Sorry new to this so i will make it short and sweet. I have a 97 camaro z28 and want to do a 5.3/ls1/or 6.0 swap. Just tryn to get ideas/tips and info on how to do it what is needed and what it might cost? tyvm all info and suggestions are welcome!

 

Sell your car and buy an LS version. Cheaper and save yourself hundreds of hrs.

 

+1.. with the cost of a late 4th Gen LS1 car being as low as they are.. it is not worth the time or even the cost, Just sell what you have and put that money to an original LS1 car.

BC

 

Im doing the same thing exactly, ls2 into a 97. Im doing a full build, stroker and SC, but I think just for the conversion parts (converting t56 to ls1 compatable, k-member, accessoriesall the things just to bolt in the LS) was somewhere around 3k, not including the cost of the motor.

I just really like my 97, and have a lot of work into it. If it was stock and clean though, id go with the suggestions of those above.

 

The cheapest way is to get a full donor or a full pull out from a 98+ Fbody. I went the Lq4 (6.0) route and it nickel and dimed me to death. Don't get me wrong it was a fun experience, but it was expensive.

 

What's your plan for it? If you're going the full tubular k member/a-arms, big brake, etc etc route using a Gen 4 engine and an e38 ecm it'll cost close to the same regardless of lt1 or ls1 base car. If you're planning a stock style Gen 3 swap with a 411 pcm and don't have any real personal attachment to the car it's not exactly worth it for most people. Using an LS3 bearing you could keep an LT1 T56 much in the same way an older 4 speed is done, up to you on that side.

 

honestly just tryn to get into the 10's with n2o just thought lsx route was easier and alot cheaper to do so. just got my 1st lt1 and still learning about them and racing in general. so any info/tips are greatly appreciated. And tyvm to all who took the time to reply^^

 

I've got a 97 SS and will be doing the same thing.

I'm failing to see what's so expensive about this swap.

Cross member
ECU and harness
Accessories
Headers
Intake manifold
LS1 T56

Selling the LT1 T56 will probably get you close to what you need for an LS1 T56. Or you can convert the LT1 tranny for about $500.

What am I missing?

 

Dr D.....I do track days with my Camaro (road course). The LT1 is a good engine but it has some issues that can be a PITA. The biggest is that damn opti. Ive had two let me down at track days. The water pump is also a bad design. The LSX makes much more power and is lighter than the LT1. You can definitely make great power with an LT1 though. It depends on what your goals are. I know a 383 can make over 400 to the ground and still be street friendly.

I'm interested to hear what cost so much from people who have done the swap. I do agree that just getting an LS1 Camaro is much cheaper and easier.

 

My biggest costs were the blower parts and going tubular everything since I don't see much point in throwing a stock LS1 with all stock LS1 stuff in it. It can be done fairly cheaply, grab an LS1 k member that's bare, keep the LT1 spindles, brakes etc, throw the LT1 T56 behind it the same way a 4 speed is done and you'd be out maybe 200 for the k member, 600 on a harness, and whatever you want engine wise.

Starting from scratch I'd do an LS over an LT because of cost and parts availability, even a Gen 1 sbc is a tough sell since the LS motor has good heads even from the factory. I sold a Dart SHP 4.125 bore block, V3 supercharger and Howards/Lunati rotating assembly unused which will practically pay for a turbo LQ9 combo

 

I'd have to agree on that one. I bought an Lq9 for $1200. I couldn't use the water pump, intake manifold, exhaust manifolds, front end accessory drive, oil pan, fuel rail, injectors, coils, and throttle body. I had to source all those things either new or used from various forums. It was a headache. I was better off buying a used LS1 or LS2 with all the accessories.

 

I am actually still running the truck coils. They sit higher on the valve covers which makes them interfere with the fuel rail connector. I just bent the connector up and forward and it clears the coil now.

 

I am currently building a 5.3 for my 71 El Camino and I will have about 5,000$ into the motor alone, more then I originally thought.

 

A stock motor?

