GMC Sy should get an LS2 now
07-14-2019, 12:07 PM
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GMC Sy should get an LS2 now Dear all, 
I'm Konrad from Germany and own a GMC Syclone since 1999. The first step the get this little guy a push was going for a 383 LT1-stroker which went quite fine.
However, I like to switch to an LS2, preffered of a 05/06 Pontiac GTO, and run a 4L60e in a special gearbox case and keep the 4WD. So far so good.
There are quite some interesting pull outs available but at present I'm struggeling a bit with the question od what conversion kits do I need.
I checked with Hedman, only 2WD available. S10V8.com at leased offers something for the 4WD, so my hope is still high.
What I haven't figured out yet, are the needed serpentine drive and relocator. A relocation of the AC is mandatory as a result of the limited space in the engine compartment.
Do we have anybody on board that have some recommendations or has done a LS conversiont to an S10 or S15 4WD already and can save me time with hints?
Any information is highly apreciated.
Cheers from Germany
I'm Konrad from Germany and own a GMC Syclone since 1999. The first step the get this little guy a push was going for a 383 LT1-stroker which went quite fine.
However, I like to switch to an LS2, preffered of a 05/06 Pontiac GTO, and run a 4L60e in a special gearbox case and keep the 4WD. So far so good.
There are quite some interesting pull outs available but at present I'm struggeling a bit with the question od what conversion kits do I need.
I checked with Hedman, only 2WD available. S10V8.com at leased offers something for the 4WD, so my hope is still high.
What I haven't figured out yet, are the needed serpentine drive and relocator. A relocation of the AC is mandatory as a result of the limited space in the engine compartment.
Do we have anybody on board that have some recommendations or has done a LS conversiont to an S10 or S15 4WD already and can save me time with hints?
Any information is highly apreciated.
Cheers from Germany
07-14-2019, 12:37 PM
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Hedman 45306 is supposed to be for awd/4wd, did they say why those wouldn't work? When I was researching mine I remember reading that one of the brands offered required a body lift. I suggest calling the manufacturer and making sure before you order any, esp with the difficulty of shipping back if they won't work. Personally I would go ahead and go with a 4l80e, Bully racing usually has the custom input shaft and adapter required for the stock transfer case to work with the 80e. I'm running lssimple brackets with fbody spacing on mine, no a/c though. Pretty sure they do offer a high mount compressor bracket though.
07-14-2019, 12:47 PM
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Hedman 45306 is supposed to be for awd/4wd, did they say why those wouldn't work? When I was researching mine I remember reading that one of the brands offered required a body lift. I suggest calling the manufacturer and making sure before you order any, esp with the difficulty of shipping back if they won't work. Personally I would go ahead and go with a 4l80e, Bully racing usually has the custom input shaft and adapter required for the stock transfer case to work with the 80e. I'm running lssimple brackets with fbody spacing on mine, no a/c though. Pretty sure they do offer a high mount compressor bracket though.
07-14-2019, 01:01 PM
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It's been done before. Because of where the A/C is on the LS engine, getting it into a S-10 is hard. You'll have to notch the frame rail to make it fit the compressor in. https://www.currentperformance.com/s...swap-ac-lines/ these are some relocation kits for the lines and stuff. There are others too, that's just one brand. But the lines and reservoir don't solve the frame clearance problem, you'll have to cut that by hand yourself or get a fabrication shop to do it.
Texas speed also has a bunch of relocation brackets for different stuff. https://www.texas-speed.com/c-3242-e...sbrackets.aspx
The real trick here is the transmission and transfer case to retain the AWD. You have a couple options here. But I doubt you will find kits to do all this, this stuff gets into the one-off custom built territory. The 4l60 would not be my first choice though. But as you are in Germany, finding these parts used might be nearly impossible. I would try and get a 4l80e and a viscous coupled t-case from an AWD Denali as my first choice.
There is one thing you may have access to in Europe though. The Saab 9-7x is a Chevy Trail Blazer and the AWD ones had the SS stuff in them, including the engine you want. If you can get the transmission and the t-case from one of those that would be ideal. Its a viscous coupled AWD t-case (AWD all the time, with torque splitting) so it will be just like the factory one it has now. Just have to refit the driveshafts to the correct lengths. If you got the engine, transmission and t-case and all the electronics and harness from a 9-7x you would probably have very little else to worry about.
Texas speed also has a bunch of relocation brackets for different stuff. https://www.texas-speed.com/c-3242-e...sbrackets.aspx
The real trick here is the transmission and transfer case to retain the AWD. You have a couple options here. But I doubt you will find kits to do all this, this stuff gets into the one-off custom built territory. The 4l60 would not be my first choice though. But as you are in Germany, finding these parts used might be nearly impossible. I would try and get a 4l80e and a viscous coupled t-case from an AWD Denali as my first choice.
There is one thing you may have access to in Europe though. The Saab 9-7x is a Chevy Trail Blazer and the AWD ones had the SS stuff in them, including the engine you want. If you can get the transmission and the t-case from one of those that would be ideal. Its a viscous coupled AWD t-case (AWD all the time, with torque splitting) so it will be just like the factory one it has now. Just have to refit the driveshafts to the correct lengths. If you got the engine, transmission and t-case and all the electronics and harness from a 9-7x you would probably have very little else to worry about.
