Conversions & Swaps LSX Engines in Non-LSX Vehicles
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LS2 into LS1 car.

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Old May 21, 2009 | 07:23 PM
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Default LS2 into LS1 car.

Alright so I have a V6 car.. and Instead of swapping in a LS1 I figured why not go ahead to the LS2 once my motor finally gives up the ghost.

So I know theres tons of threads about LS1 installs into V6 F-Bodys. No need to worry about how to do that.

I just wanna know what all is different from the LS1 to the LS2 what does it take to swap the LS2 into the LS1 cars?

How much more should I expect to spend and what sort of power should I expect?
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Old May 21, 2009 | 07:41 PM
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The map and cam sensors are located near the back on the LS1, in front on the LS2. Knock sensors are in the lifter valley on the LS1 and in the sides of the block on the LS2.
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Old May 22, 2009 | 05:37 PM
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Pretty much the same as installing a LS1, just a couple of little differences with wiring.
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Old May 22, 2009 | 05:55 PM
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not much difference just wiring which you have to do anyway. If you get an ls1 harness racetronix sells the adaptor harness's you need to swap in the ls2.
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Old May 22, 2009 | 11:00 PM
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Is the price difference worth it? What can I expect to pay for a decent used/low mileage LS1 / LS2? So besides wiring thats it?

I gotta get new guages as is but what about those, nothing?
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Old May 23, 2009 | 05:25 AM
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aren't the oil pans different since the ls2's were offered in the GTO?

-jason
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Old May 23, 2009 | 08:20 AM
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Yea a GTO Oil Pan is different.

Look for a Iron 6.0l.. as in a LQ4 or LQ9. Pretty much the same as the LS2, just it's heavier cause it's iron, that is about the only difference.

My Iron 6.0l isn't to shabby itself..
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Old May 24, 2009 | 08:41 AM
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injector plugs are differnet as well.. EV1 and EV6... you can by adaptors...

not sure if your one is different but there are 24x and 58x reluctor wheel LS2's so if you have a 58x reluctor LS2 and are fitting into a LS1 you will need to change the reluctor or fit a trigger module adaptor
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Old May 25, 2009 | 10:41 PM
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Just Curious, how much does a LS1 swap run normally run? just parts wise?.. I want to go T56 and LS1 into my auto V6..

I know I need a lot of parts and I know theres plenty of writeups out there.

I know I stated LS2.. But I havent found a LS2 cheap enough to make it worth while.

I would like to find a LS1 with less then 30k on it and T56. if that helps anyone answer my question.

What is the going rate for a shop to put this in? I dont have the time while going to college nor do I have to tools to do this job. so I have to have someone do it.
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Old May 26, 2009 | 07:59 AM
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It might be cheaper to just sell your v6 car and buy an ls1 if you're not going to do the work yourself

-jason
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Old May 26, 2009 | 09:38 AM
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Originally Posted by Screamin_99
Just Curious, how much does a LS1 swap run normally run? just parts wise?.. I want to go T56 and LS1 into my auto V6..

I know I need a lot of parts and I know theres plenty of writeups out there.

I know I stated LS2.. But I havent found a LS2 cheap enough to make it worth while.

I would like to find a LS1 with less then 30k on it and T56. if that helps anyone answer my question.

What is the going rate for a shop to put this in? I dont have the time while going to college nor do I have to tools to do this job. so I have to have someone do it.

TBH going from Auto to Manual is going to cost you a ton. It will cost about $1500 in extra parts, about that in labor. Not to mention that the trans will cost you at least $500 more from a pull out. So you are looking at a min $3500 extra to convert to a manual vs doing the same job as an auto. Unless you find a good shop that will do it for less. Maybe it is less in a 4th gen since I was doing mine in 2nd gen.
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Old May 26, 2009 | 09:50 AM
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Originally Posted by jaysz28
it might be cheaper to just sell your v6 car and buy an ls1 if you're not going to do the work yourself

-jason
+1...
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Old May 26, 2009 | 10:45 AM
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X2.The labor will cost you out the ***..
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Old May 26, 2009 | 12:13 PM
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Stop!

if you aren't doing this yourself (free labor) then sell the V6 and buy a good LS1/T56 car. Even if you do it yourself, you'd still probably come out ahead just getting a new car.

It'll be cheaper and you're set to upgrade from there.
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Old May 26, 2009 | 07:05 PM
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Good advice.. what im looking at is condition. I said I would never buy another V6 or V8 Fbody.

I dont want to spend a 15-20k miles for a car with 50+k miles.

The point in the motor swap for me was to try and get a new/lower mileage motor and just swap it in. I get power and the car will last me and do what I need.
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Old May 27, 2009 | 01:43 PM
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IMO, the only way to make it close to easy then is find a complete LS1/T56 F-body donor car, like a wreck... And get the whole thing. Part out the non-driveline parts to help fund the project.

This will insure you have every little piece needed to complete the swap.

If you want to go LS2, then a high mile one is fine, then replace the LS1 longblock with the LS2 and keep the accessories, oilpan, and such. I think you can even make an LS1 PCM control an LS2, maybe needs a few part changes but nothing huge, when compared to the rest of the ordeal.

Labor paying a shop to do this will still kill ya.
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Old May 27, 2009 | 02:34 PM
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I got a lot of looking to do.. I wanted to have the best of two evils and get a Terminator once I graduate College.. and it would have been nice to have this car built up bad *** also.

So what seperates the LS2 from the LS1 exactly..

Bore? Stroke? Oil Pan and Cam specs? You mentioned that I could swap a LS2 block on a LS1. Whats different from the blocks?
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Old May 27, 2009 | 03:15 PM
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Stroke is the same between the two, 3.66", however the bore in the LS2 is a 4.000" compared to the 3.895" Bore in the LS1.

The LS2 also has the Cam Sensor in the Timing Cover and the Knock Sensors on the side of the block.

Trust me that .3l makes a difference..
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Old May 28, 2009 | 01:05 PM
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Originally Posted by Screamin_99
I got a lot of looking to do.. I wanted to have the best of two evils and get a Terminator once I graduate College.. and it would have been nice to have this car built up bad *** also.

So what seperates the LS2 from the LS1 exactly..

Bore? Stroke? Oil Pan and Cam specs? You mentioned that I could swap a LS2 block on a LS1. Whats different from the blocks?
Off the top of my head... It's a gen IV block, 6.0L... internals are slightly different, and the heads of course. Externally most everything is compatible, so accessories and oilpan etc for an F-body should bolt right up.

I said the long block, which is the basic motor from oilpan to heads, but no extras. Assuming you got a donor F-body you would use it's accessories, oil pan & pickup, the T56 and all it's linkage, etc... This applies to almost any LS style motor you wanted to swap in... With a complete F-body donor you have 99% of what you need to install, even if perhaps the original LS1 was junk, blown, whatever.

You'd have to either swap reluctor wheels on the crank, or use an adapter box since the LS2 & LS1 aren't compatible there..... Swap that, though, and the LS1 computer could just be re-tuned for the LS2 easily enough.

Some of the sensors are in different places on the LS2 v/s the LS1, but that's minor.

Easiest is still to sell yours and buy a nice LS1/T56 car. You'll be dollars ahead, and it's faster too. Still a fair number out there if you are patient. I seriously doubt you can swap in even a stock LS1 for cheaper than selling the V6 and buying a decent V8, and VERY seriously doubt doing it cheaper when paying someone else labor to do it.

Last edited by BusDriver; May 28, 2009 at 01:12 PM.
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