 

On my L96 I was in about 250 for the oilpan, windage tray, dipstick tube and pump pickup, 300 for LS3 intake/injectors/fuel rail/throttle body, and 180 for an LS3 camaro waterpump. Going to run the truck coils. Used a bracket from LS brackets for compact FEAD, bracket was 250. Alternator is a 2013 Silverado piece, 160 amp for 90 bucks. Power steering pump is 2002 camaro, using the truck spacing you use a TBSS pulley for 6 rib, around 120 for all that.

Total for the conversion is about a grand. To put it in perspective, just the 10 rib pulleys and damper I used were 1300.

My swap breakdown so far is roughly along the lines of this:
Aforementioned parts: 2300
9k mile 2013 L96: 2600
Vortech V1 head unit: 1000
5/8" aluminum for blower bracket: 250
Intercooler: 450
Charge piping: roughly 200
UMI K-member: 650
Spohn upper and lower A-arms: 700
LS1 Spindles: 50
LS1 rack & pinion/hubs: 275
CTS-V brake calipers: 350
Gen 5 Camaro discs: 200
BMR/Konis:300 (paid 600 for full set of basically new takeoffs)
McLeod blow proof bell: 350 unused
McLeod Twin Disc clutch: 350 packaged with the bell
LS1 T56 front plate: 175
LS1 T56 input shaft: 189

Total: $10389

Not exactly cheap but I didn't go the least expensive route either

 

Seems like most of you guys are including all of your other mods in the swap cost, which isn't fair to the OP.

 

let's try the easy route. bare minimum:

what I call hardware:
kmember swap = oem 100
engine 4.8 =300
trans =auto 400 , stock converter or...
-t56 1200 used, 400 ls7 clutch/flywheel

total HW =800 - 2,000.

what I call ls1 specific:
ls1 oil pan = 200
ls1 accessories =400
ls1 wiring harness auto / manual = 250 (you will have to repin c100,c105, and the c200s) on a '97 this is easier than a 93/94
ls1 411 pcm =100
ls1 oil pressure sensor (if you're engine not a ls1)
ls1 intake/throttlebody =150-250?
ls1 headers -250 used

ls1 specific = 1300-1500

misc gaskets/fluids =200

Total on the cheap and you didn't get anything for free: 2300- 3700

the high end driven based on transmission choice and level of converter chosen.

so when everyone tells you buy a ls1 car, it's easier, bla bla bla...they are right. just depends on the condition of your z. if it's worth 3-4k, sell it, add 3-4k to it and buy the ls1 car. you're out the same amount of money, but you didn't have to do all that work...

if you want to piece it together and do a 6.0, and th400 and other stuff, then go the piecemeal route...



EDIT: I've had 4 lt1 cars, 1 ls1 car. and have converted two to LSx variants.

 

Okay, let's go as inexpensive as possible assuming a clean LT1 car in reasonably good shape. There's no way around it, this swap is a couple thousand dollars to do minimum.

6.0/5.3/whatever - In my area you're usually in around a grand for a motor for something needing minimal clean up.

FEAD in some form to fit the engine bay as the truck stuff is too wide - 260 for the bracket from LS brackets so that you don't need to replace the harmonic damper, 90 for the alt, 120 for the PS pump, 50 for spacers for the water pump, 100 for the water pump

K member - okay, bare I've seen them around 150 for a stock pull out with absolutely nothing else so you'll be using the LT1 spindles, brakes, etc.

Steering rack - this needs to be changed from the LT style, 175 for new, 250 for new with hubs.

Harness - depending on how easy of an integration you want it's 600-750.

Oil pan - 200 with everything else

ECM - 50 bucks for an 0411

Clutch/bellhousing for T56 - the typical LS7 clutch kit is around 500, bellhousing 175-200

Front plate/input shaft - 180 for the shaft, 175 for the front plate, add a shim kit since you'll need to shim the input shaft bearing race at 35.

If you sell the LT1 transmission and get an LS1 transmission, you might save a couple hundred or you might not. Depends on the local market.

LS intake/TB/injectors/fuel rail - truck intake doesn't fit, I've paid 250 to 300 for this stuff but YMMV

Total cash outlay so far: Around $4000

This does not include any tuning or tuning suite (another 500-1000), upgrading to even factory LS1 style brakes, replacing ball joints/wear items, any new brake lines to replace ones that get damaged, etc etc AND you do absolutely everything yourself.