Thoughts on a LS1 complete drop in swap-any better bang for the buck?

[Haley72692]

It can be done cheaper than a lot of people say it can if you’re patient and vehemently look for deals on stuff or aren’t afraid of doing some things yourself, I bought my complete swap with EVERYTHING I needed from someone who had pieced together an 02 ls1/4l60 for his nova and ended up not doing it, I got everything from the radiator to driveshaft for $2350 and paid $100 to get the driveshaft cut and balanced and $80 for a 4.3 efi tank that the walbro 255 dropped into so roughly $2600 by the time I bought fluids and hose clamps etc.


I think it could be done even cheaper with a junkyard 5.3/4.8 but this swap showed up on Craigslist one day and I couldn’t say no

But FWIW f-body front accessories all fit other than the AC compressor, the factory manifolds fit and the camaro power steering lines even thread into the monte steering box

 

[Silent viewer]

Well I have news for you: those EFI'd SBCs you had before must have been really out of tune or very poorly built with the incorrect combination of parts or both. Because any engine that has EFI and runs at or near stoich (14.7:1) and is built on sound principles will get outstanding gas mileage and make good power. I had a 5 speed TPI 305 with ported everything, a lumpy cam, and headers at that thing pulled down 22mpg combined - Why? - Because I ensured that the BLMs/INTs (aka LTFT/STFT) were in spec; my Turbo Buick with a TH400 and loose converter got 18mpg combined with 83pph injectors and Speed Density running on a lean cruise (15.5:1 AFR); our TBSS (before the Procharger and other nonsense) was tuned to pull down 22mpg highway - with the whole family and their crap in it.

The way that the new bolt-on EFI systems work with wideband integration and target AFRs really do eliminate the excuses of poor running engines - as long as the basis is in a good state and not poorly packaged (ie. big lazy intake ports, low compression, 3/4 race cam, a non-lock-up converter, 4.88 gears, and so on). From the sounds of things you want to value engineer yourself into a solution and have convinced yourself of what you want - not what you need - which is fine; and since you have all the answers I am going to politely see myself out of this discussion (lol).

FYI - all of the cheap LS stuff, including the LS1/6, are made of cast internals. It is the tuning, not the material specs, which allow them to live long, happy, powerful lives. The LS2 in my TBSS loves the D1SC I strapped to its high-mileage cast guts.

well I have news for you too, I am going LS in this car, I don't know what else i can say to make that understood here. I'm ready to try something new, I'm not stuck in the old ways and not accepting that new tech might actually beat out the old stuff. I have built more junk yard motors than I can count, I was hoping to have something delivered, clean it up, maybe swap a pan and manifolds out, strap motor mounts on and drop it into its new boxed, reinforced and powder coated frame which is where i am putting my time in on. Back when i started building engines, I had teenager money which bought junk yard 350s, and then i had kids and that took a toll on the budget but i was able to do some fun stuff with a decent budget, my career has done ok for me so i have a even better budget and not nearly as much time and was honestly shocked at how cheap i could buy a complete drop in engine for. It saves me time and space doing that. Still not 100% sure I am going that route but it sure still looks like a reasonable option. I never once said my EFI engines were not pulling great MPG. I said the EFI on a sbc likely cost me more in the long run than a F body or corvette drop in engine will. To even get a MPI computer that can be programmed to do what the computers on a LS I am looking at almost 2k for the computer and harness. A holley stealth ram complete EFI is around 3500 by itself, add a crate sbc engine for another 3k+ or so and then accessories.... As far as cast cast internal comments, my point was that you IMO should not throw boost at a cast internal engine and i will even go as far to say that maybe that is different on a LS platform but a sbc or bbc? nope, not for me. Not sure if you picked up on this but I have a background in the marine performance world, if you want to talk about what will hold up and what will die, those are the guys to talk to and superchargers are everywhere. If you told me to strap superchargers on my pair of 454 forged internal engines i'm building for my boat, I'm in! That makes sense to me. Not trying to be a jerk here but this is the direction i'm going, I have my reasons for it and they work for me.


