Which engine would YOU choose? (update)

[DRIVEN]

Those were all non-WC transmissions.

I gave you bad info there^^^. Iron Cast Knight is right. The WC started around '88 in the Fbodys.

 

[pontiacgp]

The earlier Fbodys were canted. The bellhousing was drilled so that the transmission would lean toward the driver. I think that it was mainly to position the shifter closer to the driver. The mounting pad for the transmission mount was also at an angle. You could use these transmissions on a "regular" bellhousing and just shim under one side of the mount. Make sense? Those were all non-WC transmissions -- if that matters to you at all.

I didn't need to shim the transmission mount. The transmission does lean towards the driver but it sits flat on the mount. You were right on with it working well with a 3.08 rear

 

[DRIVEN]

Man, I'm stepping all over my dink today :lol: . It's been about 10 years since I did the T-5 swap in my wagon. Guess I just remembered wrong. Definitely not the first time that's happened. Disregard the part about shimming the mount.

 

[307 Regal]

Alright, DRIVEN, I'll disregard everything you told me except for the part about rear gears. :lol:
Not to hi-jack my own thread but while we're talking about gears and T-5s, did all F-body WCs come with the same gear ratios or were there different sets? (I can look this up later but I was just wondering if anyone knew off-hand.) I'm putting in 3.73s with a new carrier this spring which I suppose will work fine with my 200-4R, but for a T-5 is 3.73:1 going to make 1st gear about useless?

 

[86judge]

I m not stalking you i swear. lol i am just boucing around in here cause i m new. As far as motor choice i bought a brand new 2000 T A LS1 t56 6 speed when i was eighteen (which has long been sold) college is over rated i should of kept the car. Its a bad *ss setup with lots of power potential. I just never found a way to affordably way to do the swap. I have had 307 olds, 403, olds, and 400 ram air IV and 383 sbc all in a 84 or 86 cutlass. I dont recomend the pontiac motor to heavy and a bit of a pain to intall. They all have power potential. Keeping in mind you want to go with a five speed. I think sbc is the way to go . Buick Pontiac and olds have one bellhousing pattern and chevy has another. I know i kinda felt like a sell out at first going with the chevy motor,but its the best setup i have had by far Parts are more plentiful and cheaper with the chevy. With you going a hydraulic clutch you are not limited to the specific bellhousing for 78 79 g bodys(the chevy one was hard to find, i couldn't imagine trying to find one with the olds bolt pattern)That shouldnt affedt you. as far as gear ratios i have 3.42 gears with a wide ratio 4 speed. i cant remember what 1st gear ratio is but all i do in 1st and second is spin. hopefully wider tires help.I am taching 2800 at about 55 mph a fith gear would relly help

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

Re: Which engine would YOU choose? (vote)

I keep seeing on this forum and even in magazines how LSs are so cheap and plentiful. I know that my local regular wrecking yards have them, at a premium price. I've never ever seen one in a PickNPull and when they do (rarely) show up on CL they are 2K and up. I can't argue with the factory power numbers and the potential, but I think they are one of the least visually appealing engines ever made in stock form. It takes quite a bit of extra money to make one look pretty in an otherwise nice engine bay. Maybe that's the tradeoff for having plentiful rust free cars in my part of the world -- less availability of LS engine donors.
...Just my unsolicited view. Tangent concluded.

I have to agree with you on this. I live in NJ and everyone wants top prices for junkyard LS motors with no guarantees on them. Then in the catalogs and online I see LS parts prices are 3 times more than similar parts for SBCs which is why I scratch my head when I hear how cheap LS motors supposedly are.

As for the 3.8 V6, they have small, weak thrust bearings that can't stand up long with a manual transmission, it's why GM never put a manual behind a 3.8.

 

[307 Regal]

With you going a hydraulic clutch you are not limited to the specific bellhousing for 78 79 g bodys(the chevy one was hard to find, i couldn't imagine trying to find one with the olds bolt pattern)That shouldnt affedt you.

In that case I wonder if I can get away with using a V6 Camaro bellhousing if I need a BOP pattern. (Just as an example) I don't know much about bellhousings yet. Do they have different external dimensions in almost every application? For instance, if I tried using a BOP or Chevy bellhousing from a '70s car like a 4th gen Cutlass or a '75 Nova, would the transmission end up in a different location than it would with a G-Body bellhousing?
:?: :?:

I keep seeing on this forum and even in magazines how LSs are so cheap and plentiful. I know that my local regular wrecking yards have them, at a premium price. I've never ever seen one in a PickNPull and when they do (rarely) show up on CL they are 2K and up. I can't argue with the factory power numbers and the potential, but I think they are one of the least visually appealing engines ever made in stock form. It takes quite a bit of extra money to make one look pretty in an otherwise nice engine bay. Maybe that's the tradeoff for having plentiful rust free cars in my part of the world -- less availability of LS engine donors.
...Just my unsolicited view. Tangent concluded.

