common question....engine swap to LSX
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Nov 2011
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common question....engine swap to LSX Hi I am a newbie. I just got a 1972 SS Camaro. I am wanting to take out my current carburetated 350 and put in a LS engine(5.3, 5.7, 6.0) with a T56.
So I posted on Nastyz28 this question about the swap and basically they are saying NOOO and to stay with my current engine. Yet I have alot of connections to scrap yards etc with close friends. I have read this forum https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversio...de-1500-a.html (awesome post btw) and it made me want to do it even more, but these guys on nastyz28 are saying that there is more money to it etc etc and it takes years, etc etc. What's y'all's input, recommendations, etc?? Thanks
Oh and here is the forum I started originally at nastyz28
http://www.nastyz28.com/forum/showthread.php?t=228698
So I posted on Nastyz28 this question about the swap and basically they are saying NOOO and to stay with my current engine. Yet I have alot of connections to scrap yards etc with close friends. I have read this forum https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversio...de-1500-a.html (awesome post btw) and it made me want to do it even more, but these guys on nastyz28 are saying that there is more money to it etc etc and it takes years, etc etc. What's y'all's input, recommendations, etc?? Thanks
Oh and here is the forum I started originally at nastyz28
http://www.nastyz28.com/forum/showthread.php?t=228698
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Nov 2011
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As soon as I posted this I got on ebay. 5.3 LM7 buy it now...800 bucks. Full block, alternator, wiring harness, gas pedal, computer, etc. I dont get where these guys come up with all these thousands of dollars...
Parts add up quick if you don't have the skills to do everything yourself. Need to buy motor mounts or adapters, headers, oil pan, fuel pump and fuel lines. Possibly need new driveshaft, shifter, flywheel, transs X-member, exhaust system and gauges or gauge adapters. Then you still have to mod the harness and retune the computer. And that's all before stuff goes wrong or doesn't play well with other pieces...not to mention all the odds and ends that I forgot.
If you know junk yard people you should be able to get a complete engine for well under $800...I picked up my 5.3 for $600 off craigslist. I stopped looking at my receipts a long time ago because it was getting scary how much money I was spending...I think I am in it for ~$6,500 and my engine and trans are only $1,200 of that total.
The swap can be expensive but its worth it for the fuel economy, reliability and power potential.
If you know junk yard people you should be able to get a complete engine for well under $800...I picked up my 5.3 for $600 off craigslist. I stopped looking at my receipts a long time ago because it was getting scary how much money I was spending...I think I am in it for ~$6,500 and my engine and trans are only $1,200 of that total.
The swap can be expensive but its worth it for the fuel economy, reliability and power potential.
I say "go for it"....just set yourself a budget of $3k to play it safe.
EDIT: I just saw that you want a T56....that'll add roughly $2k to your build (including clutch, lines,trans, etc...)
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Nov 2011
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yeah I'd like a t56...I personally think 1500-2000 is very "doable". And yeah I have access to a full welding/cnc shop that I can use or a friend who works at a cnc shop. Yeah he did all of the grunt work. But he includes some extra pricing if having to take it to someone else. I already have dual flowmaster exhaust on it. So not much modification will be needed.
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 337
Likes: 1
From: Murray, KY
It is possible to do these swaps for $2K, you just have to read and research and pick up used parts whenever possible. You can find a factory oilpan that will work for your application but may require some crossmember modifications, or possibly find one that will work and require no mods but, you may have to deal with the pan hanging a little below the crossmember or something like that. I found a T56 other day for $500, didn't buy it, saw a original LS1 block that has never ever had a piston in it for $550 which isn't bad but, you can pick up a 5.3 or 6.0 from a junkyard for less than $400 if you're willing to get out there and get dirty pulling it out of the vehicle yourself, and a tranny for about the same. Many ways to save a buck and still be a solid build if you know what parts interchange and are not in a hurry and can wait for a good deal to come along.
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I can tell you it can Be Done for $3500 and Less i did my Build for $3500 bucks that was Motors Trans and all the parts i did a 2000 LS1 with a 4L60E trans and it cost me $3585.00 i have all the paper work to show how much it cost me but i did build my X member and did all the work my self. I got a PSi harness and ECM it cost me $750.00 and my Oil pan was $500 but that was the 2 big ticket parts i had to buy.
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These bare bones swaps don't include stuff like power steering and replacement parts that you find out you need after you pull the motor. Yes if you properly cut and weld oil pan, exhaust, driveshaft, crossmember, it gets much cheaper. Who really does an engine swap without other upgrades?
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Jul 2011
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Parts add up quick if you don't have the skills to do everything yourself. Need to buy motor mounts or adapters, headers, oil pan, fuel pump and fuel lines. Possibly need new driveshaft, shifter, flywheel, transs X-member, exhaust system and gauges or gauge adapters. Then you still have to mod the harness and retune the computer. And that's all before stuff goes wrong or doesn't play well with other pieces...not to mention all the odds and ends that I forgot.
If you know junk yard people you should be able to get a complete engine for well under $800...I picked up my 5.3 for $600 off craigslist. I stopped looking at my receipts a long time ago because it was getting scary how much money I was spending...I think I am in it for ~$6,500 and my engine and trans are only $1,200 of that total.
