Lt1 or LSx in Audi A6?
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
From: B'ville, WV
Lt1 or LSx in Audi A6? I've done a search and seen the question asked several times if a LS1 would fit an Audi A4 and most seem to think that the engine bay on the A4 is just not quite big enough for the LSx. Although it seems as though it would fit if you wanted to make it a RWD car and not AWD, but even then it would require some massaging.
Kennedy Engineering is now making a adapter for the LSx motors and in the link below the builder got a LT1 kit from Kennedy and mated the LT1 to an Audi 5000 transmission.
The A6 is quite a bit bigger than the A4 so I'm assuming the issue of the motor being longer shouldn't be such a big deal in this case. At least not like it would be with an A4.
IF I ever do this I would love to keep the quattro system in tact.
This guy mounted an Audi 5000 trans to an LT1, although that was for a Fiero application.
And how would I wire it? Would I use the LTx/LSx harness and wire that into the Audi computer or use the GM computer somehow wired into the car...
Kennedy Engineering is now making a adapter for the LSx motors and in the link below the builder got a LT1 kit from Kennedy and mated the LT1 to an Audi 5000 transmission.
The A6 is quite a bit bigger than the A4 so I'm assuming the issue of the motor being longer shouldn't be such a big deal in this case. At least not like it would be with an A4.
IF I ever do this I would love to keep the quattro system in tact.
This guy mounted an Audi 5000 trans to an LT1, although that was for a Fiero application.
And how would I wire it? Would I use the LTx/LSx harness and wire that into the Audi computer or use the GM computer somehow wired into the car...
Last edited by silver97z; Sep 25, 2009 at 04:34 PM.
I know that SBC adaptors for 2000s and 5000s tranny's have existed for years and I would think by now that they have refined them enough that you could probably use one for the LS. I would start by checking out the Kit Car crowd as they use those transmissions in diablo replicas. I'm sure someone has made the LT to LS change over.
As far as wiring is concerned, use the LS computer and mate it to the audi car. Basically, like any other swap into a foreign engine bay (any engine bay that the LS doesn't "factory" belong). I would imagine that the engine bay size would be equal to that of some of the BMW swaps found on here.
Anyways, anything can be made to work. It may just take a little longer and big $$$ to make it look like it belongs and works together.
As far as wiring is concerned, use the LS computer and mate it to the audi car. Basically, like any other swap into a foreign engine bay (any engine bay that the LS doesn't "factory" belong). I would imagine that the engine bay size would be equal to that of some of the BMW swaps found on here.
Anyways, anything can be made to work. It may just take a little longer and big $$$ to make it look like it belongs and works together.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 585
Likes: 0
From: Green Oak, MI
IMO, not worth the effort.
IF you want to go fast in an A6 get a 2.7t and some KK04's or GT25's.
The automatic will break.
The manual gearing is all wrong. I make 17lbs of boost with my A6 and first gear is totally useless. Now its AWD so it goes but its way too short for the torque makes.
You have to see a 2.7 or a 3.0 out of the engine bay to understand how small it really is.
The 4.2 isn't much bigger.
The problem with Audi's is the engine site forward of the front axle.
They are nice cars but horrible dynamically and hanging that much weight off the front end makes them handle poorly. Audi does a lot to get around it but in the end they oversteer and push.
A lot of what Audi does to improve the handling makes them do odd things. A4's are very pitchy on the freeway and there is no fixing it.
If any swap I'd ever try is to put a 2.7t motor in a new B6/7/8 A4.
Oh and the electronics will be a nightmare. VAGcom controls all kind of specific things outside of the OBDII stuff.
IF you want to go fast in an A6 get a 2.7t and some KK04's or GT25's.
The automatic will break.
The manual gearing is all wrong. I make 17lbs of boost with my A6 and first gear is totally useless. Now its AWD so it goes but its way too short for the torque makes.
You have to see a 2.7 or a 3.0 out of the engine bay to understand how small it really is.
The 4.2 isn't much bigger.
The problem with Audi's is the engine site forward of the front axle.
They are nice cars but horrible dynamically and hanging that much weight off the front end makes them handle poorly. Audi does a lot to get around it but in the end they oversteer and push.
A lot of what Audi does to improve the handling makes them do odd things. A4's are very pitchy on the freeway and there is no fixing it.
If any swap I'd ever try is to put a 2.7t motor in a new B6/7/8 A4.
Oh and the electronics will be a nightmare. VAGcom controls all kind of specific things outside of the OBDII stuff.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
From: B'ville, WV
Teching In
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 22
Likes: 1
From: Elkhart, Texas
IMO, not worth the effort.
IF you want to go fast in an A6 get a 2.7t and some KK04's or GT25's.
The automatic will break.