I have to agree with you on this. I live in NJ and everyone wants top prices for junkyard LS motors with no guarantees on them. Then in the catalogs and online I see LS parts prices are 3 times more than similar parts for SBCs which is why I strach my head when I hear how cheap LS motors supposedly are.

It's the same where I live. I've only found them on eBay for around 4k.

 

[86judge]

As far as the bellhousing goes. When i was talking about the bop vs the Chevy bolt pattern.i was talking about where they bolt to the enine block.they are diffrent just like your automatic trans. eberything is the same except for the top two bolts. Now your aftermarket ones(scattershield) has both bolt patterns.Now where the transmision bolts to the bellhousing.(the 4bolts) i dont know about newer transmissions,but gm is usually pretty consistant.As far as the 17 degree angle you were talking about i dont know.
When i refred to the 78 79 g body the location for the clutch fork was a half inch lower and clutch fork itself has about a ninety degree bend in it and is specific to these cars thats why i suggested the hydraulic set up cause then you dont have to find that specific bellhousing and fork plus almost all of those restrict you to a 10.5 clutch. When i ran the pontiac motor i used a scattershield 11 inch clutch and modified a standered gm clutch fork. Pain in the *ss. The scattershield had plent of room but trying to get the geometry right on linkage was not easy. i know some of the cameroes (94ish) ran 3.1 or 3.4 if that was a buick bolt pattern where the engine and trans meet up you should be fine. Dont let some one talk you out of the hydraulic setup especially if you are running a buick pont or olds motor. It took me a year to find bellhousing and fork and i paid $350. The price wasnt horable just caused a lot of headaches untill i found it.keep in mind ther were more of the chevy setups then the others, But research the bolt pattern wherr the trans bolt to the bell housing(4 Bolts) if your 5 speed is the same as the old school 60s 70s... then you could run any of the older BPO bellhousing or scattershield not to hard to find. Dont know the price but look up Mcleod hydraulic throwout bearing. I ll post pics of what im talking about as soon as i can

 

[86judge]

As far as Cheap Ls1. I guess cheap is realitive. I know buy the time you find a complete drop out buy a swap kit (crossmember, motor mounts, upgraded fuel systeme, and headers) it is not my definition of cheap cause if it was i would own one. Then start pricing perormance upgrades. wow.Dot get me wrong i relly like the motor. Its just not cheap. You could probably find the 5.3 a little cheaper,but i am way to much of a fan of cubic inches. My next build is going to be a 400 sbc chevy stroked. I have 400 dollars in a complete 400 (509) casting and 150 in a set of used cast iron dart heads 215cc runner 205 intake valve. I will probable have 1000 to 1500 in maching and other performance parts. But that will make a pretty ratical motor. One more side note i heard the olds 350 was 50 lbs lighter then sbc cause of a higher nickle content. Dont know for sure but less wieght is always a plus

 

[hurst1979olds]

I keep seeing on this forum and even in magazines how LSs are so cheap and plentiful. I know that my local regular wrecking yards have them, at a premium price. I've never ever seen one in a PickNPull and when they do (rarely) show up on CL they are 2K and up. I can't argue with the factory power numbers and the potential, but I think they are one of the least visually appealing engines ever made in stock form. It takes quite a bit of extra money to make one look pretty in an otherwise nice engine bay. Maybe that's the tradeoff for having plentiful rust free cars in my part of the world -- less availability of LS engine donors.
...Just my unsolicited view. Tangent concluded.

I have to agree with you on this. I live in NJ and everyone wants top prices for junkyard LS motors with no guarantees on them. Then in the catalogs and online I see LS parts prices are 3 times more than similar parts for SBCs which is why I strach my head when I hear how cheap LS motors supposedly are.

It's the same where I live. I've only found them on eBay for around 4k.[/quote]

Look for a LM4, LM7, LH6, etc. They are 5.3l out of trucks and suvs. They are cheap compared to an LS, under $4000. Ive been looking into a swap for the wifes camaro.

I don't know were in NJ you live but If your close to allentown, pa or Pennsburg, pa. Go to Harrys U Pull-it. I called about a price for an engine out of a truck. They only want about $500 complete with harness and computer.....If you can find one there.