3rd gen engine swap
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 0
Likes: 0
3rd gen engine swap I have a very nice 91 z with a bad engine thinking about 5.3 from a 2004 1500 series truck have a lead on engine complete wiring etc, Not wanting anything wild has anyone on here done a ls swap to a third gen? Thanks in advance for your input.
It can be done but there is a good bit of fabrication on your part. The first thing is if you plan on keeping the a/c you have to cut the factory k-member so th a/c compressor can fit. Second, you have to change that intake becaust the truck intake will not fit under the hood. Third you will have to change up the exhaust. Do a search there is a company out there that makes ls swap headers. Fourth, the converter you will have to change because th ls motor's flywheel is a lil further in compared to a regular small block or you could just put some washers in there to make up the difference. There are other little minor things that you have to do but I just can't think of them right now. If it was me I would just build a regular smallblock and put in there. I just built my cousin's car that is a 92 25 anniversary z28 and we used mostly all tpis stuff and the bottom half was the factory bottom half and the car went 12.0 at 116 with 1 leg pulling because the posi is on its way out. If you are looking for a healthy motor I know of 1 that has never been fired up. It has trickflow 195 cc heads 224/230 lt1 grind cam and a stock vortec l31 truck bottom half that is brand new from paceparts.com. Let me know if you are interested or have any questions about your swap.
There are a few companies making all the parts pre fabbed to install a GEN III motor into a third gen. Might pay a tad more but saves you a lot of headache. Check out f-body motorsports or hawks third gen. While youre at it might as well go a little rad. Heads cam built tranny and tough rearend. Might as well do it right the first time
Personally I think you end up spending more money doing an ls swap because you have to fabricate then mod instead of just modding it up on the old setup. Then you end up in the argument that you can get more power out of an ls motor (here we go). Well it all depends on if you know what you are doing. I know guys down here with huge cams in their car and they have ls motors in them and all they could muster is a 12.1 out of their car and thats truly sad but I hav friend of mine who has a 99 ws6 that we did H/C and it runs 11.50 on motor. So if I could get my cousin to fix his posi and fix sum traction issues that old school l98 will run right with my buddy's ls1. It's all what your pockets can handle and what you want and forget what everybody else tells you what to do. DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
Hawk's Third Gen makes a Kit for it..
As far as an LSX Swap goes..yea you are goin to do alot of work..I have all kinds of hours into mine. That and it helps to know damn near every square inch of your Car that you want to fab the Engine into..I mean the Wiring as well.
And be ready to trouble shoot anything and figure out a way to fix the problem..not everything is goin to work right.
As far as an LSX Swap goes..yea you are goin to do alot of work..I have all kinds of hours into mine. That and it helps to know damn near every square inch of your Car that you want to fab the Engine into..I mean the Wiring as well.
And be ready to trouble shoot anything and figure out a way to fix the problem..not everything is goin to work right.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 0
Likes: 0
Hey guy`s I thank you for your thoughts on my project as far as how much power it makes i was not real worried, I have a car that`s quick and fast to race as far as experience I am a GM master tech and ASE master ,But mostly on stock type late models,and diesel of most types,and old school small blocks I`m not very up on swaps like were talking about,I just think it would be nice to do this because of the future potential,I would change the transmission in the swap,4l70 most likely if you guy`s have D-max or cummins questions maybe i can help ya`ll out Thanks again!