This discussion seems as silly as a ford vs chevy discussion or what oil is best lol. motorheadmike, have a great day we will have to agree to disagree here

 

[fleming442]

 

[Silent viewer]

It can be done cheaper than a lot of people say it can if you’re patient and vehemently look for deals on stuff or aren’t afraid of doing some things yourself, I bought my complete swap with EVERYTHING I needed from someone who had pieced together an 02 ls1/4l60 for his nova and ended up not doing it, I got everything from the radiator to driveshaft for $2350 and paid $100 to get the driveshaft cut and balanced and $80 for a 4.3 efi tank that the walbro 255 dropped into so roughly $2600 by the time I bought fluids and hose clamps etc.


I think it could be done even cheaper with a junkyard 5.3/4.8 but this swap showed up on Craigslist one day and I couldn’t say no

But FWIW f-body front accessories all fit other than the AC compressor, the factory manifolds fit and the camaro power steering lines even thread into the monte steering box

I agree here. The info on the F body stuff working minus a/c is the info i'm needing and backs my point of a nearly drop in option. I think a LS could be very cheap if you wanted it to. It's 285 with core to pull a engine from the local yard complete, truck parts can work, not for what i want but will work, make your own mounts, rework your own harness and source most parts from the salvage yard and it can be done.

 

[Silent viewer]

flemming442, go back to FB please. I get it, you don't like LS motors

 

[fleming442]

Actually, I love them with big turbos on them. I've actually done 3 LS cars (counting my Series II = same wiring). My point is that y'all can argue cost until the cows come home, but it all comes down to your wallet and ability.
The original post was for alternatives, and 5 pages in, its a lovefest.

*1 m in my name
* never been on fakebook

 

[Silent viewer]

Maybe i need to get my build stated before anyone else gets upset over what I'm building. This car is a collection of the best parts that i have collected over almost 25 years and at this point I dont care what it costs to make it the way I want it. If it takes 15k to build my car, oh well it's cheaper that a stock GN. 84 regal astro roof shell, turbo hood, GN spoiler, cornering light fenders. I have a complete turbo bucket interior in it. The frame is getting boxed, reinforced, powder coated. doing all tubular control arms, big disc brakes all around, stainless lines, probably leaving the 7.5 with 3.42 posi... for now. The car is being built to be able to drive anywhere for road trips and such. Must have mpi and overdrive engine wise, I am more worried about handling than drag strip. I want to be able to hop in and say let's drive to California and not worry about mechanical issues.

 

[Silent viewer]

I am looking for other LS based options, that was the point of this thread. sorry if that was not clear up front

 

[Northernregal]

A mid 2000s 5.3 is a better choice than a LS1. Unless you are stuck on an LS1 for some reason. You can still find aluminum block and the power with a truck or TBSS will be more enjoyable. Find an LS6 cam and springs and you will be pretty happy with the choice. Also super easy to tune and find relocation brackets for AC.

 

[Silent viewer]

That is becoming an option. As I mentioned above, the big draw on the LS1, which if I do a similar motor has turned into a LS6, was that it had all of the correct parts on the outside to just drop it in and have a 350ish hp MPI engine and not have to worry about relocation accessory brackets and low profile intake. I found a billet serpentine setup for about 1800 shipped which is for sure a chunk of change but its all of the front accessories brand new, fit the car and as a bonus they are pretty. Add a 285 dollar junk yard LS of whatever size, find a low profile intake, fuel rails, injectors and if I am going that far, a cam swap. It is likley in the same ball park price wise but it's also no longer a drop in engine like I was wanting. regardless of which engine I choose I will have motor mounts, headers, adding a 4L60E or similar trans, maybe a trans cross member. I already have the baffled fuel tank, sending unit for EFI and electric cooling fans were previously installed when the SBC went serpentine.

Is a aluminum block better? I have read that the aluminum blocks are not the best for high performance applications. weight savings is not a bad thing though

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