ZexGX

iTrader: (28)

Couldn't have done it without my friends from LS1tech! ss.slp.ls1, LT_Chevyboy, and other Cali Generalz!

LS1 swapped my 99 Firebird.

Found the donor car (01 SS, A4, 62k miles), checked it out for a few days, bought it for $2500, then started the swap the very next day. Total time involved with swapping engines/trans was 3 days. I also kept the stock V6 gauges because they work 100% fine. Didn't have to install a V8 fuel pump because I had done that earlier. Same with suspension upgrades.

I guess some general advice would be before doing the swap yourself, drain the system of trans fluid and coolant. Makes it a LOT easier to clean up.

I used this guide as a general reference on what parts need to be changed:
3.4/3.8 V6 to LS1

• They say the tachometer and speedometer are off and that the oil PSI and coolant temp readings are off. This may be true depending on what year your target vehicle is. My '99 V6 Bird cluster works 100% fine (needles are all where they are supposed to be) with a 01 LS1 and 01 LS1 fuel system installed. What they mean by readings inaccurate are the oil PSI having a different number printed onto the cluster overlay. The tachometer may also be inaccurate around the redline area. My speedometer seems to be working fine (within 3-5MPH) and the 3-5MPH variation is likely due to the PCM being tuned for 3.23 gears and not the 3.42 gears I have.
• They say you need to swap the coil springs. You do not. The only pieces that you should do (for peace of mind and general driving safety) are the front and rear swaybars. I had already done this so I did not have to do that this time.
• As far as wiring, like I said all I had to do was run an additional wire. I am told there is another way to do this by splicing in a wire jumping between one connector and another on the wires sitting on the passenger side shock tower. The above website implies the whole body harness has to be changed but that is inaccurate if you have a 99-02 car without TCS and will be swapping between 99-02. If you are going to be running the air pump or EGR for smog reasons, you will have to run the necessary wiring and pins for that.

TIMELINE:
Friday afternoon - Got the donor car to the swap location
Saturday - Pulled the LS1 + parts, and the one electrical wire needed for the V6 chassis, started at 9AM stopped work at 3PM
Sunday - Pulled the V6, installed LS1/4L60E into engine bay + misc electrical, started at 9AM stopped at 2AM
Monday - finished swapping in misc. pieces and using BFH/grinders on other misc. pieces that needed modification like modifying the V6 trans crossmember to work with the V8 mounting location. Installed V6 into SS body. Started at 9 stopped at 11.
Tuesday - drove home and also towed donor car home! Driving 100 miles on open manifolds can be bad for your hearing.

Here is a guide detailing the pinouts. Useful for all 97-02 V8 swaps:
http://web.archive.org/web/201503040...nus/wiring.htm
^^^^^ This is what I will probably do to remove that pink wire stretching across the engine bay. I need to make sure that by doing this I am not getting rid of anything necessary or causing issues in regards to the PCM and grounding. My friends have reported that this method works fine.
In case the guide goes down, here is a screengrab of the pinouts from the above link:


Here are some pics with captions:

Before - a (relatively) stock 3.8L L36 V6 engine bay on my '99 Firebird.


After - a stock 5.7L LS1 V8 engine in my '99 Firebird. The pictured air injection valves, rubber tubing, and airbox lid were changed for the air injection system to function as GM intended prior to obtaining an engine swap certification.


The donor car (2001 Camaro SS) and it's owner who was the only one in the car when it hit a tree, rolled over on the ground at least once, and landed on its wheels.


The V6 Firebird was missing a wire from the INJ2 fuse location in the fuse box, so my buddy de-pinned the wire from the Camaro SS fusebox and traced it all the way back to where it plugs in on the C101/C105 connector. This step is necessary to get an LS1 working. You could also do it with the C101/C105 splice method mentioned in the forum post.


A closeup showing the other end of the INJ2 wire (PINK).


Removing the V8. Everything had to be disconnected and removed. Remove the driveshaft (4 bolts and U clamp), the 4 trans crossmember bolts, the k-member bolts, upper shock bolts, disconnect the AC lines (after properly removing and disposing of the refrigerant ), remove the AC dryer, disconnect the radiator after flushing the coolant, remove radiator and AC condenser, remove battery and coolant reservoir, and disconnect the brake lines for the front brakes from the ABS block. PCM was laid on top of the engine, wiring and tubing tucked safely away, and then used a cherry picker and a strong nylon rope wrapped around the frame rails to carefully lift the body.


V8 removed. Large jack stands placed under the frame rails to keep the body supported at the proper height. You can also see the various dollies used to support the k-member and brakes.


Showing the difference between the V6 and V8 fuel lines. The V8 uses a returnless system and only has 2 lines running to the engine bay. The V6 has three.


A closeup of the fuel filter T


Removing the V6... Again, most stuff has to be disconnected and removed including radiator. We left the V6 ABS block, V6 fuse block, and V6 master cylinder/reservoir with the car body.


Hoist with nylon strap wrapped around the frame rails and lifted to remove the V6.


