What is the cheapest possible ls swap?

[Dinosport]

Cheap HAHHAHAHAHA!!! Its not cheap if you want it done right and be reliable and look good. Ill tell you though if you have a 403 youd be surprised with a little work that will run pretty good. Or a rocket 350. Im not trying to down you but Im in the middle of doing one and everytime I buy
5 things I ralize i need 10 more. Then nothing is cheap for this swap. even if you go carb your looking at 900$ roughly for the intake msd and carb.

 

[lilbowtie]

What is the cheapest ls swap you can do? i have a Pull a Part that i can pull a ls for 180 so how can i save more money. i have zero issues getting used stuff

May I ask what you want to do and what expectations are?? 9 seconds for $2000.00?? 1/8 mi ok

 

[UNGN]

picknpu

I agree with you to an extent. It depends on where you are as to how unwanted that small block Vortec engine will be. When I worked at the junkyard (I'm in KY) I remember how rarely we would get a Vortec in and when we did they were usually priced pretty high. The last reasonably low mileage Vortec engine in stock was priced somewhere around $900. I'm pretty sure that I could have gotten a 4.8 or a 5.3 for less than $600. Of course a pull your own place would probably be a lot cheaper.

As others have already mentioned, the engine itself can be acquired for a reasonably cheap price but it's all of the other stuff you need that makes the cost go up quickly.

Picknpulls are generally fixed price... you can get a full motor, any motor including a Camaro LS1 for $300 (including core charges) that includes all accessories. They have 1/2 price weekends and motors are also 1/2 price - the cores they charge are regular price. I've tripped over SBC's and SBF's at my local Pnp's but I can't say I've tripped over an LS motor, yet. I have seen swarms of people on LS powered cars before, like piranhas or fire ants.

 

[rogue_ryder]

This should give you a ball park of what the swap could cost:

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/hrdp-1103-small-block-or-ls-engine-install/

5.3L SWAP WITH CARB
Used 5.3L engine with front drives and accessories $180
S&P motor mount adapter plates $100
GTO oil pan, pickup, and windage tray $100
TrailBlazer V8 exhaust manifolds $125
Comp Cams Mutha Thumpr cam $400
Comp Cams beehive springs and retainers $315
GM single-plane carb intake $380
Holley 750-cfm vacuum-secondary carb $270
MSD coil pack control box $310
14-inch open-element air cleaner $25
GM 4L80E flexplate, spacer, and bolts $200
TH350 detent cable and bracket $45
Holley “blue” electric fuel pump and regulator kit $132
TOTAL $2,582

5.3L/4L60E SWAP WITH EFI
Used 5.3L engine with front drives and accessories plus 4L60E trans $1820
S&P motor mount adapter plates $100
GTO oil pan, pickup, and windage tray $100
TrailBlazer V8 exhaust manifolds $125
Comp Cams XFI cam $400
Comp Cams beehive springs and retainers $315
Used ECU $100
Reflash ECU $300
Used drive-by-wire pedal and solenoid $150
Used MAF meter and air cleaner $100
30 lb/hr fuel injectors (set of 8) $250
4L60E early Nova trans crossmember $175
Shorten driveshaft (Wenco) $75
Rock Valley EFI-style stamped-steel fuel tank and electric pump $725
Abbott Cable-X box $325
Miscellaneous wiring and plumbing $300
TOTAL $4,520

 

[Opie Knievel]

picknpu


Picknpulls are generally fixed price... you can get a full motor, any motor including a Camaro LS1 for $300 (including core charges) that includes all accessories. They have 1/2 price weekends and motors are also 1/2 price - the cores they charge are regular price. I've tripped over SBC's and SBF's at my local Pnp's but I can't say I've tripped over an LS motor, yet. I have seen swarms of people on LS powered cars before, like piranhas or fire ants.

It was totally different at the junkyard I worked at. There were plenty of LS based engines and hardly any Gen 1 small blocks. Where I live right now the closest pull your own place is 2 hours away.

 

[motorheadmike]

I really have nothing further to add... other than you can find lots of used affordable OEM parts at LS1Tech.com - you can turn a 4.8L into a 400ish crank horses with a couple hundred bucks of used junk. Learn to port too.

 

[pontiacgp]

yea i have found that is the biggest pain but idk where to go and what to do im broke and im stuck with a 403

Why not wait till you have the money available for the swap you want. If you grab a engine that takes all your money and that engine turns out to be junk what do you do then?

 

[fleming442]

Why not wait till you have the money available for the swap you want. If you grab a engine that takes all your money and that engine turns out to be junk what do you do then?

.... you rebuild it (see my build thread)

 

[Turbolq4]

Why not wait till you have the money available for the swap you want. If you grab a engine that takes all your money and that engine turns out to be junk what do you do then?

Sit at home staring out the window looking at your slow/broken car.

 

[rogue_ryder]

yea i have found that is the biggest pain but idk where to go and what to do im broke and im stuck with a 403

I missed that you had a 403

I'm going to build a 403 (want to keep my car all Olds) and it's gonna be cheaper than any LS swap.

$400 Machine Work for Block (estimate) http://www.besracing.com/machine-shop-services.html
$400 Used C heads with valve job competed
$600 Forged Flat Top Pistons & Rings (Arias or KB)
$400 H-Beam Rods
$150 Crank Polishing & Balance
$270 Cam & Lifters http://www.northernautoparts.com/part/eb-7112
$100 Gaskets & Seals
$150 Timing set
$125 Bearings
$350 Oil Pump & Oil Pan with Windage Tray
$2950 (time and hassle saved over LSx swap = Priceless; ok not really but at least several days/weeks). You could also shave money off this by using different parts e.g. stock rods.

What would you rather a Junkyard motor that puts out 300hp on a GOOD DAY or a 0 mile hi-po rebuild? Not to mention the 403 with the above combo should be good for roughly 400hp! Not to mention a decent amount of torque. Add a few hundred bucks more if you want a Girdle (you could always run a cheaper Oil Pan with a DMR tray too). Will this motor rev to 6500, like an LS? Nope, but for street driving who really cares?

When I priced out a 6.0 it was going to cost me $1500 just for a 150K Junkyard motor then all the hassle of brackets for accessories, wiring, transmission, engine mounts, cooling, etc. etc. And if I were going to have zero mile built LS2 or LQ4 it was going to run closer to $10K

What makes an LS so wonderful is the heads flow a TON of air which makes HP! Old school engines can easily be upgraded with aftermarket heads that offer an incredible amount of CFM over the stock heads. The 2nd thing about LS engines that make them so great is the fueling. You can't compare multi-port EFI to a carb when it comes to driveablity. But for about $1000 you can make anything EFI these days with ease. Won't be as good as the system on the LS but it's close especially at HP levels below 400. The final thing is that the Piston & Ring package is much better on the LS motors than old small blocks but the aftermarket easily fixes that problem.