The swap can be expensive but its worth it for the fuel economy, reliability and power potential.
If you know junk yard people you should be able to get a complete engine for well under $800...I picked up my 5.3 for $600 off craigslist. I stopped looking at my receipts a long time ago because it was getting scary how much money I was spending...I think I am in it for ~$6,500 and my engine and trans are only $1,200 of that total.
The swap can be expensive but its worth it for the fuel economy, reliability and power potential.
^^^^ Very realistic!! I had set a budget to get the whole thing in my car done for $6000 and be up and running.... that didn't happen. I did all the work myself with the exception of my dyno tune, building the driveshaft, and the harness, total time start to finish was 2 months. My 30k mile 08 LY6 was only $1500 and an 09 4l80e with 2k miles was $1000. Its all the little things that add up I've got well over $100 in bolts alone...
Could I have saved money with the lh8 oil pan, f-body manifolds, old radiator and junk yard elec fans, and a cheap mail order tune? Yes but that isn't the way I wanted to do it so I can only blame myself for going over budget.
I think if I had to do it I could do another swap for $5000 but that would be tight... Basically whatever you think you will spend, make sure you have double that in cash available to finish the car.
People in car-specific forums will bitch and moan about anything you do to these cars so it's best to just tune them out entirely. These are cars - rolling metal and plastic - and nothing more. Do what you want. Carbs = garbage in my book and the ls swap is certainly worth considering. $5k is reasonable enough I'd think. You can do it for less but you'd be skimping here and there unless you are skilled enough to make things.
Aluminum radiator, electric fan, mount adapters all bought used. But new motor and trans mounts were bought as well as oil pan and trans cross member. Over $400.00 in AutoMeter gauges and over $500.00 for a harness mod and comp tune from CurrentPerf. New flywheel, new starter, tried power steering and failed so bought manual steering box. The list keeps going...
Yes, dropping an LSx into a car can be done cheap but unless your building a race car, most people want things to look nice and have a certain level of fit and finish. The pros can do it cheap and make it look good, the average Joes usually need to put a little more time, effort and money into it to have a finished product they are happy with.
Best to have a high budget and keep thinking that its small, when your swap is complete the only thing you will have to worry about is where to spend your extra money instead of having to wait for the next pay check to pick up the last few parts you need.
I say go for it! You wont regret it "after the fact" but you will cuss me like a dog during. $1500 budget would be the bare minimum and a whole lot of luck. I thought I could stay around the $5000 mark but that came and went a long time ago. Dont pay attention to the purist Camaro lovers. You either have a true "Z" or "SS" and compete against them or you have just another Camaro. I love their arrogance and I love rolling out and lighting the tires up on my driver while they push theirs in an enclosed trailer awaiting the next event. I say do it right. If it means waiting a few months or a year. If you do have a pedigree car this is where the swap will cost. To keep everything original for future value, you may end up sitting on the old engine, trans, fuel tank, etc. etc. or say F-it and sell off the unneeded items and there goes the value of your car. You could see if someone worried about your 72 SS would like to buy it and you find a suitable car for less money, add the LS engine and stay way under budget. I am glad my car was a plain jane and I didnt have this problem. Best of luck to you on whatever you decide! Check out GC99TA on here and look what he did to his RS 72. Its running 11's in the quarter and he did alot of work himself.
Teching In
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 42
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From: Franklin, Indiana
$1500 could probably be done, I got a running 6.0 with tranny attached for $800 and I use the word running loosely. I myself would never pull an engine out of a vehicle and throw it straight into a car I was building just because I don't know the condition of it internally. When the machine shop tore into mine they found the ring grooves on the pistons were worn out so I get to invest $500 into a new set of pistons. Add that to the $300 for the controller, $250 for the intake another $400 for a carb, $150 for a pan. I haven't even got to the headers yet and most of them are around $500. I want to make sure when it goes into the engine bay, I won't be pulling it out in a year to rebuild it though.
But if you trust pulling it and dropping it into yours you could get away with some what cheaper but it is still gonna costs you.
But if you trust pulling it and dropping it into yours you could get away with some what cheaper but it is still gonna costs you.
Teching In
Joined: Nov 2011
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I say go for it, I intend to a do an LS2/3 swap in my 66 GTO. People are telling me not to do it all day, keep the Poncho in it, etc and so forth. I drive my cars though, I intend to drive my car every day it's nice out. When it's not just a weekend cruiser, single digit mileage sucks.
I read the nasty thread and most of the posts are accurate. If you only have $2000 and no room to go over, think twice. I am all about the budget grass roots build. I effectively bought my 6.0 for free. But 400 for the pan, 400 for the headers, 300 for the tank, 200 for the quik bracket, then a few bucks more and we are up to 2 grand without the motor. I have more than that in my swap. If you can fabricate, sure it can be done for less, but then it will take much more time.
I enjoy my swap, have no regrets and would do it all over, although maybe change a thing or two. Go for it, but don't kid yourself on the true cost.
I enjoy my swap, have no regrets and would do it all over, although maybe change a thing or two. Go for it, but don't kid yourself on the true cost.
