Thanks for the reply. That makes sense now.

 

I've seen others that I have seen using aftermarket Fuel Pressure regulators but as Just Dreamin stated in #2 this set up is less expensive.

Works out rather well if you ask me.

 

Looks like this is the same route I will take. Thanks.

I just received my 02 LS1/T56 off Firebird with 49K on it and now looking to identify few connectors on it and what they are used for (primarily ones located near 2 PCM connectors). If anybody have a source that will make this easier, I would really appreciate it.

-Leo.

 

Wow great thread.. Im actually looking to do the same swap i have couple questions if i may ask.

1. Roughly how much does it cost to do this swap? (w/o the price of the car/ chassis)
2. How many hours did you have to put into this wap
3. Would this able to do with minimal mechanical skill?

 

1. It's very hard to say. Everyone's swap is different and the final number depends on a lot of variables like the drive train(engine/trans) cost, fabrication or a kit, etc... it can be anywhere from $5000 to $35000+. I can tell you that I just recently started preparing for the swap and without thorough calculations; I can probably say that I'm about $5000 in it already (with the drive train of course).

2. Can't help you with this one, because I haven't started it yet. Will probably start in spring when it gets warmer.

3. This one is kind of subjective. It depends on how handy you are, i guess... There should not be anything magical. Just do a good research first on what's involved. You can find a decent amount of general information on this swap. People have posted their process with pix throughout their progress.
The skill that you might need is some welding to fabricate your own mounts and the welding is not be as scary as one may think. Or you can buy a kit and that will make "mechanical skill" a lot less intensive, but of course will offset the final cost by quite a bit.

 

can you weld? have a good machinist? the answers to those questions will determine how much you spend lol

 

35,000+? it can reach that much in cost? i was planning to do it under 12-10k with good chassis. Is this way under estimated in cost?

 

I have a couple of friends that have descent welding skills so i was just going to count on their help. Same with the machinists...

 

Since Thaniel has not replied yet & I'm still subscribed, I'll break down off the top of my head what my '94 525iT project has cost:
Car: $3000
Motor: $850 (5.3L aluminum block V8 from JY)
Mounts: $200 (recycled BMW mounts, plate/angle steel for motor/trans mounts w/ welding)
Oil pan(s): $300 (GM Hummer new)
Intake, rails, car (C5) accessories: $400 (TB, MAF, AC comp, water pump, alt, BMW PS pump)
PCM: $100 (98 F-body used)
Wiring: $150 (98 F-body used)
Trans: $1200 (used T56, shipped)
Shifter parts: $100 (GM/BMW used & new)
Clutch: $400 (LS7, new, complete w/ TOB)
Plumbing: $500-1000 (includes braided lines, fittings, oil, water, PS)
Hardware: $200 (metric/special length bolts, nuts, etc.)
Turbo: $500 (New MP T70)
Intercoolers: $500 (used ATI F-body)
Radiator: $150 (BMW 540 aftermarket new)
Oil cooler: $100 (new B&M w/ fittings)
Fan: $50 (used Mark 8 Lincoln)
Cobra Hydroboost brakes: $300 (master cylinder, fittings, lines)
Large case diff: $400 (used from 7 series)
Adapters to fit large case diff: $200 (used 540 axles, carriers)
Driveshaft: $300 (new, steel)
Driveshaft flange adapter: $100
Piping for turbo log manifold: $100 (includes local welding cost)
Exhaust: $700 (wastegate, BOV, headers, pipes, muffler, flex joints, V-band couplers, more welding)
Misc: $500 (there is always something, and if I think about it some more I'll remember a few things I left out )
Total: $11,300~11,800

I also added 850 front/540 rear brakes and a gauge panel (vac/boost, oil pressure, and volts) at a cost of several hundred dollars. This also does not take into account the labor saved by doing 98% of this myself, the auto-to-manual conversion parts, or the HP Tuners subscription I have. I'd say the above stuff easily adds close to $2000 to what I have invested w/o labor.

