GOT JCE

New to this board but belonged to the turbobuicks board for years. Sold my GN and now have a 1971 Chevelle SS convertible. It currently has a 402 auto that I want to convert to a LQ9 and 4l65 tranny out of a 2002 Escalade. Never attempted a swap before and would like some tips. I don't need anymore performance than what the motor and tranny currently have. I drive my car everyday (weather permitting)but can't deal with the 10mpg I currently get with the big block. I need to know what I will need out of the Escalade for the swap. Will this tranny work being it is mated to a transfer case? I know I need the harness and ecm but how about the accessories and oil pan? Will they fit into my A body chassis? And the cooling and fuel systems? Thanks in advance for any suggestions and responses. Here is a pic of my baby. Was restored last year before the Adirondack Nationals in Lake George.

Tainted

iTrader: (9)

go for the newer L92/ls3, its a better platform to start with. you will need motor, accesories, pcm, wire harness, possibly the pedals, and a tranny, in addition to your swap parts etc.

bczee

iTrader: (12)

There is a FAQ / Sticky full of A-Body swaps.

But, other than what Tainted said to pull.. you will just need the motor Adapter plates, fab up or mod a Transmission Crossmember/Drive shaft. I was able to use my TH350 by flipping it and cut/welding the mount tab.

You can use some Car Manifold (f-body work best) or go swap headers.

You will also have to mod / create your fuel system. I would recommend an intank setup. a few options.
- mod you current tank
- use a B-body or a GN tank
- buy a replacement tank with EFI pump setup ($500 - $1500)

my suggestion is to use the same make / vendor for the plates and the headers, Mixing and matching can cause problem. But nothing that can't be worked out.

Suggest you ask your next question is smaller and more direct subject/area.. you will get better answers and suggestions. For the shotgun question, buy a book..

BC

psiconversion

iTrader: (5)

If you have access to the entire Escalade and plan on keeping the drive by wire. Make sure you get the pedal, TAC (Throttle Actuator Control) module and the harness between the two. If you are going to an LS1 intake and switching to drive by cable then they are unnecessary. I believe the CTS-V oil pan works best for the a-bodies. We manufacture wiring harnesses for the combination you listed above as welll as any other ls combination you can think of . There are many mounts out there to choose from, we use Dirty Dingo. Hope that helps.

Jon
PSI

cbrodine

Nice looking Chevelle. There is a TON of info on A Body swaps around here. Including a lot of build threads to follow along with for help/ideas. The LQ4/4L65 will be a cheaper route to go vs the L92/LS3 if the budget is tight. The LQ4 can make great power with a little help. I used BRP Muscle Rod LS swap kit to put the LQ4 in my 69' A body...you can check out the link in my sig for more details. Good luck and post lots of pics.

BP Automotive

iTrader: (3)

As stated above, if you plan on keeping the drive by wire you should get the TAC module, pedal, pedal to tac harness and pcm. The one advantage to drive by wire is cruise control. There aren't really any noticeable advantages other than that.

If you get the harness from the donor vehicle you can rewire the factory harness, but I wouldn't recommend that with a car as nice as yours. New harnesses are not really that bad for what you are getting, and will make your swap much nicer in the end.

The dirty dingo mounts are nice pieces, and are probably the most popular LSX swap mount.

Feel free to give us a call, we can accommodate your wiring needs, no matter which road you decide to take with the harness.

JetMech442

iTrader: (1)

Once you have the engine mounted you can check to see if the truck intake will clear. I have an LQ9/T56 combo and it did clear, but I went with an LS6 intake only for cosmetic purposes-which then caused clearance issues with the throttle body/waterpump. I went with ti-tech coated edelbrock headers and they fit nicely. I also used an external walbro fuel pump with a large capacity fuel filter(before the pump), I did fuel consumption calcs and determined that the fuel filter should hold enough fuel to prevent startvation to the pump while in extended hard turns.(we'll see if this is true when I get it running and on the track).

I would suggest checking out some of the build threads, a lot of guys like have done some top notch builds and are full of helpful tips. Good luck with your build man, hope this helped some.