Hello Forum,
First time posting here.
I own a 1951 Ford F1 Truck and it was recommended to me by a co-worker to look into doing a LS swap for my current SBC-350 as LS is the way to go for parts and repairs and reliability. I plan to use this truck as my daily driver.
I'm not wanting to make this a track vehicle, just a means of driving to work and back (an 8 min drive) and to help the wife move some plants occasionally.

Looking over the various models, I think I settled on a LS3 for the motor i'm after. (Was wanting an LS engine with over 400HP and something that can stand the test of time, after reading it seems a LOT of people Love the LS3)

If I was to go this route, what should I be considering for this swap?
I'm an electrical engineer so I'm very green to anything mechanical and motor related. (I would have a shop do the swap)

I'm going to keep my stock front suspension but have it upgraded.
I would swap out my stock steering for power steering.

For this vehicle I just want something that drives smooth (my current setup is very dated and taking it on a highway make my butt pucker at times), and I want something reliable that can easily be worked on and find parts for, I believe LS is the way to go on that.
I've been told working on Ford motors compared to an LS motor is a nightmare. The vehicle already has a Chevy motor in it so I figured LS3 would be a nice fit. Vehicle is also currently Automatic and I would keep it that way.
Would there be any other motor besides the LS3 that would make sense for this truck, or would that be a good choice?
One last side note, I'd like to keep the computer system minimal. and I'd love to keep that classic motor engine/exhaust rumble sound. So going from Carb to Injection, would anything need to be changed to keep it sounding like a classic truck (I had a 2003 LT engine Chevy truck and it sounded very "Modern" even with Borla Exhaust).

What would this process look like, what time frame would I be looking at for a shop to do this, and what other things would I need to consider when doing this? I've read sending the wiring off to have VATS removed and having it tuned is a smart move.

Thanks for reading and helping. I hope to learn a lot on this journey.

 

VATS is not in the wiring. It's in the ECM. You as an electrical guy should know this.

 

Thanks for replying, but your reply doesn't contribute to this topic at all. The wiring and ECM is being sent off, that part is already covered.

 

You might be getting a bit ahead of yourself if you are sending off the ECM for a tune. Are you running a stock LS3 (what year new or used? Auto trans or manual?) or will it have some mods like a cam? Will you keep the VVT and DOD or delete them as the tuner needs to know that. What is your current trans and are you going to keep it or go with a newer OD trans? What are your tire diameter and rear gear ratio so the tuner can set up the shift points if you go auto OD trans.
If you go OD trans like a 4L60E you will need a ECM for the engine and a TCM for the OD trans.
If your goal is really just going to FI maybe one of the many vendors that offer a carb to FI swap?

 

These are all good questions.
It would be a used LS3/Auto trans from ebay (30-60k models range from $7-9k)
I would send the stuff off to have the VATs and emissions stuff removed as I want there to be a little sensors and points of failures (trying to keep computers to a min here).
Might swap the cam out later but I need to do research on all of that.
Basically looking for info on what all would be involved in this process and things I should look for and things to expect, or things to do at the same time.
I'm about as engine illiterate as they come.

 

It is easy to swap from SBC to LS. Ideally, get the trans that came with the engine from the donor vehicle, otherwise, you can always get the trans you want separately, the tuner will have to program that new trans into the PCM. Also get the OEM harness and PCM from the engine, easy to have them modified and tuned (I have used Speartech, excellent service), then it is close to plug-and-play.
Simple engine mounts adapters, maybe move the trans crossmember a few inches.
A good rad cooling your SBC right now will be fine for an LS.
You will need a high pressure fuel system, with return. You can use an outside fuel pump, works just fine, or modify your tank, or you may even find an aftermarket EFI tank ready to drop-in.
The PS pump from the LS will work with whatever system you use.
As for time, depends, but it is pretty easy, although you (the shop) will always find small hiccups along the way.
For exhaust note, any muffler that sounds good to you behind a SBC will sound very similar behind an LS.
As for engine choice, if you want an LS3, fine, but 5,3 or 6 liters are very good, strong engines, very common and cheap to buy. Of course, they do not give you 400HP, but the 6 liter has good torque.

 

Thank you so much Wave for the info. Very helpful <3

 

Before you even think about spending upwards of 9k on a used engine, I would look at a GM Connect and Cruise package. They cost a bit more, around 16k, but they are brand new and have a warranty. If you were going to do everything yourself, then yes, used is the way to go, but if you are going to be paying a shop to do the work, it may be cheaper in the end to use an all new engine/transmission, so you won't have to be worrying about who to send the harness off to and stuff like that. Will definitely meet your power goals, and be way better than the old small block you have in there right now. One word of caution though, if driving the truck now makes your butt pucker, doubling the horsepower is sure to make it worse. I would consider updating the suspension with something a little more modern than a 1951 straight axle. Chevrolet Performane 19421057K2: E-ROD LS3 6.2L Connect & Cruise Powertrain System with Supermatic 6L80-E Automatic Transmission | 19370414K2 - JEGS

 

Thank you so much for the suggestion. I'll look into that for sure. Yeah first thing is first, suspension is getting overhauled THEN comes the motor later on

 

I’m sure for the GM warranty this needs to be installed by a GM dealer. It’s worth looking into.

 

Wanted to chime in on three things:

1) The Connect and Cruise systems are expensive, but great... I installed one here: https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversio...ld-thread.html (Although the one I used is the E-ROD variant, which is more expensive bc it includes cats -- a 1951 truck won't need this.) The Warranty applies to any ASC-certified mechanic; dealerships generally don't touch this stuff.

2) The LS3 is an excellent motor -- modern, smooth, powerful, and economical on the highway, and it's lacking displacement on demand. it's also very compact. You'll love it.

3) For your suspension, I don't have any experience with 1950s F1s, but FWIW, it might be worth looking into a 2000s Crown Victoria chassis swap or simply a front-end swap. Again, not sure on your year, but it's a pretty popular swap for '60s and '70s Ford trucks and it's a massive upgrade with a lovely ride and more plentiful parts.

 

I agree with the comment regarding adding horsepower. Figure out the suspension first, the Crown Vic IFS is a popular swap for these old Ford trucks. The LS engine will bolt onto the Crown Vic aluminum subframe with minor modifications to the subframe mount holes and the stock 4.6 engine mounts. I bought a cheap 4.6 to LS adapter plate kit when I swapped my CVPI and it worked awesome. You can easily adapt the GM power steering to feed the Ford rack for effortless power steering while you're at it.

Then, drop in engine package of choice and enjoy.

 

Or maybe just a crate engine. I don’t know why SO many people seem to think their 100K mile pullout engines are made of gold. But if you are considering a used engine, check out new crate engines before buying. You might just be surprised how economical they are compared to used. Especially if you live in a region where used engines are particularly expensive. Remember that new crate engines are not as subject to local price variations, and can even be ordered from elsewhere. Honestly, I don’t know why more people don’t go this route.

As for Connect and Cruise, this can be a good option as well, as you get everything new. Price-wise, this may or may not be competitive with going crate engine/used transmission. From what I have seen, manual transmissions fetch a premium on the used market vs automatics, possibly due to their relative rarity. Thus, going Connect and Cruise seems to be a better value vs going new engine/used transmission if you want a manual transmission vs an automatic.