TheGoatof69

is there any thing that you would do differently if you were to do it again?
I'm gathering info/facts for my swap LS1/4l60 into a 69 GTO and was curious about others experiances. mount choices, headers, pans etc. Thanks.

bczee

iTrader: (12)

I would do a lot.. if I only had the Funds !.... But 6 years ago. I didn't have a whole lot of choices as compared to now..

but it all comes down to what your goal is and how much $$$ you have. I was more budget mined on my swap and still invested over $30k for my ground up resto-mod.

maybe a little more dress up. A Head/Cam setup. Better Fuel Tank system. The list never stops.. sometimes, a project will never be finished ! LOL..

Good luck..

TheGoatof69

Thank's bczee, I can imagine that making your swap 6 years ago would have had it's challenges (parts availability). Seems like my challenge is also parts availabilty...which parts! I don't have a problem spending top dollar on parts as long as they are quality parts. I can say that all of the vendors that I have had contact with have been very helpful and thats encouraging.

The plan for my build,for now, is a stock ls1 and 4l60 to serve as a seasonal daily driver that my wife and I can enjoy. After 7 on and off years of restoration
we ended up with a hopped up 400ci that got 10mpg and was way to finicky to really trust and enjoy. The car itself is really nice, new interior and exterior. We just want reliable hp and reasonal gas milage while cruzin in style.

So far I'm leaning towards a Mast oil pan, Hooker headers, Speartech harness, March pulley set-up. I'd like to keep my stock gas tank(it's new)and go with an inline fuel pump/filter set-up. I'll probably make my own engine mount plates. The radiator is still up in the air.

The car...

bozzhawg

69 Chevelle

LS2/LS3 heads
4l65e 3000 stall

Unless you have the LS1 setup already, go ahead and shoot for more cubes...

At a minumum go 6.0 or higher........ The options to make more power open up more as you step into 6.0+ range...... And you can make power compariable to a BBC easy and maybe faster due to less weight and ability to out rev the avg BBC....

The LS2 was cool as at the time I was on a budget, but now I am going FI with a turbo... Easy power on tap.....

As said before it just depends on your goals and your budget.....

If I had to do it all over again, I would have done the boost/turbo build..... The Edlebrock headers I got are starting to rust already, after close to a year...

Also I might would have gone with the CTS pan vs the H3 pan, my car is already dropped 3" in the front so, I have to be careful over bumps and driveways.... The thing that saves me is the 20" wheels...... But I also beefed up my front end, polygraphite bushings, moog rods, ball n Joints, racing springs 500+lbs and HD bilstein shocks... So it steers and handles tight like a late model car, especially with the 255 tires up front and 99 S10 gearbox.

Some key trouble shooting points:
Also make sure you get you good forged yolks for the tranny,
measure the driveshaft and make sure it is angled correctly.
Set up a fuel system up to the task and power level....
Make sure to run a decent gauge wire from the fuel relay to the pump....
If you use an intake pump setup, make sure to use a sending unit or take that is resistant to full slosh issues...
for intake fuel pumps: Walbro 255 or AC/Delco EP381
make sure to route your front O2 sensors wires away from your mani's or headers.
The headers are a crap shoot, I have heard hookers rust and my eddys are rusting so, its a shot in the dark.... I heard the Jet Hots are good......I took some Kooks off the 06 GTO donor car and they looked good, no rust....

Get you a subscription to Alldata.com , it will save you a lot of time... They have the entire schematics for your year the motor/car that it came from. It is only $16 for a year subscription.

And be honest with your intent and goals, whether its s street,strip, or drag car...... they all have compromises...

Most importantly build the motor or car you want or invision.. The worst thing to me is to see a bunch of cars at a meet or show that all look a like....I like the cars that are unique and it is a representation of the owner vs all of his buddies or something that others like .....

Bozz

speedtigger

iTrader: (16)

While my project is not quite complete yet, I will say that I have had to remind myself many times to stay true the vision that inspired the build. There are sooooo many temptations along the way to go bigger, bigger , bigger - on everything.

bozzhawg

I hear ya, it is easy and the money can rack up quick.......

I started off shooting for 450rwhp+, did that....
Now I want 575-600rwhp with the turbos....lol

On my old BBC setup that was more radical, I passed up everybody but a gas station....lol

Bozz

TheGoatof69

Thanks for the replies...

bozzhawg, I already have the engine, '04 LS1 from a GTO, 18k miles for $2500,couldn't turn it down. The car already has 2" drop spindles, which may not drop 2" with the lighter ls1. So I am somewhat concerned about pan/ground clearance.
I have the original 14" wheels on the car, with the original axle which is geared at 3.55 or 3.90 (i should know).The engine was turning 3000 rpms at 70 mph down the freeway. I'm looking forward to the OD of the 4l60 trans. Also planning on putting some 17" wheels and a little taller tire to get a little more roll out of it...

anyone have thoughts on the Dynatech headers?

bozzhawg

Yeah that is a good deal......

bozzhawg

I will post pics tomorrow....


Bozz

Gray86hatch

iTrader: (83)

I just about have my dads 6.0 finished.

6.0 L92 heads, FTI cam and Vic Jr

Only real thing is I wish I would have done is change the front dress. I used truck stuff because it was all brand new and came with the engine.

Made 2 laps around the block tonight and the drivability is great. Should make 370 or so at the tires. Hope to get high teens for milage down the highway with the ac on.

Tim

ZTwentyAteU

iTrader: (12)

fwiw the hooker ls swap headers for these cars run right into the brake line splitter on the drivers side frame rail. Thats the only real issue I ran into

bozzhawg

Drivers side


Passenger side




Drivers side
Yelp they are suppose to be stainless with a tri ceramic coating.... I drive my car a lot so, some guys who don't drive the car often or seasonal may have different results. And its not dirt, its in the metal, not running rich, not pushing water etc..... 10 months...

Bozz

bozzhawg

Lol.... yeah tell me about ... I heard they are discontinuing them do to lack of interest? yeah right.... Even more people are swapping vs when I bought em and the market is growing, so their excuse doesn't fly with me.... Now when I got my donor LS2, it had kooks headers on it, they would not fit but I noticed, no rust whats so ever..... So I sold em and bought the dakota digital dash.....

But its no biggie, I am not sweatn it, they are about to come off anyway, and I am going with some C6 manifolds for my turbo build, and I will have them coated here locally by polydyne.....

Bozz

gjestico

iTrader: (5)

I might make a wild guess and say the Eddy headers are made from 409 grade SS. It goes brown with time, does not stay shiney like 304/316 does. Its cheaper and easier to form, probably why they chose it.