07-14-2019, 01:18 PM
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It's been done before. Because of where the A/C is on the LS engine, getting it into a S-10 is hard. You'll have to notch the frame rail to make it fit the compressor in. https://www.currentperformance.com/s...swap-ac-lines/ these are some relocation kits for the lines and stuff. There are others too, that's just one brand. But the lines and reservoir don't solve the frame clearance problem, you'll have to cut that by hand yourself or get a fabrication shop to do it.
Texas speed also has a bunch of relocation brackets for different stuff. https://www.texas-speed.com/c-3242-e...sbrackets.aspx
The real trick here is the transmission and transfer case to retain the AWD. You have a couple options here. But I doubt you will find kits to do all this, this stuff gets into the one-off custom built territory. The 4l60 would not be my first choice though. But as you are in Germany, finding these parts used might be nearly impossible. I would try and get a 4l80e and a viscous coupled t-case from an AWD Denali as my first choice.
There is one thing you may have access to in Europe though. The Saab 9-7x is a Chevy Trail Blazer and the AWD ones had the SS stuff in them, including the engine you want. If you can get the transmission and the t-case from one of those that would be ideal. Its a viscous coupled AWD t-case (AWD all the time, with torque splitting) so it will be just like the factory one it has now. Just have to refit the driveshafts to the correct lengths. If you got the engine, transmission and t-case and all the electronics and harness from a 9-7x you would probably have very little else to worry about.
Texas speed also has a bunch of relocation brackets for different stuff. https://www.texas-speed.com/c-3242-e...sbrackets.aspx
The real trick here is the transmission and transfer case to retain the AWD. You have a couple options here. But I doubt you will find kits to do all this, this stuff gets into the one-off custom built territory. The 4l60 would not be my first choice though. But as you are in Germany, finding these parts used might be nearly impossible. I would try and get a 4l80e and a viscous coupled t-case from an AWD Denali as my first choice.
There is one thing you may have access to in Europe though. The Saab 9-7x is a Chevy Trail Blazer and the AWD ones had the SS stuff in them, including the engine you want. If you can get the transmission and the t-case from one of those that would be ideal. Its a viscous coupled AWD t-case (AWD all the time, with torque splitting) so it will be just like the factory one it has now. Just have to refit the driveshafts to the correct lengths. If you got the engine, transmission and t-case and all the electronics and harness from a 9-7x you would probably have very little else to worry about.
Have you seen someone notch the frame for ac compressor in an awd/4wd application? Just looking at the pictures I have from my build looks like it would cut into the frame right where the front diff mount is.
No need to swap to the AWD case from the denali or trailblazer, the bw4472 is plenty strong and a smaller size. Pretty sure the np149 or np120 would require modifications to the floor plan to clear, it's pretty tight with the factory transfer case. Also all three options require a custom 32 spline input shaft to run behind a 80e. GM didn't make an AWD case with a viscous coupler that was 32 spline..
07-14-2019, 02:13 PM
#6
SYTY.NET these guys do it every day
https://www.centuryperformance.com/s...nversions.html
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/m...MaApPlEALw_wcB
https://www.centuryperformance.com/s...nversions.html
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/m...MaApPlEALw_wcB
Last edited by LS BRAVADA; 07-14-2019 at 02:19 PM.
07-14-2019, 02:24 PM
#7
Have you seen someone notch the frame for ac compressor in an awd/4wd application? Just looking at the pictures I have from my build looks like it would cut into the frame right where the front diff mount is.
No need to swap to the AWD case from the denali or trailblazer, the bw4472 is plenty strong and a smaller size. Pretty sure the np149 or np120 would require modifications to the floor plan to clear, it's pretty tight with the factory transfer case. Also all three options require a custom 32 spline input shaft to run behind a 80e. GM didn't make an AWD case with a viscous coupler that was 32 spline..
No need to swap to the AWD case from the denali or trailblazer, the bw4472 is plenty strong and a smaller size. Pretty sure the np149 or np120 would require modifications to the floor plan to clear, it's pretty tight with the factory transfer case. Also all three options require a custom 32 spline input shaft to run behind a 80e. GM didn't make an AWD case with a viscous coupler that was 32 spline..
Nope, i haven't seen the notch on the 4x4 conversions. Each of the ones I've put eyes on personally has had no factory A/C. And both we 5.3 engines, not ls2's.
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07-14-2019, 06:39 PM
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The transmission is not so much the issue, as I have help from a guy here in Germany and he is a real transmission wizzard.
The 4WD will ne via a manual transfer case, as it is now already. Our or my worries are more the serpentine drive we need and the relocation of the AC. Headers are on the market now, which hasn't when I did the LT1 conversion back in 1999.
I read a lot on the net and more or less everybody is giving the advise about the Corvette accessories, as they should give more clearance to the front. That will help as the engine bay offer very little space
Well it is how it is and I would like to speed up that truck a bit and make it more a daily driver as the bugger is now.
I'll update you at this place and still be happy to have some assistance from this forum here.
Many thanks again and have a good start into the new week.
07-15-2019, 05:17 AM
#9
As said before, SYTY.net has a wealth of info on everything syclone and typhoon. They have a full section devoted to conversions, the 4l80e stuff is talked about there. A guy over on the board makes and sells the shafts for the 4l80e conversions, I know because I bought one, its sitting in a drawer.
07-15-2019, 12:51 PM
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As said before, SYTY.net has a wealth of info on everything syclone and typhoon. They have a full section devoted to conversions, the 4l80e stuff is talked about there. A guy over on the board makes and sells the shafts for the 4l80e conversions, I know because I bought one, its sitting in a drawer.