The manual gearing is all wrong. I make 17lbs of boost with my A6 and first gear is totally useless. Now its AWD so it goes but its way too short for the torque makes.
You have to see a 2.7 or a 3.0 out of the engine bay to understand how small it really is.
The 4.2 isn't much bigger.
The problem with Audi's is the engine site forward of the front axle.
They are nice cars but horrible dynamically and hanging that much weight off the front end makes them handle poorly. Audi does a lot to get around it but in the end they oversteer and push.
A lot of what Audi does to improve the handling makes them do odd things. A4's are very pitchy on the freeway and there is no fixing it.
If any swap I'd ever try is to put a 2.7t motor in a new B6/7/8 A4.
Oh and the electronics will be a nightmare. VAGcom controls all kind of specific things outside of the OBDII stuff.
IF you want to go fast in an A6 get a 2.7t and some KK04's or GT25's.
The automatic will break.
The manual gearing is all wrong. I make 17lbs of boost with my A6 and first gear is totally useless. Now its AWD so it goes but its way too short for the torque makes.
You have to see a 2.7 or a 3.0 out of the engine bay to understand how small it really is.
The 4.2 isn't much bigger.
The problem with Audi's is the engine site forward of the front axle.
They are nice cars but horrible dynamically and hanging that much weight off the front end makes them handle poorly. Audi does a lot to get around it but in the end they oversteer and push.
A lot of what Audi does to improve the handling makes them do odd things. A4's are very pitchy on the freeway and there is no fixing it.
If any swap I'd ever try is to put a 2.7t motor in a new B6/7/8 A4.
Oh and the electronics will be a nightmare. VAGcom controls all kind of specific things outside of the OBDII stuff.
Well said, I drive a 2.7T auto with the tiptronic and completely agree that putting in an LS series would be an absolute nightmare without having to rewire a good portion of the car.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 585
Likes: 0
From: Green Oak, MI
If you REALLY want to do it right....just go buy a later model V10 RS6...prices keep creeping down....
I like our Audi's but they are not a good swap candidate.
There are plenty of things to like about them and plenty of things to hate.
Try swapping out a steering rack in a V6 Audi...in a 4 cylinder is a 2 hour job, tops...in a V6 its about 12.
They redefine tight packaging and suspension parts are 40K interval service items but that is consistent with all German cars.
It has its uses...it runs low 13's in the 1/4 in the dry and I bet with snow tires it runs a high 13 in the snow.
The car is silly in the snow with good snow rubber, its a 4000lb ralley car, especially one without ESP where the gas pedal does what you want it to do regardless.
I like our Audi's but they are not a good swap candidate.
There are plenty of things to like about them and plenty of things to hate.
Try swapping out a steering rack in a V6 Audi...in a 4 cylinder is a 2 hour job, tops...in a V6 its about 12.
They redefine tight packaging and suspension parts are 40K interval service items but that is consistent with all German cars.
It has its uses...it runs low 13's in the 1/4 in the dry and I bet with snow tires it runs a high 13 in the snow.
The car is silly in the snow with good snow rubber, its a 4000lb ralley car, especially one without ESP where the gas pedal does what you want it to do regardless.
Staging Lane
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 86
Likes: 0
not to revive this thread but did you ever go though with the swap? A friend of mine has a 97 a6 and the engine is starting to go, im doing an ls1 swap in my stingray and figure it a good motor candidate for his car. just doing some research. Id have to say even after owned a 01 ws6 that audi makes me feel like a king when driving or riding in it.
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audi a6 I have the A6 4.2 v8 quattro and although its a great car , its far too heavy on the front end and will understeer when provoked, The LsX motor would be a nice swap but I dont think its right for the A6 unless you just want to go fast in a straight line.
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Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
From: Granby, QC, Canada
on a b5 b5.5 passat the engine bay lenght is around 23 inch from the firewall to the rad support. without cutting the firewall and relocated the rad to the rear, I think is physicly imposible to fit an lsX engine in a a4/passat
-paq-
-paq-
The bigger issue is the drivetrain. The motor still sits further out from that firewall. I already cut the firewall in my other thread. LSX fits fine but no way it will with quattro.
On The Tree
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 111
Likes: 2
I make the adapter for the LS1 to the Audi transmissions. The stock SBC adapter will not work. It requires an adapter plate and a custom flywheel. One of my customers in Canada is doing this installation.
Eric www.kitcarchassis.com
Eric www.kitcarchassis.com
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
From: Granby, QC, Canada
can you link me your build plz? I really would like to see that
Haldex doesn't exist in longitudinal cars, and I'm not using the stock a4 diff either. I'll show you why, I haven't taken any pics of it lately but basically the snout of the diff is like 2 feet long and the diff itself is tiny. For the price of a limted slip for the a4 I can get a full built to hell 8.8 IRS center section!