Installing the V6 into the donor car so we could roll it around. It wasn't able to bolt up all the way probably due to the accident twisting the body around the K-member. The LS1 K-member bolted into my car just fine though, so it's a little odd.


LS1 installed, but really it's a close-up showing how a TCS cable was modified to be used as the throttle cable. The donor car had ASR/TCS and the target car was a non-TCS/ASR car, thus the donor throttle cable wouldn't work. I drove it 100 miles home on this setup with no throttle issues at all and kept it in use for the next 4 years.


Oh yeah, and for ***** and giggles here is a pic of some clothes I was wearing for a few days:

Shinobi'sZ

Nice job posting pics and descriptions. I have a few questions. I have a V6 Bird with an Auto in it. Do you know if the V6 uses the same K member as the LS and if it will bolt directly up to the V6 Auto tranny?

ZexGX

iTrader: (28)

V6 uses a different K-member and engine mounts. The V6 auto trans is different from the LS1 auto in that the bell housing, input shaft, and pump stator are different - other differences in the transmissions may exist as well. Check the first link I gave you in your thread as that held the most info as to what parts are interchangeable. Suspension difference is mainly swaybars - nothing really HAS to be changed in the suspension. Also, the gauge cluster doesn't HAVE to be changed. It just helps if you drive above 130MPH.

rao

iTrader: (18)

Nice work

ss.slp.ls1

iTrader: (36)

Clean swap if I do say so myself. I have to pat myself on the back.

WSsick

iTrader: (13)

pretty clean swap man. looks like it came from the factory. i tihnk ive seen you post in the pic of the month and have to say "not ls1 powered" or something to that effect, but no more of that! enjoy the newlyfound power.

ramairroughneck

iTrader: (35)

Did the pink wire take the place of a black wire on the plug in you picture? If so, do you happen to know what the black wire went to. I'm assuming the black wire must not be needed now.

ls2supersport

wow i didnt even know they made a v6 firebird

ZexGX

iTrader: (28)

Give Alex a pat on the back too. I have some money for you as well.

I don't think its needed. If it is there is an alternative way of wiring it. I am updating the main post with more info.

ZexGX

iTrader: (28)

Just wanted to add, it has been approved by the referee as a CA legal engine swap and is now CA smog legal and has passed its bi-annual smog inspection with flying colors thanks to a fully working AIR/AIS system (& new check valves), brand new GM cats, stock manifolds without broken bolts/studs, 4 new Denso O2 sensors, and 8 new NGK iridium plugs (thanks RockAuto). As a side note, the Referee said I could legally have true-duals as long as the cats are OEM and the manifolds/headers are CARB approved.

Lurk

iTrader: (11)

good work!

31camaro

iTrader: (2)

god it must be hard living in california and having a fast car and your wanting to mod it

ss.slp.ls1

iTrader: (36)

Glad it turned out so well. I thought we installed all new NGK TR55 plugs? Did you foul them out from exhaust leaks?

Nah, just gotta know lenient people.

ZexGX

iTrader: (28)

It's only hard if you play by the book. As far as I know I'm the only one out of the hundreds of F-body owners I know that has gotten the BAR-certified engine swap sticker.

Yup. Bank 0 was solid black, and Bank 1 was pure white. They were in pretty bad shape - the threads on the manifold studs you had installed had been shaved smooth and the cats were only loosely held on by 1 nut per side. Replaced the manifolds with ones with good studs/threads all over, replaced the plugs with NGK TR5IX, replaced the four O2 sensors with Densos, and used different nuts and lock washers on the cats. So far so good...

BTW, the Referee and his assistant said it was one of the top three cleanest engine swaps they'd ever seen. Good jeorb!

ss.slp.ls1

iTrader: (36)

Sweet! Nice to know my work is commendable.

Ellsworth

now you save on insurance! haha

98z28jorge

iTrader: (4)

hey i am in the same process right now i have a crashed 98 z28 a4 and i am swapping into a 98 fire-bird.
i just wanted to ask if you had to change the harness from the passenger side shock tower that runs to the headlights and to the fuse boxes????
also can i leave the dash harness alone will it pulg into the v8 harness??? i really need help!!!!! oh and do you know if i can use the camaros cluster on the birds dash??? thank in advance

ss.slp.ls1

iTrader: (36)

We kept the same body and interior harness of the Firebird untouched and pluged the LS1 harness into them. We had to run an extra wire from the fuse block for INJ 2 IGN voltage. You will need diagrams of the C100, C101, C105, C220, & C230 of both the '98 v8 car and the '98 v6 car and make sure everything matches up to where it should. The gauge cluster from the Camaro will fit in the Firebird, but I do not know if both gauges are pinned the same. You'll want to look at pinout diagrams for both cars.
For Lee's swap, we just keep the firebird cluster in there and it worked fine.

98z28jorge

iTrader: (4)

hey thanks alot so if eveything matches all i would need is to pin that ing2 wire and let her rip?

billy.johnson

iTrader: (5)

Looks like a lot of work but great out come!!!!!!