Time to build working a few days a week: 11 months to get running, still working out bugs when I get motivated to do so.

You can eliminate some of the stuff such as the turbo for most builds. I'm an admitted cheapskate, so I will usually try & save as many $ as possible within reason. Accordingly, I think most of the estimates are on the low end for cost.

If you took the car to a shop & said do this, I could see it running close to $30K depending on what all you wanted done and you provided nothing but the car.

 

Your budget is very realistic. It's again, depends on the route you take and what you want of your swap. Motor is a big part of the price. As you can see it can be obtained for $850 for 5.3L or $21,000 for 7.0L LS7 as one was just sold on ebay.

 

prices are all over the place. if i'm not mistaken, NAHRODS does a turnkey install for 14k (drivetrain and vehicle supplied by you) conversion parts, think I've seen them around 6k from NAHRODS and Vorshlag. Neither of those "kits" have absolutely everything you need either, still on your own when it comes to wiring, exhaust, and incidentals. if you can fab up your own parts, you're saving yourself alot of money.

 

thank you all for replies i very much appreciate it.
to be a little more specific what i want to do is pick up a 92-95 325 probably w/e motor and trans and put a ls1 engine with t56 trans. I know the price for just those to will accumulate around 2,000. the car around 1,500.

do you guys think i will be better of purchasing the kits from NAHRODS or Vorshlag?

 

Do you guys think the kits are worth purchasing?

 

I think they are way overpriced.

 

yeah they are quite expansive

 

Not sure what happened there. Thanks for adding some info on the topic.

Guess I missed a notification somewhere along the line. Funny how now my car is "done" (these projects are truely never done) I am not on the boards as much.

Anyway the cost issue is always a bad topic. Really depends on what you buy what you build etc. How good a motor you purchase etc. Even just looking at the price of the LS1 and trans can vary by thousands depending on what is bought.

My thoughts on the questions.
1. Roughly how much does it cost to do this swap? (w/o the price of the car/ chassis)
I think I put in around 8K. I didn't keep a close count as I didn't want to know. My last engine swap project was 3k including the car(Nissan engine into an rx-7) so basically trippling the cost for this project still makes me wonder. I did get some great deals and did do Some (a lot?) on my own.

2. How many hours did you have to put into this wap
Not all that much compared to my previous swap. I pulled the motor in something like July and was driving in October working on saturdays and some evenings.

3. Would this able to do with minimal mechanical skill?
Minimal......I would not recommend it. Maybe if you bought a kit and they were willling to walk you through things. I'd say being able to read a automotive wiring diagram and pull an engine woudl be the very basic of skills needed.

 

This is the part I just don't understand (completely). Everyone talks about how expensive the kits are. Nash's kit is $6,800 and includes (according to their site) everything needed to make this a bolt in kit, plus instructions (minus car/motor/trans).

So...you have $8,000 in your swap not including the price of the car. If someone were to buy Nash's kit (for example) and get a smoking deal on an engine and trans I would think this swap could be done within $2,000 of someone not using the kit. And save themselves the time/effort/hassle/headache to fabricate all the parts themselves.

to me, it doesn't seem like it would be all that bad. but i'm sure there are people who would rather do all the fab work on their own...just my opinions...or maybe I'm waaay off base...

 

There is usually a way to do things cheaper with diferent products or methods. Comparing pricing from project to project becomes very difficult.

 

Awsome thread. I'm so tempted to swap a ls1 into a e36. I'm just worried about the wiring .
And how are you guys passing emissions? Here in ct they just plug into the 0db2 plug .

 

The area where I live doesn't have emissions inspections. However I put on a 3" highflow catlyst and I expect it would pass. My car being an OBDI bmw wouldn't even require a plugin :-)

Wiring isn't too bad but it is tedious and time consuming. If you were serious about the swap and closer I'd say let's talk. I'm considering selling mine as I'd like to do another one. Maybe into an E46 this time.

Thaniel.