but engine and Trans, and I have a family member who’s willing to sell me a LS1, and new to a lot of this stuff
Sounds like a cool project. Probably best to ask a forum this question. You’ll probably have to run a different intake at the least because the throttle setups will be different. It’ll have a different reluctor wheel than an LS3 too.
Nonsense! I literally just got my classic jeep cherokee ls swapped and running for under $500. I charge customers that much but if a guy is skilled in wrenching, fabricating and haggling it is pretty easy on just about any make or model. Just gotta have the time.
BS,,, Remember the anemic SS Monte Carlo from mid 80's ? After purchasing it wrecked ,, and stripping it down to running / rolling chassis it's now a 55 Nomad wagon with tilt cruise , AC & power seats and shows very well at car shows ,, all done on the cheap , sprayed with PPG Omni
Good jod brother thad one look new want can help me want to buy Chevrolet Silverado to work delivery and the city got sontime heavy thing what year thing big good and gas to work like 6 h day m to Friday got to buy something 2000 to 2007 thas it can you let me now what year motor best good gas any ok i now my brother got s much big motor 😂 let me now thank g blessings you
You are either completely ignorant of the LS series,or you are confused and are thinking of the LS1, all 99+ Silverado’s,tahoes,suburbans, avalances and their gmc counterparts have an LS , 4.8,5.3,6.0,6.2, the last traditional sbc after the TBI motors ,was the 96-98 350(5.7) vortec ,which continued only in the vans until 02 I believe,every other vortec was an LS motor other than the 4200 vortec which was a inline 6 ,4.2 liter in the trailblazers, the only other motor you could’ve got in a 99 or newer Chevy truck was the 4.3 or the duramax ,and since they aren’t v6’s or a diesel please tell me what those 2 motors are? Either you know nothing about engines , or you thought you knew a little bit about one vehicle that you’ve owned ,and are mistakenly making assumptions
