LT4-Swapped El Camino Is a Headache but Is a Dream Come True
El Camino with an LT4 swap spins a bearing miles after completion. Chevrolet Performance steps in with new crate engine.
There’s one moment in every project that is the most refreshing, rewarding and enjoyable moment of all. The first drive. For YouTuber LT4 Camino, a first drive to the gas station started out great for his LT4 swapped El Camino, but quickly turned into a bit of a nightmare. After about three miles, the engine stalled. It re-fired briefly, but then started making some ugly noise.
Given this El Camino is a continuation of his grandfather’s dream project, our YouTuber here has his heart, soul and even savings involved. The ultimate goal is an El Camino with that supercharged V8 crate motor mated to Tremec T56. Sadly the grandfather is no longer around to see the build come to fruition. So to have a failure right after the build seemed completed lead to a lot of frustration.
As most diagnoses go, the easiest fixes are explored first. Spark plugs were checked, oil level and pressures checked. Even the flywheel was checked to see if it had a bolt back out. It wasn’t until the engine was opened up that a very discolored connecting rod was spotted. Unfortunately it meant one thing. A rod bearing spun.
Complicating matters, GM said it would need to be returned to the dealer that sold it. But the engine was purchased from Summit. Chevrolet dealers didn’t want to open up the engine, but eventually a dealer was able to verify the spun rod.
Despite the back and forth, GM was quick to send out another engine, and get the LT4 Camino back up and running. But our YouTuber in question was curious (as we are, too) on the overall costs of such a swap.
The engine itself takes up a good amount of the cost, being about $18,000. However the engine comes undressed and needs accessories. Want power steering or or conditioning? Gotta add it. Next biggest cost was the Tremec transmission. And a custom driveshaft made for it was another added line on the tab. In all, he’s $46,656.11 into the car, and that’s just doing the work on his own out of a home garage. Yeah, it’s a high cost, but there’s no doubt the El Camino’s sentimental value far exceeds that number.
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