Ls engine ??

[85GPLef41]

I have been doing some research to start the conversion from a carbed engine to a fuel injected engine. I am looking into the Ls series engine and would LOVE to to find one out of a Corvette, GTO, F body.... BUT they seem to command top $$. My questions are if i bought a 5.3 from a pickup could they be disguised to look a passenger car engine?. I have seen them go as low as 500.00 for a complete 63k mile truck engine compared to 2000.00 for one out of a 175k mile Camaro. Reason i ask is according to requirements i cannot use a truck engine in a passenger car. Can i use a computer from a ls1 Camaro with a 5.3? Sorry for the dumb questions.... I just want to get my 85 GP updated. :lol:

 

[patmckinneyracing]

Speaking in a general sense, you can put a truck motor in a car all day long lol.

My big reference to your question is with the older 427's. Back in the 60's and 70's, you had two types of 427: the regular passenger car 427 and then the tall deck 427 used in trucks. You could put a tall deck 427 in a car with minor clearance issues. The passenger car version is worth stupid money while the truck 427's barely bring $300.

Now if you can take a 5.3 out of a truck, and at the same time, find a pcm out of a car with a 5.3, your golden. Only differences may be injector size, size of the throttle body, compression, etc. The other way you could go about this is taking the pcm that was in the truck and having it re-flashed to the same specs as a pcm in a 5.3L car. What I would suggest doing is building the motor the way you want first, then having it flashed so that way your not having to flash the computer again later. Easier to build the engine first, then tweek the computer after.

The other thing working for you is the size of our engine bays without a heater/ac box. I do know one guy down here with an 81' Malibu and his has an LS1 out of a camaro. The car definately gets plenty of attention.

 

[MR442]

You need to look at Impalas. Like the 90's SS the police had them also. I have complete setup in garage waiting . And My local u pull has 3 old police cars. They may need rebuilt but all wires hoses computer stuff is on them .

Also see police crusiers on Craigs allot

Sorry I'm still stuck in the 90's I stand corrected

 

[FE3X CLONE]

The Impala doesn't have an LS engine though.

The truck 5.3L option would work. I'm not up on LS engine swaps but I do know the truck engines externally are pretty much identical. The 5.3L in my '08 Sierra looks like any other LS engine.
I wouldn't even think you'd really need to reflash the PCM if you got a truck engine. My '08 has the 315HP/338ft.lb 5.3L and with a Diablo Predator tune, it does really well for a large truck. Shifts in the 5500rpm range at WOT.

However I believe the truck blocks were all cast iron where as the car engines (at least the F-body and Corvette) were aluminum. Personally I'd rather have the aluminum for less weight over the front end.

 

[87montecarlomrc]

i think the 5.3 carb'd is sweet looking and is simple to drop in and go without a new gas tank and wiring harness

 

[79loserbluebu]

Later Impala and Monte Carlo SS's have LS4's in them, however you won't have much success using one of those instead of a truck engine. Some trucks do come with aluminum blocks. The weight difference between an all aluminum 5.3 from a Trailblazer, and an iron block 5.3 from a Silverado is only 40 lbs. You could make it look exactly like an LS1 with an LS1 or LS6 intake, and then use the F-body or Corvette front accessories. Look at www.maliburacing.com in the LSx section, lots of good info and a whole thread of G-body LS swaps.

Oh yeah carbs on LS engines

 

[86Cutlass383SR]

I have been doing some research to start the conversion from a carbed engine to a fuel injected engine. ......... My questions are if i bought a 5.3 from a pickup could they be disguised to look a passenger car engine?. ........... Reason i ask is according to requirements i cannot use a truck engine in a passenger car.

Let me start off by saying I am not real experienced with emission laws, but ... the way I understand from my research, no you can't use a truck engine in a car. (Of the same years due to the truck having differant emission requirements. You can't, for example, use a 1980 truck engine to replace a 1979 car engine.)

They will probably run the engine numbers if they are that nit-picky. It wouldn't matter how it looked if they run the numbers.

Since you are replacing a 70's engine with a 2000 year engine, it may not matter if it's a truck engine. A 2000 truck engine with all emission stuff is still MUCH cleaner than a 70's engine (in their eyes at least). Make an anomous call to someone who has that answer and see what they say. In a case like that, it may be permissable.

79loserbluebu - I totally agree !!!

 

[RITTER]

I believe when you run a carbureted LS engine, you do not run a stock PCM. You have to run an aftermarket ignition system that controls the coil-on-plug. You obviously cannot run a stock PCM with a carburetor on an LS engine. MSD sells an ignition system for this setup. I don't see why you couldn't have everything setup to pass any emissions testing. Take the computer out of the car and run the MSD ignition and your emissions obviously won't be able to throw a code.

 

[87montecarlomrc]

^^^^^^^I agree with him

 

[85GPLef41]

I will call the state emissions inspections office and get some more opinions.... I do know that all the emissions equipment and controls have to be in place and functioning from the donor vehicle. What i was thinking of buying a truck 5.3 then "converting" it to Car "ls1 using the computer intake etc etc. Running a carb on a ls series engine is not a option since it raises a red flag to the inspector. I would have to take the car to get certified first by the state before getting it "smogged."
Maybe i should just buy one out of a car and be done with it... "edit found the info needed posted by 84deyknow"