What's the state of LS swaps these days?

"Bandit" (2bandit) 09/10/2020 at 19:55 • Filed to: Emma

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I tried to go to the beer garden with a fellow oppo today and when I pulled in the car lot my engine died and wouldn’t start. I’m so tired of this engine letting me down, I built it years and years ago when I didn’t know anything and had no money and now my cost savings are letting me down. I should have had the block, intake, and heads fully machined and I should have gone with better heads rather than the partially mis-matched pair I have now. This is carb #3 and I’m so tired of messing with them and very few shops really know how to tune them anymore either. It has vapor lock issues, it burns oil through the ancient rings, and it’s had an exhaust leak for the last 5 years or whatever because I’m too lazy to pull the engine to replace the gaskets.

Me, broken down today. Maybe it was fuel boiling? Idk.

I’m seriousl y considering getting an iron block 5.3 over the winter and building it up, I would want to mate it to my super T10 4-speed though. A stand alone harness shouldn’t be too hard to find and install I imagine? Fuel solutions should exist? Do affordable aftermarket accessory drives exist? I wouldn’t want to half ass an install and patch things together like I did the last time.

Got to love how modern gas eats through older rubber injection pump seals....

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > Bandit 09/10/2020 at 20:14

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I think the change has happened where an LS is easier to come by than a regular old 350. 

Sovande > Bandit 09/10/2020 at 20:14

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I looked into the cost of a $500 5.3 for my El Camino and ended up with Holley fuel injection for the 35o instead. The cost and fabrication time were the major factors.

That said, there is a ton of info and options out there for LS swaps . There are sites dedicated to cheap LS swaps too. Everything you want is likely available. Just remember it won't be cheap or easy. 

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Bandit 09/10/2020 at 20:17

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http://stores.lsxeverything.com/f-body-lsx-ltx-swaps/

Not sure if this is your car but LS swap kits are everywhere, even Jaaags

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Bandit 09/10/2020 at 20:18

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Yards sell engine/trans combinations on a pallet with the harness included.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Bandit 09/10/2020 at 20:18

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It will run on the stock GM ECU found in the donor vehicle fine, no need for a standalone. Take the harness, ECU, and engine.  That’s part of the beauty of the LS. You just have to find an unharvested vehicle.

Sovande > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 09/10/2020 at 20:19

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The other thing that is nice is that there are adapter plates for most transmissions so you can use what you got. 

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Bandit 09/10/2020 at 20:23

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We’ve done a bunch. The aftermarket EFI setups have gotten cheap. A junkyard 5.3, a cheap LS1 intake (to clear the hood) and then let Speedy or JEGS or Summit guide your choices on accessory brackets.

You’ll need a good fuel pump for the required rail pressure.  But that Holley turn key set up is easy to wire and easy to tune.

dogisbadob > Bandit 09/10/2020 at 20:26

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LS swaps are still awesome :o)

onlytwowheels > Bandit 09/10/2020 at 20:26

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Why not rip that engine out and give it a refre sh? Get a good set of heads and an aftermarket EFI system. A proper set of heads will give you r engine some extra punch, and the EFI will give it the correct mix it’s always needed.

https://www.summitracing.com/search/part-type/fuel-injection-systems

John Norris (AngryDrifter) > Bandit 09/10/2020 at 20:40

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lone_liberal > Bandit 09/10/2020 at 20:42

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I understand your frustration and it ain’t like Pontiac crate engines are cheap or easy to come by. There are plenty of LS swap parts out there to do it but, of course, you’ll always run in to some kind of issues and it will cost more than you plan on.  It is the way of these things. In the end you’ll have a more powerful and reliable engine if it doesn’t drive you insane first.

Bandit > lone_liberal 09/10/2020 at 21:06

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That’s the problem, to do a Pontiac engine correctly would cost the same if not more than an LS. Being a car I drive a ton and with its  super low collector value since it’s been bastardized so much by previous owners and myself an LS or some swap makes more sense.  I pulled a Gen I Chevy smallblock out of this car when I bought it and it was amazing how much cheaper the parts were compared to Pontiac parts, half the cost or more

Bandit > onlytwowheels 09/10/2020 at 21:09

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I thought about it, but parts are so expensive for these motors compared to common chevys and it has a cracked transmission mounting  boss.

lone_liberal > Bandit 09/10/2020 at 21:20

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I’ve done the same kind of comparison for my Camaro, mostly as a dream, and for me a crate small block makes sense since it’s a straight swap and relatively cheap. Doing a Pontiac completely changes the calculation. Honestly, if it was me and I had a  budget I’d go LS.

