Swapping out Ls1 for Ls2...parts difference
So I found a good deal on an ls2 short block and want to swap it in place of the ls1.
Are there any parts differences I need to know about? Reluctor wheel? Coil packs ? etc
Will it bolt to my T56? Will i need Ls2 oil pan? Oil pump?
Is there a noticeable difference between the Ls2 and Ls1 both stock? How many hp/tq difference could you expect by upgrading to the ls2?
You will need the LS2 Front cover, cam sensor, 1x cam gear cam sensor harness + aftermarket extension. Gen 3 cam sensor is on back of block by oil pressure sender, LS2 is on front cover. If you run knock sensors I believe you have to drill and tap the external block mounting points to accept the larger LS1 style knock sensors.
You will also need an extension harness for the knock sensors, on the LS1 they are in the valley, LS2 are down by the pan rail. If you do a quick search the swap has been covered ad-nauseum.
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You will need the LS2 Front cover, cam sensor, 1x cam gear cam sensor harness + aftermarket extension. Gen 3 cam sensor is on back of block by oil pressure sender, LS2 is on front cover. If you run knock sensors I believe you have to drill and tap the external block mounting points to accept the larger LS1 style knock sensors.
You will also need an extension harness for the knock sensors, on the LS1 they are in the valley, LS2 are down by the pan rail. If you do a quick search the swap has been covered ad-nauseum.
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I've read that stroker motors are more reliable.....how true is this?
I dont want to have to replace this motor for a long time.
You need this kit to make everything easy and buy it all at once. I too am going through the same swap on my C5Z. The big part of going to a LS2 is the 4in bore and the type of head you can use opens up. So depending on what heads you use (unless you go 402).
And you will need to drill in the side of the block and tap it for the knock sensors like someone said earlier.
Is there a noticeable difference between the Ls2 and Ls1 both stock? How many hp/tq difference could you expect by upgrading to the ls2?
I have ported 243 heads and a fast 102 setup...is that sufficient for an ls2 stroker?
I found an ls3 short block.....can I bolt my ls1 topend on the ls3 block without any performance issues?
Guys that build engines with forged parts... $5000 in parts, throwing rods and spinning bearings after 100/10000 miles. A common excuse around here is "most people on this forum wont even put 10k miles on their engine" and they wave a hand dismissing this statistic.
On the other hand, I see folks with an $600 OEM shortblock 4.8 and 5.3L engines making 600-700bhp for 50,000+ miles reliably.
Seems like you could get five times the mileage out of a stock shortblock for 1/10 the price. It also swaps in right away (no waiting on stupid machine work that gets done wrong anyways) Just calling it like I see it.
10,000 miles aint enough for me. I have heads, cam and intake....does this equate to spinning rod bearings a lot faster due to the extra horsepower or could it be over tevving or dropping down gears and hammering on it?
The original ls1 had over 100k miles with no spun bearings etc.
I think I'm just going to put the ls2 short block in with my top end and a bigger cam and the ls2 conversion kit. Thats my cheapest option. I just hope to get more than 10k out of it. I cant see myself going down in cubes to a 5.3.
Last edited by Fullblast; May 21, 2016 at 09:22 PM.
10,000 miles aint enough for me. I have heads, cam and intake....does this equate to spinning rod bearings a lot faster due to the extra horsepower or could it be over tevving or dropping down gears and hammering on it?
The original ls1 had over 100k miles with no spun bearings etc.
I think I'm just going to put the ls2 short block in with my top end and a bigger cam and the ls2 conversion kit. Thats my cheapest option. I just hope to get more than 10k out of it. I cant see myself going down in cubes to a 5.3.
The bearings of built engines are spinning because it is very difficult to build an engine properly. Few people know how to do it right. Cleanliness is also an issue for many "shops" which employ non-educated staff. Furthermore, often someone will install a tri-coat bearing with an enormous 0.0025"+ clearance and use a thick oil thinking this is acceptable for a street engine, which it really is not. The performance engines of today use small OEM clearances, as small as 0.0008" On some of the rod bearings of 4-cylinder engines for example. The thin oil and tight clearance helps achieve maximum economy, and reliability.
All that loose forged piston stuff, excess piston/wall clearance, slapping around in the engine, the loose bearings/rotating parts helps reduce drag for drag racing applications, makes peak power better and allows a higher RPM rev-limit, at the cost of reliability, economy, and seems to diminish the number of miles possible before it falls apart.
What exactly is the 24x reluctor wheel? Since this block has a crank and timing set included is that something i need to worry about?
Can you run the ls2 without a knock sensor?
Do the ls2 gtos have the Vvt system or active fuel management?
2. You can tune out knock sensors, but not recommended. You already have the knock sensors from the LS1, correct? Just drill and tap the block to the correct size and use those. It's a 15 minute job if the engine is out of the car.
3. The LS2's had neither of those things.