Fuckkinja > Bandit 09/10/2020 at 21:22

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I put ls an 6.2 6l80 in my ss because the 454 was to expensive to build for the hp  and the th400 makes the rpms to high to cruise. 1 remaned 454 roller and rebuilt beefed th400 for sale.

onlytwowheels > Bandit 09/10/2020 at 21:39

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Have you considered doing an Oldsmobile 403 or 455?  

old-busted-hotness-still-cant-comment > Bandit 09/10/2020 at 21:42

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LS into an F-body should be a bolt-in job. You’ll need a rear-sump pan and pickup, engine mounts, and a fuel pump, but it’s all available off the shelf.

Personally, I’d rebuild the Pontiac engine and give it an aftermarket EFI. LS swaps are ubiquitous and not as interesting as they were 15 years ago.

PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120 > Bandit 09/10/2020 at 21:53

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Do it, here’s your motivation.

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/nine-crazy-ls-engine-swaps/

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > Bandit 09/10/2020 at 21:54

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https://www.summitracing.com/parts/nal-s2020-80

Bandit > John Norris (AngryDrifter) 09/10/2020 at 22:11

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Holy shit that’s amazing

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Bandit 09/10/2020 at 22:18

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Almost 30 years ago I built a Ford 427 top-oiler that had come out of an old wood hull Chris Craft. This was a reverse-rotation engine - lemme tell ya how pricy THOSE parts were..

GLiddy > Bandit 09/10/2020 at 23:24

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When I had a TA so many years ago, I installed a heat shield under the carb to try to help with the vapor lock problem I was having. In retrospect, I’m glad I don’t have it anymore

https://www.rickscamaros.com/camaro-carburetor-heat-shield-rochester-model-4661-1967-1975-33-183459-1.html

Junkrat aka Rick Sanchez: Fury Road Edition > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 09/10/2020 at 23:54

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Yeah it’s hard to beat that Terminator kit for $1000. 

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Junkrat aka Rick Sanchez: Fury Road Edition 09/11/2020 at 08:18

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It used to be $4000 and an “eye roll”, but the newer turnkey systems are worth a look.

Generally, we’ve used Blue-Green PCMs, factory harnesses and brute-forced it...  but the latest after-market set-ups are pretty easy to use and easy to afford.  We spend too much time dicking around with throttle pedal and “DBW” versus mechanical linkages.  That kind of stuff should be easy.

Speed > Bandit 09/11/2020 at 09:17

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Would you have any interest in going back 1 generation prior to the LS? My brother and I swapped an LT1/T56 combo into his ‘80 Firebird. He stopped the project prior to running the fuel system and doing the wiring, sold off the carb/HEI swap and it has the EFI intake back on it. That said, you could grab another carb intake, stab an distributor and run it on your existing fuel/wiring system. He may be willing to part with the set up since it has sat for 2 years at this point.

Here’s a pic back when it had the carb swapped on.

Bandit > Speed 09/11/2020 at 09:23

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That’s a beautiful engine bay, I’m trying to get away from carbs though but thank you!

Speed > Fuckkinja 09/11/2020 at 09:25

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If the price is right, this is a SOLID move, Bandit. 

Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! > Bandit 09/11/2020 at 10:44

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I had a vapor lock issue from the gas boiling in the gas line because it’s right next to the header on my 1980 Firebird where it comes off the front subframe. I wish I would’ve seen this question yesterday I could’ve taken a photo of the area I am talking about.

Sorry, I realized I didn't include my solution. I wrapped the gas line in that heat protective tubing and that solved my problem. 

Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! > John Norris (AngryDrifter) 09/11/2020 at 10:45

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I fucking love this!!!

Bandit > Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! 09/11/2020 at 11:07

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I’ll have to look at that, you can see from my sketchy foil wrap and foil tape around the various fuel lines I’ve tried to mitigate a lot of the issues. These cars just were not well designed for exhaust routing. 

Just Jeepin' > Junkrat aka Rick Sanchez: Fury Road Edition 09/11/2020 at 17:28

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How are things? There’s a check-in post, I’m sure there are more than a few of us who are keen to hear how you’re doing.

https://oppositelock.kinja.com/western-oppo-check-in-1845028830